Tag Archives: La Vuelta

Football, Football, Football, oh the La Veulta and the Ashes…

Dear Rouleurs,

Honestly, MMT’s mind has not been on cycling, at all. No it has been thoroughly preoccupied with the trials and tribulations of his beloved AFL team, Richmond. MMT is still trying to figure out how his team won enough games to be in the final to begin with. At one point, 3 of the team’s best 5 players were out injured. Richmond’s 4 time All Australian fullback, Alex Rance, has been absent the entire season with a knee injury.

Friday night’s Preliminary Final against Geelong is looking like a doozy. The Cats have lost their main forward Tom Hawkins due to a silly suspension. Richmond have a full strength, excluding Rance and Sydney Stack and an in form list to choose from. Richmond’s VFL side is in the VFL Grand Final having beaten Port Melbourne in the Preliminary Final.

The one gloomy cloud on an other wise promising horizon, is that MMT, wasn’t paying attention when the Grand Final ticket ballot was on and missed the brief 2 hour window to register for the ballot. Bother!!! Any how this is the maths that is occupying MMT’s time – will Richmond get past Geelong and will it be Collingwood or the GWS Giants they meet in the Grand Final.

Oh yeah, MMT mention that Primoz Roglic (tell me that his doesn’t sound like brand name for meat smallgoods, MMT digresses!!) riding for Jumbo-Visma, became the first Slovenian to win one of cycling’s three Grand Tours, La Vuelta. Also the Aussie cricket retained the Ashes but its paper thin batting, poor fielding and dreadful use of the DRS system cost it the final test at the Oval. Mere footnotes in history, if Richmond wins the flag in 2019.

Until next time, Go Tiges

MMT

Marv’s July Bike Log

 

Dear Rouleurs,
July was an awesome month in the life of MMT. Team MMT’s newest member AJ, grew 5 cm and put on nearly 800 grams. The TDF 2016 was amazing race with so many highlights. Whilst the question of who would be the overall winner, Chris Froome, wasn’t in much doubt after the first week, each stage had its own special flavour.

So after a crappy June, MMT was seriously inspired by the SBS TV coverage. This resulted in very solid 700km effort, despite some truly ghastly weather. Changing a flat near Sandringham FC’s ground in the rain was new low point in my cycling experience and had me wishing for warmer and less windy weather.

Still I’ve passed 4,300 Km and I’m still about 780 Km ahead of my annual target. You see the details here.

20160804-JulyWkKm-Graph

Again I have no events planned for August, as I’ll be glued to the 2016 version of the La Vuelta and the Olympic road and track cycling.  Who knows may an Aussie will cash in and collect gold for the road race.

Until next blog, ride safe.

Marv

Oh Vincenzo what were you thinking….???

Dear Roulers,

There should be a former Tour de France, La Veulta and Giro winner, smacking his forehead and saying ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid’ or in the Sicilian dialect ‘Stunatu, stunatu, stunatu, stunatu’. Mr Nibali and Mr Shefer of Team Astana – what were you thinking? You both have been thrown out of La Vuelta 2015 for a flagrant ‘sticky bottle’ work with your team car.

This weeks loser - Vincenzo Nibali

Loser – Vincenzo Nibali

And yes, MMT had a recent blog on this very issue. And yes the author cheerfully pointed out that hanging on to a motor bike or car is just plain cheating. You can read the full story here – at SBS Cycling –  Nibali thrown out of Vuelta a Espana.   Looks like the French and the Spanish have decided to give their respective countrymen a better chance at the overall GC title by disqualifying Nibali 😉

Speaking of people that should be kicking themselves, WTF was going on with Stage 1 of the 2015 version of Vuelta. Compacted sand and rubber matting on a TT course that was barely 2 metres wide for its 7km length?? What were the race organisers thinking?? I think Chris Froome’s twitter photos give you a pretty good idea why the Peloton were so unhappy. Notwithstanding, BMC Racing won the event with Orica GreenEdge finishing third.

Loser - Stage 1 La Vuelta TT course

Loser – Stage 1 La Vuelta TT course

Finally, a big ‘Chapeau’ to BMC Racing’s resident Aussie Rohan Dennis who has just won USA Pro Challenge. He finished 40 seconds ahead of his American team-mate Brent Bookwalter.

Winner - BMC's Rohan Dennis

Winner – BMC’s Rohan Dennis

There you have it two winners and 2 losers in the wonderful world of UCI.

Until next time,

Marv