Christophe Moreau of the Ag2r team (ahh zhay deux err) today crossed the finish line in Annecy in a group with the other contenders to retain his lead and capture one of the last major prep races for next month's 94th Tour de France.
Alexander Vinokourov of the Astana team was perhaps the strongest rider in the race and in fact was the winner of the final stage. But Vinokourov deliberately let seven minutes escape on the midweek climb of the legendary Mont Ventoux, won by Moreau. Vinokourov, who was in the lead at that point, elected to let the stage leaders go to save his strength for le Tour.
In other cycling news Iban Mayo and Leonardo Piepoli of Saunier Duval and Alessandro Petacchi of Milram, the points classification winner, were reported to have returned "non-negative" test results for banned substances at the Giro d'Italia. Mayo has subsequently been cleared but Piepoli and Petacchi remain under suspicion. Piepoli confirmed that he takes the drug in question, salbutamol, but averred that he takes it for asthma, the commonly prescribed use. Other sources report that salbutamol is commonly taken as a masking agent for EPO.
Today is Fathers' Day and here is a photo of the two people who constitute my validation as a Father.
This photo was taken in our house on Seminary, probably when Wireless was 3 or so. They are sitting in the baby rocking chair. Isn't Wireless sweet?The Babe and I got out early enough for our ride to avoid the heat of the day which is now building and promises to be oppressive. We left about 8:30 when the weather sites predicted a 39 percent chance of a thunderstorm by 10. 39? Where do they come up with these things? It did not rain but the weather was unsettled enough that it completely changed two times while we were out and we ended up riding into a head wind on the way home.
We also started out in a direction away from the eight lakes. The first weather change convinced us to turn back and try to make it to at least Owasso.
It was so uncertain when we started that we decided to get the corn picture at the very beginning of the ride, just to make sure that we got the photo.
The corn looks good, doesn't it? Babe included for scale.
2 comments:
The corn looks good, as does the Babe. Except for the height of the corn, with the haze over the field it looks like late July or August. Looks like a nice ride, too, even though headwinds returning are never fun. Lake Owasso is charming. The future Wireless looks pretty happy in your first shot. And BB looks pretty much like she does now -- SS
Nice photo of BB and the one without wire. It must be about 1985. I think I recognize the rocking chair from the photo of Wireless's first birthday on her xanga site.
That corn is crazy. It must be genetically engineered or something. It won't be long and the corn will completely obscure BB, and it will be time for midnight harvesting.
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