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Island Lake Lodge – the Grand-Daddy of Cat Skiing

gordys — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:44:49 -0800

Sometimes you get what you get, and upon passing through Mt. Fernie Provincial Park we weren't sure what we had. With a few parked cars and no sign of an Island Lake Lodge infrastructure, the remote snow-lot didn't build a lot of one's confidence. As we staged our gear for the 5pm pickup, two state-of-the-art 12 passenger ILL Snowcats emerged out of the forest; presenting the first sign that our intended adventure was really going to happen. As my long-time ski buddies, Eric and Marilyn, and I piled our overnight ski gear into the front loader box of Cat 2, extreme skiing pioneer Scot Schmidt jumps out of the adjacent machine. Apparently Scot had just finished a stint with clients under his business venture 'Going with a Pro'. In the mid-nineties Schmidt and snowboarding legend Craig Kelly had partnered with some 28 Island Lake investors to secure the Lodge's longevity and its unique mountain experience. Helping to define its destiny, Schmidt's return to the Lodge before our eyes foreshadowed that something special was about to happen.

Jumping into the cab with our cat driver, Russ, I hear the local's perspective as we make our 10k approach to the Lodge. Unlike most cat skiing operations, Island Lake is close to the town of Fernie and logistically compelling as it sits in the next valley over from the Fernie Alpine Resort. For those workers and guides that are tenacious enough to secure a position, it means a near normal life for a typically vagabond career. After adventuring all day in the backcountry, workers head down to Fernie for townie living, and then return at 7am the next morning to begin their shift. With staff tenure typically cresting 6 years, experience and quality go hand in hand – defining job and lifestyle security.

Skiing Fernie, The Friendliest Place on Earth

gordys — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:52:38 -0800

Riding the I-90 jet stream out of Seattle, Eric and Marilyn set their GPS for little known Fernie, B.C., compelled to go there by rumors of unchallenged powder stashes and abundant adventure alternatives. Nine visually entertaining hours later we land in the darkness of the Alpine Resort under heavy overcast skies; unable to make out much of anything except that we had arrived.

Skiing Fernie, The Friendliest Place on Earth

Gordy Skoog — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:33:49 -0800

Deer Valley, The Gold Standard in Skiing

Andrew McLean — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:55:55 -0800

Since its first days, Deer Valley has been synonymous with the finest of everything resort skiing has to offer. From gold-plated faucets in the restrooms to pristine grooming on the slopes, it is almost impossible to come away from a day of skiing there without a gleaming Ultrabright smile on your face. Even among skiers who have traveled the world looking for the most gnarly off-piste terrain on the planet, Deer Valley gets enthusiastic high marks for being such a unique, high quality experience. When there is deep powder to be had, the high speed lifts and lack of crowds guarantee you will get all you can eat. If it hasn’t snowed for a while, get ready to dig into the daily house-special: miles of velvety corduroy grooming.

Deer Valley has always been known as one of the most expensive resorts in the U.S., but that’s changing. This hasn’t occurred because they have lowered their prices, but because many other resorts have raised their ticket prices to the point that Deer Valley, at $86 for a full-day pass, is in line or less than resorts like Vail ($98), Park City ($86) or Sun Valley ($82). A major difference with Deer Valley is that once you are there and have a ticket, everything from parking to assistance carrying your skis (important if you have kids), to mountain tours is included so you are not constantly pulling out your wallet to pay for incidentals.

Skiing Utah's Park City

Andrew McLean — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:08:40 -0800

For such a small ski town, there is a lot of confusion surrounding Park City, Utah. First off, there is the city of Park City, then a ski resort named the Park City Mountain Resort, which is commonly referred to as “Park City”, and its neighboring resort, Deer Valley, which adjoins the Park City Mountain Resort although you can’t ski between the two, and finally there is The Canyons ski resort, which is not technically in the township of Park City, but in general terms is considered part of the Park City skiing experience. During the Sundance Film Festival or the peak holiday weekends, Park City becomes No Parking City and as a final linguistic twist, there is a Park City City Park in the middle of town.

Art Wolfe Photographs the Southern Ocean and South Georgia Island

GreatOutdoors.com Staff — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:58:31 -0800

In this episode of Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe, Art visits one of the earth’s most extreme environments — The Southern Ocean boarder Antarctica, and South Georgia Island. Known as the Antarctic Oasis, South Georgia is a haven for wildlife from the region, including albatross, king penguins, various species of seals, including elephant seals. But most striking is the landscape in this wild place. For anyone interested in adventure in pristine environments, South Georgia Island delivers. Art’s images tell a story of nature at its wildest. See Art's video introduction to this episode.

