The President`s Message

The official newsletter of Velo Club La Grange
August 2006
The President’s Message
I’m going to make this short. I hope that everyone’s enjoying the summer and their vacation time, wherever it may be. By being a member of
La Grange I have been afforded the bicycle luxury of riding in France
for the past two years. Had I not met the many friends I have in La
Grange sharing their great riding experiences in Europe, I most likely
would not have had or made the opportunity to go. This year I have
been unable to go to Europe and join one of the many trips that my
friends have taken and it has really left me with a void that is hard to
describe. Those of you who have been there know what I am talking
about. So, for those of you who have never experienced the riding and
lifestyle of Europe, I urge you to make it a priority. It is an incredible
experience and one you will remember forever.
For the future, I have a vision of a La Grange Tour de California. A
possible 6 – 7 day ride through our home state accommodating as many
members as we can. I look forward to sharing and discussing this idea
with all of you.
See you out there.
Duncan
We invite our readers and their friends to join La Grange.
For the latest La Grange news, information and updates subscribe to the Yahoo!Groups
Visit our website at www.lagrange.org
1
The Editor’s Ride
I Wish I Though Of That !
Paul Strauss (pstrauss@pacbell.net)
(La Grange Cycling Tips)
I just came back from following and experiencing the Tour de France for two weeks.
What an experience—the racers, tour officials, sponsors, and spectators from around
the globe. Everyone is a participant in the
event, the Americans like myself on cycling
tours, the Aussies cheering for Cadel Evans
and Robbie McEwen and drinking lots of
beer, the crazy Germans on the slopes of Alpe
d’Huez , and of course the French people.
Carrying Energy Powder
Fluid and electrolyte replacement is extremely important especially now that the hot summer is here. Frequently we put extra
Cytomax or Endurox powder in plastic zip bags to mix with
water on the road.
A much more convenient way is these little plastic bottles found
at stores such as REI or Adventure 16. The small bottles hold 2
scoops of powder, enough for a 24oz water bottle.
The riding is beyond description. We believe we have it good
in Southern California and we do. But the riding in France is
indescribable. Riding through small French towns, hundreds of
years old, on small roads, makes you believe you are back in
medieval times. Doing climbs averaging 8% but with long 10%
to 18% sections makes you understand why the European Pros
are as strong as they are. You can’t help but get stronger. The 6%
grades seemed like gentle slopes in comparison. (Now the trick is
to maintain this level of fitness at home.) It was great cycling up
the famous climbs of the Alpe d’Huez, Mont Ventoux, etc…and
then watching the Pros do the same climbs at twice the pace and
seemingly effortlessly.
Riding with cyclists from other countries
and feeling the special bond among us
was special. I have made so many lifelong friends. On a side note, La Grange
and our group are something we can be
proud of. As a climber, I got much stronger, but the way we hammer up PCH
destroyed people’s legs.
I will be back next year. I was thinking of
doing the Giro, but the Tour is the Tour.
It will be different and still spectacular.
I already have at least one other La Granger signed up. It would
be great to have a larger group going. Despite “No Lance,” the
Americans took the Tour. Who knows what will happen next year,
but I will be here to experience it.
Paul
Ride strong and safe.
2
Coach’s Corner
Josh Horowitz (josh@liquidfitness.com)
Q: I’ve read a lot of books about training,
but they all seem confusing and overly
complicated. Can you give me some basic
tips on how to improve my cycling fitness?
A: I know what you mean, but trust me, it
doesn’t have to be that complicated. There
are really only 2 things you need to know
about training. The first is that fitness
improves during recovery from training
stress, not during the training itself. The
second is that if you do the same type of training for too long,
your body will adjust to it and cease to adapt.
Of course there’s much, much more to it than that, but if you
know those 2 simple rules, you are can start to design your
own training program Now I’ll break those two rules down
into a little more detail. You must cause damage to your body
and then give it proper recovery in order to increase your fitness. In order to maximize results, you need to find the optimal amount of overload and the optimal amount of recover
time for your particular body. Too much overload leads to
overtraining and too much recovery will yield less than stellar
results.
Debra
Goldsmith
Memorial Restoration
Project
Contributions can be made to the
Debra Goldsmith Bench Restoration Project
While designing your own schedule, keep these things in
mind. On average, riders can handle 3 days of intensity per
week. Some can only handle two and others can handle 4.
Also, Most riders can handle 3 weeks of progressing intensity
before needing a rest week. Some riders can only handle 2
and others can handle 4 or 5. On average, the body starts to
become efficient and ceases to adapt after 2 to 4 weeks of the
same type of training.
PayPal GoldsmithFund@LaGrange.org
Check Payable to the VeloClub LaGrange/
Goldsmith Fund and mailed To:
VeloClub LaGrange
11817 Texas Ave. #5
Los Angeles, CA 90025
So you might be thinking, ‘well this doesn’t really help me
much, how do I know which type of rider I am?’ You will
have to test yourself and keep a journal to find out what works
best for you. As you begin to test your abilities and your limits, follow the basic rules laid out below.
