Ahwatukee Foothills Cyclist Killed in Tragic Accident

The Arizona Republic reports that 50-year-old Gerald Hickman of Ahwatukee Foothills died this past Saturday morning when he rode his bicycle into a utility truck that was parked on the side of the road. Mr. Hickman was riding with two friends, who safely rode around the parked vehicle on Fifth Avenue north of Chandler Boulevard. Mr. Hickman apparently did not see that truck and rode into it. Mr. Hickman was a well-known Phoenix attorney and an avid cyclist.

Update on Tour de Tucson Crash

The Pima County Attorney's Office has indicted 91-year-old William Arthur Wilson in the hit-and-run accident that has left Gary Stuebe in a Phoenix hospital with a serious brain injury. An extensive article on this subject will be sent out with this Wednesday's edition of Arizona Road Cyclist News. If you are not a subscriber, visit www.azroadcyclist.com for your free subscription.

Christmas and New Year's Day Ride

The Wheezers and Geezers will be riding Christmas and New Year's Days at 8:30 a.m. from the traffic circle at Northern and Invergordon in Paradise Valley. Anyone with good group-riding skills is welcome to join us. Ride at your own risk.

Alternate Saturday Ride Start Time

Although the start time for the main Geezers ride remains at 7:30 a.m., on Saturdays a second, smaller group of Extreme Geezers has formed that starts at 8:30 a.m. and rides at a somewhat slower pace. The second start time is for riders who want to sleep in an hour longer on Saturday, who want to start at an hour when the temperature starts to warm up, or who want to be able to ride to the starting place in the daylight without using lights. Both groups start from the traffic circle at Invergordon and Northern in Paradise Valley. -- Jack Quinn

Update on Tour de Tucson Crash

The man who crashed into a group of cyclists on the Tour de Tucson has turned himself in through his attorney, Michael Bloom. The man is not in custody, but the police have impounded his car.
The worst injured victim on the crash, Gary Stuebe, is fighting for his life in a Phoenix hospital. He has had brain surgery, has been placed on a respirator, and at last report was in a medically-induced coma. The Gary Stuebe Medical Fund has been set up help with Gary’s mounting medical bills.

More details on the story can be found on the Arizona Road Cyclist News Website: http://www.azroadcyclist.com/news/news.htm

Crashes Mar Tour de Tucson

Several crashes including a bad hit-and-run accident marred last Saturday's Tour de Tucson. To read the complete article:

http://www.azroadcyclist.com/news/news.htm

Turkey Day Ride

The ride up South Mountain on Thanksgiving Day will start at AJ's near Central and Camelback at 6:30 a.m. There is less publicity about it this year in order to keep the group from becoming too large. Riders are expected to carry a small stone in their jersey pocket and leave it on the mountain in an attempt to reverse erosion. There may also be a small donation requested for hot chocolate and donuts.

The Arizona Bicycle Club will be riding for sure on Thanksgiving, starting from Granada Park at 20th Street and Maryland at 7:30 a.m. The Club rides in five different speed groups. Contrary to the usual practice, there is no official breakfast destination for this ride, but the Swifties/Pacers I group will probably find a place for coffee and perhaps a bite to eat. -- Jack Quinn

Jerseys a go?

I would say that the jerseys are a go. We received a total of 25 responses to the question of whether people would buy a Geezer jersey. One of the responses was for two people, so that represents 26 jerseys.

Hollis Philips is the head jersey Geezer. Errr... I mean he is the one who has agreed to get this jersey program going, and he is encouraged by the response. I'll let you know more when I learn more. -- Jack Quinn

Geezer Jersey

Some of the Geezers have expressed interest in a Geezer jersey. Custom club jerseys usually cost from $65 to $85 each in quantity, but the cost could be lower if sponsors were found, whose logos would also appear on the jersey. So far, no one has stepped up to take charge of the project, which in my esitmation would involve determining how many people might find a jersey, contacting potential sponsors, designing the jersey (not that difficult with the online design tools that some custom jersey suppliers offer), ordering the jersey, and selling it to riders. Personally, I think it's a good idea, but I'm not sure that we can find someone willing to take on the work involved.

