Top 10 Best Road Cycle Racers of All Time

(Originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled in the October 30 to November 5, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle --- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

THIS is perhaps the widely-accepted unofficial list of the Top Ten best road bicycle racers of all time.

The criteria are that the bicycle racers have not only performed well in the three big stage races --- Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España --- but also in the minor stage races such as Tour de Suisse, Paris-Nice and Dauphiné Libéré and the classics like Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

They are:

Number 10:

Jan Ullrich, a German, was born in 1973. He won the Tour de France in 1997, the white jersey (known in the Tour de France as the maillot blanc and is awarded to the best-placed rider under 26 years of age) in 1996, 1997 and 1998, and he has 5 second places in the Tour de France which earned him the nickname The Eternal Second. Ullrich has also won Vuelta a España in 1999 and the Tour de Suisse in 2004 and 2006. Other notable wins are the World Time Trial Champion in 1999 and 2001 and the Olympic Road Race in 2000.

Ullrich is a powerful bicycle racer with a soft, athletic style, but he often got out of shape during the off-season and had problems losing the extra weight before racing the big races.

Number 9:

The American Lance Armstrong holds the record of most victories in Tour de France with his 7 consecutive wins. Armstrong also won the 2001 Tour de Suisse and the World Cycling Championship in 1993. This earns him a place on this list, but because Armstrong never impressed in the Giro D’Italia, the Vuelta a España or the Classics.

Number 8:

Miguel Indurain was born in Spain in 1964. He has won the Tour de France five times in a row and the Giro D’Italia two times in a row. He has also won the Olympic Time-Trial Championship in 1996 and the World Time-Trial Championship in 1995, as well as two wins in both Dauphiné Libéré and Paris-Nice.

Indurain was relatively big compared to other professional riders --- 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) and 80 kg (176 lbs) --- which earned him the nickname Miguelón, meaning “Big Mig”.

At the top of his career, Miguel Indurain had a physique that was not only superior when compared to average people, but also when compared to his fellow athletes. His blood circulation had the ability to circulate 7 liters of blood around his body per minute, compared to the average amount of 3n to 4 liters of an ordinary person and the 5 to 6 liters of his fellow riders.

Number 7:

Fausto Coppi was born in Italy in 1919. He won the Tour de France twice, in 1949 and 1952, and the Giro D’Italia five times in 1940, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953. He also won the World Championship in 1953, the Giro di Lombardia in 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1954, the Milan-Sanremo in 1946, 1948 and 1949, and the Paris-Roubaix and the La Flèche Wallonne in 1950.

Number 6:

Felice Gimondi was born in Italy in 1942. In 1968 Gimondi was nicknamed The Phoenix after winning the Vuelta a España, this victory made him the second rider after Jacques Anquetil to win all three big stage races. He is one of only five riders to ever win all three. Gimondi won the Tour de France in 1965, the Giro D’Italia in 1967, 1969 and 1973 and the Vuelta a España in 1968.

Gimondi also won Paris-Roubaix in 1966 and the World Road Cycling Championship in 1973.

Number 5:

Gino Bartali was born in Italy on 1914. He has won the Tour de France twice, in 1938 and 1948, both times also winning the mountain competition, and the Giro D’Italia three times in 1936, 1937 and 1946, also here he won the mountain competition all three times. Bartali also won the Tour de Suisse in 1946 and 1947.

Bartali was a good climber and a pioneer of derailleur gears. His style was considered unconventional. He rarely danced on the pedals and often stayed in the saddle throughout a 15 km climb. When others attacked, he stayed in the saddle but changed up gear, to a sprocket three teeth smaller. He rode smoothly on mountains but every now and then freewheeled, always with his right foot lowered with his weight on it. Then a second or two later he would start pedaling again.

Number 4:

Séan Kelly was born in Ireland in 1956 and became one the most successful riders of the 80s and the best Classics rider of all times. His wins include the Vuelta a España in 1988, 4 point class wins in both the Tour de France and the Giro D’Italia, seven consecutive win in Paris-Nice from 1982 to 1988, and two wins in Tour de Suisse, Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liége.

Number 3:

Jacques Anquetil was born in France in 1934. He has won the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and 1961-1964, the Giro D’Italia twice in 1960 and 1964, the Vuelta a España in 1936 and the Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 1966. Anquetil also holds several records:

• He was the first to the Tour de France five times

• He was the first to win all three big stage races

• He was the first French rider to win the Giro D’Italia

• He was the first French rider to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France form the first day to the last

Number 2:

Bernard Hinault was born in France in 1954, and is one of only five riders to have won all three big stage races, and the only to have won each more than once. Hinault is the only rider ever to have finished either first or second in each Tour de France he finished. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985, the Giro D’Italia in 1980, 1982 and 1985 and the Vuelta a España in 1978 and 1983.