You should be able to do all your intervals during a given
workout without losing significant amounts of power or
speed. The same applies to your weekly load. You should be
exhausted by the time you get to the last interval session of
the week, but not to the point where you can’t complete the
session. Each week of your training cycle should become progressively harder either in intensity or mileage or both. If you
have to pull back before the end of the cycle, you probably
started the first week too hard. By the last interval of the last
day of the last week of a training cycle, you should be utterly
wasted. This is called overload. It is different than overtraining because you should be able to recover completely after a
few days or a week at the longest. If it takes you longer than a
week, you’ve done too much.
Finally, you may be asking, ‘what does intensity mean’?
Intensity usually refers to intervals. Your intervals should
be based somewhat on the type of event or ride you are preparing for. Generally I start the season off doing long zone
3 or tempo rides and move on to 15 minute sub-time trial
level intervals. As the season progresses, I move to 3 minute
anaerobic intervals. You can experiment with what works best
for you but remember to always mix things up a bit and keep
things interesting.
3
Two weeks of the Tour de France
from Disneyland, tossing out swag such as hats, noise makers,
and refrigerator magnets.
Paul Strauss (pstrauss@pacbell.net)
As you have heard, the French
are cycling-crazy and it is true,
especially around Tour time. But
it is nice since you are accepted
no matter what country you
are from and the drivers actually stop and wait for you on
the roads. They are much more
aware of bicycles, and respect
them on the road. America has a
long way to go in this respect.
I just returned from two weeks in France
riding the famous climbs and following
the Tour. I don’t know enough adjectives to describe how fantastic the trip
was. I went with a company called
Bikestyle Tours from Australia that has
been doing this for ten years and they
really put together a great trip. First,
with the “No Lance Effect,” there were
far fewer Americans on the Tour then
ever. I was 3 among 45 Australians in
the group. Since it was two weeks it went from the Pyrénées
to the Alps to Paris, which attracted the more adventurous riders.
The next day was flat, thank God.
We were leaving the Pyrénées and
off to the Alps so we had a 90 km
ride to the Feed Zone of stage 13 in
Bagard.
I flew into Charles de Gaulle airport early and spent a few
days checking out Paris. Interesting experience since French
was the only class I took in college Pass/No-Credit at the
insistence of the teacher who said she would pass me if I did.
The group arrived two days later from Australia and I wasn’t
sure if they were really speaking English. I picked up an
Australian slang dictionary which helped tremendously...mate!
So off to Lourdes the group went on their merry way, but not
before several beers. I think the Aussies believe that beer is the
equivalent of an energy drink.
On our way to the Alps we stopped
at another small climb, not on this
year’s Tour but we were in the
neighborhood. Mont Ventoux was
14.2 miles with an average gradient of 7.1%. It is famous
for its moonscape and barren top that you get to after riding
through a heavily wooded area for the first part of the climb. It
was rated as the most difficult climb of the trip.
A funny thing started to happen. Climbing like this day after
day, you got stronger and you learned about yourself and
improved your climbing techniques and abilities. Pushing it
so hard and for so long with no choice but to continue, you
looked at the finer points of your movement. You remember
the scraping the shoe tip, using your quads, and pulling on
the upstroke. You learned how to breathe and relax and while
maintaining the same speed your heart rate came down and
power went up. Trips like this really build up fitness and I can
see why. At the top there are a few buildings selling souvenirs,
jerseys, and the best candy. I got addicted to Nuts in Yogurt,
calories much-needed for a trip like this.
The first day out was a 100 kilometer ride (62
miles). I had to get used to thinking of everything in metric. I was constantly reminded
that the U.S. is one of the few countries still
using the old Imperial system. But at least
we ride on the right side of the road: Aussies
still ride on the left, which can lead to some
strange moments on the road when they are
not paying attention. Our first climb was Col
de Marie-Blanque, 9.4 miles with an average gradient of 7.5%. A bunny hill, I thought;
what is the big deal about climbing the hills of France? So
off we go to the top feeling really good. Our friendly gendarmerie closed the road early so we wait in the cold weather
for the race to come though.
The wait was worth it; the
pros came through and they
were fast, as fast as the U.S.
pros move on the flats. I
was impressed with Ivan
Dominguez at West L.A., but
this was the next level higher.
Mont Ventoux Profile
Still feeling good, we rode 100 km the next day to the
Col du Tourmalet, 12 miles at 7.4% average
grade. What that doesn’t tell you is that there
is some 7% but lots of 8, 9, and 10% sections.
