^

To add the Armstrong thing he rolled a base tape in his last Tour. I've seen one other tire by that same company roll a base tape, under a good friend of mine. I've also peeled my own tires off, base tape separating from the tire. I stopped buying/selling those tires back then and I still won't buy that tire because when Armstrong was using them they didn't seem all the different from when I had them. The base tape seemed much more fuzzy and the edges would peel just a touch. Not sure if the glue I used was a factor etc but since Vittorias etc work I stick with them (and Bontragers).

I watched a few team mechanics go over bikes after a stage of the Tour du Pont. On Lemond's bike (Z) they debated for a while about a tiny cut in the tread. They decided to go with superglue or something in the tread. On Dirk Dewolf's bike (Gatorade) the rims were so banged up even I wouldn't ride them, and my tolerance is pretty big, like 5mm is about when I start to think about truing wheels. The rim surface was hopping up and down and side to side. I couldn't believe it. The mechanic looked, thought it was fine, and that was that. On Bugno's bike (Gatorade) the mechanic must have thought I was a Shimano/news guy (I was taking pictures and stuff). He even removed the cartridge BB, wiped it down, put some grease on the threads, and put it back on. This was when those things were sort of new. He worked on that bike for probably 30 minutes until I left. Later I took a picture of my teammate touching Bugno's bike. Haha.

Oh and someone asked me if I wanted Lance Armstrong's autograph because he was "right there". I said no. Some kids actually went into the motel and knocked on his door (the room assignments were posted on the entrance door) and apparently he signed whatever they had. I was hoping for Lemond but he wasn't around.