Among Hinault many other victories are Paris-Roubaix in 1981, Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 1977 and 1980 and the World Road Cycling Championship in 1980.

Number 1:

Eddy Merckx was born in Belgium in 1945 and became the best road bicycle racer the world has ever seen. He won the Tour de France five times in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1974, the Giro D’Italia five times in 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973 and 1974 and the Vuelta a España once in 1973. Merckx also won the Tour de Suisse once, Paris-Nice 3 times, Dauphné-Libéré once, Paris-Roubaix three times, Liège-Bastogne-Liége five times and the World Road Race Championship three times.

Merckx is also one of only five riders to win all three big stage races during their career, the four others are Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi, Bernard Hinault and Alberto Contador.*

Solon admits lack of biker-friendly gov’t programs*

(*Originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled in the Oct. 16-22, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle --- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

REP. Carmelo Lazatin (1st District, Pampanga) is urging the government and the private sector to promote bicycles as an alternative mode of transportation at the same time admitted that the government lacks biker-friendly programs.

"The government lacks a serious program to promote bicycle use despite the many benefits it brings, not only to health, but to the economy and environment as well," Lazatin said. With the spiraling cost of oil products, “there is a serious need to find alternative modes of transportation and one of this is the use of the bicycle.”

Lazatin is the author of the proposed House Bill 5335 which seeks to encourage the government and the private sector to focus on instituting a serious program in promoting bicycle use.

Under the measure to be known as the "Bicycle Use Act of 2011, "all government agencies are directed to grant bicycle-riding employees a 30-minute window before they be considered late, taking into consideration the long travel time they will take in reporting to work,” Lorelei V. Castillo of the House Media Relations Services’ Public Relations and Information Bureau, said. It shall likewise coordinate with the LGUs in leading the establishment of bicycle lanes on all major thoroughfares all over the country.

The bill enjoins the private sector, including employers and establishment owners to help in the promotion of bicycle use through the setting-up of secure and ample parking spaces and facilities like bike racks in all public and private commercial establishments, including but not limited to public markets, malls, restaurants and stores.

The standard size of the parking space to be allotted shall be determined upon the formulation of the implementing rules and regulations of the proposed act.

Also, the private sector shall grant the legitimate bicycle-riding employees a 30-minute window before they be considered late.

Under the bill, all local government units (LGUs) are directed to monitor all private, public establishments and employers if they comply with all the provisions of the proposed act, implement penalties to violators and ensure that bicycle lanes are properly utilized.

The measure mandates the Departments of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Labor and Employment (DOLE) to issue the necessary rules and regulations.

Public and private establishments who violate the provisions of the measure will be meted with a penalty of suspension and revocation of their business permits.

Building permits shall not be issued to contractors and builders of structures intended for public and commercial use if their plans do not include parking for bicycles.*

-o0o-

CYCLING is now the biggest sporting goods market in the world in terms of revenue, according to a survey by multi-national market research company NPD Group.

Global sales totaled nearly €33 billion (US$46 billion) last year --– an increase of four percent on 2009. Some 137 million bicycles (including electric bikes) were sold, with the average price estimated at €179 ($249). Cycling accounted for 15 percent of all sporting goods revenue.

Back in August the London School of Economics published a similarly encouraging report on the economic value of cycling in the UK, calculating that the country's GCP or ‘Gross Cycling Product’ was around £2.9bn, or £230 per cyclist.

Analysis from the US seems to confirm a positive economic picture there too. Industry revenue rose to $5.94bn in 2010, up from $5.68bn the year before – an increase of 4.6 percent and a return to 2008 revenue levels, according to the 2011 US Specialty Bicycle Retail Study compiled by Jay Townley of the Gluskin Townley Group.

The NPD report --– their sixth Global Sport Market Estimate – covers the sale of bikes, parts, accessories, rental, maintenance and cycle clothing. It shows there were seven countries in which the sporting goods market exceeded $10 billion in 2010 –-- the USA, Japan, Germany, China, France, UK and Italy.

The survey comments specifically on the electric bike phenomenon, saying that “electrical bikes have yet to prove that they're a mass market product in Western Europe (with the exception of some countries such as the Netherlands).”