It was tough; I used my 39T up front and had
a 25T on the back. At the hotel I had my 1329T cassette that I swore I was going to put
on for the next day. I kept on saying that the
entire trip but never
got around to it. So
while we wait at the top for the race,
as the day before and everyday, the
caravan comes through. This is the
very commercial side of the Tour in
which the sponsors get pretty girls
and handsome guys to drive vehicles
4
One great thing about this group was the guides. I had the pleasure of meeting and riding with the current director sportif of Davitamon Lotto, Eric Van Lancker. He rode the TDF five times from 1986 to
1991 and was to take the Team to Spain to lead them in the Vuelta this year. Micheal “Willow” Wilson
had a great career in the 80’s and 90’s including 8th in the 1985 Giro D’Italia. Fred Morini was on
Gerolstiner and coming back to the pro peloton after a back injury. Sim Green raced both mountain and
road in France, USA and UK including at the top level of the AG2R Development team
Stage 15 - L’Alp D’Huez
Next was the Alpe d’Huez with all 21 switchbacks, the Woodstocklike atmosphere and the crazy Germans. I did the climb twice, the day
before after a 65 km ride to get to the hill and then the morning of
at 6 a.m. The best part of it is having everyone cheer you on as you
ascend and then watching the pros do the climb as you remember the
same painted sections of asphalt that you did that morning. I watched
at 100 meters from the finish at the edge of the course, less then 5 feet
from the riders as they sprinted toward the finish.
Frank Schleck Stage 15 Winner
Sprinting to the finish on L’Alp D’Huez
George Hincapie
5
David de la Fuente
KOM for Stage 14
Stage 19 - Individual Time Trial
Oscar Pereiro
The time trial was very exciting.
Remember that two days before this
stage Landis bonked and lost the yellow jersey to fall eight minutes behind.
Then in the next stage he held onto a
remarkable break that brought him to
within thirty seconds of regaining the
lead in the GC. Whoever was the leader
of the GC after the time trial would be
the winner of the Tour de France since
the final stage on the Champs-Elysées
is ceremonial and celebratory. By tradition, riders do not compete for the
Yellow Jersey in the final stage.
Carlos Sastre
Yaroslav Popovych
Levi Leipheimer
Floyd Landis
George Hincapie
After milling around the team buses,
watching the riders warm up and marveling at their machines, I watched
them exit the start from 25 feet away.
Then with my group, sitting in a French
café, drinking beers again, we watched
Floyd Landis do the impossible and
regain the yellow jersey.
The Yellow Jersey of the TDF 2006 Floyd Landis
This was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I would
highly recommend it for anyone into cycling. I am already
preparing for my TDF 2007 trip. I would highly recommend
the company Bikestyle Tours (www.bikestyletours.com).
So now an American has taken the yellow jersey for the eighth
year in a row. The French have a much more accepting feeling
towards Landis. It was a shame that the doping scandal had to
happen so close the beginning of the 2006 TDF. It will be even
more interesting as the athletes appear to be not indicted by
the Spanish authorities. It will be great to see Basso, Urlich,
Landis, and Leipheimer fighting again for the yellow jersey.
As a last note as I publish this issue of LaVoix, the question remains as to the postive doping test for Landis. We wait for the B
sample and the lengthy litigation. These incidents are real problems for professional cycling and tarnish the sport of cycling in the
worlds eyes. Hopefully this will finally clean up the sport and bring fairness to the peloton. At the beginning of the TDF 2006 the
suspension of fifty top riders were quickly forgotten. Hopefully this final chapter of this doping scandal will be closed so we can
enjoy the magnificence and splendor of the 2007 Tour de France
6
I really began to experiment with front derailleurs when I began
using 110 double cranks, which are now called compact cranks.
The cranks I used were made by Sugino in the 1980s. To get
modern cranks, I had to order some Stronglights from Europe.
Getting the chain to go from a 34T to 50T chainring took too
long and required lots of pressure on the Ergo lever. The chain
frequently dropped onto the bottom bracket on a downshift. The
shift assist on the Sugino rings was a curved surface just under
the teeth on the inside of the larger ring. I tried many different
front derailleurs. A Shimano 105 and Campy 9 or 10 worked
okay. A Dura Ace 8-speed, and early ‘90s XT worked the best.
That XT was made for a triple with the outer rings being 48/36.
The derailleurs designed for the compact chainrings, (i.e.,
Campy CT, FSA Compact, and IRD Compact) work no better
than the regular issue.
Techno Babble
Paul Kopit (pkopit@att.net)
Front Derailleurs
The front derailleur is an early innovation in
being able to change gears while the bicycle
is moving. This simple device pushes the
chain outward to raise it up to larger or pulls
it in to drop to a smaller cog. Adjustment of
a front derailleur used to be a simple matter. With the advent of wider ranges in the
size of rings, rings with shift assists, indexed
front shifts, softer springs in rear derailleurs,
adjusting a rear derailleur has become much
more difficult. According to Tech Editor Alan
“Uncle Al” Ardizone, “…find the best front derailleur mechanic
in town and pay whatever he or she charges to dial yours in.
I’ve found that a master of the front derailleur is a master of
all. They are rare birds. http://www.roadbikerider.com/UArant.
htm#Heres%20a%20sample,
Grinding the nose of the outer plate of the front derailleur down
a little permitted the derailleur to be closer to the top of the large
chainring. That also positioned the beveled inner plate more
optimally to start lifting the chain to the larger ring. Bending
in the nose of the outer plate a bit helped push the chain down
faster.
