VOLUME 11 NUMBER 6 FREEFREE AUGUST 2003 cyclincyclingg utahutah GETGET ININ TTOUCHOUCH WITHWITH YYOUROUR INNERINNER SPROCKETSPROCKET,, GOGO CLIMBCLIMB AA CANYCANYON!ON! •Calendar of Events - p. 14 •Touring America’s’s LoneliestLoneliest HighwayHighway -- p.p. 1818 •Blowhard Mountain Trail - p. 3 •Results - p. 16 •Tour of a Lifetime - p. 2 •Whose Owns the Roads Anyway? - p. 4 •Chris Allaire Memorial Solitude MTB Race - p. 11 •Elko Jaietan Criterium Photo Gallery - p. 10 •Bike/Ped EnhancementsTorpedoed - p. 7 •Flyin Brian DH - p. 12 •Coach’s Corner - p. 8 MOUNTAIN WEST CYCLING JOURNAL •Coach’s Corner - p. 8 MOUNTAIN WEST CYCLING JOURNAL 2 cycling utah.com AUGUST 2003 SPEAKING OF SPOKES TheThe TTourour ofof aa LifetimeLifetime By Dave Ward climb backwards up the Col de Publisher Pailheres to watch the riders come over the top. I quickly realized I It was about 5 months ago that was undergeared. Due to the I booked a 5-day Tour de France intense schedule I had prior to tour for my wife, Karma, and me leaving, I had failed to change to with Graham Baxter Sporting heavy mountain gears, and was Tours. I chose the 5 stages begin- now trying to climb this incredibly ning with the stage into Toulouse tough Pyrenean climb in a 39 x after the first rest day, and ending 24. Between the heat, the humidi- with the climb up to Luz Ardiden. ty and the steep pitch, I realized I Who could have guessed then this mance. was not going to make it to the would be the most exciting Tour We opted to watch the racers as top. I made 8 of twelve miles Going to the Top. Photo: Derek Francis they rolled down the ramp, and before being stopped by the gen- since Greg LeMond’s 8 second put another seven seconds into Simoni and Laurent Dufaux on the victory in 1989, and that the most the excitement built as we recog- darmes who had closed the rode. nized each of the last 25 racers to Prior to reaching that point, I had Armstrong, and felt Lance losing local radio station. We knew intense and pivotal stages of this his grip on this tour. It was at the when they had cleared the top of year’s Tour would take place in start, cheering for each departing crawled into a cool creek with an rider, and wildly cheering for each Italian rider to cool off. end of this stage that my positives the Col du Peyresourde when the the 5 days we chose for our tour? changed. The best I could say was helicopters began to hover above When we arrived in Toulouse, U.S. Postal rider, Tyler and Lance. I decided to descend back After Lance left, I began my down, and to climb as far up Ax-3 that if anyone was going to beat the summit, and then slow began we were picked up by our touring Lance, except for Tyler I would making their way to just above us. company and introduced to our ride back to Toulouse, and tuned Domaines as possible. Riding in to the local radio announcer to down the winding road, swerving prefer it was Ullrich. I have been Tom, our on-the-bike guide, tour guide, Derrick. Even before a fan of his for several years, so it and I picked Dufaux to win the checking into our hotel, we were follow the riders’ progress and through the curves as I had times as they finished. Fortunately, watched so many racers do, was was some consolation to think that sprint. We cheered as the three driven to the stage finish in if anyone was going to beat passed by us, and were surprised Toulouse we Karma and I parked I am somewhat fluent in French, one of the thrills of my ride. It and though the commentators also allowed me to recover suffi- Lance, it would be Jan. to hear on the radio that Simoni ourselves at the 300-meter mark to The next day, we rode from our won the sprint. In watching the watch the stage finish. As we speak fast and loud, I was able to ciently to want to climb toward understand their description of the the stage finish at Ax-3 Domaines. new base in Lourdes and over the television coverage that night, I leaned over the barrier to scarf up Col d'Aspin in the reverse direc- could see that Dufaux simply all the stuff we could from the riders' progress. After almost four of nine kilome- The sinking feeling I experi- ters, however, I again had to stop, tion the Tour racers would be started his sprint too late to over- "caravan publicitaire", the excite- going the next day. The view take a motivated Simoni. ment of