“We believe what's missing is a touch of glamour on the bikes, and they're expensive in comparison with traditional bicycles,” the report added. "So, the interesting question is at what level of price will demand for hybrid technology products start to rocket and hit the mass market, and when will this happen? This is probably around half the current prices (the psychological price is certainly below €500) and the turning point is probably still a few years from now.”

The NPD’s cycling survey is for sale and includes data broken down by region and by nation for all countries in the world.*

It’s Not About the Bike. My Journey Back to Life.

(This article was originally published

in my sports page column Self-Propelled in the October 9-15, 2011 issue

of the Baguio Chronicle --- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

I WAS too young to remember. All that remain are fragments of vague memories that I sometimes exhume from the deepest recesses of my mind in my times of solitude and in my longings of the years gone by. Memories of my mom and me taking the commuter bus from Kamuning in Quezon City, braving the flooded España Avenue following a thunderstorm shortly before dawn, to the Philippine General Hospital along Taft Avenue which was also as flooded, for my periodic checkup. Congenital cataract.

My family has a history of visual degeneration. My maternal grandmother, though she lived a relatively long life, spent the last years of her life in total darkness, totally blind. My mom suffered diminished eyesight during the last three decades of her life.

Despite the stigma, ironic as it may, I ended up as a photographer, both by passion and occupation --- something that requires strict visual capability and judgment. And I owe it all to my mom who simply refused to give up on her menopause baby to the ancient curse of cataract. By the time I entered Grade 1, I have was declared by my doctors as already cataract-free.

And while I have been wearing prescription eyeglasses for more than 10 years now (which I wear all through my waking hours), it has not diminished my passion for printed words. Books.

About a month ago, I accidentally wandered into a second-hand books store and one particular book that instantly caught my attention was Lance Armstrong’s My Journey Back To Life (It’s Not About The Bike).

I instinctively took the book maybe because I share the same passion with the man --- biking. But as the pages turn past my eyes, I discovered a few similarities, if not commonalities, with Lance Armstrong. True to the book’s title, it was not about the bike. It was, indeed, Lance Armstrong’s journey back to life. How he fought and successfully won over cancer and how his mother refused to give up his only son to the ancient curse of cancer.

“Cancer was the best thing that ever happened to me. I do not know why I got the illness, but it did wonders for me, and I wouldn’t want to walk away from it,” Armstrong testified. “When I was sick, I saw more beauty and triumph and truth in a single day than I ever did in a bike race; they were human moments, not miraculous ones.”

According to him, “athletes, especially cyclists, are in the business of denial. You deny all the aches and pains because you have to in order to finish the race. It’s a sport of self abuse. What makes a great endurance athlete is the ability to absorb potential embarrassment, and to suffer without complaint.”

On the day he was told about it, Armstrong wrote: “I thought I knew what fear was, until I heard the words: You have a cancer.”

My previous fears, fear of not being liked, fear of being laughed at, fear of losing my money, suddenly seemed like small cowardices. Everything now stacked up differently: the anxieties of life were reprioritized into need versus want, real problem as opposed to minor scare. A bumpy plane ride was just a bumpy plane ride. It wasn’t cancer.

Armstrong defined HUMAN as the “characteristic of people as opposed to God or animals or machines, especially susceptible to weakness, and therefore showing the qualities of man. Athletes don’t tend to think of themselves in these terms. They’re too busy cultivating the aura of invincibility to admit to being fearful, weak, defenseless, vulnerable, or fallible, and for that reasons neither are they especially kind, considerate, merciful, benign, or forgiving, to themselves or anyone around them.”

“(But) as I sat in my house alone that first night, it was humbling to be so scared; more than that, it was humanizing. One thing you realize when you’re sick is that you aren’t the only person who needs support --- sometimes you have to be the one who supports others.”

To believe, when all along we humans know that nothing can cure the briefness of this life, that there is no remedy for our basic mortality, that is a form of bravery. To continue believing in yourself, believing in the doctors, believing in the treatment, believing in whatever I chose to believe in, that was the most important thing. Without belief, we would be left with nothing but an overwhelming doom, every single day. And it will beat you.

Dispiritedness and disappointments, these were the real perils of lie, not some sudden illness or cataclysmic millennium doomsday. I knew now why people fear cancer: because it is a slow and inevitable death, it is the very definition of cynicism and loss of spirit.