The design of the chain ring shift assists, which are now ramps
and pins, can make a significant difference in shifting. I had
2 sets of FSA compact cranks. One was difficult to shift up or
down and the other was perfect. I phoned FSA tech and they
asked me to read some tiny numbers on the inner side of the 50T
rings. They sent me a replacement ring and explained that they
redesigned the ramps on the newer rings. It turns out they had
rings for 9, Campy 10, and now narrower Shimano 10 chains.
That’s supposed to be a secret. Irrespective of the original design
of the shift assists, they have to stay clean and the edges of the
pins need to stay sharp. The 2006 Shimano Ultegra 700 Compact
crank uses a 50T ring. The pin is a hardened, rectangular piece
of metal that is placed a bit lower than the teeth than usual. I
first saw the ring at last year’s Interbike and I am a believer. I
think the Shimano 50T ring costs about $60, or about twice what
comparable, Shimano ring.
Mount the front derailleur without attaching the cable. The outer
plate on the rear derailleur should be 1-3 mm from the teeth
on the large ring. If you get it too close, it may not scrape the
teeth on the stand but will get a bit closer when the cable pulls
it. Sighting from above, the derailleur cage should be parallel to
the big chainring. If not exactly parallel, you should err in having the heel of the cage closer to the rings. Attach the cable with
the derailleur set to the small ring. On a Shimano derailleur, the
cable goes over the small tab in back of the attachment screw
even though it looks like it should go under. Many people do it
wrong. A hint for a Shimano rear derailleur is the cable should
not be pulled too tight upon attachment, otherwise, you won’t
get the trim adjustment. On a Campy system, you can make the
cable tight. Shift to the big ring while the bike is stationary and
on a middle rear cog. The chain should just pop onto the big ring
when you turn the cranks. Adjust the high screw until the chain
goes up and doesn’t override the large ring. Put the bike in the
largest, innermost rear cog and shift to the smaller ring. Adjust
the low screw so that the inner plate of the front derailleur
doesn’t rub the chain. It almost never works the first time and
getting a perfect adjustment probable requires a prayer rug and/
or a psychic. One variable, which I don’t know how to adjust
for, is the seat tube angle. The length of the chainstays has influence. Another variable is the chainline. With the proper bottom
bracket, the distance from the center of the frame to the space
between the 2 rings should be 43.5 mm or 45 mm to the teeth on
the center ring of a triple. That’s easier to write than do because
the tubes are now of larger diameters and shapes so that finding
the exact point isn’t easy. Some pictures:
< http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=75> <http://
www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html#front>
Paul Kopit was the first person awarded the California Triple
Crown 100 Double Club Award for completing 100 CTC doublecentury rides in 2004 and he has already completed 2 rides in
2006 toward the 3 required to make it 15 consecutive years. He
extends an open offer to other VCLG members to help them in
efforts toward endurance rides like CTC doubles.
Important Reminder
for Racers
Dropping of the chain was cured by using a chain deflector.
Even with 53/39, you’ll see that many pros use one because a
blown shift can mean a race lost. I use an N-Gear, Jump Stop.
I understand that a Deda Dog Fang works well too. The older,
plastic, Third Eye can work but its hose-clamp type attachment
scratches the frame. Contrary to what most people believe, the
chain doesn’t drop because the front derailleur inner plate is not
close enough to the smaller ring: it falls off because it doesn’t
drop cleanly off the teeth on the larger ring and the springs in the
rear derailleur are not strong enough to take up the chain quickly
enough. You’ll hear a lot of stuff about front derailleurs being
designed for 14T differences between rings and compact cranks
frequently use 16T difference. If you change the large ring to a
48, you don’t cure the problem.
To ensure accurate Kahala LaGrange
team points totals, please contact USA
Cycling (719 866-4581) to ensure that you
license reads:
USAC Club: Velo Club La Grange
USAC Team: Kahala LaGrange
7
Lessons Learned... and
Confirmed
a report. Please refer to it and use it!!
Susan Gans
2. Wear a helmet. I’m preaching to the choir here (with one
or two exceptions), but it still bears repeating. I’ve never
It was late in the morning on June 22nd. I
been unconscious before, and it’s shocking how easy it was
was out, alone, for a short morning ride on
to lose consciousness. Had I not been wearing a helmet, I’m
a route that I had ridden many times before. sure that I would be dead, in a coma, or sitting in a wheelchair
The last thing I remember is making a right and drooling on myself. But the lesson goes beyond that - - I
hand turn from Westchester Parkway onto
think we have a duty to tell others, even complete strangers
Pershing Drive, heading homewards. The
we encounter on bikes on the road, how important it is to wear
next recollection I have is waking up briefly a helmet. Now, whether I’m driving or riding (I just started
inside an ambulance, speeding towards
riding again, on a borrowed hybrid), I will try to roll up to a
UCLA’s E.R., with a paramedic hovering
bare-headed cyclist at a stop light and say “Please wear a helover me, asking me if I could wiggle my
met - - I wouldn’t be here today if I hadn’t been wearing one
fingers and toes. Then I drifted back into
four weeks ago.” That usually gets their attention. Parents
unconsciousness.
who are out cycling with their kids are usually very receptive.