If you have any ideas, please most them to the comments section below this blog entry. -- Jack Quinn

Pork barrel benefits for bicycle commuters

Among the unrelated expendatures added to the $700-billion bailout package are some pork barrel benefits for bicycle commuters. Below is the link to the article in the Arizona Republic about how to get paid for riding your bike to work. Some refer to it as the "bike bailout". :) -- Jack Quinn

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/10/10/20081010bikebailout1010.html

Update on Bob Campbell's conditon.

Monday, October 5, 2008 -- I just received the following word from Lou Morgen on Bob Campbell's condition. -- JQ

Bob Campbell is undergoing surgery on Tues to remove blood from his lung which was pierced by a fractured rib, in addition to breaking his collarbone.He is in considerable pain but spirits high. He had me call the Bike Haus to let Kale know he would be responsible for any damage on the Specialized he was trying out on Sat. He is at Scottsdale Osborn in ICU for the procedure & will be there for several days. I plan on waiting until Wed to visit, but anyone whom would like to check in with Bob after Tues, should. Lou

Crash and new photos on Website

For those of you who were not on last Saturday’s ride, there was good news and bad news. The bad news is that riders Bob Campbell and Carl Bond crashed when Bob hit a temporary traffic sign that was out in the bike lane. The front of the pack moved to the left to avoid the signs and pointed out the obstacle, but apparently farther back in the pack the communication was lost and people did not realize the danger. Bob and Carl were riding at the back. At the last report I had, Carl had been treated and released from the hospital with a broken collar bone and Bob was kept overnight for observation after suffering a concussion.

The good news is that three members of the pro cycling team that VeloVie sponsors were in town for the Tour de Scottsdale, and they joined us for the Saturday ride. Photos of the ride, courtesy of Ueli Zaugg, are on the Geezer’s Website in the Photo Gallery section.

http://www.mlr.biz/geezers/photo_gallery/photo_gallery.htm

Ueli writes that Michael Stevenson from Sweden was the fastest rider in the Tour, smashing the old record time by 12 minutes and averaging 30 miles per hour. Yuriy Metlushenko from Ukraine was 3rd, and Phil Cortes from Canada placed fifth. The pros were real gentlemen on the Geezer ride, however, and rode at our old folks’ pace.

J.Q

Schuhmacher tests positive

I read in the German online press today that Germany’s Stefan Schumacher (Team Gerosteiner) tested positive for a blood sample from the Tour de France. Many of you may remember that he was in the Yellow Jersey for two days after winning an early time trial.
J.Q.

Weekend Ride Time Change

Beginning next weekend, both the Saturday Geezer rides and the Arizona Bicycle Club Sunday breakfast ride from Grenada Park (20th Street and Maryland) change to their winter schedule and will start at 7:30 a.m. However, the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday rides will remain at 6:30 a.m. for the time being.

A group of riders has successfully restarted the regular Geezer ride from the Camelback Inn of Saturday morning. This should enable the Extreme Geezers, who meet at the traffic circle at Invergordon and Northern, to resume their more moderate pace. What follows are some words on that subject by our esteemed leader, Jerry Bell. – Jack Quinn

REMINDER: Both rides [Geezers and Extreme Geezers] start at 7:30 effective next Saturday.

I’m guessing that the Extreme Geezer group will be backing off to a more moderate Fall/Winter pace of 17 – 21mph out bound. The Camelback Geezer group will no doubt continue to ride at a faster pace. Perhaps they can catch the extremes on the climb up Via Linda.

If the 17-21 mph pace is too slow for some, I recommend rejoining the Geezers at Camelback.

jb

Combining Geezer and Extreme Geezer Rides?

The following message is from Jerry Bell:

Jack,
Please send out an invitation for the Camelback Geezers to meet and start with us at the traffic circle. Maybe we can renew the group as whole or meet together and roll out in two packs. Kb

The traffic circle in question is the one at Northern and Invergordon in Paradise Valley. Of course, the original intention of the Extreme Geezers group was to have a slower, more-relaxed ride without dropping people, but lately, most of the Geezers have moved over to the Extreme Geezers ride, and the pace has picked up. The result has been that many of the original Extreme Geezers get dropped from what was originally their ride. I don’t know how to maintain a separate, less-competitive ride for those who want it, but maybe some of you have some ideas. Click on the word COMMENTS below this blog entry to leave your suggestions and read those of others. Despite what the COMMENT page implies, you do not have to create a Google identity to leave your comment.