And while Armstrong admitted that “chemo was lonely”, he said he discovered “a new sense of purpose” which “had nothing to do with my recognition and exploits on a bike; I no longer felt that it was my role in life to be a cyclist; my role was to be cancer survivor. My strongest connections and feelings were with people who were fighting cancer and asking the same question I was: am I going to die?”

We each cope differently with the specter if deaths. Some people deny it. Some pray. Some numb themselves with tequila; we are supposed to face it straightforwardly, armed with nothing but courage --- the quality of spirit that enables one to encounter danger with firmness and without fear. We have unrealized capacities that sometimes only emerge in crisis; if there is a purpose to the suffering that is cancer, I think it must be this: it’s meant to improve us; cancer is not a form of death; I choose to redefine it: it is a part of life.

In less than two years after he was pronounced as cancer-free, Lance Armstrong won his first of seven consecutive Tour de France titles --- a feat no man ever did before. A record.

Until then and have a safe ride all the time and don’t forget to wear that cycling helmet each time. Remember: YOU CAN BEAT THE EGG WITHOUT BREAKING THE SHELL.* (SP20)

The Night Rider

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the July 17 to 23, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

Riding a bicycle at night is many times more dangerous that riding during the day. Riding at night should be avoided unless very necessary.

If you MUST ride at night or under conditions of very poor visibility such during an inclement weather, VISIBILITY is the most important factor.

Even on day rides, it pays to think things ahead. Always anticipate flat tires, mechanical problems or inclement weather which could radically slow delay your schedule. Always consider the consequences of getting off schedule. Riding after dark without proper lights or reflectors is totally insane.

The items that you need to carry “just in case” do not have to be elaborate. Though traffic is usually minimal at night, adequate lighting still is essential. Dusk and dawn are times when lighting is particularly essential because dim lights and reflectors do not show up as well at this hour, yet visibility is still quite poor.

When choosing lights, remember that there are two distinct functions you may want them to serve. The first is to make you a stand out so that drivers approaching you can see spot you from a long way off and won’t run you down. The other is to light up the road ahead of you well enough so that you can stay on the road, avoid most of the worst obstructions.

Modern reflective materials simplify the problem of making bicycles visible at night. You should make as much use of reflectors as you can since they require no batteries, using the bright lights of cars to achieve their luminosity. Reflectors weight less than any light and are brighter than most bicycle lights.

But it makes far more sense to mount several large reflectors on the back of your bicycle or on your jersey by arranging them to be easily removable that it does to fool around with a small, red light shining under your butt. Bike lights are usually so weak that if they are fixed and shine steadily, few drivers even notice them among bright signs and road reflectors.

It makes a good habit carrying a roll of Scotch brand reflector tapes in your repair kit to put on your bike and clothing if you are accidentally caught in the dark.

But reflectors have limitations and you should not rely on them to alert drivers of your presence. Flashing and moving lights are by far the most effective ways of attracting the motorist’s attention from the monotony of the white line or the confusion of other lights. The leg light has long been used for this purpose and is strapped to the traffic-side leg at the ankle or the calf just below the knee.

Riding at night also requires a slower speed than you would have during day time.

Until then and have a safe ride all the time. Put on that cycling helmet each time get on your bike. Remember: YOU CAN BEAT THE EGG WITHOUT BREAKING THE SHELL.*

-o0o-

Self-Propelled and the Baguio Chronicle pray for the immediate recovery of veteran newsman Gerry Evangelista, Sr. who is now under the watchful eyes of his doctors at the St. Louis University’s Sacred Heart Hospital.* (SP8)

Road Hazards

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the July 10 to 16, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

There are a lot of obstructions on the road waiting a cyclist. It is therefore very important to remain constantly watchful for these hazards and to be ready to stop or take evasive actions in time.

Holes in the pavement can be large enough to badly damage a wheel or to swallow it so deeply that you and the bike are pitched forward into the road ahead. Gratings and expansion joints in bridges have slits running parallel to the roadway that are wide enough for your bike wheels to disappear into, although a car tire can pass over them without much trouble.

When crossing bumps (known in the Philippines as “humps”) that are not large enough to require a stop, slow down, stand on the pedals and hold the handle bars loosely. The two ends of the bike then rise up separately, each pivoting on the other wheel. As the front wheel hits the hump, instead of having part of your weight pressing down on the handlebars which are pushed up rapidly, your weight rest on the pedals and cranks, and your mass is lifted a lesser distance around the pivot of the rear wheel. (The frame of the bike acts as a lever, lifting your body on the fulcrum of the rear axle. Your weight on the pedals is closer to the fulcrum and does not have to be moved as far.)