Even before my accident, I would often say something like
What had happened? Through a string of incredible coincidences, “It’s great your kid is wearing a helmet, but you really should
I was put in touch with Leslie, a young woman who is a member as well.” Also, if I saw a kid whose helmet was adjusted
of L.A. Tri, who lives in the apartment that directly overlooks the improperly (sloping too far back on his head, or with the strap
spot where I had crashed, on Pershing about five blocks north of
much too loose), I’d offer to adjust it, explaining that the helWestchester Parkway. Leslie was home at the time and, while
met wasn’t providing any protection. In every case, the parent
she didn’t actually witness the crash, she had seen me lying in the would thank me. There will be those who tell you to mind
street and later being loaded into the ambulance on a back board. your own business, and perhaps not so politely, but my attiAlthough she didn’t know me, she called a friend in L.A. Tri to
tude towards those people is to let Darwinism take its course.
report that she had just seen someone injured in the exact same
spot as another cyclist she had seen there less than three weeks
3. Before looking behind you, look ahead. Very often, parearlier. Her friend happened to know me, made the connection,
ticularly when preparing to enter a left turn lane, a cyclist will
and put me in touch with Leslie to get more information. It turns turn his head to glance over his left shoulder to check for trafout that the roots of a ficus tree had pushed up the surface of the
fic behind him. No problem with that - - but quickly survey
roadway on the right hand side where cyclists ride, creating a
the roadway ahead of you first, to make sure that you aren’t
fairly substantial bump, and then a crack had developed along the heading into a hazardous condition - - even if it’s a road that
ridge of the bump - - and this was right at the point where a cyclist you have traveled many times.
would be likely to glance over his or her left shoulder to check
for traffic before turning left to head down the hill towards Culver 4. Wear a Road I.D. I have one and wear it religiously when
Blvd. and the Ballona Bridge. I believe that in that split second
I ride, run or hike, but for some reason I had left it at home
when I turned my head to check for traffic behind me, my front
that day. Never again. On that one tiny piece of metal, I
wheel went into the crack, and I catapulted over the handlebars and have inscribed my name, the city I live in (since I do a lot
head and face first into the pavement. I don’t know who called
of out-of-town rides), two emergency contact numbers, my
911. I was alone, but fortunately a good samaritan apparently
internist’s phone number, blood type, the name and dosage
witnessed the crash and called for an ambulance, which arrived
of a medications I must take daily, a reference to my wearing
accompanied by a fire engine, with sirens blaring. I remember
contact lenses, and my insurance policy number. Forget about
none of this.
adding a cute personal motto or slogan, as suggested on the
Road ID website (www.roadid.com) or your home phone numMy injuries: concussion, broken collarbone, six broken ribs,
ber (really useless if you live alone). Instead, cram that baby
head laceration and multiple abrasions on my face and legs. My
with useful information (especially important things like allerproperty losses: helmet (cracked just above my left temple), sun- gies or asthma). I was lucky that by the time I got to UCLA
glasses, saddle, and jersey, undershirt and expensive sports bra
I was coherent enough to provide the staff with some of that
- - all such garments snipped apart by a scissors-wielding E.R. doc. information, but it would have been so much easier if I’d been
Fortunately, my bike somehow survived unscathed (something
wearing my Road I.D. Please get one - - perhaps the best $15
to be said for hand built titanium frames!). My medical bills so
bucks, or whatever it costs, that you’ll ever spend.
far: $9,846.43 (no, that’s not a typo), including one night in the
hospital but no surgery, and bills are still arriving (yes, I do have
5. Carry a cell phone. Not only does having a cell phone
insurance). Prognosis: excellent - - but I was incredibly lucky; my enable you to call 911 if you witness an incident or if you
injuries could easily have been much worse.
yourself are injured and still conscious, but it also provides a
quick and easy way to find the telephone numbers of people
An experience like this makes one ask oneself what lessons can
you need to contact in an emergency. In my case, I simply
one learn from it, and what advice can one pass along to others.
gave the names to the hospital volunteer who was helping in
Hence this article - - my lessons learned - - or confirmed. I’m liv- the ER that day, and she found the numbers for me, dialed,
ing proof that an accident can happen to anyone, anywhere, any
and handed me the phone.
time, so please take heed and don’t learn the way I did.