Art Wolfe Previews The Southern Ocean and South Georgia Island

peterp — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:50:26 -0800

As part of his ongoing collaboration with GreatOutdoors.com, photographer Art Wolfe previews another segment from his award-winning PBS series, Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe. This time, Art takes us to the remote Southern Ocean on the edges of Antarctica, and South Georgia Island.

Olympic Hopefuls - Methow Valley USSA Super Tour

gordys — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:21:34 -0800

Two weeks have gone by since the nation’s elite sprinters, skate and classical skiers, competed at the Official 2009 US Cross Country Ski Championships (Dec. 31-Jan. 9th) in Anchorage, Alaska. Around 500 competitors made the journey in hopes of realizing their athletic dreams at arguably the most important domestic races of the season. Given the timing and proximity to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the Nationals would typically be the final punctuation in helping U.S. coaches determine who makes the U.S. Olympic team, but last weekend (Jan. 16-17th) there was one more event that could impact the results of hopefuls.

Providing the perfect final tune-up, the Methow Valley USSA Super Tour offered one last chance to lay down on the line years of focused training before the world descends on Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. The Methow stop, one of eight in a nationwide race circuit, that provides skiers the opportunity to compete for cash prizes and series points; with the many complexities involved in choosing the U.S. team — the fact that the Olympics are in Canada this year opens up the possibility for a larger contingent from the U.S. team, the Methow race could be what puts some skiers over the top for getting the nod.

“We kind of lucked out securing this date,” MVSTA event director Kristen Smith said. “This is the last time the athletes will do a major race before they start to taper and get ready for (the Olympics). “The team will be chosen primarily on Monday (Jan. 18),” Smith said

Leading Saturday's sprinting charge, two-time Olympian Torin Koos of Leavenworth, Wa. put his signature on the race while mixing it up with other hopefuls such as 2006 U.S. Olympians Leif Zimmerman and Chris Cook, 2006 Canadian Olympian Drew Goldsack, Kenyan Olympic hopeful Philip Boit, and Iranian Olympic hopeful Beejan Kangaloo.

A Ski Trip to Antarctica

Andrew McLean — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:34:26 -0800

I had been waiting over a year for this moment, and wasn’t alone. Standing on the upper deck of the Clipper Adventurer staring down at the dock 30’ below, I wasn’t sure if I was shaking with anticipation or if it was just vibrations from the engines below. In either case, I watched as the gangplank was drawn up, last goodbyes were waved from the pier and two dock-workers stepped up to a massive steel cleat. With a signal from the bridge, the dock-workers hoisted the last hawser off the cleat and it was magically retracted aboard. We were off. Antarctic Peninsula here we come!

On a trip to the peninsula in 2003 we had spent eight days in a leaking, cramped, two person tent while it gushed rain day after day. Far from jading me on the experience, I couldn’t wait to get back there and was even more excited for many of my 107 shipmates where were going for their first time. A trip to Antarctica is like a poor person’s version of a trip to the moon. Yes, the laws of gravity still apply, but the spectacular scenery, wildlife, weather and environment make you wonder if you are still on planet earth. We were on a quest to go backcountry skiing on The White Continent, but within a minute of leaving the dock, the trip was already a huge success. The energy level was akin to Frankenstein getting his first electrical jolt of life where his eyes fly open, his body shakes and suddenly… it is time to going skiing. This is going to be a blast.

Rendezvous Huts – XC Skiing Dream

gordys — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:01:12 -0800

"The thing to remember when traveling is that the trail is the thing. Travel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for." Louis L'Amour.

Rolling up to the Cub Creek Trailhead, our Fab-Five of mixed ability XC skiers are locked into finding the meaning of life by removing all the clutter. As Phil loads the hauling sled with up to 300lbs of everything imaginable, we throw in our stripped down packs (like three quarters of those who have gone before) in order to move free and feel the flow. For Jessi and Matt, who are XC skiing newbie's, it's hoped that keeping the weight off their back will minimize the "Agony of Defeat" as we skate the 10km and 2000' vertical to our destination, the Rendezvous Hut. An original from the '80s, upgrades and improvements in recent years make it the perfect Refugio for our relaxed pace, and for filling our lungs with the crystal clean air of our mountain crossing. One of five evenly spaced huts, the Rendezvous with its pinnacle perspective is located 8 kilometers (5 miles) apart from the others along a 37 kilometers (21 miles) matrix of groomed trails.