The same thing happens when the rear wheel hits the hump. Rising up fro the saddle and holding the bike loosely as it crosses the hump thus eliminates the impact on your hands and posterior and reduces stress on the bike.

Oil patches are also potential dangers. They are worse when they get wet. A light rain causes the road become very slick. This is very true after a long dry period. The water forms a suspension with the oil that has gradually collected on the pavement. Take extra care in this kind of situation.

As with traffic problems, the most important habit to develop in avoiding road hazards is to be alert at what is going on around you. If you remain constantly aware of what is behind you, then you know at all times whether it is safe to swing into the main roadway to dodge obstacles.

Hazards can be anticipated even they are seen. Exhaust coming out of tailpipe of a car on the curbside is a good warning that the driver is about to pull out while a head visible in the window or a rearview/side mirror of a parked car is a warning to watch out for an opening door. A large piece of glass typically is surrounded by many smaller bits and so on.

If you are aware of hazards in your community, point them out to the appropriate officials, noting that they can sued for any injuries resulting from such dangerous situations. If you receive cold shoulders, you may document your warnings through a letter and have it formally “RECEIVED”.

Wet weather impairs traction, braking and visibility, both for the bicyclist and for other vehicles sharing the road. The risk of an accident is dramatically increased in wet conditions.

Under these conditions, the stopping power of your brakes (as well as the brakes of other vehicles on the road) is reduced and your tires do not grip nearly as well. This makes it harder to control speed and easier to lose control. To make sure you can slow down and stop safely in wet conditions, ride more slowly and apply your brakes earlier and more gradually than you would under normal, dry conditions.

Riding a bicycle at night is many times more dangerous than riding during the day. This will be your Self-Propelled’s topic in our next issue. Until then and have a safe ride all the time by putting on that cycling helmet each time get on your bike. Remember: YOU CAN BEAT THE EAGG WITHOUT BREAKING THE SHELL.* (SP7)

Riding Between Raindrops

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the July 3 to 9, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

Riding under the rain or in an inclement weather is a discipline by itself.

For the cyclist, visibility is a necessity of life, like food and water. Bright clothing and equipment is the cyclist’s first line of defense. Chose the brightest ones you can stand. Think in terms of drivers who are road-weary, timid and inattentive, often with wet or dirty windshields. Wear anything that attracts attention such as reflector vests. Even if you have the best lighting systems, many motorists won’t see you. If you have to ride in an inclement weather or if you are caught in it, be aware that you are virtually invisible.

Wet weather impairs traction, braking and visibility, both for the cyclist and for the other vehicles sharing the road. The risk of an accident is dramatically increased in wet conditions. Under wet conditions, the stopping power of your brakes (as well as the brakes of the other vehicles on the road) is dramatically reduced and your tires don’t grip nearly as well. This makes it harder to control speed and easier to lose control. To make sure that you can slow down or stop safely in wet conditions, ride more slowly and apply your brakes more gradually than you would under normal, dry conditions. Remember that you have to squeeze much harder to slow down or stop when your rims are wet.

The ideal clothing for cycling on a rainy weather is yet to be perfected though they have dramatically improved through the years. The trouble with rainwear for active sports is that any clothing that covers your body and is waterproof traps your perspiration. If the air and rain outside are cool, chilling the clothing, then the moisture evaporating from your skin even though you are not sweating condenses on the inside surface of the raingear like a dew, soaking you from the inside.

Since it is impossible to make a suit that sheds the rain from outside and completely eliminates condensation and perspiration problems, any cycling raingear is bound to be a compromise.

Riding into the rain creates additional problem because rain will pour through any ventilation openings in the front of your protective gear. Even if your bike is equipped with fenders and mud guards to minimize splash from your own wheels, you are likely to catch a lot of spray from cars, generally mixed with mud.

Many cyclists simply ignore the problem, choosing to get wet if it starts to rain. If you are not wearing a protective gear and if the weather is cold, you can lose a lot of body heat, draining your energy reserves and badly chilling the body. If you are cycling in prolonged rain, you may be a lot more comfortable if you can keep the amount of mud and precipitation hitting you to a minimum.

One type of rain garment is the cyclist’s cape which covers the upper body and hooks over the thumbs or handlebars to form a “rolling tent”. One problem though is that it obscures your vision of the road directly beneath you, distorting your perceptions and reactions. In order for the cape to be of any use at all, fenders may be used to cut the spray from below and rain pants may be necessary. But the cape increases wind resistance, flaps badly when riding fast, and acts like a sail to carry you in the direction of the wind whenever there is a gust or a passing truck thereby posing a severe hazard.