6. Have health insurance. Even though I had not been work1 If you encounter a serious road hazard, REPORT it!! If the
ing since the beginning of the year, and paying for my own
cyclist who had been injured at the same spot three weeks before health insurance was costing me a fortune, I did not consider
me had only reported the incident and made sure the road was
for a second going without any insurance. That ranks as an
repaired, I probably would not have crashed there. Fortunately, I absolute necessity right after food and a roof over my head.
knew who to contact, returned to the site a few days later to take
Yet, I am surprised to learn that there are club members who
photos, sent them to my contact, and the pavement was fixed
are uninsured. There are fairly low-cost policies available spewithin days. That was my duty as a cyclist. There will soon be a cifically designed to provide coverage for catastrophic events.
page on the club’s website with information about how to file such They won’t cover regular office visits and the like, and the
8
Women’s Racing Update
Amy Hutner (amy.hutner@verizonbusiness.com)
deductibles are high - - but premiums are lower than average
and a LOT lower than your hospital bills will be in the event
of a serious accident which requires hospitalization, or a serious unexpected illness or injury. If you are young and healthy
when you apply for such a policy, the premiums are even
more reasonable. Please, if you are not covered by insurance
through an employer, make sure you have some coverage in
the event of a serious accident or illness. And if you are waiting for new insurance to become effective (e.g., you are going
to be starting a new job that provides benefits), there are inexpensive, short term “bridge” policies available.
KAHALA LAGRANGE WOMEN’S RACE
REPORT
August saw another of our first year CAT
4 women racers upgrading to CAT 3…
Congrats to Abigail Lufkin! This month we
had a presence at virtually all the local crits,
with a number of top 10 finishes (see below).
The entire ¾ team performed impressively at
LaMirada (must be a breeze after WLA), taking home 4th in the Women’s 3s (Carine), and 4th, 6th, 7th and
8th in the CAT4s (Abigail, Rae, Mimi and Jill, respectively).
Carine and Rae also ventured to Wisconsin to experience backto-back 6 days or more of racing at SuperWeek. Both came
back with a ton of experience and fitness, racing with top girls
from around the country. Carine also tackled a few of the CAT
1-3 races there, and placed an impressive 11th place in one of
the crits which have pretty big fields with some of the big players. Abigail toughed it out in her first W1-3 race at the Dash
For Cash and was spotted working hard to help chase down a
break, Jill managed to work so hard at San Marcos that she lost
her cookies at the finish (I personally was impressed), and I
managed to pull off a podium finish at the LA Wings Crit this
past weekend in a breakaway at the LA Wings crit. We all hope
to keep the momentum rolling for a few more races as the season winds down! GOOO GIRLS!!!!
7. Don’t ride alone. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but whenever possible, ride with someone. It’s so much better to have a
friend there if you have an accident than to have to rely, quoting Blanche in “A Streetcar Named Desire” - - “on the kindness of strangers.” Or better yet - - to have someone riding
ahead of you who yells “BUMP” in time to prevent you from
hitting it in the first place.
I sometimes think that this
happened to me so that it
wouldn’t happen again.
The city fixed that pavement immediately following my e-mail. I think that
as experienced riders, we
are responsible not only for
the safety and well-being
of ourselves and the friends
with whom we ride, but
also for the safety and wellbeing of others who are not fortunate enough to have access to
the information and advice that we share with each other on a
daily basis. So go forth and be safe and preach the gospel of
safe cycling!!
JULY WOMEN’S RESULTS:
Ontario, W3/4
Carine Bester, 15th place
La Mirada GP, W3
Carine Bester, 7th place
La Mirada GP, W4
Abigail Lufkin, 4th
place
La Mirada GP, W4
Rae Miller, 6thth place
La Mirada GP, W4
Mimi Sheean, 7th place
La Mirada GP, W4
Jill Pyrko, 8th place
Dash For Cash Crit, W1-3:
Abigail Lufkin, 12th
place
San Marcos Crit, W4:
Jilly Pyrko, 14th place
LA Wings Crit, W1-3:
Amy Hutner, 3rd place
Bentonville Crit (SuperWeek) W1/3: Carine Bester, 11th place
SuperWeek, W3/4 (6 races):
Carine Bester, 9th, 12th,
14th, 18th, 22nd (13th overall)
SuperWeek, W3/4 (6 races):
Rae Miller, 13th, 15th, 20th,
24, 27th, 30thth (26th overall)
Orthopedic Injuries, Disorders and
Diseases Treated in One Location
Our experienced team delivers the latest in diagnostic
services as well as surgical and nonsurgical treatments.
Patients also have access to complete physical and
rehabilitative therapy.
Cheers,
Amy Hutner, LaGrange Women’s Team Captain
Call for a Physician Referral
1-800-CEDARS-1
444 S. San Vicente Blvd, Suite 603 • Los Angeles, CA 90048
www.cedars-sinia.edu/ortho
9
The Dope: What Does it Mean
to be “T/E Positive”?
By Paul Scott
As many of you know, I am an attorney and I work in the UCLA Olympic
Analytical Laboratory. My laboratory
is the only World Anti-Doping Agency
(WADA) www.wada-ama.org accredited
laboratory in the United States. Recent
activity in the club eGroup has indicated
an increased interest in sports anti-doping—why that would be I cannot guess.
What is “T/E”?
“T” and “E” are Testosterone and Epitestosterone, respectively. Testosterone is an anabolic steroid, or perhaps more
properly, “the” anabolic steroid. All other anabolic steroids,
including, among many others, stanozolol and tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), are really just doing what testosterone does.
Testosterone is the one made by your body. Epitestosterone is
an epimer of testosterone. Like testosterone it is produced by
your body. Unlike testosterone it has no known use.
tioned above. Most athletes have been tested many times over
their careers—in some cases many times during a single event.
