The Tour De Georgia race begins today in South Georgia and will finishThis Sat..at the Top of Brasstown Bald..not far from where I live..They will pass thru our small town of Cleveland, Ga..on the way up to the Finish. Lance Armstrong and his team will be included..We have a small team from Athens, Ga. called Jittery Joe's team (Sell coffee)Armstrong's team has a multi-million dollar budget and the Bean Team works on $200,000(www.beanteam.com) Brasstown Bald has a 4,679 foot ascent..The Beanteam has a guy from Columbia He is good at Mountain biking..Bonnie
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Marge
Lucky you, Bonnie, to live so close to the route of this race!
Will you be there to cheer Lance and the others on? We saw him when he raced in San Francisco a few years ago.
We are great Tour de France fans, and our great ambition, some day, is to be at the top of one of the Pyrenees or Alps passes to see the Tour de France go by. This year, with a time trial at the Alpe d'Huez, would be ideal, but I'm afraid we won't make it -- Jay will still be recuperating from his knee operation!
There was an article on the Georgia race in our local paper today, the San Francisco Chronicle. The race was re-designed to meet Armstrong's specifications (it is part of his training program for the Tour de France).
<<To ensure Armstrong's participation, Tour de Georgia organizers altered the course to provide more of a European-style layout. There are some grueling mountain climbs -- the kind of challenge he needs to get ready for the Tour de France. >>
Armstrong hopes that the Tour de Georgia will be << a catalyst for bringing big-time cycling back to the United States. There have been a few attempts in the past -- the Coors Classic, the Tour de Trump, the Tour du Pont -- but all faded away with a collective yawn from the American sporting public.>>
The article also notes that Armstrong's private life is on a more even keel these days. Last year << A year ago, his marriage was crumbling -- a situation that undoubtedly took a toll on his preparations. After getting divorced, he began dating rock star Sheryl Crow, a relationship that appears to have soothed his soul and put some fire back in his pedaling.>>
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/04/20/sports0424EDT0175.DTL
Armstrong is amazing -- one of a true sports elite, the five-time winners of the Tour de France, along with Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault and Indurain. And only he and Indurain managed to win five times consecutively. If he manages a sixth win, he'll be alone at the top of the heap.
The one caveat I've always had about Armstrong is that while those other great cyclists of history almost always were serious competitors in other major races, Armstrong is not -- his focus is pretty much exclusively on the Tour de France. All his training, including his participation in the Georgia race, is geared toward the Tour de France. By contrast Indurain on two occasions won the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in the same year. (Amstrong is skipping the Giro this year.)
Will you be there to cheer Lance and the others on? We saw him when he raced in San Francisco a few years ago.
We are great Tour de France fans, and our great ambition, some day, is to be at the top of one of the Pyrenees or Alps passes to see the Tour de France go by. This year, with a time trial at the Alpe d'Huez, would be ideal, but I'm afraid we won't make it -- Jay will still be recuperating from his knee operation!
There was an article on the Georgia race in our local paper today, the San Francisco Chronicle. The race was re-designed to meet Armstrong's specifications (it is part of his training program for the Tour de France).
<<To ensure Armstrong's participation, Tour de Georgia organizers altered the course to provide more of a European-style layout. There are some grueling mountain climbs -- the kind of challenge he needs to get ready for the Tour de France. >>
Armstrong hopes that the Tour de Georgia will be << a catalyst for bringing big-time cycling back to the United States. There have been a few attempts in the past -- the Coors Classic, the Tour de Trump, the Tour du Pont -- but all faded away with a collective yawn from the American sporting public.>>
The article also notes that Armstrong's private life is on a more even keel these days. Last year << A year ago, his marriage was crumbling -- a situation that undoubtedly took a toll on his preparations. After getting divorced, he began dating rock star Sheryl Crow, a relationship that appears to have soothed his soul and put some fire back in his pedaling.>>
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/04/20/sports0424EDT0175.DTL
Armstrong is amazing -- one of a true sports elite, the five-time winners of the Tour de France, along with Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault and Indurain. And only he and Indurain managed to win five times consecutively. If he manages a sixth win, he'll be alone at the top of the heap.
