from Bruce Hildenbrand

The Alps were supposed to be about how well the favorites climbed. Unfortunately, it seemed, for some of the contenders, it was also how well they could descend. To be sure, the stages to Prato Nevoso and l'Alpe d'Huez were battle royales by the uphill specialists providing some of the best excitement the Tour has seen in years. Team CSC Saxo Bank put on a bike racing clinic on all three Alpine stages and continued to impress, not only with their bonafide mountain goats, but also how they got such gravitationally-challenged riders as Jens Voigt and Fabian Cancellara over the big climbs and in a position to evoke damage.

Dear Dr. Lim,
I've been reading a lot of the nutritional guidelines and stories that you've posted online. Since riders have to consume so many calories and hydrate enough, I was wondering if there are points where riders just feel way too full to continue eating the calories they need. How do they know they are eating enough, or eating too much, that might pack on unwanted kilos? I'm a regular racer, and sometimes I just don't have the time or the stomach to eat all the calories I burn. I would sometimes go on for a few days with 700-1000 calorie deficits each day.
Thanks for your time, I appreciate it.
Aylwin

by Kristin Hilger

Last weekend was an exciting and fast trip up north for the Subaru Vancouver International Half Ironman. I flew out of San Luis Obispo in the early afternoon on Friday and traveled to Canada for my first time. The area was beautiful with fantastic weather, and I shamelessly enjoyed the early sunrise and late sunset.

from Bruce Hildenbrand

There is a saying in cycling that the mountains always produce a true winner, which will certainly be the case with the 2008 Tour de France. As the race enters the Alps, Dr. Allen Lim notes that 70% of the critical mountain kilometers will be ridden there. That's a pretty tall order for a Tour that has already seen a major selection in the Pyrenees. But, in a three-week grand tour, it is all about the third week, and it is no coincidence that big mountains always play a role.

from CycleOps Power
Team Garmin-Chipotle's Danny Pate had an incredible ride in Sunday's Stage 15 of the Tour de France, getting into the race-winning break within the first 12 kilometers of the 183 kilometer stage.

In order to stay away from the field, he and his 3 breakaway companions had to keep their pace high and steady over the entire race distance, which included two major climbs - the Hors Categorie Col Agnel and the Categorie 1 Prato Nevoso.