Team Radio Shack 2010

RadioShack announced it will be the primary sponsor for Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel's new cycling team.

"Lance Armstrong will compete for Team RadioShack as a cyclist, runner and triathlete in events around the world, including the 2010 Tour de France," the company said in a statement.

Armstrong is currently riding for the Astana team and was third overall in the Tour de France after Thursday's time trial.

"To be able to compete for an American team comprised of the world's top cyclists, supported by the best coaches and staff -- I couldn't be happier to partner with RadioShack, a truly iconic American brand," Armstrong said in the statement.

The Web site domain teamradioshack.com was registered by Capital Sports & Entertainment, Armstrong's longtime management company based in Austin, Texas, on July 20.

RadioShack has been involved in NBA and MLS sponsorships and is currently a NASCAR sponsor.

Tour de France Team Time Trial

Armstrong erased all but a sliver of his 40-second deficit to leader Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland in the fourth stage. The only thing separating him from the yellow jersey now is a fraction of a second.

"Boo-YA!!!" Armstrong wrote on Twitter. "Well, what can I say? The team was simply awesome today. Consistent, fluid, mistake-free. We love this event ... and are stoked to win."

The performance was reminiscent of Armstrong's dominance in the team time trial for the last three years of his string of victories from 1999 to 2005. This is his comeback year at the Tour after 3½ years of retirement.

The 37-year-old Texan plotted strategy with star teammate Alberto Contador before the stage to weed out potential rivals.

Astana was timed in 46 minutes, 29 seconds for the 24.2-mile ride in and around Montpellier. That was 18 seconds better than Garmin, with Saxo Bank third, 40 seconds back.

Armstrong entered the day 40 seconds behind Cancellara of Saxo Bank, meaning ownership of the yellow jersey came down to split seconds.

At the last intermediate time check (19 miles), Astana was 41 seconds faster than Saxo, putting Armstrong in the lead at that point and setting up the tense finale.

Armstrong and Cancellara share an overall time of 10 hours, 38 minutes, 7 seconds, although the Swiss rider was deemed a fraction ahead. Organizers examined Saturday's opening time trial in Monaco that was won by Cancellara. Those results were calculated to the thousandth of a second.

Tour de France 2009 Stage 1 & 2 Preview

Stage 1 Analysis/ Stage 2 Preview

July 4 update: An on-form Fabian Cancellara won today’s opening time trial stage of the Tour de France. The former World Champion trailed Bradley Wiggins at the top of the Côte de Beausoleil, and it looked for a time as if the British rider from Garmin-Slipstream would wear the first Yellow Jersey of the Tour. Spanish time trial champion Alberto Contador of Team Astana then blasted over the côte with a still faster time.

Stage 1

Radroute 220559 - powered by Bikemap

Course Preview

The 2009 Tour begins in the principality of Monaco with a time trial. The course climbs into the foothills of the Alpes Maritimes just outside the city before descending to a flat finish between high-rise hotels and the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean. At 15.5 kilometers, the stage is too long to be a prologue, and will offer an early indication of who has brought race-winning legs to this year’s Tour de France. The course includes one category 4 climb, the Côte de Beausoleil, literally “beautiful sun,” which reaches a maximum elevation of 205 meters. The second half of the course descends to a flat finish along the beach on the Boulevard Louis II near Port Hercule.

Fun fact! An average person could walk the length of Monaco in less than an hour. The country is surrounded on three sides by France, and lies not far from Sanremo on Italy’s Ligurian Coast. For portions of its history, Monaco has come under both French and Italian rule, and is currently the second smallest independent country in the world. Vatican City is the smallest, for those of you keeping score at home.

2009 Mountain Bike Race Schedule and Venue information: 

(Kids Race and Get Fit Naturally Schedules coming soon!)

OMBC Race Series: www.OMBC.net

 

 1 Mohican Wilderness-Loudonville- OH March 29

 2 Vulture’s Knob- Wooster, OH  April 18

 3 Mount Wood Challenge- WV   May 3

 4 The Wilds- Zanesville , OH May 17

 5 Eastfork State Park- Bethel,OH June 28

 6 S&S Trails- Mt. Perry,OH July 12

 7 Alum Creek State Park- Delaware,OH July 26

 8 Lake Hope SP- Nelsonville,OH August 2

 9 Caesar Creek SP-Waynesville,OH August 23

 10 Dillon XC Race- Zanesville,OH  (NEW DATE) August 30

 11 Westbranch SP- Ravenna,OH September 27

 12 Mohican State Park - Loudonville,OH  October 11

 13 Mohican Wilderness- Loudonville,OH October 25

 

 Endurance Events:

 Mohican MTB100k/ 100 mi- Loudonville,OH May 30

 Mohican Trail Run 100k - Loudonville ,OH June 20-21

 12/24 Hours of Mohican- Loudonville,OH  September 19-20

 

 Local Columbus Mountain Bike Club : 

http://www.COMBOmtb.com/    ( Central Ohio Mountain Bike Organization )

or http://joinomba.org/  ( Ohio Mountain Bike Association )

Armstrong crashes in Tour of Spain

Here's the AP article below.

