Seeking a spot for the sixth time in the event's seven-year history, Sacramento has applied to host a stage finish of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California. But the capital's involvement is far from assured. Race organizers are considering several route options, including a return to the Bay Area (not included this year) as well [...]
Cycling Features
Vladimir Efimkin: Happy with life, back in the saddle
Six years into a pro career that catapulted him to mountaintops and victory podiums around the globe, Vladimir Efimkin decided in the summer of 2010 he’d had enough. Everything right with cycling had been overshadowed by everything wrong. He grew weary of cycling’s abrupt random drug testing. He endured crashes and broken bones, the banes [...]
Tour de France, 2011: Andy Schleck gets solo win on Col du Galibier; Thomas Voeckler keeps lead for 10th day
GALIBIER SERRE-CHEVALIER, France — Andy Schleck of Luxembourg pedaled to a solo victory in the highest stage in race history while surprising Frenchman Thomas Voeckler kept the race lead for the 10th day Thursday at the Tour de France. Schleck (Leopard-Trek) claimed the 124.5-mile trek from Pinerolo, Italy to Galibier Serre-Chevalier, France in 6 hours, [...]
Crashes again dominate Tour de France in stage 9
SAINT-FLOUR, France — Every rider knows it, and every rider has experienced it. But even if they haven’t crashed hard and broken bones yet, they likely will. It’s the reason for the axiom that there are two kinds of cyclists — those who have fractured their clavicles and those who are about to. Crashes have [...]
Chris Horner hurt in crash-crazy Tour de France stage 7
CHATEAUROUX, France — Chris Horner’s quest for a top finish is over and his chances of continuing aren’t much better after he tumbled hard Friday and finished last among 190 riders in the seventh stage of the crash-heavy Tour de France. Horner (RadioShack) began the day in 13th position overall and trailing race leader Thor [...]
Best Jerseys In Cycling History
Reduced to basics, pro cyclists are pedaling billboards. The companies riders promote a range from the logical (bicycle manufacturers) to the unique (residential stoves), and watching the peloton at high speeds looks like the view through a kaleidoscope. Riders’ jerseys have changed just like the rest of cycling technology, from woolen to micro fiber and [...]
Jacques Graber: Highwheeling Through Cycling History
(This article was originally published in the Sacramento Bee on Sept. 8, 2005.) The round-trip commute from Rancho Cordova to downtown Sacramento is 40 miles, and for 25 years Jacques Graber has made the weekday journey by bicycle. Graber has customized two modern-day bikes for the trips. His streamlined road bike is ideal during cooperative [...]
Cyclist David Clinger: Marked For Success
(Editor’s notes: This article was originally published in the Monterey County Herald on 4/19/2008. It was updated on 5/5/08. Clinger is the cover story in the May, 2009 issue of VeloNews.) A decade into his professional career, David Clinger is riding for his eighth team. It’s a squad that seems like a perfect fit for [...]
Know When To Fold ‘Em: The Convenience Of Portable Bikes
Like tandems and recumbents, folding bicycles provide a unique alternative for cyclists concerned about space, portability and convenience. The concept is simple: With a few adjustments, a smaller-wheeled or full-sized bike becomes compact and more easily transportable – often in less than 30 seconds. Until in recent years, however, the folding bicycle industry suffered from [...]
Lanterne Rouge: The Honor Of Being Last In The Tour de France
(This article originally appeared in the Sacramento Bee on July 15, 2005. It was revised on July 12, 2007.) The French sporting public likes compatriot champions. They also cheer for any countrymen in the Tour de France — even if he has no chance of winning but displays perseverance. A French rider hasn’t claimed the [...]