The one caveat I've always had about Armstrong is that while those other great cyclists of history almost always were serious competitors in other major races, Armstrong is not -- his focus is pretty much exclusively on the Tour de France. All his training, including his participation in the Georgia race, is geared toward the Tour de France. By contrast Indurain on two occasions won the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in the same year. (Amstrong is skipping the Giro this year.)
Marge
Marge
Oh, yes..we'll be down there..somewhere along the route. But not in town. We only have 1 red light..and local policemen are making sure the traffic will be blocked when they pass thru town..but I live close to the Mountain climb up to Brasstown Bald...so, we'll drive up to one of the scenic pull-off's to watch. All up hill from the time they leave Cleveland to Brasstown Bald..I think 20 miles..I listen to CNN Sports out of Atlanta this morning..and they said..they thought Lance would let one of his team members win..for supporting him at every race. Blocking wind, ect...Still rooting for the Beanteam from Athens, Ga.They had to sell lots of coffee to get a team together. Some of the local guys from Georgia..let the out-of towners stay in their homes to save on expense..The Postal Office sponsors Lance's team.
millions of dollars. John will make pictures..so will try to post one of Lance. Bonnie
Marge
Oh, yes..we'll be down there..somewhere along the route. But not in town. We only have 1 red light..and local policemen are making sure the traffic will be blocked when they pass thru town..but I live close to the Mountain climb up to Brasstown Bald...so, we'll drive up to one of the scenic pull-off's to watch. All up hill from the time they leave Cleveland to Brasstown Bald..I think 20 miles..I listen to CNN Sports out of Atlanta this morning..and they said..they thought Lance would let one of his team members win..for supporting him at every race. Blocking wind, ect...Still rooting for the Beanteam from Athens, Ga.They had to sell lots of coffee to get a team together. Some of the local guys from Georgia..let the out-of towners stay in their homes to save on expense..The Postal Office sponsors Lance's team.
millions of dollars. John will make pictures..so will try to post one of Lance. BonnieSaw Lance today
Saw Lance today
We were lucky. My car was the last one they let on the Richard Russell Scenic Highway..A 30 mile trip up some tough mountain. Peak was Hog Mountain. ..Took a picnic lunch but barely finished when all the team cars, photos, Marshalls on motorcycle.. and a helicoper hovers right over us. Look down and 2 lone riders. NOT Lance..and at least 3 minutes behind the entire group. He was about 5 behind in middle wearing the yellow jersey (Race's winner so far)by 1/4 of a sec. They went by pretty slowly as they had just climbed a 3 mile uphill road. but worse faced them ahead..There were only around 20 people and we had a great 3 minute watch. Heard there would be thousands in Atlanta..Sunday when they finished. The 2 lead guys even threw their plastic water bottles at us..to unload. One biker has been critical injured yesterday when a SUV pulled out in front of him. USA team member. The weather was beautiful, no clouds and 82 degrees. Bonnie
Saw Lance today
We were lucky. My car was the last one they let on the Richard Russell Scenic Highway..A 30 mile trip up some tough mountain. Peak was Hog Mountain.
..Took a picnic lunch but barely finished when all the team cars, photos, Marshalls on motorcycle.. and a helicoper hovers right over us. Look down and 2 lone riders. NOT Lance..and at least 3 minutes behind the entire group. He was about 5 behind in middle wearing the yellow jersey (Race's winner so far)by 1/4 of a sec. They went by pretty slowly as they had just climbed a 3 mile uphill road. but worse faced them ahead..There were only around 20 people and we had a great 3 minute watch. Heard there would be thousands in Atlanta..Sunday when they finished. The 2 lead guys even threw their plastic water bottles at us..to unload. One biker has been critical injured yesterday when a SUV pulled out in front of him. USA team member. The weather was beautiful, no clouds and 82 degrees. Bonnie