I dared the weather gods

And they were totally up to the challenge. In the face of mounting evidence that it was going to rain, including a brief episode when it actually rained, I geared up and rode out into the gathering gloom.

Hah, sneered the rain god. And sent pouring rain to drive me back inside. I got in almost 3 miles. This does not include even a crossing of Snelling. I got up to Snelling and had the green light but I also had already felt one sprinkle so I turned and headed towards Larpenteur. On the westward leg along Larpenteur I could see the northeastern sky and I could see two places where there clearly was rain falling. I hammered for home but it started to sprinkle pretty hard while I was on Fairview. I got onto my street before it was really raining and as I pulled up to the garage the thunder gods sent the first roll of boomers.

I didn't get wet, I was back in the house before the rain got started. But as I stood in the living room removing my helmet and gloves the downpour let loose.

I stood up to the rain gods and they slapped me right back into my place. But it was fun trying.

Here are my impressions of the Giro: Italians take that race way more seriously than the riders from the other cycling nations. McEwen, Hincapie, Cancellara, and many other non-Italians rode the first week or week and a half as training for the big race to come later this summer. The Italians mostly stayed the course, taking 7 of the top 9 General Classification placings and 14 of the top 19. And won most of the other prizes. Winner of the points and 8 of the top 10, winner of the mountains and 7 of the top 10, loser only of the best young rider to Luxembourger Schleck, who also got 2nd on GC.

The effect of drugs on the race? Hard to tell with the Italians. Garzelli, Savoldelli, Simoni, Cunego, Bruseghin and Pellizotti, all Italians, all top 12, all had at least one bad day. DiLuca, the winner, did not. He won with what every commentator conceded was a weak team.

But the worst smelling result is Schleck. 21 years old, in his first grand tour, riding for the team of Barney Riis, the team of Ivan Basso, the team of Tyler Hamilton, younger brother of a journeyman rider who has suddenly started to have improved results, young Schleck never had a weak day, always rode with the leaders, never had a problem. It smells bad amigos, it smells bad. Endurance sports are usually sports where maturity and strength are rewarded, youthful enthusiasm is usually not. Even Lance Armstrong did not leap onto the podium in his first Tour. Armstrong struggled in his first appearances, it was not until after the bout with cancer that he suddenly had the strength to always ride at the front. For the good of the sport Schleck must prove to be a prodigy and back it up by riding well in the race to Paris. Any other result will smell very bad indeed.These are the hedges and shrubbery from the formal garden at Chateau de Villandry. Google Earth has updated the photo layer for western France and the Chateau and grounds are readily identifiable. Farther west Olonnne sur Mer is now not quite the high resolution that all of the USA is but the resolution is very, very much improved. You can now clearly make out the buildings where the world traveller lived and taught and you can make out the E. Leclerc up at the corner traffic circle. Chartres is upgraded to medium resolution, the Cathedral is now discernable although it is still a bit bleary. Just east of town the resolution upgrades to high leading me to believe that Chartres soon will be high resolution. Alice's town of Arradon on the coast is very clear. The hotel next to the Frankfurt airport is very high resolution.