Have we done this yet? If so, can we do this again? There are new kits out there people!

Are you swayed by the fluorescent shades of edgy green, or do you like your kits to have more crotch-eagle? Does argyle entice you, or would you rather see confusing fake Luxembourgish champ jerseys? Please, call upon your inner Armani and tell us -

mirror, mirror on the wall
who is the fairest of them all?

And for added word-count power: "As punishment for her wicked ways, a pair of heated iron shoes are brought forth with tongs and placed before the Queen. She is then forced to step into the iron shoes and dance until she drops dead." What? Snow White is a cruel, cruel story folks.

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PdC Trivia Gang:

Vlaanderen90 wins the January stage but it is a "flat-footed" tie for the overall standings going into February. As the Quiz Master I can ask for a better competition. Keep-up the great work and don't slow down there are several others closing fast!

Quiz #14 is posted. Trivia Monday QUIZZES

Good Luck,

BB

CyclingRevealed.com

The sun's over the yardarm somewhere, and there's been a lot of heavy lifting today. Raise a glass and decompress here! It's the dawn of a new season, and there will be much to enjoy ahead.

If you want to talk serious stuff, go here. Otherwise, please leave it outside.

The only perk of having a husband who is almost as married to his blog as he is to me is that occasionally I get some stuff. Usually it’s leftover Podium Café gear that you all didn’t buy. But last December he tossed me three pairs of Darn Tough socks with instructions to write a review for the site. No problem. Here in the northwest, socks are the it accessory this year and I’m always happy to have more pairs. According to this New York Times article, socks are big in Silicon Valley too.

If you look on the Darn Tough website, there are socks for people who ski, hike, bike, run, hunt, and fish. There are kid socks and life style socks, which I guess means you wear them when you are not doing any of the above. There are even "field tested, combat proven" socks, which apparently have been worn by members of the military during missions.

I received two life style pairs and one run/bike pair, all in attractive colors and patterns including orange and yellow stripes and blue and grey squiggles. The first thing I noticed about these socks is that they keep my feet warm. We live in Seattle, where the cold, wet weather leaves me with chilly hands and feet in the winter. I appreciate a sock that takes the edge off my partially numb toes.

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So tomorrow the absurdly long drama of Cattle Gate..eh..Beef Gate..eh you know what I mean, ends. So I decided to throw up a poll to see where people stand at this date. Have many become indifferent to Bert getting a suspension or not? Do the majority want him gone or even for him to get off free? Personally I'm quite biased and want to see him roar up the mountains of T-A, Catalunya, Basque Country and go against Cadel in a TT heavy Tour. Justice not served? Well quite possibly, but the man has probably had to go through a lot of shitty days and nights since the end of 2010. I'm not saying it's just but with this thing having taken so long and Bert continuing to dominate I just don't feel it's all that relevant anymore. At least if it's two years from tomorrow the results of last year should stand. Either way Andy Schleck will never be the 2010 Tour champ in my eyes and Scarponi the 2011 Giro champ. How do you feel the ban, if it happens, should be given? Two years from tomorrow, retroactive and only six months from tomorrow with results stripped? Something else? Anyway...poll!

(also please tell me if there are other possible outcomes, I truly haven't followed the case all that closely)

Easier than writing my own 75 words this morning, from Wikipedia: Under the ownership of Count Antoon de Lalaing (1480–1540) and his wife, Countess Elisabeth van Culemborg (1475–1555), the ‘Land van Hoogstraten’ became a county, a title bestowed by Margaretha of Austria. The ‘county’ encompassed the whole the Count’s land in which several villages existed. It is now marked by the boundaries of his property, one of three bulges of northern Belgium each of which are almost surrounded by The Netherlands.

What, I have to work and suddenly there's no one here to watch cx? Come on, the race is halfway done already!

Links: cyclingfans.com

via 06.live-radsport.ch

Some names taking the start:

Viviani

Ale-Jet

Roshe

Modolo

Pozzovivo

Napolitano

The entire list here.


Some more copying and pasting below the jump.

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http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lance-armstrong-inquiry-concludes-with-no-charges-filed

Interesting read. Normally Grand Jury investigations are not publicised unless there are charges but given the public profile the Feds departed from their normal line. Interestingly enough US - WADA publically state they are "looking forward" to receiving any information re PED's.

If you were LA would you be bothered now? I would have the thought the Fed's did a better job at digging in the dirt than WADA can ever do (see Conta-Cow chaos). No one can have any faith in whatever Landis says can they? I mean he is certifiable surely?

Hamilton is a different proposition but he had his axe to grind too. I've always wondered what George said but I gues those statements are sealed so we'll never know.

For those of you from the 606 days you'll know I've always been sympathetic to LA because of the cancer links and without any evidence/proof always wanted him to be cleared of this. That doesn't mean I think he's perfect, far from it, but I do think he was overall a force for good in cycling rather than bad.

Any chance you have some kits left over from the previous order? Or do you think there is enough interest to do another round? I have finally chucked some aging lycra and Podium Cafe's choice of Capoforma with a gray/black/white pallete seems a much better option than BMC's Belgian champion kit - poor PhilGil has to ride in that all year long! Bib shorts and jersey are on my 2012 wish list. Thanks in advance.