Archive for March 23rd, 2007
Friday, March 23rd, 2007
The 297km (184 miles) race, known to the Italian fans as ‘La Primavera’, starts in the industrial city of Milan, proceeds directly south to the Mediterranean coast city of Voltri, and then follows along the shore to the city of San Remo. With the exception of the Passo del Turchino, a 20km climb that reaches a height of 532 meters above sea level, the race is mostly a parade until the peloton reaches Voltri with 142km left in the race.
It’s at that point that the television broadcast begins and the speed of the race increases dramatically. If the peloton is not already together at this point the increase in speed means that any breakaway riders are soon caught. It then becomes a drag race as the peloton screams along the Mediterranean coastal roads at speeds above 30mph. There are five climbs towards the back end of the race, but only two of these climbs are severe enough to affect the outcome of the race: the Cipressa and then the twisting, hairpin climb of the Poggio where any riders off the front will throw caution to the wind and drop like stones down to the flat run in to the finish along the Via Roma.
Bunch sprints are not uncommon in Milan-San Remo. Historically any individual or group of riders hoping to stay clear of the hard charging peloton will need to have at least 8 seconds gap in front of the peloton at the summit of the Poggio in order to stay clear to the finish. Sometimes even that is not enough. Italian Moreno Argentin was taught this lesson by Irishman Sean Kelly when Kelly used a kamikaze descent of the Poggio to catch Argentin and then beat him at the finish line in the 1992 race.
The 2007 Milan-San Remo takes place tomorrow. I am picking Rabobank rider Oscar Freire for the win.
Posted by Smithers at 11:05 pm in Pro Cycling | Permalink | No Comments »
Friday, March 23rd, 2007
Ed’s Seafood Shed
Originally uploaded by smithersmpls.
The very best seafood on the Gulf Coast. Mobile Alabama on the causeway. Don’t miss it.
(sent wireless via Treo 650)
Posted by Smithers at 7:59 pm in Mobile Post | Permalink | No Comments »
Friday, March 23rd, 2007
Baby Smithers
Originally uploaded by smithersmpls.
No fear of the water makes for a lot of work on the part of mom and dad. If it was up to him he would charge right in over his head.
(sent wireless via Treo 650)
Posted by Smithers at 3:53 pm in Mobile Post | Permalink | No Comments »
Friday, March 23rd, 2007
Here I am
Originally uploaded by smithersmpls.
The beach at Gulf Shores Alabama.
Very pleasent.
(sent wireless via Treo 650)
Posted by Smithers at 2:52 pm in Mobile Post | Permalink | No Comments »
Friday, March 23rd, 2007
Are these kids in the sweet 16 tournament really going to graduate with a meaningful college degree that’s worth anything in the job market?
Instead of trying to force these “student athletes” into studying and playing at the same time, why not give them two years of eligibility to play with no required scholastic work at all. Then, after two years of play, they are no longer eligible to play but they can get on a fully funded 4 year degree program with no distraction. Or, if they are good enough, they can just go play for the NBA. Or they can walk away entirely.
The school gets their big basketball show, the kid gets their chance to make the big time while still having the opportunity to get a meaningful college degree without the distraction of training and playing while trying to study, and the NBA keeps it’s farm team system.
Tell me why this would not work.
Posted by Smithers at 10:44 am in Miscellaneous | Permalink | No Comments »
Friday, March 23rd, 2007
Look, I ain’t no scientist. So I am the last one that you will see standing out on the street corner preaching that the warming Earth (which it most certainly is) is definitely caused by human behavior. I don’t know, but it is a concern and I think it should be seriously studied. Those who speak with certainty that it is not happening are in denial of reality. The Earth is warming, period. Are we the cause of it? I don’t know, so let’s find out. Those who flat out dismiss the calls to study this issue do so for no other reason than the fact that they have a personal problem with those they refer to as “global warming alarmists”. Pointing to a few cold days here and there as proof that the planet is not warming is idiocy.
Additionally, it seems to me that the those who lead the charge of the “pro-global warming” debate are also the ones who would fight tooth and nail to prevent this country from reconsidering its stance on nuclear power. France, Belgium and Germany are but a few countries that have proven that a safe and successful power grid can be run on nuclear fuel. You can’t have it both ways unless you want us all to move out into the forest and live in tents. I say we stop burning fossil fuels for energy in this country and convert to nuclear fuel while at the same time going on a crash course to develop controllable fusion power.
If the cries of “global warming” do anything maybe they will cause us in this country to reduce the overall amount of fossil fuels that are consumed, and required, world wide from such trouble spots as the Middle East. It would go a long way to solving the problem of Islamic terrorism for the west if we were able to just unplug from that part of the world. They want us out, so let’s get out. Take away their money, take away their power.
Posted by Smithers at 7:53 am in Politics | Permalink | No Comments »