Call to Prayer from the Rooftops of Jerusalem

peterp — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:25:12 -0800

Editor Peter Potterfield captured the Islamic call to prayer from his rooftop vantage in Jerusalem.

The Adventure Side to Israel

peterp — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:02:30 -0800

“Wadi” is the term used throughout Arabia to describe any wash, or drainage, in the vast deserts of the region, but when we dropped into Israel's Wadi Ze’Elim last month I wasn’t prepared for the deep, dramatic canyon looming ahead. This rocky feature cuts through Israel’s expansive Judean Desert and was reminiscent of some of my favorite canyons in Southern Utah. But with the turquoise waters of the Dead Sea—at 450 feet below sea level, the lowest place on earth--shimmering just to the east, it’s clear we’re not in Utah any more. Who could have known that here in the heart of the Holy Land we would find a desert canyon to rival any?

Blazing Skis – Wayne Wong the Face of Freestyle Skiing

gordys — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:12:05 -0800

In 1970 I was a high school student in Seattle when I first saw Dick Barrymore’s The Performers, a film about five skiers traveling the country in a van on the edge of a new style of skiing. It made such a huge impression on me that in 1972 I schemed my way to Sun Valley, and turned my college education upside down by taking winters off. All I wanted to do was live that vagabond life in front of the camera.  Three years later, through a bit of luck and good timing, I was living the dream as a member of the K2 Team. Along with Jim Stelling, Stan Larsen, Jim Garrison, Mike Grazier, and Wayne Wong, I strutted my stuff in Assignment K2, Barrymore’s sequel to The Performers.
We toured Europe for a month with Jean Claude Killy, an experience I would re-live in a heartbeat.

Stelling, Bob Burns, and Corky Fowler were my heroes back then, but no one made an impression on me like Wayne Wong. As Skiing magazine's 1972 Freestyler of thee year, he was the poster child of the emerging hot-dog attitude. I remember standing at the top of Round House in Sun Valley, at my first Chevy contest in ’72, watching everyone flipping around and doing their tricks, and then Wong showed up. He had an aura about him. A year earlier he had taken third place at the Waterville National Exhibition, and his image—the white glasses and toothy grin, deeply tanned face, black mop of hair—was everywhere, in magazines and even in a nationally aired Pepsi commercial. I snatched an opening and jumped on the T-bar with him to learn all his secrets. Nearly 40 years later I still have questions for the man behind those mirrored lenses.

On April 16, 2009, Wong was inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame for his impact on skiing culture. Not too shabby for a kid from Vancouver, BC who loved to ski but had no idea what he wanted to do with his life.

GORDY: So you're actually Canadian...

Staff's Favorite Gear of 2009

GreatOutdoors.com Staff — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:59:25 -0800

One of the best aspects of working in the outdoor industry is living the life: climbing, hiking, and adventure travel through some of the most fascinating landscapes on earth. Staff members here at GreatOutdoors.com (and our parent company, Altrec.com) spend as much time as possible pursuing outdoor adventure, so they take their outdoor equipment seriously. As we roll into the busy holiday season, a great time to pick up deals on the best in outdoor gear, here are some favorite pieces of equipment we found especially useful in 2009.

Come along with editor Peter Potterfield, copy writer Gordy Skoog, and other staff members as they share what they discovered using all sorts of outdoor gear in the best laboratory of all: the backcountry. We traveled from the Beartooths of Montana to New Mexico's Chaco Canyon, from the Black Hills of South Dakota to the Sawtooth Range in Idaho, from the North Cascades to the Canadian Rockies to try out the latest in boots, solo tents, climbing gear, outerwear and stoves.

Some of Our Favorite Gear for 2009

Excerpt from Planet Ice

James Martin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:03:14 -0700

In Antarctic Bay, a southern minke whale circled our Zodiac raft, and I heard its grand, percussive exhalation, an octave lower than the lowest note of a pipe organ. As we waited for its next breath, we heard only the crackling of ice meeting water. Suddenly we heard the whale’s immense lungs contracting, then spray raining on the sea.

