We here at Art’s Cyclery are exited that the Pro Road season is finally underway. There was a lot of deck-shuffling and surprise moves made over the off-season, and the trash-talking has already begun for the new year—it all means more excitement for us, the race fans. Team HTC-Columbia is back to their old tricks—winning races—with Andre Greipel riding to victory in the Tour Down Under. Looking forward, will Tom Boonen become only the second man in history to win Paris-Roubaix four times? Will Levi and Lance dominate the greatest Tour of California yet? Of course the race we’re all looking forward to is in July. This year’s Tour de France could be one of the best we’ve seen in a long time. Cadel Evans’ move to BMC puts him on a team that can provide real support, and he’s got to be hungry for a Tour win. Will Cavendish go all-out for the Green Jersey that so many people think should be his? How about the Schleck Brothers? Are they for real? We’ll find out soon.
Lance. Contador. Who will win… Last years display of dominance by the Spaniard seems to have left little doubt, but Lance seems to have the stronger, more disciplined team, and even though he’s another year older, he’s had another year to train himself back into race shape—just look at all those FRS advertisements. For Contador, the question is whether or not Vinokurov and Pereiro will truly lay themselves on their swords for their leader. If Contador has their unyielding support, he could be untouchable. And those new yellow pedals he’s got might help him out, too.
July is a long way off, however, and there will be a lot of great racing to watch before then. Let Art’s Cyclery get you all kitted-up by visiting one of our Pro Team stores; Liquigas, Quick Step, and of course, HTC-Columbia, so you’ll be ready to go when your favorite race kicks off this 2010. Until then, keep riding.
Luke General, Racing and Races, Road, Uncategorized
Where are the water bottles?Astute observers of this years individual time trial stage might have noticed the lack of water bottles on many of the riders aerodynamic bikes. Are these guys so fit that they don’t need to drink on a 40K stage? No, they’ve just found an easier, faster way to do it. If you looked closely, you may have noticed a little blue tube peeking out from under their jersey collars. That tube is connected to a reservoir that lies flat on the riders back under their skinsuit. The reservoir fits into a moisture-wicking base-layer which also helps keep the rider cool. The whole contraption is made by Camelbak and is known as the Racebak, and you can get it at Art’s Cyclery, right now. The Racebak eliminates the need to place a water bottle on your time trial bike and disrupt the carefully thought-out curves and bulges that help it slice through the wind, and lets you carry more water as well—that’s a win-win if there ever was one!
Helmets of the future! You also might have noticed some of the riders wearing helmets you haven’t seen before. The 2010 Giro ProLight rested on the domes of riders on teams Astana, Garmin-Slipstream, Caisse d’Epargne, and Rabobank during the climbing stages. The ProLight is the lightest certified helmet made, tipping the scales at a mere 200 grams, 25 grams lighter than the next-closest competitor. If you were looking really closely, you probably saw the extra little wedge on the trailing edge of the 2010 Giro Advantage time trial helmets. The wedge decreases wind resistance by filling the gap between the helmet and the riders back, and comes in different thicknesses to match your particular contours. By the way, the Bell helmets worn by Team Saxo-Bank were actually re-branded Giro Advantages. Art’s Cyclery will have both the 2010 Giro Advantage and the Giro ProLight as soon as they are available, if not before. Look for them this Fall.
Luke Gear, Racing and Races, Road
Team Art’s Cyclery does it again. Not only did Tom Boonen win his second of back-to-back Paris-Roubaix’s this year, but teammate Stijn Devolder won his second straight Tour of Flanders as well. O.K. O.K., no one from the store was actually in Europe this April, and no one here has even talked to Tom or Stijn, let alone help pull them to a victory, but you know, we were big on support. Spiritual support that is, just like you, the dedicated cycling fan.
Tom and Stijn claimed their landmark victories while wearing their official Team Quick Step Kit, the same one you can get at the Art’s Quick Step Store. So support your favorite team and get a piece of history with a new Team Quick Step kit from Art’s. 
Don’t forget, you can also purchase official Team Liquigas kits from artscyclery.com, and we are the official on-line distributor of Team Columbia-High Road gear as well.
Luke Racing and Races, Road
Well, Tom Boonen actually did all the hard work, but come on… There’s got to be some credit that goes to Art’s and our Team Quick Step team store, where you can purchase official Team Quick Step gear online. The coincidences seem to be piling up; last week we talked about Team Columbia-High Road’s rise to dominance since artscyclery.com has become the official online distributor of Team Columbia-High Road gear, and after Tom Boonen’s win at the 2009 Paris-Roubaix this weekend, what more proof of the relationship between Art’s, professional cycling teams, and winning do you need? Check out our Team Stores, where you can order official team kits from Team Liquigas, Team Columbia-High Road, and Team Quick Step, plus outfit your bike with all the components that your favorite pro team uses.
If you are short on motivation to get on your bike and hammer, look no further than Boonen’s dominant ride through the Arenberg forest, over the cobbles, and power lap around the Roubaix Velodrome, and what better way is there to get into Tom’s frame of mind than by getting into his clothes. OK, poor choice of words, but go ahead and order up some nice, fresh kit and get out and ride. Even if you can’t put in 161 miles in 6 hours, you’ll still look like you can.
Luke Racing and Races, Road Columbia-High Road, Liquigas, Paris-Roubaix, Quick Step, team store