Podium Cafe: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:

Network Bar & Login
Section Navigation
Main Blog Content
Secondary Sidebar: Links to Recent Stories, FanPosts and FanShots
Masthead

New Blog: Backing the Pack for NC State Fans!

Cycling Intro

by Peen on Mar 26, 2006 7:59 PM EST Comment 2 comments

Can anyone point me to a good summary of how the sport of cycling works? Outside of the Tour de France and the top 5 or 10 cyclist I don't know much. I see there are links to several team pages, news sites, and other blogs but until I have a base to build on they don't seem to make much sense? Is each tour completely independent? Is their a point system to crown a yearly winning rider? Team? I could go on for a while but I am sure someone has a great breakdown I could just read that will answer my questions.

Thanks

0 recs | Comment 2 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Best Bet

I'd say most of the recent books about Lance Armstrong are really good at this, and Lance Armstrong's War is a little more advanced but very detailed and fascinating. Online you might try Wikipedia or the UCI or Pro CYlcing Tour sites. I'll hunt around when I get a moment to see if there's anything else out there.

by Chris... on Mar 26, 2006 8:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Actually

I am reading a really good book talk a lot about this called A Significant Other. It's about someone who rode with Armstrong, Victor Hugo Peña. It give a really good look at the mechanics of teams and a history of the tour, as well as a discussion on cycling in general.

by callmecayce on Mar 26, 2006 8:36 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed

Search

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

ROAD RACE: Nat'l Champ. Repository

by itswells 7 days ago

405 comments | 15 recs

Unicorn_160_x_160_facing_other_way_small

VDS: National Championship Bonus Points

by majope 9 days ago

56 comments | 7 recs

Recent FanPosts

Tour de France Stage 1

by James Moffat about 9 hours ago

0 comments | 0 recs

Giro Donne – Stage 2 Time Trial

by Monty. about 23 hours ago

10 comments | 0 recs

Giro Donne – Stage 1

by Monty. 1 day ago

13 comments | 0 recs

MY OPINION ON THE TOUR DE FRANCE

by James Moffat 1 day ago

42 comments | 0 recs

I have a strong feeling how Versus coverage is going to go

by Drew... 1 day ago

53 comments | 0 recs

Giro Donne – Opening Prologue

by Monty. 1 day ago

15 comments | 0 recs

Ex ASO President Attacks LA - Compares Him to Nixon

by Willj 2 days ago

4 comments | 0 recs

Janelle20monae_small

Why not me? Zombie Maurice Garin

by LurkerMcLurkerson 2 days ago

14 comments | 1 recs

Vino on the radio...

by gregm 2 days ago

8 comments | 0 recs

Boonen sera la!!!!

by bradBordeaux 2 days ago

63 comments | 0 recs

New FanPost All FanPosts

Recent Posts

FanShots

Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.

Recent FanShots

"Cancellara will be top five"

by Vlaanderen90 about 13 hours ago 7 comments | 0 recs

A Tour de France Primer (for Americans)

by CheatorBeat about 17 hours ago 1 comment | 0 recs

Best Tweet Ever: And It is By Brad Wiggins!

by profgubler about 20 hours ago 5 comments | 0 recs

Kim Kirchen (Team Columbia-HTC) Recovers from Broken Collarbone in Time to Ride the Tour de France.

by steph- 1 day ago 2 comments | 0 recs

Theo Bos suspended 1 month

by plinytheelder 1 day ago 17 comments | 0 recs

Joe Parkin, "6 Years in a Rain Cape"

by plinytheelder 3 days ago 8 comments | 1 rec

Pearl Izumi parody of cycling controversies, this one focusing on the what-ifs of performance enhancing clothing.

by Josenka 4 days ago 0 comments | 0 recs

This video is an attempt to show the ambience at the final hour of the Nice Ironman competition. A lame attempt i'll admit, but wth? If you're ever going to finish towards the end of an ironman, i suggest Nice as the place to do it. The applause and support and general ambience at the end is really remarkable. Dj's, pom-pom girls, people dancing, shouting, dance music blasting ... Some finishers just go on through, others raise their arms or just have a huge smile, one guy did some pushups while the dj counted for him, another did a cartwheel, some ran through with their little kids holding their hands. And this all 8 hours after the winners have finished.

When i went out my door to walk over to see the last hour or so of the Ironman, the first thing i saw was a guy across the street, pushing his triathlon bike, head hanging down to his chest, walking with a pronounced. Painful. Slow. Trudge. Medal around his neck. He'd done well. Hope he felt better the next day.

Then i got to the promenade and started seeing more of the people who'd finished: one guy asleep on the pavement with his wife by his side in all the raucous noise and confusion and crowds everywhere. Then the medical tent - massages, those heat blanket thingies, oxygen, people limping aorund, Oy!

Then every now and then you see a finisher with a medal around their neck who look fresh as a daisy, like they've just had a nice walk in the park.

Then finally you get to the finish line ... and that's the video. At the end there's a fireworks display (no one timed their finish to coincide with it this year) and then apparently a few hundred people stayed all night to party on the prom next to the beach until daybreak.

I could not do an ironman even if i wanted to, but i'll be there again next year to help welcome the last finishers in.

by yeehoo 4 days ago 3 comments | 0 recs

Bennati injured again...but starting

by Albertina 4 days ago 21 comments | 0 recs

Contador The Favourite…Only Just

by profgubler 4 days ago 15 comments | 0 recs

New FanShot All FanShots