Additionally, anti-doping authorities have the right to ask an
athlete for additional samples over a period of time following
a high T/E. If an athlete’s T/E is substantially higher than his
established baseline (taken from looking at the levels from his
other tests), this is further evidence of doping.
In addition to this longitudinal analysis, anti-doping has at its
disposal the Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS). This
test provides the strongest evidence of exogenous testosterone
use. In short, pharmaceutical testosterone is synthesized from
plant material. That material has a very specific ratio of carbon
molecule isomers (C12 and C13) and that ratio is different
from the ratio found in testosterone made by the human body.
As a result, by comparing the C12/ C13 ratio of testosterone
metabolites in the athlete urine to those same metabolites in a
positive and negative standard, the use of exogenous testosterone can be confirmed.
In the end, a T/E doping case is established by an unusually
high T/E that is outside the athletes’ established baseline and
often has an IRMS result that indicates an exogenous testosterone source.
What does it mean if someone is “T/E positive”?
Both testosterone and epitestosterone are excreted from the
body in urine. The ratio of T to E in urine is both
•
•
Reasonably stable over the lifetime of any one individual;
and
Over all persons the ratio is limited in range, with the
mean falling very close to 1:1.
These characteristics make the T/E ratio a useful tool for
detecting testosterone use. When a person takes exogenous
testosterone a few things happen, but importantly if testosterone is taken in effective doses testosterone excretion increases,
but epitestosterone excretion does not substantially change. As
a result, if an athlete has a T/E ratio significantly outside that
athlete’s normal T/E baseline or if an athlete has a T/E ratio
significantly outside the range normal to humans, this may be
an indication of exogenous testosterone administration.
What do you mean “may be…”?
Because testosterone is naturally produced by the body—like
other popular performance-enhancing drugs such as erythropoietin (EPO) and human growth hormone (HGH)—you cannot test for it merely by detecting its presence. Stanozolol and
THG, for example, are never found in the human body unless
they are put there. So if urine has any amount of these substances present then drug use is assured.
Testosterone, however, is produced by the body and detecting
its presence is, by itself, meaningless. The T/E analysis, therefore, is quantitative (as opposed to the qualitative analysis for
THG and the like). It must be accepted that while a 1:1 T/E
ratio is the mean, that ratios exceeding the 4:1 threshold may
not be the result of doping. A particular sample’s T/E is just
the first step in establishing a testosterone doping violation.
Once a high T/E has been found, two other pieces of evidence
are often used to establish a doping violation. The first I men-
10
Hill Pedals to Medal
Steve Galluzzo , Sports Editor Palisadian Post
Cyclist Tom Hill enjoyed last year’s L’Etape du Tour so much
that he decided to try it again this year. He logged over 3,000
miles since January in preparation for the grueling 118-mile
race through the French Alps and he needed every bit of that
training to persevere in 104-degree temperature July 10.
LeMond numerous times while growing up in the Bay area in
the 1970s, Hill knows competitive cycling as well as anyone.
He predicted Floyd Landis would win the Tour de France this
year and, sure enough, Landis finished first by 59 seconds in
the second-closest race ever
Reprinted with permission of Tom Hill
“It was a very long day and the hardest race of my life,” said
the 46-year-old Palisadian, who completed the course in eight
hours and seven minutes, good enough for a silver medal in
his age category. “I was so tired afterwards that I could hardly
even talk. I walked to the first aid tent in a daze and spent the
next hour on a stretcher recovering from cramps and dehydration.”
The L’Etape du Tour is an amateur race held on one of two
rest days during the Tour de France. This year’s course was
the exact route the professionals took eight days later in the
15th stage of the Tour de France. Hill completed last year’s
112-mile course through the Pyrenees in seven hours and 31
minutes--also a silver medal time.
A field of 7,548 cyclists from 46 countries entered this year’s
14th annual L’Etape, which continues to increase in popularity
worldwide. Hill was one of 231 American riders. The winner
crossed the finish line in just over six hours. Frank Schleck of
Luxembourg rode the course in 4:52 to win that stage of the
actual Tour de France.
The event proved so challenging this year that 2,071 riders--or
27 percent--did not finish. “I don’t think people realized how
hard this race would be,” Hill confessed. “Afterwards, I spoke
to three guys who compete in Ironman triathlons and they
confirmed that this was harder than any Ironman they’ve ever
competed in. In fact, only one of them completed the race.”
The course this year wound upward through three mountain
passes: the Izoard, the Lautaret and L’Alpe d’ Huez, which
alone consists of 21 switchbacks. In all, Hill and his fellow
riders had to climb 12,500 feet in elevation. Facing severe
headwinds for the first 30 miles, Hill pedaled at an average
speed of 21.3 miles per hour until he reached the base of the
Izoard. By the time he reached that summit, his average speed
had dropped to 15 miles per hour. When he reached the base
of L’Alpe d’Huez, there was no shade in sight and he was
feeling fatigued. During the final climb his speed had slowed
to between five and six miles per hour.