A rain suit is another alternative. While it covers most of your body and creates less wind resistance, it increases condensation problems and the trapping of sweat.

The traditional hood used on parkas for mountaineering and backpacking should not be worn while cycling because it is difficult to take a quick glace over your shoulder while wearing one. The hood continues to face straight ahead while your head turns inside and all you can see are the inside seams of the parkas instead of the car bearing down on you from the rear.

First used in 1969 as an alternative to fabric coatings, a film called Gore-Tex® is sandwiched in between a lightweight nylon fabric and an inner material, usually a light, non-woven mesh. The film, made of a material similar to Teflon®, has billions of pores so small that liquid water droplets cannot pass through in most circumstances, but molecules of water vapor can. The material is thus waterproofed but allows water vapor evaporated from the skin to pass through so that condensation and perspiration build-up are far less that with conventional coated nylon.

Gore-Tex® is a great improvement over the other materials. But it is expensive and requires greater care since dirt can act as a wetting agent, reducing the surface tension of water droplets and allowing them to leak through the pores. Fairly frequent washing is therefore necessary. And whether a raingear made of Gore-Tex® is worth the considerable additional cost depends on your budget.* (SP6)

The 98th TDF

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the June 26 to July 2, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

The 98th Tour de France hits the road this week from July 2 to 24 covering 3,430.5 kilometers in 21 stages --- 10 flat stages, 6 mountain stages and 4 summit finishes, 3 medium mountain stages, 1 individual time-trial stage (42.5 kilometers) and 1 team time-trial stage (23 kilometers).

Three-time Tour de France overall classification winner (2007, 2009 and 2010) Albertor Contador (Spain) is expected to face stubborn challenges from a field of riders that include Australian Cadel Evans, Frenchman Thomas Voeckler, Italian Ivan Basso and Norwegian Thor Hushovd.

This year’s Tour edition puts special emphasis on the Alps, much like it was on the Pyrenees for 2010 in commemorating the 100th anniversary of those peaks first being visited in the Tour. The Col du Galibier will be visited twice during the race after an interval of 24 hours and on the 18th stage it will be the first time the peloton finish on the 2,645-meter top. It would be the highest summit finish of this competition, beating the finish of the Col du Granon (at 2,413 meters above sea level, near Serre Chevalier) during the 17th stage of the 1986 Tour de France.

In total, 3.2 million Euros will be awarded to the teams and the riders in this year’s Tour de France, including 450,000 Euros for the winner of the general individual classification.

So far, only Lance Armstrong (USA) has won the Tour de France seven times --- all in consecutive years from 1999 to 2005.

Four riders have won the Tour de France five times. They are Jacques Anquetil (France) in 1957, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964; Eddy Merckx (Belgium) in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1974; Bernard Hinault (France) in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985; and Miguel Indurian (Spain) --- the first to do so in 5 consecutive years --- in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995.

Another four riders have won it three times. They are Philippe Thys (Belgium) in 1913, 1914, 1920; Louison Bobet (France) in 1953, 1954 and 1955; Greg LeMond (USA) in 1986, 1989 and 1990; and Alberto Contador (Spain) in 2007, 2009 and 2010.

The youngest cyclist to win it was Henri Cornet (France), aged 19 in 1904. Next youngest was Romain Maes (Belgium), 21 in 1935 while the oldest was Firmin Lambot (Belgium), aged 36 in 1922. Next oldest were Henri Pélissier (French) in 1923 and Gino Bartali (Italy) in 1948, both 34.

Gino Bartali holds the longest time span between titles, having earned his first and last Tour de France victories 10 years apart (in 1938 and 1948).

One rider has been King of the Mountains, won the combination classification, combativity award, the points competition, and the Tour in the same year – Eddy Merckx (Belgium) in 1969.

The most appearances have been by Joop Zoetemelk (Netherlands) with 16, which include 1 win of General Classification, 1 win of Combination Classification, 12 top ten finishes and no abandonments.

Four riders, Lucien Van Impe (Belgium) with one Tour win, Guy Nulens, Viatcheslav Ekimov (Russia) and George Hincapie (USA) has made 15 appearances; Lucien Van Impe and Ekimov finished all 15 whereas Guy Nulens abandoned twice.

George Hincapie holds the mark for the most consecutive finishes with 13. While René Pottier, Roger Lapébie, Sylvére Maes and Fausto Coppi all won the Tour de France the last time they started the race.