BALTANAS, Spain (AP)—Lance Armstrong was taken to a hospital Monday after crashing during the first stage of a five-day race in Spain.  Armstrong fell in a pile-up about 12.5 miles from the stage’s finish. The seven-time Tour de France champion, who is making a comeback to cycling and is riding with the Astana team in the Vuelta of Castilla and Leon race, may have injured his collarbone.

Team spokesman Philippe Maertens said the American cyclist was taken to the hospital by ambulance, and race organizers said Armstrong was being treated at the Rio Carrion hospital in Palencia.

By CIARAN GILES, Associated Press Writer

 

Battle Sports Anemia With A Good Diet

Endurance athletes are at risk for iron deficiency. The National Anemia Action Council provides some suggestions as to how cyclists and other athletes can keep their iron counts high. 

Athletes – from elite Olympians to serious recreational athletes – maintain high levels of physical fitness in order to engage in their chosen sport. The vast majority of these athletes are in excellent health, combining regular rigorous exercise with good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. However, even the healthiest athletes, may be at risk for iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia.
Athletes are more sensitive to the effects of iron deficiency because they depend on the body’s ability to transport oxygen to the muscles. In that process, red blood cell hemoglobin and muscle cell myoblogin carry the oxygen and require an adequate amount of iron to function properly. For the athlete, a shortage of hemoglobin due to iron deficiency will cause the body to work slower and actually affect his or her performance.(2) Additionally, less stored iron can negatively affect aerobic training. This can decrease energy efficiency and increase muscle fatigue and cramping.(1)
It has been reported in several studies that athletes who are involved in heavy training may be prone to iron deficiency, which can lead to iron deficiency anemia.(2,3) Those most at risk include female athletes, male endurance athletes, and runners. According to Dr. Jerry Spivak, Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University, “It is well-documented that athletes are at risk of iron deficiency by a variety of mechanisms. The classic example is long distance runners, who often suffer from something called ‘foot strike hemolysis’, which is the destruction of red blood cells in the feet due to constant impact.”(4)

Athletes who exercise strenuously on a daily basis can also lose iron through sweat, decreased absorption of iron in their intestines, and by taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs to get rid of soreness (these drugs reduce the body’s ability to absorb iron).
Iron deficiency may develop either because you are using more iron than you take in, there is an increased loss of iron, or by a combination of these two factors. Well-trained athletes take in and utilize iron differently than non-athletes, and this may contribute to anemia.

However, the most common cause of anemia is that the athlete’s diet does not supply them with enough iron. According to Dr. Spivak, “Young women are at particular risk of iron deficiency because their average caloric intake does not match their additional iron loses due to menstruation.” Often the athlete is unaware of their dietary problem and it can continue for some time without being recognized and treated.

How Athletes Metabolize Iron

Iron Requirements - Training causes an increase in muscle, consequently increasing the iron requirements of athletes. This is especially noticeable early in their seasonal training.(5)
Iron Intake - Athletes involved in sports such as gymnastics, ballet, or long-distance running, in which low body weight is an asset, run the highest risk of
inadequate iron intake. Vegetarian athletes are also at further risk, due to the
poor absorption of iron from vegetable foods.(6)
Iron Absorption - Iron absorption is lower in athletes than non-athletes, even when both have an ample supply of iron. This decrease in iron absorption might be due to the fact that food tends to pass faster through the digestive tracts of athletes.(1)

How can I prevent anemia?
A sensible way for athletes to prevent becoming anemic is to consume a diet naturally rich in iron. Try to include some lean cuts of red meat, beans, lentils, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs and nuts in your diet regularly. Increase your intake of vitamin C-rich foods (including citrus fruits, berries, new potatoes, broccoli, sprouts, tomatoes, peppers and kiwis). Vitamin C helps make iron more absorbable.

