in holding with the title of the blog

I have transplanted from this blog to my own site (it is the 21st century after all).

www.marneleigh.com/blog

On the flip side.

500 Words on the Tour for Neil

I started writing 500 words on the upcoming Tour de France for Neil on what seemed like a taunting challenge via Twitter. News of Chris Horner not being included on the Astana roster then derailed my original intensions. I drank some coke, ate too many snickers, and started writing a piece about what I’ll miss watching at this year; that would be Horner acting like a stud in every possible way for his leader(s). I then got distracted writing out that rant and ended up with the word vomit below. Neil… it’s on the upcoming Tour, it’s about 500 words, and most of those words hold little to no value. Enjoy.

The 2009 Tour de France is fast approaching, and without a decisive team stepping forward to control the race. Race organizers have thrown in their own little gems this year as well. For the first time ever a crucial mountain stage is slated the day before arriving on the Champs-Elisees, and race radios have been banned for stages 10 and 13. Whether those changes will make a difference in the overall has yet to be determined, but they open the opportunity for tactical breakaways.

When breaks are inevitably caught, it will be time for the sprinters to step forward, with the notable exceptions: Robbie McEwen, who will sit out with a knee injury, and Tom Boonen, who is banned. Sprinters have four stages with fresh legs before the course goes vertical. Rabobank’s Oscar Freire will defend his 2008 green jersey, and looking to add to his previous four stage wins. With Columbia-Highroad’s Mark Cavendish lining up, it is not a question whether he will win a stage, but whether he will take more then the four last year. Challenging the sprint to the line will no doubt be the Cervelo Test Team. Cervelo beat out Columbia-Highroad when they went head to head at the Tour of California, and Thor Hushovd’s proven strength guarantees he won’t go down without a fight. Heinrich Haussler won’t be getting the lead out, but he showed form at Milan-San Remo and is still looking for his first Tour stage. Sprinters will fight for the extra inch every chance they get.

General classification offers a handful of strong contenders, none guaranteed the win. Alberto Contador, Lance Armstrong, and Levi Leipheimer are all racing for the recently revived Team Astana, and all know what it feels like to stand on the podium in Paris. Cerelo’s Carlos Sastre will be looking to prove that his win last year was not circumstantial. He showed his climbing legs towards the end of the Giro, and will come prepared for the Alps. Rabobank’s Denis Menchov is coming off a Giro where he heroically defended the pink jersey and will be looking to get a yellow one as well. Rounding out the contenders are last year’s bridesmaid Cadell Evans of Silence-Lotto, Frank Schleck with Saxo Bank (whose team is not showing the organization they had as CSC), as well as Casse d’Epargne’s Alejandro Valverde and Columbia-Highroad’s Kim Kichen both of whom wore some yellow in 2008. Christian Vande Velde finished fifth in 2008, but his form is still in question. Garmin isn’t bringing the strongest GC team they have to offer. Their selection spreads team focus across the GC, sprints, and the TTT, looking like a bid for the overall team win.

Garmin has a chance at the overall along with Astana and Rabobank, who is packing surprising depth. Nothing in this years Tour is certain. Teams expected to show strength have, but all have also revealed weaknesses. With no category completely locked up, this year’s Tour promises excitement.

To meet the journalistic quota: Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong.

When The Moon Hits Your Eye Like A Giant Plate of Pasta

Following European races makes me miss my limited time traveling through the continent. Delicious espresso and wine, no set plans or places to be, and everything I needed was in my backpack.

It's a good thing bikes work on water.

Final provisions for the 2009 Giro de’Italia are underway. It has been nice seeing the teams getting all cozy on romantic gondola rides. Preparation for the time trial I guess. I’m excited to see a TTT in Venice. I’m going to guess it will be more technical then fast unless they just circle the island. Venice is tight quarters and it got confusing just walking around that city. Can hardly imagine it on a bike.

Actually, I did have a bike there for a short while. A little girl shared her bike with training wheels. It was pretty; I’d put it up against any one of Shepherd Fairey’s bikes any day.

No bikes will be needed though if riders did the tourist bird dance in St. Mark’s square. Those pigeons are rumored to be some of the most diseased unsanitary tourist traps anywhere. It’s only competition may be found in the Blarney Stone. While swine flu is all the rage right now, but the bird flu wasn’t that long ago. I have no idea how either disease is contracted or spread, but those pigeons are still gross. The risk probably shouldn’t be taken on the eve of a three week race, come back with your family for that experience.

