Tour de France 2011
2011 Tour de France starts these days. Gets underway while in the Vendée region of western France. The pre-race favorites are without a doubt defending champion Alberto Contador of Spain and Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, who has finished second to Contador the past two years.
As usual, the 2011 Tour will almost certainly be won or lost while in the mountains, and this year’s program features the famed Alpe-d’Huez, which has become missing through the route the earlier two years. That each one crucial summit finish is available in Stage 19, two days prior to the ride into Paris, and will almost certainly establish who stands atop the podium within the Champs Élysées.
On an annual basis, the Tour is probably the most watched events in the world. There’ll be greater than 2000 journalists available to cover the race and it really is broadcast in 188 countries across the world. In addition, an believed 12-15 million fans will line the stages with the race, cheering their favorite riders on towards the finish line.
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Tour de Fat Fort Collins
If you didn’t know that Fort Collins is home to one of the best bike cooperatives in the country, you must be spending too much time in front of a screen, and not enough astride your two-wheeled sustainability machine.
The month of September is going to be a time of amazine growth and activity of the Fort Collins Bike Co-op, and if you’re finding yourself with some extra time on your hands now that the kiddies have gone back to school, the Co-op could use your help and your smile.
A NEW HOME
That’s right the Bike Co-op has moved to a new location that’s even bigger, better and more suited to meeting the high demand for mechanics and bike related information in Fort Collins. The new location is 331 North College, and while they gear up for the big grand re-opening, they could sure use a little help cleaning and organizing the new shop.
TOUR DE FAT
This annual celebration of the bicycle (and beer!) is part of the tradition of the Co-op, and this year they are in need of volunteers that can provide a few hours of service operating the Bike Valet at the Tour de Fat festivities. 40 volunteers are needed for two hour time slots on Saturday- so contact Rick@experienceplus.com if you can help.
BIKE SALE
If you’re interested in seeing the phsyical results of the Bike Co-op, be sure to stop by the new location for the inaugural Bike Sale on Wednesday, September 2 (tomorrow!) from 4 – 8 pm. This is a great time to meet some of the Co-op’s volunteers and maybe pick up a bike for Tour de Fat if you don’t already have one. (More about the sale on Facebook).
Visit the Co-op’s official website for more information on how to volunteer or take advantage of any of these opportunities.
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Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race 2009 Sponsors
Coca-Cola joins Cannondale, Soleus, Vasque, Power Bar, Lifetime Fitness and several other sponsors in bringing to life the 2009 Leadville 100 mountain bike race in Leadville, CO this weekend. This grueling, mostly singletrack race at high altitudes in the Colorado mountains is the race of the year for mountain bikers.
Lance Armstrong will have to work hard to avenge his lost last year to Dave Wiens. Lance is considered to have a better shot this year due to just coming off this years’ Tour de France and being much more fit and ready. But do not for a second confuse this race with The Tour. The route of the Leadville 100 may not climb as high or for as many days as The Tour but The Tour does not have the terrain of a trail like the Leadville 100 Trail. The trails are different, the bikes are different so the training has to be 
different. It is rumored that Lance took a mountain bike with him to train while on a family vacation in the Bahamas. Though he has obviously spent a lot of time in the saddle of his road bike we all know Lance well enough to know that he will be ready. It is obvious he doesn’t like not winning, even if “not winning” simply meant second place last year.
Lance will have some stiff competition to deal with. The man who beat him last year, Dave Wiens, is a six time winner of the race and the third place finisher last year, California resident and Costa Rican national mountain bike champion 28 year old Manuel Prado has been training more intensely than last year. Though he himself expects Lance to win today, he plans to give him a good run for his money.
The race is in progress now so check back tomorrow for results and highlights.
