Musette du Jour

by Chris... on Jul 2, 2008 1:06 PM EDT in The Feedbag

Ah, the calm before the storm. I'm plum out of Tour preview thoughts for the moment. Hopefully the race will start soon. This is a good time to welcome all new members and lurkers, as well as Tour-only Cycling fans. It's a great month, no matter how you look at it. Meanwhilst...

First, a special Podium Cafe welcome (back) to ProCycleGear.com, a returning sponsor from last year. I know it's MSM behavior to talk up a sponsor, but I checked back in with them during the Giro and was astounded at some of the kits they had in stock. Doesn't hurt that their prices easily beat my local shop. Check them out...

Today is closing time for the Tour de France Virtual Directeur Sportif competition... new entries must be received by NOON TODAY. If you've entered, check your email inbox sometime before Friday, in case I need corrections from you. If you're wondering, we've had a lot of entries. UPDATE: and we're out!

Some 36 people signed up for the first-ever Podium Cafe Tour de France Quick Challenge. Check out the list.

Speaking of contests, Versus emailed me about some of the goodies you'll be hearing about non-stop for the next month:

They'll be running a sweepstakes all month where you can win a SAAB, or if you're even luckier a Cervelo SLC-SL.
They're also running a fantasy Tour contest called the Kenda Challenge. The link isn't working yet; I think the launch has been delayed while their lawyers look into how badly they ripped off the Virtual DS.
Finally, there's the SAAB Widget, the coolest idea of the three, where you can predict -- and then check -- the HR, wattage, and other real-time stats of several riders.

Meanwhile, in other big media news, Cycling.TV has gone BETA. I haven't had time to check it out, and there was some chatter here about potential login issues, though there have been some pleasant surprises as well. Send in your comments here.

Finally, I've taken to posting nonsense in the Cafe Happy Hour section without notice. Some things are demeaning to our Front Page... and yet somehow still worth posting.

Oh, and a poll...

Poll

How much advance notice would Vyatchislav Ekimov need, right now, to ride in and finish the Tour de France?

0 recs | Comment 43 comments

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Comments

SAAB -

Aren’t they “Born from Jets’? (just getting into my Tour mindset)

by Katiek on Jul 2, 2008 1:17 PM EDT 0 recs

Yes,

and Cervelos aren’t. Therefore Chris is wrong, and SAABs are better….cause they are born from jets.

by Hons on Jul 2, 2008 1:26 PM EDT up 0 recs

If I ran SAAB

This year’s campaign would show a jet in the labor and delivery unit, struggling and smoking away while a crowd of pilots and engineers yell “Push! Push!” until, at last… out comes a SAAB.

In for a dime…

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jul 2, 2008 1:34 PM EDT up 1 recs

Here's the perfect "mother"

One of the early and most famous SAAB jets, SAAB 29 “nickname “The Barrel” (no kidding)

by Jens on Jul 2, 2008 1:44 PM EDT up 0 recs

And if its anything like the early cars

top speed means climb up high, point downwards and turn the engine off.

by Monty. on Jul 2, 2008 4:10 PM EDT up 0 recs

Har!

I thought commercial airliners couldn’t have babies because they all pull out on time.

60% of the time, it works every time.

by bethie on Jul 2, 2008 1:48 PM EDT up 0 recs

I feel really stupid

but I don’t get this at all.

by Monty. on Jul 2, 2008 4:11 PM EDT up 0 recs

Do you

get inundated by the SAAB “born from jets” ad campaign throughout the Tour? It’s an American TV staple.

Let it be said… SAAB is spending an awful lot of money on Cycling. I likes me some SAAB… even if I have some childhood memories of being stranded in one. I think my dad joined the Clutch of the Month Club at some point.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jul 2, 2008 4:23 PM EDT up 0 recs

I saw that slogan for the very first time a couple of days ago

Either they don’t use it in the UK or I’ve missed it. I stopped noticing Saab when their cars became slightly-different-shaped Opels.