Riders from France have won most Tour de France titles at 36, followed by Belgium (18), Spain (13), United States (10), Italy (9), Luxembourg (4), Switzerland and the Netherlands (2 each) and Ireland, Denmark and Germany (1 each).

The fastest massed-start stage in the history of Tour de France was in 1999 from Laval to Blois (194.5 km), won by Mario Cipollini (Italy) at 50.355 km/h. The fastest full-length time-trial is David Zabriskie's opening stage in 2005 from Fromentine to Noirmoutier-en-l'Ile (19 km) at 54.676 km/h. Chris Boardman rode faster during the 1994 prologue stage, from Lille to Euralille (7.2 km), with 55.152 km/h.

The fastest stage win was by the 2005 Discovery Channel team (under the captainship of Lance Armstrong) in a team-time-trial. It completed the 67.5 km between Tours and Blois at 57.32 km/h.*

Riding In Traffic

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the June 19 to 25, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

Motorists remain the greatest hazard on the roads. Many motorists mistakenly believe that their possession of a driver's license gives them a superior claim of the road over the cyclist.

Because of their size, speed (even at low speed) and weight, cars carry an extremely high potential for causing lethal damage when negligently operated.

Those gas-burning behemoths cannot always be avoided and knowing how to cope with cars can be a matter of survival. Whether you are in the right or not, if you have too-close an encounter with a car, you lose. The car is unlikely to sustain any damage worse than a few dents while you will get some nasty injuries or damages.

Since your life is on the line in traffic, it is a must that you become as skillful as possible, to make your judgments fairly and to control the situation you are in as best as you can. Learning to ride safely in traffic is an essential skill.

According to the Sierra Club’s Guide To Outing On Wheels, “the cyclist should be careful and courteous in traffic but should never be timid.”

There are many traffic situations in which you must be reasonably aggressive to ensure your own safety. An easily-intimidated and overly nervous rider will be pushed into dangerous situations again and again by the drivers of cars, out of a combination of ignorance and in most cases, hostility. Remember that when you are riding a bicycle, you have the most to lose. Therefore, take the initiative and don’t allow yourself to be placed in jeopardy.

One of the reasons that you need to be assertive in traffic is that many drivers are not really used to bicycles and do not take account of them. A driver of a car simply may not see you because his or her eyes are not trained to register bicycles. Highly visible clothing helps. Beware of people inside parked cars when you are riding at the edge of the street. A car door opened suddenly in front of you can make for an unpleasant sudden stop.

Don’t block a motorist’s way if you can avoid it, but control your road space. Let drivers know what you are doing, even if they don’t want to notice. Signal your intentions clearly or make eye contact with the driver who will be affected. Make sure the driver understands your intentions. When in doubt, do not proceed. Always underestimate him. Presume that he is incompetent. Judge the situation yourself. Do not let others judge the situation for you.

Learn to take quick glances to your rear, left, right and well ahead. Develop a good peripheral vision while in motion. See far and wide.

Learning to ride well in traffic will take time. You have to develop an odd combination of attitudes and talents. Be considerate but not timid. Be assertive but not reckless. Keep your own survival uppermost in your mind.*

-o0o-

COUNCILOR Philian Louise Weygan-Allan told the Self-Propelled this week that a brand-new animal has started to invade the streets of Baguio: TRICYCLES!

At least three of them have been sighted going around Baguio. One is that of an ice cream vendor, another is that of a scrap buyer and the other a fish vendor.

At this early, Councilor Philian said that she will do everything in her power to put on the brakes on these three-wheeled beasts from proliferating in the city.

-o0o-

ROAD ANARCHIST OF THE WEEK: The featured road anarchist this week is the driver of a Baguio-Tomay jeep with registry plates AYD 912 for high-speed, sudden changing of lanes and for yelling at his passengers to instead get off and instead take the taxi (after calling his attention).*

You Can Beat The Egg Without Breaking The Shell

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the June 12 to 18, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

Our head is designed by evolution to withstand minor shocks under natural conditions but it is

poorly suited for falling headfirst unto concrete or smashing into cars or hitting the curb. These can happen to a bicycle rider and there is no doubt that the one who is wearing a helmet will have higher chances of surviving than the one who is not.

The primary danger results from riding with your head five or six feet above the hard pavement in a position from which you can easily be knocked down without a chance to cushion your skull. If your head falls free from this distance, it will break on the pavement due to the acceleration of gravity alone, quite apart from the additional velocity resulting from your motion on the bike. It therefore makes good sense to wear a standard helmet --- all the time you are on your bike.

