Cannondale Bikes

For avid cyclists, this is sure to make you put on your lycra shorts and book a reservation. Cannondale Bikes just announced an amazing package of luxury cycling tours.

Cannondale Tours is a new series of luxury cycling tours that combines the world’s best bikes with the world’s best cycling destinations! These incredible Cannondale Tours from Cannondale Bikes are scheduled for this year in six premier destinations in both the United States and Europe.

You gain exclusive access to the insider’s world of pro cycling during major events. In addition, Cannondale Bikes allows tour guests to experience the most challenging and rewarding rides of their lives.

Cannondale has partnered with DuVine Adventures to offer the program to consumers. This series truly combines luxury with one of a kind travel experiences.

This will be the inaugural year for these luxury cycling tours. Cannondale Tours will take place during key races and events, and guests will have behind-the-scenes access to pro athletes, teams, and a unique race experience.

Guests will be riding the Cannondale SuperSix, the same bike that won the Giro and the Vuelta. After a day of riding pro courses, guests will be treated like the pros with a post ride massage and true Euro-Pro treatment, and enjoy all of the comforts of luxury travel, gourmet cuisine and world class wines.

Cannondale Tours will begin June 6-11, 2012 with a trip to the French Alps and the Criterium du Dauphine. All cycling tours provide its guests insider’s access to major races and events where Cannondale athletes will be competing, including: Italian Dolomites, USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado, La Vuelta Espana, World Championships in Kona, and the Tuscany Challenge.

For additional information on Cannondale Tours, please visit http://www.cannondale.com/tours.

Photo courtesy of John Hoeft

When you think of cycling, there is practically no other name that comes to mind other than Lance Armstrong. His legacy in the world of professional cycling will last for many years.

Last fall, Lance Armstrong announced that he was planning to race in the 2009 Amgen Tour of California with the Astana Cycling Team. Amgen is cycling’s most important and successful road race in the United States.

After a three-year hiatus from racing, the world’s reaction was widespread. Some doubted he could regain his championship form, but most others proudly cheered him on. Lance Armstrong, the cycling icon was back.

Just completed, the Amgen Tour of California was Armstrong’s first event on his native soil since the seven-time Tour de France winner began his comeback.

Armstrong announced he will address head-on the suspicions of doping that have followed him for years, by submitting to a rigorous testing regime.

At news conference prior to the start of the Amgen race, Lance stated that he’s “clean as a whistle” and that his mind is “fresh” after a break from cycling. Armstrong continued, “I’m telling you, I’m clean as a whistle, and I think that the testing will prove that.”

Armstrong was the center of attention when four bikes of the Asthana team are stolen in Sacramento. The stolen bikes included a one-of-a-kind 10K dollar bike of Lance. Using the Internet, Lance communicated about the theft to his fans using Twitter. Lance was grateful that the Sacramento police recovered two of the four lost bikes, including his.

The Amgen was won by Lance Armstrong’s Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer, who clinched his third straight victory in the Amgen Tour of California.

Lance was born September 18, 1971, in Plano, Texas. Cycling was in his blood from an early age.

In 1996, Armstrong made a shocking announcement that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The tumors were well advanced and spread to his abdomen, lungs, and lymph nodes. The testicle was removed, and Lance began his racing comeback.

The most remarkable feat of Lance’s famous career, is how he dominated the Tour de France. The Tour is the toughest and most prestigious cycling event in the world. Armstrong won the premier racing event 7 consecutive years, from 1999 to 2005.

Photo: Graham Watson

The Tour de France is considered to be the greatest cycling race in the world. It got its start in the early 1900s and it didn’t take long before it became fiercely competitive. It attracted thousands of viewers right from the start. Its long legacy of riders going to crazy lengths to win started in 1904 with the first reports of cheating.

The Tour de France was founded by Henri Desgrange. The first Tour de France was in 1903, taking 19 days at six stages and covering 2828 kilometers.

Cyclists were expected to pedal through the night. There were no actual breaks for sleep. Bike changes weren’t allowed. No outside assistance was allowed for repairs and punctures. It was all entirely up to the cyclists.

The race started as a publicity stunt for a French sports newspaper called L’Auto. This was a phenomenal success; it destroyed its competitor, Le Velo. Sixty of the bravest, gutsiest, toughest cyclists of the day started the race.

Maurice Garin dominated the race from the beginning. Garin was nickname the “Chimney Sweep.” He still holds a record today for the win with the greatest margin– a remarkable 2 hours and 49 minutes! More than 20,000 people watched Garin cross the finish line in Paris.

The Tour de France bicycle race has 20 stages, covering over 2,000 miles (3,300 km) through four countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Spain). Racers have to battle the summer heat, long climbs through the Alps and Pyrennes mountains and the taunting and teasing from spectators.

Dress has always been important during the history of the Tour de France. The leader of the race always wears a yellow jersey to show he is the rider to beat while the rider who is leading the mountain portion of the race always wears a red and white polka dot jersey.

Until 1937, racers at the Tour de France were not allowed to use bicycles with systems which allowed them to automatically change gears. Riders had to get off their bikes and turn their wheel around every time the road changed from uphill to downhill.

Since 2000, the Tour de France has been dominated by Lance Armstrong. Lance achieved a record breaking total of seven victories in the Tour de France – the most victories ever by a single rider.

Even more impressive, is he won seven-in-a-row. Despite many setbacks including his bout with cancer, Armstrong shows that focus and precision pay off.

Riding the grueling Tour de France bike race takes strength, stamina — and perhaps a heart nearly 40 percent bigger than normal. Researchers who examined the hearts of former Tour cyclists and bikers found that the athletes’ hearts were from 20 to 40 percent larger than average. Full article