“The cheering crowd helped us get up the first few switchbacks but soon after the 11 percent grade really started taking its toll,” Hill recalled. “It would’ve been a tough climb
even with fresh legs, but we had already ascended two major
passes and ridden over 100 miles. With 10 switchbacks to
go the course looked like a war zone with riders stopped on
either side of the road, many laid out flat on the hot pavement.
Thankfully, the spectators poured ice-cold glacier water over
our heads and that kept us going. I had told my wife Andrea
to expect me to finish between 3 and 4 p.m. and I crossed the
finish line at 3:15.”
Prior to completing the L’Etape last year, Hill had not raced
competitively since 1990 when he won the men’s 28-34 age
group at the World Championships in Austria. Hill lives in the
Alphabet streets and runs a successful wine business from his
office on Via de la Paz.
Having raced against three-time Tour de France winner Greg
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Other Notes
Scott Bleifer Memorial Scholarship
La Grange has established an educational
scholarship program through a recent donation
by Union Bank of California.
Over $2,200 was raised for the Scott Bleifer
Memorial Scholarship from raffle ticket sales.
Rich Holtzman of La Grange won the
Cannondale R1000 bike.
Other La Grange members won two $50 Gift
Cards at Helen’s Cycles and two boxes of
HOOAH! bars.
Some La Grange clothing still available.
Check the website for current inventory
Weekly Rides
Mon Recovery Day, On your own, Zone 1
Tues 6:30 a.m. at San Vicente/26th.
Marina ride: 27miles, Flat/Sprints, Zones 4/5 (Hard).
JV Marina: 24 miles, Flat, Zones 3/4 miles (Moderate).
Wed 6:30 a.m. at San Vicente/26th.
Mandeville ride: 20 miles, Long Hill Repeats, Zones 3/4
(Moderate).
Thurs 6:30 a.m. at San Vicente/26th.
Riviera ride: 25 miles, Short Hill Repeats, Zones 4/5 (Hard).
Fri 6:30 a.m. at San Vicente/26th.
Marina Lite Social Ride: 27 miles, flat, Recovery Zones 1/2
(Easy).
Sat 7 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. at San Vicente/Ocean.
Mulitple rides: North and South (Check email lists)
Sun 8:00 a.m. La Grange/Westwood
Nichols Canyon Ride: 27 miles, Race Simulation, Zones 4/5
(Hard)
Come join the group at PEET’S Coffee (San Vincente) after each ride.
Ride Guidelines
VCLGW expects the following from participants on all rides:
• Helmets MUST be worn at all times.
• Front and rear lights/flashers when dark
• Courtesy to motorists, pedestrians and fellow cyclists.
• Observance of all traffic signals and laws.
• Safe riding at all times.
• Respect of the intended pace of the ride.
• Respect of the guidance of the ride leader and/or senior club
member.
We encourage new members and non-La Grange
friends to participate in the rides. Newbies, just hang in
there in the back and take it at your own pace. Finish
the ride at Peets, introduce yourself and meet the members of the club.
Welcome New Members
Wendy Davis
Greg Finnin
Larson Hahm
Kevin King
Marc Sazer
Craig White
La Voix Editorial Board
Paul Strauss
Susan Stahl
Dave Lieberman
Alan Eskovitz
Scott Fennel
Volunteers wanted to particpate on the
the La Voix Editorial Board
Velo Club La Grange
Velo Club La Grange is one of California’s largest and oldest
cycling clubs with over 400 members nationwide. The club was
founded by Raymond Fouquet in 1969 and fields one of the top
amateur racing teams in the U.S. Past members include a Tour de
France stage winner, an Olympic gold medalist, and several U.S.
National and California state champions.
Along with the Club’s dedication to bicycle racing, the club welcomes new and inexperienced riders with a passion for cycling.
La Grange is very active in the cycling and fitness communities.
Our continuing public policy work with state and local government
has led to major improvements in safety for all users of California
roads. In addition, the Club has partnered with the Association
of Blind Athletes and Meals on Wheels and sponsors an annual
scholarship with the help of the Union Bank of California. La
Grange enjoys the financial support of several corporations committed to promoting healthy and active living including Kahala
Corporation and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
501(c)(3) California Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation 95-4000746
United States Cycling Federation Number 1232
12
taking good care of people and their bikes since 1936
Velo Club LaGrange is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
the sport of cycling.
Please send in submissions by
the 20th of the month. Digital
submissions (Images and
articles) only will be accepted
(lavoix@lagrange.org).
USA Cycling#1232.
LaGrange Correspondence
Velo Club LaGrange
2118 Wilshire Bl, Suite 525
Santa Monica, CA 90025
Attn Duncan Lemmon
santa monica, california
All submissions are subject to
editing and are printed at the
discretion of the editor.
La Voix Mail
Paul Strauss
2160 Century Park East #2108
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Phone: (310) 286-2689
Editor-In-Chief: Paul Strauss
(pstrauss@lagrange.org)
Member Info Update
www.lagrange.org/forms/memupdateform.htm
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