New Channel for Bicycle Racing

There is a new television channel, Universal Sports, a part of NBC I believe, that specializes in Olympic sports including bicycle racing. As far as I know, the channel does not yet have an outlet in Phoenix, but you can view videos and live coverage on the Website, http://www.universalsports.com/. You don’t have to register to view videos while the site is in beta. I tried to watch a live broadcast of the Tour of Germany recently, and it never came on. However, I did watch one of the archived videos of a Tour of Germany stage. If you don’t mind watching video in a small box on your computer screen, there seem to be video archives on the site of all recent and current important bicycle races.

For those who speak Spanish and have subscribed to a Spanish-language package from a cable or satellite provider, TV Española Internacional (TVEI) is broadcasting some stages of the Vuelta a España. One of the sportscasters is former pro racer Pedro Delgado. Versus is scheduled to broadcast one of their superficial condensations of the Vuelta on October 11th and the Tour of Missouri on September 28th.

By the way, I saw an interview with Astana Team honcho Johann Bruyneel, who speaks excellent Spanish. He said he wouldn’t dream of letting Lance Armstrong ride with any team but Astana, especially since Armstrong wants to ride without being paid. 

Geezer Ride Time Changes

Saturday, August 16, 2008 -- Jerry Bell has given the word! It’s getting light later in the morning, and the heat is not longer quite as extreme as it was in July. Consequentially, the various Geezer rides will start at 6:30 a.m. beginning with the on August 23. For those of you who participate in the Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday rides, they will continue to start at 6 a.m. this week and will change to 6:30 a.m. next week. Once again, the time change for all rides begins on Saturday, August 23. – Jack Quinn

The Fall of the Geezers and the Rise of the Extreme Geezers?

Friday, August 15, 2008 – On Saturday mornings, more and more riders are abandoning the Geezer ride, which starts and the Camelback Inn, and riding instead with the Extreme Geezers, who begin their ride at the roundabout at Northern and Invergordon. The Extreme Geezers’ ride was started for people couldn’t or didn’t want to ride fast. The idea was to give the slower Extreme Geezers’ a head start. The Geezers used to catch the Extremists on Mountain View before the climb up to Hidden Hills.

Since more and more faster riders have started riding with the Extreme Geezers, the pace of this ride has picked up, and the regular Geezers’ Ride has been reduced to a handful of riders. The net effect has been a takeover of the Extreme Geezers ride by faster cyclists, which leaves the original Extreme Geezers gasping for breath and off the back. Those who would prefer to start at the Camelback Inn with the regular Geezers find that there are fewer riders meeting there, so they move over to the Extreme Geezers, and the process snowballs.

I admit to being one of the guilty parties who is riding with the Extreme Geezers. I started riding with them last fall with the idea of riding more slowly during the winter. In spring, I had planned to move back to the regular Geezers’ ride, but somehow inertia took over, and I never made the move. I will move back to the Geezers if enough riders will join me.

Is there a different solution to this problem? Is there a way to reestablish the slower Extreme Geezers’ Ride? Suggestions are welcome. Please click on the word COMMENTS below this blog entry and give us your ideas, or communicate your suggestions to Jerry Bell. Thanks in advance. – Jack Quinn

Look Keo Peddal Recal

Richard Fisher, noting that many Geezers ride Look Keo pedals, suggested that we send out this information from the RoadBikeRider.com newsletter about a recall. We wouldn’t want any of our riders to fall on their noses due to a breaking axle, especially any riders in front of me in the paceline. There is a link below to the recall Website. As a bonus, there is also a link below to the newsletter, which in turn links to NBC’s schedule of its broadcasts of cycling events at the Olympics. – Jack Quinn

Click http://www.roadbikerider.com/currentissue.htm to read the full and enhanced version of this newsletter.
______________________________________

In This Issue

1. Weekly Dispatch: Breathing in Beijing; Electric Dura-Ace
2. Cycling Shorts: Keo Pedal Recall
3. Scott's Spin: Big Help
4. Classifieds (2 new)
5. Best of Coach Fred: How Should Older Riders Train?
6. Racing Roundup: "Green Bullet" Gunning for Gold
7. Uncle Al: The Lowdown on Gearing Down
8. Try This on Your Next Ride: Rev Up for Fall Rides
9. RBR eBookstore: HOT LIST: August's Bestsellers