actually being here per- enced as I listened to Jan Ullrich's and down a Coke and an Orange crushing victory marred what was before continuing. Within another from the top of the Col d'Aspin is But the big surprise, of course, sonally to follow the Tour for sev- magnificent. The Pyrenees are was Alexander Vinokourov. eral days washed over me. supposed to be a tremendous tour kilometer, I chanced upon Jim and for me as I followed Lance’s Lori, another couple from our tour. different from the mountains I Though we all knew he was hav- About an hour later, we know, but equally magnificent. watched Juan Antonio Flecha solo progress to a fifth Tour victory. They were hard to miss, as Lori, a Instead, I fumbled to find the posi- lovely young lady, always rode in From there, we descended to Continued on page 5 in for his victory in this stage, and Arreau where we had lunch before a few minutes later we cheered tives (Lance was still in yellow, he a bikini top. But more on that was just dehydrated, he would another time. riding to the bottom of the descent Lance Armstrong and the Postal of the Col du Peyresourde, two Boys, and everyone’s personal bounce back in the mountains, Jim and Lori had managed to Cover Photo: Pam Hanlon etc., etc.) while having to confront kilometers from the finish. hero for this year’s Tour, Tyler hook up with a French couple at Solitude, July 12, 2003 what had been lurking beneath the towing a trailer. They had shade Again, we scarfed up stuff Hamilton, as they rolled in with from the publicity caravan and I the main peloton. About a half- earlier stages: Lance was not as and a television, so I decided that dominant as in previous years, and was sufficient reason for me to followed the breakaway of Photo by Dave Iltis hour later, as we filed through the Richard Virenque, Gilberto team vehicles with thousands of appeared very vulnerable. Indeed, await the racers there as well. other spectators, it seemed too Jan Ullrich was now considered We cheered as Tyler’s team- incredible to actually be here. by most everyone over here to be mate, Carlos Sastre, powered to the favorite, and even tabbed by victory up the climb that I had cycling utah The next day, I rode with sev- P.O. Box 57980 eral other cyclists from our tour to Lance as such. barely been able to crawl up. the Gaillac Time Trial. Though I Everyone now knew that the Then, we again cheered wildly as Murray, UT 84157-0980 am certainly sophisticated enough race was between Lance and Jan Lance, Jan and a select group of www.cyclingutah.com to realize nothing was given in (or so they thought), and that three other riders raced passed, You can reach us by phone: (801) 268-2652 this Tour, and even realized that everything, including the incredi- followed shortly by a struggling Our Fax number: (801) 263-1010 Lance and U.S. Postal just did not ble heat, was favoring Jan. but determined Tyler. seem as dominating as in previous Everyone also knew that the next Then, it was sinking feeling Dave Iltis, Editor & Advertising four mountain stages would be the years, I still went to the time trial time again, as we watched Ullrich [email protected] with the anticipation that Lance setting for an intense battle. The next day, we rode from ling uta would increase his overall lead yc h David R. Ward, Publisher with a strong time trial perfor- Foix, outside of Toulouse, to Ax- c Les Thermes. We decided to 1188tthh AANNNNUUAALL [email protected] Robert L. Truelsen, Executive Editor [email protected] Contributors: Greg Overton, Neal Skorpen, Gregg Bromka, Ben RRAACCEE Simonson, Bill Harris, Charles Pekow, Anedru Firth, Michael Gonzales, Ron Lindley, Shane Wiggins, Christian Johnson, Eric TTOO TTHHEE AANNGGEELL Schramm, Carolyn Clark, Chris Winter, Mark Smedley, Rob HALF MARATHON WELLS, NEVADA MacLeod. Saturday, Distribution: Michael Gonzales, Rachel Gonzales, David September 13 Montgomery, Doug Kartcher Course climbs 3,000 feet Administrative Assistant: Lindsay Ross from Wells, NV to Angel Lake. Mountain Bikes cycling utah is published eight times a year beginning in Road Bikes March and continuing monthly through October. Walkers Annual Subscription rate: $10 Runners Postage paid in Murray, UT $30 Entry Editorial and photographic contributions are welcome. 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