Bicycle news

Today was another of those days where it was pretty nice all morning but where the overcast rolled in shortly after noon and it looks like rain after 4pm. Oh, wait, that's not a problem any more.

As previously promised, here's the other Odd Fellows Hall that I ride past with regularity.Tom Zirbel and Kristin Armstrong continue to lead the local bicycle stage race, the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Meanwhile the major leagues of professional bicycling is holding a race in France this week, the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. This is the final tune up for most of the major stars of the sport before next month's Tour de France. It is notable, in part, because the race often climbs many of the same mountains that are climbed often in the Tour. At this point in the race the leader is Alejandro Valverde with Cadel Evans second and Alberto Contador in third.

This year's race on Thursday went over the Col de la Madeleine from the far easier northern side (only a Category 4) before the stage had a mountaintop finish on the out of category climb up Mont Ventoux, the Giant of Provence. Today's stage was dominated by the hors categorie climb of the Col d'Izoard. Tomorrow's stage features the hors categorie climbs of the Col du Galibier and the Col de la Croix de Fer with a just for good measure second whack at la Madeleine, this time from the hard side, although substantially tempered by a finish five kilometers from the top. Sunday's finale has only a category 1 as its hardest climb but the stage (and the race) end in the very mountainous sounding Grenoble.

Le Tour de France begins July 4 with an individual time trail 15 kilometers in length within the Principality of Monaco.