The American National Standards Institute or (ANSI) created a standard called ANSI Z80.4 in 1984. Later, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) created its own mandatory standard for all bicycle helmets sold in the United States, which took effect in March 1999. In the European Union (EU) the currently applicable standard is EN 1078:1997 while in the UK, the current standard is BS EN 1078:1997, which is identical to the EU standard, and which replaced BS 6863:1989 in 1997.

In Australia and New Zealand, the current legally-required standard is AS/NZS 2063. The performance requirements of this standard are slightly less strict than the Snell B95 standard but incorporate a quality assurance requirement. As a result, the AS/NZS can be argued to be safer.

The CPSC and EN1078 standards are lower than the Snell B95 (and B90) standard. Snell helmet standards are externally verified, with each helmet traceable by unique serial number. EN 1078 is also externally validated, but lacks Snell's traceability. The most common standard in the US, CPSC, is self-certified by the manufacturers. It is generally true to say that Snell standards are more exacting than other standards, and most helmets on sale these days will not meet them.

According to the Sierra Club’s Guide to Outing on Wheels, “no matter how skilled a rider you are, some idiot in a car can come zooming out of a driveway and zap you. Brilliant riding technique on your part has nothing to do with it. If you don’t want to wear a helmet, that’s okay, but you should recognize that your failure to wear one increases the dangers of cycling.”

Once you make up your mind that the additional protection is worth the trouble of wearing a helmet, you might as well wear one that provides reasonable amount of rigidity and shock absorbency. Once you have decided to wear a helmet, make up your mind to wear it whenever you are on your bike.

To do its job, the helmet must fit correctly, be worn correctly and be properly secured. Do not hesitate to refer to the owner’s manual provided with the helmet.

Accidents tend to occur at the most unexpected times. Injuries may occur even at a very low speed. So keep your helmet on all the time. Remember this: YOU CAN BEAT THE EGG WITHOUT BREAKING THE SHELL.*

(Today, June 8, I get off my bike to greet my second daughter a happy 20th birthday.)

Choosing To Be A Biker

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the June 5 to 11, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

Commuting on a bicycle has so much in common with backpacking and mountaineering. All of them are forms of self-propelled travel that brings the traveler into close contact with both the gentle and harsh moods of the natural and the man-made world.

In a planet of limited or dwindling resources, cycling offers unique advantages to those who are concerned about the consumption of non-renewable energy resources. The advantages of a bicycle as means transportation are obvious. It is relatively cheap and very economical. It does not consume fossil fuels (except for the relatively small amounts of fuel needed to build bikes and manufacture replacement parts such as tires).

A bicycle is a highly-personal and unique vehicle. Its engine is its passenger. It is fast and efficient enough to cover considerable distances in reasonable time. It is also compact enough to be parked or stored and can be easily be carried into and out of a building. But you can only do this in bicycle-friendly cities or establishments.

Right now, City Ordinance 55, Series 1989, disallows bicycles within the central business district. Cyclists are virtual outcasts and outlaws. Aside from the legal restrictions on bicycles, business establishments are bias against bikers. Except for Art Tibaldo’s Baguio Media Museum & Animation Studio along Sumulong Street and the Mt. Cloud book store at Casa Vallejo, business establishments in Baguio shoo away bikers.

Aside from its being an anti-biker city which a biker has to deal with each day, deciding to become a bicycle commuter requires a lot of technical considerations.

Mind you, it is always worth buying a really well-made bicycle. According to the Sierra Club Guide to Touring on Wheels, because of its practical uses, the purchase of a rather costly, a good-quality bike actually may save you money in the long run. Avoid buying-mass-produced and department-store bicycles.

Like any other sport, bicycling carries with it inherent risks of injury and damages. By choosing to be a biker, you assume responsibility for the risks. Not the people who sold you the bike or the company who made it. Proper maintenance of your bicycle is your sole responsibility which helps reduce the risks or injuries.

Correct riding habits help reduce risks of injuries and damages to your bicycle. In a city like Baguio where highly-aggressive, arrogant, reckless and anti-biker motorists dominate the roads, your own survival should be your primary concern. Nobody but you alone can ensure your own safety on the road. DO NOT expect your government officials to ensure your own safety. They have their own priorities.

As a biker, learn to be both defensive and assertive. This is called technical riding. Be defensive but not passive and timid. Be assertive but not reckless. Stay alert. Don’t get easily intimated.*