Good luck to all the riders; big thanks to Universal Sports for allowing those of us in the States and Canada to be able to view the race. (Article and air schedule: http://sn.im/hkufc )

If You Grab NY and Shake, All the Crazies Fall to CA

It is normally best for me to just space out on rides.

My sporadic thoughts:
Keep pedaling.
Crap that car was close.
Keep pedaling.
Rubber side down.
I can totally catch that guy up there.
Keep pedaling.
Ouch I’m out of shape.
Pedal anyways.
Pedal in a full circle you idiot.
Why did I put this song on my ipod?
Pedaling… still.

Keep in mind that in between all of those are long bouts of nothingness. I really do mean nothing; it’s shocking how few brain waves I can have.

To the lady walking opposite of the direction I was riding today, thank you for throwing a little gem into my blissful monotony. She looked all fine and innocent clearly sizing me up, but we could share the space on the road. As I got a length away she started barking at me. Not yelling at me, barking as in “dogs bark, cats meow.” She then lunged at me reaching for my bars like a chained up junkyard rott. Luckily, she missed.

So to this lady, thank you. Thank you for missing my brakes. Thank you for filling my mind with jokes and confused laughter. And thank you for reminding me that I live in a city.

With a backdrop of the Pacific no less. Only in this city… good day.

Tattoo

I do not have a tattoo. Nor do I want one. That does not stop me from thinking about a tattoo that I would get. There is nothing of real meaning in my life that I want to permanently put on my body for all see and ask about. Some say that’s depressing, others would be jealous. It just is what it is.

So then it comes down to what else I want on my body. Nothing. Read above, I don’t want a tattoo.

Ideas anyways:
A barcode. One that would actually scan in some stores. Since thinking about it, I’ve seen too many people with this, no longer is it fun.

“LLL” or “Live Love Laugh” After toting that mantra around for quite a few years realization set in that I may have subconsciously picked it up somewhere rather then thought it up myself.

A Chinese character that means something really offensive and then label it as “peace and harmony” in English. This would be better if I spoke Chinese.

A matching dot inside one of my toes with some friends. Um, we won a tattoo at a 24 hour film fest. None of us wanted it, this was our idea.

Now here is the one I would be closest to getting. I was born and raised in Wisconsin; while it is a great place to have grown up I have since moved on. I don’t plan on ever moving back, but will always stick up for the state and the Badgers. I’m a wanderer. If I tell three stories of dumb/fun times over a few beers, most likely none will have taken place in the same city. But no matter what I still come from Wisco.

So, like Barbie, I would put a flesh-toned tatt reading “MADE IN WISCONSIN” on the bottom of my right foot. Even if the ink turns out bad I’ve messed up that foot so much already that the tattoo isn’t going to be the worst thing about it.

So there you have it.
“Made in Wisconsin”
Barbie it up.

Riding

I have no idea what sparked it, but my bike is no longer just around for commuting and the occasional weekend ride. It has climbed back up the ranks into what is nearing obsession.

Haven't felt like this since before I got my drivers license.

Back when I road my Specialized RockHopper as far as I could without getting caught.

Back in the summer that I wanted to see if I could ride up the really steep hill to the water tower without having to shift. Tried it every day. Eventually I could zigzag my way up and the "challenge" for the summer wasn't a challenge at all. It bummed me out that it wasn't harder.

Back when I followed my Dad on his road bike to the lake three towns over just because he was bored before church. Ate a burger midway once and got the most direct lesson about what not to eat while riding that a kid needs.

Back when I was on some little red Trek mountain bike doing my mile circuit around the neighborhood, with a decent hill. If I had to shift out of the hardest possible gear, it didn't count towards the tally.

Back when I was riding my white single speed with multicolored crayons on it. When it got crushed by my neighbors car and I didn't know what to do besides carry it in the field and stare and my broken freedom.

So now I'm back in the saddle. Sore butt. Sore legs. Shift a lot more. Trying to lose a bit of the obsession and look at new goals with the same eyes that stared up at that water tower. Nothing else matters. No excuses.

Game on.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP

When the alarm goes off before 430am for work the day can only amount to so much.

Chilling at my desk. 730am.

Eating a bowl of Lucky Charms.

Drinking a mug of dark, hot, delicious coffee.

Getting blasted with a nerf gun by a guy next door.

I really am a big kid now.


(yes, Lucky Charms... I eat these once a year)