On the other side of the world, walking a bluff above the ice fjord near Ilulissat, Greenland, I again heard the distinctive sound of whales, a spare rhythm of single-note exhalations and long rest notes. At the end of the fjord—a 40-kilometer-long (25-mi) channel filled with icebergs disgorged by the Jakobshavn Glacier—I saw spray like smoke signals in the open water. Humpbacks were feeding in the current, surfacing between small icebergs and crushed ice, flipping their tails skyward.

On the Riiser-Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica’s Weddell Sea, I first encountered emperor penguins, the only large animals to winter so far south. I felt as if I had met Martians. The penguins huddle together against Antarctic winds in the dead of winter, in darkness and terrible cold. After a while in the wind, each male takes a turn moving into the warm center of the group. From above, it looks like an eddy in slow motion.

As my understanding of ice has deepened, I have grasped how ice and climate interact and profoundly influence ecosystems and human civilizations, especially as we are altering this ancient balance.

Planet Ice

James Martin — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:44:15 -0700

I became addicted to wilderness travel a young age. While still in high school I organized the 275-mile hike through the Sierra. In my early 20s I took up climbing and spent months in the Canadian Rockies and in the Pacific Northwest ascending glaciated peaks. I graduated to frozen waterfall climbing, and made it up some of the classic North Faces.

Art Wolfe Previews Patagonia's Torres del Paine National Park

peterp — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:18:30 -0700

As part of his ongoing collaboration with GreatOutdoors.com, photographer Art Wolfe previews another segment from his award-winning PBS series, Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe. This time, Art takes us to Patagonia's remote Torres del Paine National Park in Chile's southern Andes..

Art Wolfe Photographs Patagonia's Torres Del Paine National Park

GreatOutdoors.com Staff — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:06:46 -0700

In this episode of Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe, Art visits one of the earth’s most extreme environments — Torres del Paine National Park. Located in the far southern Andes of Chilean Patagonia, this remote and challenging landscape holds great appeal for lovers of wilderness. For adventurers, Torres del Paine is a destination truly on the edge. Art’s images tell a story of nature at its wildest – of a place where jagged peaks scrape the sky, icebergs catch the light, guanacos watch for pumas and Andean condors rule the skies. See Art's video introduction to this episode.

The New Age of Adventure

peterp — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:10:13 -0700

For John Rasmus, editor in chief of National Geographic Adventure magazine since its inception 10 years ago, that first decade has represented everything he hoped it would be: a showcase of the best work by today’s finest writers. If he had a frustration it was the limitations of the monthly magazine genre itself. But with the release of the book, The New Age of Adventure, he has managed to circumvent even that.

In Search of our Staff Favorites

GreatOutdoors.com Staff — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:07:56 -0700

Staff members here at GreatOutdoors.com (and our parent company, Altrec.com) spend as much time as possible pursuing outdoor adventure: climbing, hiking, skiing and enjoying adventure travel through some of the most fascinating landscapes on earth. So, naturally, they take their outdoor equipment seriously. And there’s no proof of performance better than a genuine field test in real conditions on an extended backpacking or climbing trip.

Each year, we get together to compare notes on the gear we used the most and liked the best for the season. The result is our annual Staff Favorites, and once again we’ll publish that more detailed review in October, just in time for the holidays and a great time to pick up proven gear

Sawtooth Traverse

peterp — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:51:30 -0700

A couple of hours working up two thousand feet worth of switchbacks takes me from the valley floor to Alpine Lake, nestled in its cirque below Packrat Peak, and the smaller “frog ponds” just beyond. But it’s not until I climb the final mile up to the crest of the ridge itself—well above 9,000 feet—and peer over into the Baron Lakes basin, that the scope of the rugged Sawtooth range hits home. The imposing summits of Monte Verita, Warbonnet and Tohobit dominate the massif rising above Baron Lakes, while Decker Peak looms across the valley to the south, and Braxon and Horstman fill the horizon to the east.

Art Wolfe's Gallery of Everest Images

GreatOutdoors.com Staff — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:04:31 -0700

Renowned photographer Art Wolfe has completed more than 50 books, including Banff Book Festival winner, High Himalaya. But he is probably best known for his PBS television series, Travels to the Edge. For this stunning gallery of Mount Everest, Wolfe traveled to both Nepal and Tibet over two decades to photograph the world's highest peak from both sides.

"I understand why climbers, trekkers and photographers love the Himalay," Wolfe said. "Every bend in the trail reveals a stunning vista that takes your breath away. The place is unique in all the world. Nature dominates here as in no other place."