---Product recall: Keo pedals. Look Cycle USA is recalling 40,000 pairs of Keo pedals following reports of breaking axles. Fourteen incidents have come to light, resulting in various injuries to riders. All recalled pedals are black and include the Keo Classic, Keo Sprint, Keo HM and Keo Carbon. The model name is printed in white on the side of the pedal. Date codes between January 2004 and December 2005 are included in this recall. These French-made pedals were sold at U.S. bike shops from January 2004 through July 2007 for between $100 and $500. If you have recalled pedals, stop riding them and return them to the place of purchase, or contact Look Cycle USA at http://www.lookcycle-usa.com/keoupgrade/index.html to arrange for free repair or replacement. The website shows where to find date codes to determine if pedals are part of the recall.

Thompson Peak instead of Hidden Hills?

July 31, 2008 -- Jerry Bell and I recently received the following E-mail from Pat Ventura.

Jack and Jerry,

I suggest that we change the route of the Geezer and Extreme Geezer Rides to incorporate the Thompson Peak loop and the Taliesin loop and skip the problem area of Scottsdale near the Hidden Hills. Why should we expose ourselves needlessly to tickets when we can simply avoid that section of Via Linda and replace it with a darned good alternate route?

Pat

In a second E-mail Pat added:

I remember when we started the Geezer ride there was almost no bicycles at the end of Via Linda. At that time the “Hidden Hills” subdivision didn’t even exist. It is so different now, and the residents complain so much that we will definitely get tickets if we keep going there. Since Bell/Thompson Peak/Taliesin seems like an OK alternative, I hope we can make it happen. I really don’t need any bike tickets counting against my insurance and auto record.

I haven’t had a chance to discuss this with our esteemed leader, the right honorable Jerry Bell, but I think changing the route to Thompson Peak, at least for the time being, is a good idea. The distance freaks can always risk the wrath of the SUV-hugging Scottsdale upper crust and also add Hidden Hills to the ride, as we have often done in the past.

You can comment on this to Jerry (and me) by responding to this E-mail, or better yet, you can post your thoughts on the Geezer blog where all can read them.

Jack Quinn

Crackdown on Cyclists in Northeast Scottsdale

Monday, July 21, 2008 – Last Saturday, July 19, several members of the Geezers and Tribe cycling groups were pulled over by a Scottsdale police officer and lectured about an upcoming crackdown on cyclists. I was not part of the group, but I was told that the police officer said he would be writing tickets in the future for running stop signs, riding more than two abreast, and speeding. The crackdown is supposedly a result of area resident complaints. My guess is that most of the enforcement will be concentrated on Via Linda between the gate to Hidden Hills and 124^th Street.

Of the three supposed infractions, the one most likely to result in a ticket that will hold up in court is running a stop sign. I think we all know that the law technically requires us to come to a complete stop at all stop signs. It is not necessary to put a foot down, however. If you are able to come to a complete halt and do a track stand long enough to look both ways and make sure that it is safe to proceed, you have complied with the law. As a practical matter, cyclists riding alone who almost come to a complete halt are unlikely to be ticketed, even though they have technically violated the law. Please remember, however, that cyclists riding in groups tend to anger not only residents but also some police officers. If you are riding with a group and some members of the group run the stop sign, you would be well advised to make a complete stop, even if it means getting dropped, so as to have a defense if the group is pulled over and ticketed. Groups are more likely to be pulled over and held to the highest standards than are individual riders.

I have heard cyclists debate whether or not traffic tickets issued to cyclists count against their driving records and thereby affect their car-insurance rates. I don’t know the legal answer to that question, but one cyclist who was ticketed for running a stop sign on Via Linda says that the magistrate who decided his case did count points against his driver’s license.

Many police officers believe that there is a law that states that cyclists are supposed to ride as close to the right side of the road as possible. That’s incorrect. However, it is true that cyclists may not ride more than two abreast unless they are riding “on paths or parts of roadway set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.” If you’re riding more than two abreast and a police officer tickets you, you may have a hard time fighting that ticket in court.

Arizona Revised Statute (ARS) paragraph 28-815 states: “A person riding a bicycle on a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway….” First, the law says that cyclists must ride “as close as practicable” to the right side of the road. The difference between the meaning of the words “possible” and “practicable” means that there is a lot of room for interpretation. Some experts in bicycle law feel that three feet from the curb or five feet from parked cars (because of the danger of someone suddenly opening a door) is a reasonable and practicable distance. Secondly, it implies that if you are riding at the speed of traffic or if there is no traffic present, you are not required to ride to the right. A police officer has no legal right to yell at you to get over to the right if there is no traffic behind you.