But the bit I don’t get is the “commercial airliners all pull out on time” That means nothing to me no matter how slowly I repeat it.

by Monty. on Jul 2, 2008 4:32 PM EDT up 0 recs

eh

ancient birth control reference.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jul 2, 2008 4:37 PM EDT up 0 recs

OK

but aren’ t these slogans usually double entendres of some sort. I just don’t get the non-smutty one.

by Monty. on Jul 2, 2008 4:55 PM EDT up 0 recs

There is no smutty double entendre

at least none that I can decipher…

by Jimbo... on Jul 2, 2008 5:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

um yes there is

pulling out on time could mean leaving the gate at the scheduled time for a flight … or the ancient method of contraception

by lyne on Jul 2, 2008 5:18 PM EDT up 0 recs

well actually it's not smutty tho

just double-meaning

by lyne on Jul 2, 2008 5:19 PM EDT up 0 recs

Clarification...

The SAAB slogan has no smutty double entendre, which is what I thought Monty was asking?

by Jimbo... on Jul 2, 2008 5:38 PM EDT up 0 recs

Monty

I’m married to a Brit so I’m well aware that non-smutty references are often over your heads. ;-)

60% of the time, it works every time.

by bethie on Jul 2, 2008 6:21 PM EDT up 0 recs

So it's our fault

that you can’t stop making dirty jokes.

by Monty. on Jul 3, 2008 3:45 PM EDT up 0 recs

no it;'s the husband's fault

by lyne on Jul 3, 2008 3:56 PM EDT up 0 recs

Someone know what I was thinking when I filled in Ralf Grabsch for the 50+ tt?

Some say the best things in life, are one the inside.

by Frinking on Jul 2, 2008 2:02 PM EDT 0 recs

Eh

You were in Amsterdam? At a cafe?

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jul 2, 2008 2:04 PM EDT up 0 recs

lol

Probably the only plausible explanation

Some say the best things in life, are one the inside.

by Frinking on Jul 2, 2008 2:08 PM EDT up 0 recs

And btw.. 45 American have been registered themself for PTC!

Think at leat 35 are from PdC. So join the subleage!

http://tour.cyclingfever.com/group.html?group_id=102

Some say the best things in life, are one the inside.

by Frinking on Jul 2, 2008 2:05 PM EDT 0 recs

Indeed

It’s on my list of things to do today.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jul 2, 2008 2:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

Let me add

For the year-long people whose team isn’t really a Tour team, this might be really fun for us to get a clean shot at each other… uh, at picking a good team.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jul 2, 2008 2:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

i'm in!

My Giro d’Italia was horrendous but hopefully it will be better this time

by King of Doping on Jul 2, 2008 4:09 PM EDT up 0 recs

lol al my plays there are horrifying...

Just to many die-hard cycling fans but if you score it’s most of the time big!

Some say the best things in life, are one the inside.

by Frinking on Jul 2, 2008 4:39 PM EDT up 0 recs

I'd love to

take a clean shot at you.

Now, If you’d just stop moving for a second….............

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

by Drew... on Jul 2, 2008 2:15 PM EDT 0 recs

I'm afraid I'll miss and hit the pinapples

I love pineapples

by Jens on Jul 2, 2008 2:41 PM EDT up 0 recs

Ah, there is that

Were he only standing next to pommegranettes – I wouldn’t hesitate. Ridiculous fruit. It’s the artichoke of the fruit world.

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

by Drew... on Jul 2, 2008 4:48 PM EDT up 0 recs

Just call em

Granada’s. Not too difficult. ;-)

You can't lose against Italy, we can only fail to win - Johan Cruijff

by DZI on Jul 3, 2008 8:35 AM EDT up 0 recs

by nikki on Jul 2, 2008 7:58 PM EDT up 0 recs

btw, brilliant poll Chris!

by Bruce Suomi on Jul 2, 2008 3:31 PM EDT 0 recs

Thanks

I was reading the Lance interview on CN and got a wave of nostalgia when he mentioned Eki. The cycling world needs more Ekis.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jul 2, 2008 4:43 PM EDT up 0 recs

Ardoisier: The men on the motorcycles indicating the gaps between the breakaway groups and the peloton. They are still around but less useful in the times of race radio.

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor. - George Carlin

by Ruthann on Jul 3, 2008 4:11 PM EDT 0 recs