Don’t drink tea and coffee with meals as the tannins in them bind to iron in food, preventing it from being absorbed. Go easy on your consumption of pure bran as it is very high in phytates, which also binds to the iron.
Once iron deficiency is suspected in an athlete, they should be tested in order to determine the severity of their condition as well as which treatment options are best suited for them. The most common treatment is a combination of a well-balanced diet that is high in iron-rich foods and an iron supplement such as ferrous sulfate.

If you think you may have anemia, we recommend you talk to your healthcare professional. 
Anemia can happen to everyone, even to healthy athletes – but you can usually prevent iron deficiency anemia – and that shouldn’t stop you from becoming active or competing/training in strenuous athletics. With rigorous training, a nutritious iron rich diet, and a healthy lifestyle, you too can experience the thrill of victory!
References
Sinclair LM, Hinton PS. Prevalence of iron deficiency with and without anemia in recreationally active men and women. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 Jun;105(6):975-8.
Clement, D.B. and L.L. Sawchuck. Iron status and sports performance. Sports Med. 1984;1:65-74.
Newhouse IJ, Clement DB. Iron status in athletes. An update. Sports Med. 1988 Jun;5(6):337-52.
Dubnov G, Constantini NW. Prevalence of iron depletion and anemia in top-level basketball players. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2004 Feb;14(1):30-7.
Densmore JJ. Inherited and acquired hematologic disorders in athletes. Clin Adv Hematol Oncol. 2008 Feb;6(2):111-2.
Sherman AR, Kramer B. “Iron nutrition and exercise.” Nutrition In Exercise And Sports, Ed. Hickson JF, I. Wolinsky I. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 1990;291-300. 

Mountain biking at night...

Discover a whole new world on your favorite bike trails at night. Ordinary rocks become gnomes, dead trees become towering giants and your adrenaline glands supply a little extra torque to your pedals.

For some, night mountain biking provides a thrill that they cannot find while riding in the daytime. For others, the night is the only time for them to ride, being busy with things like school and work. But whatever the reason, safety must be observed when riding your mountain bike after sunset. Here are a few tips to keep you out of harm’s way during your night mountain biking sessions:

• Invest in a good lighting system. A lighting system is the most important thing in night mountain biking. Lighting systems include headlights (attached to the handlebar), taillights, and may also include helmet lights. It is advisable, however, to have both a headlight and a helmet light since headlights only let you see where your handlebar is pointed, while helmet lights allow you to see where your head is turned. Taillights are necessary for riders behind you to see where you are going. Get headlights that are lightweight, bright, and can last for a long time. Helmet lights should also be lightweight, but not as bright as your headlight.
• Check the duration of your lighting system. It’s important to know how long those lights are going to last. If they are only going to last for 4 hours, then don’t ride beyond 4 hours. Otherwise, you’ll be left in the darkness.
• Never ride alone. If an accident occurs while riding in the night, no one might be able to help you. So always ride in a group, and never stray away from it. It’s also a good thing to carry a warning device such as a whistle or a horn to alert your fellow riders in case of an emergency.
• Familiarize yourself with the trail. Go through the trail a few times during daytime before riding it in the night. Things will look different once the sun goes down, so it is best to have a good knowledge of the trail so as to prevent confusion. Also, exploring new trails during the night can lead to accidents and even getting lost.
• Slow down. The night makes things harder to see, so it is recommended to step your riding pace down a bit. Take a little more time to examine what’s in front of you, and adjust accordingly. With that said, expect night rides to be a bit longer than daytime rides.
• Wear bright clothing. This will make you more visible in the dark. Neon colors like yellow and orange should do the trick.
• Wear protective eyewear. You can never tell if some bugs or low-hanging branches are about to poke you in the eyes, so you’ll need to protect them all the time. A pair of clear glasses or goggles is what you need.
• Bring a small flashlight along. Flat tires and other bike-related accidents are inevitable. A pocket-sized flashlight will come in handy when taking care of these things. Using it instead of your helmet light will allow you to conserve the latter’s battery life.
• Train, train, and train. Mountain biking is a physically-demanding sport, so make sure you go through the proper training exercises before trying this activity so as to prevent injuries.

These are just some basic safety guidelines for mountain biking during the night. Make sure to follow them each time you and your friends decide to go for a ride after sundown. And as you go along with this activity, you will probably learn new things that are not mentioned here. So the best way to get better at night mountain biking is to do it often. Organize a full-moon ride with some friends and turn off all your lights. You'll be surprised how well you see once your eyes adjust to the dark