Saturday, September 1, 2007

LOOK at the Lake Vadnais sign

Boy, what a nice day! The temperature reached into the low 80s, not a cloud in the sky, no humidity, tolerable wind, boy what a nice day!

My sometimes Saturday riding companion found that her schedule works better for a Sunday ride so I was off by myself again. I had an interesting ride.

The wind was blowing from the south and that usually means heading south to ride the tailwind home. But south is the Fair and all that broken glass on the street so I headed out for the many lakes to the north. Here is yet another view of the often visited Lake Vadnais. This time you get a sign.The usual practice of riding into the wind means that usually when I reach the turn around point I am a bit knackered. The ride home is easier but enjoyment of the ride is sometimes soured just so very slightly by being already worn out. Today I rode with the wind at the start and it was E-A-S-Y. The ride home was hard but overall the ride was fun. I think I should mix it up a bit on a more regular basis.

The Vuelta began today and they just started right in racing. No prologue, no time trial, just a road stage with three small climbs. They started in Vigo and finished in the same town. The favorite of the crowds along the road seems to have been Oscar Freire of Rabobank who not only is Spanish, but apparently lives in Vigo. The other likely favorite would be Italian sprinter, Alessandro Petacchi, back in the peloton after not racing le Tour. Neither won although they came second and third, the winner was Italian Daniele Bennati of Lampre-Fondital. Bennati will race tomorrow in the gold jersey of the Vuelta race leader. Tomorrow is another road stage, with again only one small climb, the sort of stage that is likely to produce another bunch sprint finish (and no sorting out of the field).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Nice tires on the Look -- I like the dark blue on that bike. Good signage, sort of themish, but not overly so. Our ride to Kirk Park in August was the same deal, out with a tailwind, hard ride back, but still fun. Here's my take on the rule. If you don't pay attention to the wind, you can get a long way from home with a tailwind, thinking you're having a good day, then have problems getting home. The teenage son of a woman who works in my office rode all the way to Fennville on his bike with a brisk tailwind, then couldn't get home and had to call his parents. I do intentionally break the rule now and then, too. As long as I know that's what I'm doing. SS