Reshuffling the Deck

Velonews is reporting that Alberto Contador has been stripped of his 2010 TDF title.  Read all about it here.  Andy Schleck, who wore yellow gloves in the final time trial will now pull on the full yellow jersey.  It won't be on the Champs, but it will still likely be a size Small. 

Despite your views on this, it is the second TDF champ in 5 years to have his title stripped and given to the second place finisher.  A sad day, or the necessary dark before the dawn? 

V. sport says, keep it clean and you will be rewarded.

A day at the races.

The V. sport health crew packed up the truck and headed west this morning.  We'll let the pictures do (most of) the talking.  In a nutshell:  This was NCCX #12, put on by Pirate Race Productions.   Weather was perfect, with a cool start and a mix of sun and clouds all day.  Temps hovered in the upper 40s to low 50s.  Racers hovered by the keg in the heated party tent.





The podium awaits

Rip tackles the barriers with style

Cat 4 men, known for their excellent beards

Or their stylish 'red' tires

This was an easy race to watch

Kelly, resplendent in green



Scott Miller, doing his best Jens Voigt face



The barriers provided little hassle for the skilled

Talia Espresso was on point

Rip extended her lead as the laps counted down

The mud was slick early, but like glue by noon

    

Beautiful crumbling history

Head down

V. sport on the scene



Juniors wise-up and run the mud section



Sirena frees herself from the mud



Singlespeed glory



No one rode the off-camber run-up

The line up

Matt Canter, riding for Ken's



Everyone left the race with some take-home presents

Repost from redkiteprayer.com

The Helmet

Discussion of helmet use in cycling.  Interesting ideas here.  We say, wear your lid!

V. sport needs some swag.

Here at V. sport World Headquarters, we're pondering our next PR move.  Actually, we're watching the Cotton Bowl.  As we consider how best to represent ourselves on the backs of our athletes, we have several options:  there's the embrocation market, the ever-expanding world of custom knit socks, and who could ignore the possibilities of the V. sport snuggie?  Despite that, we're thinking t-shirts or something our folks can wear with pride on and off the field of sport. 

At the risk of getting your opinions, here are few designs we're considering.  Go ahead, say what you think:

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3...

Tonight, we had a few of the Pirate Race Productions p/b Alpha Facilities Solutions guys turning pedals in anger from TX to NC.  In order to lay out their winter / early spring training plans, we needed to gather information on lactate thresholds.  Though this aspect of fitness can be 'trained' to a higher level, it's important to start where the athlete is at the moment.  From here, we will lay out the training zones (commonly Zone 1-Zone 5, though there are some variations and sub-zones) and plan the athletes' training scheme with accuracy.

We captured a few pics of the madness - out on the front porch where the air was cool but heavy with expectations for 2011...

out on the porch.

barry looks for help from above.

bound by the iron beasts.

focused.  the spring will be here soon.

almost done. almost done.

Next up, we'll distribute training plans and get folks moving toward their goals.  If you'd like to join in, drop us a line!  Either way, check back often for the latest on the V. sport squad. 

We're up and blogging!

We at V. sport health wish you a happy, healthy and adrenaline-filled 2011!  We're putting away our holiday ornaments, finishing off the last of the egg nog, and getting ready for a winter training season stuffed with training events, fun races [like THIS one] and new friends.


Stick with us, add us to your favorites, and check back often to get the latest news on our athletes, product reviews, tips from our trainers, and nutrtion advice from Debra at Body in Mind.


Now stop reading this blog and get out on the roads [or on the trail, or on the trainer, or in the pool]...