rjones28 

I was expecting to be a spectator, not a performer.

rjones28 

How does that work? One driver wins the championship.

FLvector

Our club does one for the TDF each year. The top 3 get gift certificates to the local bike shop.

Final General Classification
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
Bonus Points (complete podium in any order)

Green Points Jersey Winner
Polka Dot Mountains Jersey Winner
White Jersey Winner
Overall Team Winner

Stage Winners
Stage 1: Utrecht (Individual Time Trial)
Stage 3: Anvers - Huy (Flat-Steep uphill finish)
Stage 4: Seraing-Cambrai (Flat-Cobbles)
Stage 9: Vannes - Plumelec (Team Time Trial)
Stage 12 :Lannemezan - Plateau de Beille (Mountain)
Stage 19: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne - La Tourssuire (Mountain)
Stage 20: Modane Valfrejus - Alpe d' Huez (Mountain)
Stage 21: Sevres - Champs Elysees (Flat)

Yellow Jersey Wearer on First Rest Day

Tiebreaker
Team with First Rider to be Caught Doping

Bah Humbug

How does fantasy football work? One team wins the championship.

Pick a driver, pick a team, pick a track. You get all that team's and driver's points, doubled on your home track. I played one year, back in 2004 or 2005 or some such.

rpenmanparker 

Pappy's 20 year stuff was crazy good. Smooth with powerful caramel, butterscotch and vanilla notes $45/2 oz. Passed on the 23 year old stuff at $80. The rye whiskey was also excellent though younger. It's a shame the stuff is so rare. The kind of bottle to have for when your daughter announces her engagement or the like. Highly recommended if a friend ever offers you any.

rjones28 

Sounds dumb.

Heathpack 

I can't remember if I mentioned this before but I agreed to ride the bike leg for a practice triathalon tomorrow, the short course, not he long one, just 32 miles. Its a club thing for Adobo Velo. I said yes because the bike leg of a Tri is essentially a TT, right? I thought it would be good practice.

Well it turns out they don't want you riding a race pace because the bike leg is on a bike path on a holiday weekend. It's a totally flat course, 1 hr 20 min from my house. I have to check in before 6am. Yikes, my alarm is set for 3:50am.

Moral of the story: it's ok to ask a question or two before saying yes to something, even if saying yes means you get to ride your bike,

Bah Humbug

Look, I didn't say it was a great game; I said it existed.

Bah Humbug

Yeah, triathlons typically involve a 4am wakeup. Was a rough summer two years ago when I did one every week for almost three months.

You are right in general - it's basically a TT for the bike leg, even to the extent that serious relay riders wear shoe covers and skinsuits. Now, the lack of race pace is... well, I've refused to do a couple of tris where the speed limit is enforced on major descents. Hate the notion of a "race" where you aren't allowed to go as fast as you can. Have fun!

Which reminds me, I should find a tri to do the run leg of.

MikeyBoyAz

Finally got the chance to watch stage one. It was nice. BMC has some funky new TT helmets.

One week and counting till the big ride with the wife. Sister in law just crashed last week on the MTB and splintered her clavicle I was able to commiserate as I broke mine in 2013 twice! She was supposed to ride with us next weekend too, and her husband, but he is still in the running to ride.

Pirkaus

Didn't we determine that you need to be more careful with your "hell yeah" last month

FLvector

Unless it's a special occasion, I avoid driving a longer distance than the route I'm riding for that day. Especially if it involves a crowded MUP on a holiday weekend and getting up before 4 am. I hope they make it worth the drive and you get some extra miles in.

Heathpack 

Slow learner, I guess.

Heathpack 

Haha this morning I open my email to see something from the editor of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association inviting me to review a manuscript titled "Early Detection of Deafness in Puppies Using a Hand-Held Otoacoustic Emission Screener".

This would be a lot of work for essential zero pay or benefit.

What do you think I should say?

Pirkaus

"hell yeah"

Heathpack 

He should have done it like this:
Editor of Journal: Hey, do you like puppies?
Me: Hell yeah!
Editor: Great because you're reviewing a manuscript. It will help the puppies of the world.

Trsnrtr

It's sunny, calm and beautiful outside and I'm pooped. Maybe I'll ride later.

Hell, yeah!

UnfilteredDregs

I make them "Dirty," as well...

I use ribeyes for this... Salt & pepper them judiciously, and then rub them with a fresh ground coffee, nothing to dark in terms of a roast; no darker than a "Full City Roast."

Have a nice white hot bed of coals going, all natural straight up hardwood charcoal, not natural formed briquettes...or it'll stick to the steaks.

Lay the steaks directly on the coal be. Flip them in a few minutes. You'll have a crust that is next to impossible to replicate any other way.

I serve them with something called "Hot Fanny" Sauce...

Check out this video:

https://www.thirteen.org/programs/julia-child-cooking-with-master-chefs/dirty-steak-with-hot-fanny-sauce-with-killeen-and-germon/ I don't blend the sauce, I like it rustic, I find the the relative transparency of color to be more appetizing.

Some of the best steaks you'll ever have IMO. Have them early, the caffeine will wake you up.

rpenmanparker 

Speaking of broken clavicles, I have always taken some comfort in never having had one. You know, strong bones and all that kind of BS. Well last week I was at the orthopedic surgeon for some bursitis and he showed me the x-ray of my right shoulder, where I sometimes hit when the bike goes down. Sure enough there was a dark straight line right through the middle of rhe clavicle. Must have been a hairline crack from one of my falls. Never knew it at the time. Guess I'd better be more careful in future...If I only knew how.

BillyD

Also be sure NOT to use that self-starting charcoal, or to start your charcoal with starter fluid. How people can use that toxic stuff around food they're going to put in their body is beyond me.

A chimney starter is just as effective.

UnfilteredDregs

Yes....I have 3 chimneys....

SpeshulEd 

Jim's my partner who's more about riding bikes to dinner than riding for exercise. I've been giving him **** for a couple of weeks now that he needs to start riding with me, yesterday he finally went. Didn't want to wear spandex or anything and after the first 5 miles he was sweating so bad he couldn't keep it out of his eyes, so I was able to get my jab in..."see, people wear bike things for more than just looking cool."

It was probably the only bike ride where I've gained weight, since we stopped for pitchers of beer and street tacos around mile 9.5 but at least I got him out. He's a little sore today. His legs are feeling it.

Fantasy cycling can actually be quite a bit of fun. You can do individual races or the whole season on Cycling News | Bike Reviews | road.cc - of course that's a bit time consuming. It's a good way to learn names and who does what.

nondes 

A few months ago I promised BillyD I would post any raptor pics from an upcoming trip to the Canadian Arctic. Well, now we're back after an incredible adventure. We saw a white phase gyrfalcon but it was too far away to get a decent pic. We did see peregrines though:





I'll post some more pics in the "Post Your Photography" thread in Foo.

BillyD

Awesome. The Peregrine is everyone's favorite falcon.

Refresh my memory please, did I tell you the Gyrfalcon that visited this past winter hung around for 3 weeks, in the same vicinity? Feasted on ducks.

nondes 

I recall a series of shots - three weeks is a long time for it to hang around but I guess if there are plenty of ducks... I saw a young gyr by the side of the road in Yukon but it wasn't looking very majestic.