Seventy-five percent

It was sunny and pleasant for most of the day but as often seems to happen to a guy who spends way too many of the nicest bicycling hours cooped up on the fourth floor of a building with windows which cannot be opened, the clouds rolled in about the time I got home. The clouds were dark and ominous but they produced no rain. It ended up being a most pleasant outing. Tonight's miles raised the year total to date to 3,021, more than 75 percent of my annual goal.

TOPWLH had a most successful food procurement expedition.I suspect she paid way more at the grocery than you pay at the James Street roadside stand. And they aren't going to be quite as good in Minnesota as they are in Michigan, they just cannot possible be as fresh. But tomorrow with my oatmeal I will be having Bowerman's blues. Nice job TOPWLH.

Both the Nantes manager and the owner vocally expressed extreme dissatisfaction with the effort made by the Canaries in the Monday game at Le Havre. The owner backed up his displeasure by doing something about it. Nantes acquired two new players this week and both were in the lineup for today's home game against Brest. The new players are Czech international Marek Heinz, acquired from Ligue 1 St. Etienne, and Togoese international Thomas Dossevi, acquired from Ligue 1 Valenciennes. With second leading scorer Mamadou Bagayoko out of the lineup with an injury and leading scorer Nicolas Gousse suddenly out of favor and moved to the bench, the team presented a very different look from the team which dissapointed on Monday. The game summary credits Heinz with creating a strongly offensive character for the team. Dossevi scored 2 goals and Nantes prevailed by 3-0.

In other games Le Havre continued its strong showing, traveling to Grenoble and overcoming the league leader 0-2. Homestanding second place Dijon FCO was held to a 0-0 tie by Chateauroux. With all games for this round completed, Nantes returns to the top of the table. Nantes, Grenoble and Le Havre all have 10 points but Nantes holds first on goal differential, 8-3-3. Le Havre claims second on the second tie breaker, away goals. Grenoble is now third.

Next up for Nantes is its debut for this year in the Coupe de la Ligue where they will host league opponent CS Sedan. The game does not count in the league standings as the Coupe is a separate competition. The next league game is Monday, September 3 at Bastia, currently in 15th in the table with 6 points. Nantes has the following Friday open and then on Friday, September 14, the Canaries again host CS Sedan, this time in a game which will count in the league standings. Sedan should be a familiar foe for Nantes as both teams were in Ligue 1 last year and both were relegated to Ligue 2, Sedan by finishing 19th, Nantes by finishing 20th.

Obviously it is a new year and these are new teams, particularly Nantes which is even a new team today from the team they were on Monday. Allez Nantes.