There are also four exceptions to the “as far to the right as practicable” rule:

1. If overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
2. If preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
3. If reasonably necessary to avoid conditions, including fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals or surface hazards.
4. If the lane in which the person is operating the bicycle is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.

Exceptions 1 and 4 should be especially noted. It’s OK to move out from the right side of the lane to pass another bicycle, and it’s also OK to move out from the right if the lane is too narrow for a cyclist to safely share with a car (as is the case on the four-lane sections of Doubletree, Via Linda, and Mountain View). I don’t believe that a police officer could write a ticket that would hold up in court if we take over the entire right lane on either of these two streets, as long as we’re not riding more than two abreast.

However, on the sections of Doubletree, Mountain View, and Via Linda where there is a marked bicycle lane, cyclists are highly advised to ride in the bike lane; otherwise, the three-foot law doesn’t apply. According to ARS 28-735, motorists are required to give bicycles at least three feet of clearance when passing. If they don’t and a collision results the motorist is subject to a fine unless there is a bicycle lane present and the cyclist isn’t using it.

As to speeding, it is my understanding that the 20 mph speed limit inside the gates at Hidden Hills is not legally enforceable, as this is a private road. Nevertheless, if cyclists would descend inside the gates at a speed somewhere in the vicinity of 20 mph, that might lessen resident hostility towards us. Below the gates, if my memory serves me, the speed limit is 30 mph on the two-lane section of Via Linda and 40 mph on the four-lane section. I’m sure that some of us exceed the 30 mph speed limit, although not by as much as most motor vehicles. You have to crank a 53x11 pretty hard to exceed the 40 mph speed limit farther down the hill except for the short, steeper stretch just after crossing the freeway. (I believe my record is 39.7 mph.)

An annotated copy of the ARS as they apply to bicycles can be found on the Web at:

http://azbikelaw.org/excerpts.html

The main page, http://azbikelaw.org, has many links to pages about the legal issues that affect cyclists.

The Arizona State Legislature Web page of the ARS that apply to transportation can be found at:

http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ArizonaRevisedStatutes.asp?Title=28

A good tutorial on bike riding in traffic can be found on an ADOT Website. Much of the information is basic, but there's probably something in there for even most traffic-wise cyclists. The URL is:

http://www.azbikeped.org/azbss.htm

Jack Quinn

Speed Controls for Cyclists at Hidden Hills

July 11, 2008 The Scottsdale City Council voted Tuesday to give $70,000 to the Hidden Hills Homeowners’ Association (HOA) for the construction of speed-control devices. The HOA claims that after an initial period of riding slowly, some cyclists are still speeding down the hill. I can testify from personal observation that some of the cyclists bombing down the hill at full speed are Geezers.

Here’s a link to an article in the Arizona Republic Web site.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/07/09/20080709sr-hiddenhills0710-ON.html

Jack Quinn

Another ride time change

June 21 2008 -- Starting next Saturday, the Geezer and Extreme Geezer rides will also start at 6 a.m. due to the extreme heat. The Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday rides have already switched to this earlier time. -- Jack Quinn

Ride time chages

Due to the extreme heat, the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday ride start times temporarily change to 6 a.m. effective June 19, 2008.

Tuesday/Thursday ride change

The Tuesday and Thursday ride, which had been starting at 7:30 a.m., will now start at 6:30 a.m. For more information on this and other Geezer rides, see the Geezer Website at www.mlr.biz/geezers. -- Jack Quinn

Ride time changes

As of April 1st, 2008, the following rides will all start at 6:30 a.m.
The Geezer Ride
The Wednesday Wheelsucker Ride
The ABC Breakfast Ride from Grenada Park.
For more information on these rides, see the "Local Rides" page on the Geezers' Website:

http://www.mlr.biz/geezers/rides/calendar.htm

Jack Quinn

Message from George Kovalick

The following message is from George Kovalick. I won't put his contact info here to keep him from getting spam, but you can get it from me if you are interested in contacting him. -- Jack Quinn

I am not sure you would remember me. I have joined the "geezers" rides almost a year ago and enjoyed it immensely. Met a bunch of interesting guys.

At the time I lived in Carefree.

However, in November of last year my wife and I started making preparations for a long planned move to France (including the 3 cats and 6 bikes) and I had been unable to join the geezers on any rides since then.

We moved in the first week of February to a little village 60 miles south of Paris (Rogny Les Sept Ecluses - ) where we purchased an exciting business venture - a luxury hotel barge cruising the Upper Loire Canal de Briare (www.MeandererFrenchCanalCruises.com).

It took a little while to get settled in our new home (we sold our hose in Carefree, but kept a condo at Gainey Ranch, since we intend to spend 3 months every year in Scottsdale) as well as the weather to turn from dreary to pleasant, but now the bikes have been reassembled and I have been enjoying discovering the fantastic rides on high quality small roads crisscrossing this great area and enjoying the respect and courtesies of French drivers.

Our barge venture bookings historically slow down in July and August and I was entertaining the idea of having interested Geezers to come and join me in France for a few days of exciting group rides through the area. I will know the area very well by then and would be delighted to serve as a guide and advisor.

For me it's strictly a hobby and there is no "business" concept involved in this idea.

Please feel free to pass this along to the geezers members in any format you feel would be appropriate on the website or your blog.

Warm regards to all and safe riding.

George

Parking at the Camelback Inn

Jack and the Geezers,
After last Saturdays ride (3-15-08) I had returned to my car and found a “Parking Violation” notice on my windshield. There was a notation that this will be reported to P.V.P.D. This is the third notice that has been left on my car. I had moved the location of where I have been parking so I wouldn’t be bothering the Marriott Camelback Inn. After receiving this recent notice I went straight to the resort lobby, wearing cycling clothes, to speak to a manager. I was very polite and spoke to a young woman that called Eric, the manager on duty. After the situation was explained to Eric he started to tell me that the resort couldn’t be liable for non guests to be on the premises and that they had to tighten security due to vandalism. I rebutted the conversation saying that the Marriott and the cyclists are both part of the local community. I explained to him that our group is made up of many local professionals that have always thought highly of there facility. That it was very well run, had courteous employees and that we valued their hospitality to let us meet in their parking lot. Eric then mentioned that his maintenance crew had found the restrooms at the tennis courts had been left in poor condition and that they had suspected that the cyclists had left it in that condition. I explained to him that we have good communication within our group and that I would pass on the information insuring that we would leave there facility in good condition. At the end of our conversation Eric had decided to discuss the situation with his supervisor and return a phone call to me in the afternoon. Eric did call me as promised and they decided to continue to allow us to meet and park at there facility. He said that it will be OK to meet at the tennis court as we have been and that the construction is completed in the south lot as well. Eric also had asked if it was OK with me if they kept my name and phone number as a contact if there were any further issues. I agreed. So hopefully no more “Parking Violations”.
So I feel that this is another step in the right direction with cyclists and the local community getting along. I hope that everyone will pass the word to try to leave the restrooms and grounds clean after there use. A good reputation can be a valuable asset to a resort such as the Camelback Inn. In the future we can pass on the information that the resort is friendly and well run to any visitors to the valley.

Ride safe, sincerely,
Mark Snell (Scott CR1)

2007 Tour de France winners banned from 2008 race

The Amaury Sports Organization (ASO) has banned Team Astana from participating in any of the races that it organizes during all of 2008. These races include Paris-Nice, Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Tours, and most importantly, the Tour de France. The first- and third-place finishers in the 2007 Tour are thus barred from defending their titles in the 2008 even.
After the Discovery Channel Team was dissolved at the end of the 2007 season, Tour winner Alberto Contador and third-place finisher Levi Leipheimer were forced to find a new team. Both of them signed with Astana, a team which experienced major doping scandals in 2007 but which promised to ride clean in 2008. Later, ASO decided to ban Astana from all of its 2008 races, thereby barring these two riders from from competing in the Tour.
Supporters of both riders have set up Web sites to permit cycling fans from around the world to petition the ASO to let these two riders participate in the 2008 Tour. The Web site set up for Leipheimer is www.letleviride.com/. Contador's site in four languages is www.contadoraltour.com/. The English version isn't quite grammatical, but let's overlook that and support the initiative. After all, this site isn't always a literary masterpiece, either. :) -- Jack Quinn