See Art Wolfe's personal introduction of Travels to the Edge for GreatOutdoors.com users, and don't miss Coffee with Art Wolfe, an expansive three-part interview with Art conducted by GreatOutdoors.com editor, Peter Potterfield.

Cavendish seals the deal in Paris, Contador wins the overall

heidiswift — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:12:26 -0700

He said he was going to win in Paris. He’s said it since day one. It’s bold to make such big claims with that brand of unflinching confidence, but Cavendish has a way of delivering the goods. And today on the storied Champs-Élysées was no different.

The Englishman stormed away from everyone to claim his 6th (and most dominating) win of this year’s Tour. The moment marked the 10th Tour de France stage win of his career and the realization of a major goal for the entire Columbia-HTC team.

How it unfolded

Champagne and smiles were the order of the day for the first half of today’s stage which saw the riders enjoying their final hours in the 2009 Tour de France. Some were celebrating GC victories, some were celebrating success in the classification competitions, but most were simply celebrating survival.

But when the group turned onto the storied Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris, it was back to business. On tap? A frenzied sprint and a bid for one of the highest honors in the sport – the top podium spot for the final stage win of the Tour. Glory in Paris is every sprinter’s dream.

Traditionally, the stage to Paris ends with an 8 lap race around a 7 kilometer circuit – the perfect venue to set up a dramatic finish.

The requisite attacks went out almost immediately as a few escape artists attempted to thwart the sprinter’s plans, but the Columbia-HTC train was having none of it. As the field sped along the circuit through the city, all 9 Columbia riders moved to the front to drive the pace and string out the 156-man peloton.

Heroic ride for Tony Martin on Mont Ventoux

heidiswift — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 07:38:06 -0700

With wind ripping at 25 mph near the summit of Bald Mountain, Columbia-HTC’s Tony Martin battled for a second place finish after riding in a breakaway for nearly the entire 104-mile stage. The strong winds battered the main field throughout the day and made for a challenging chase by the peloton, allowing Martin’s group to stretch their gap to as much as 8 minutes and 45 seconds with 28 miles until the finish.

Massive crowds lined the narrow roadway as the breakaway lifted the pace at the base of the final climb and the group shattered as the grade kicked up. One by one, riders faded backward down the hill as Martin pressed on through a wall of sound, flags, cowbells, noisemakers, and rabid screaming fans.

At the end of the day, he was among just two men to stay away from the chasing GC group of Contador, Armstrong, Wiggins, and the Brothers Schleck. Martin’s lone companion at the summit was Rabobank’s Juan Manuel Garate, who pulled away in the final meters to steal the stage victory from the young German.

Despite the near-miss for the day’s top honors, Martin’s incredible ride bodes well for the future of a man who is sure to become a top GC contender in the coming years. Keep your eye on this one!

The showdown: Schleck attacks not enough to shake up the GC

This was the day everyone was waiting for. 104 miles of truth. 5 climbs primed and ready for race leaders to lay down the pain. A final, grueling battle on the slopes of Mon Ventoux. Heat, wind, and relentless attacking.

When the sparks finally started to fly, Alberto Contador proved to be as unstoppable as many have suspected. Likewise Lance Armstrong, who fended off one attack after another in order to defend his third place position in the overall classification.

Cavendish surprises with win number five

heidiswift — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 07:35:40 -0700

They said he couldn’t win on an uphill finish. They said he couldn’t win without his long, roaring leadout train. The said he wouldn’t win today. But he did.

Nobody – and I mean nobody – expected Cavendish to make it over today’s Category 2 climb with the main field to be in position to contest a bunch finish. But there on the Col de l’Escrinet, the Englishman battled up the final slope, towed by loyal teammates, and crested with the field.

“It was so painful, it was so hard.” Cavendish reported moments after the stage, “I was just sitting there suffering and it hurt so much. I talked to the team before the stage and I said, ‘Just wait for me. Just wait for me…’”

After the climb, there was still 18k until the finish – and with two men still off the front, Columbia’s work wasn’t over. George Hincapie (who has a suspected broken collarbone but has refused x-rays because he wants to finish out the Tour) drilled the pace to bring back the two escapees: Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) and Laurent Lefèvre (Bbox).

The chase to close the gap consumed a precious portion of the Columbia-HTC leadout train, eating up energy that is usually used closer to the finish to launch Cavendish off the front at the very last second. As it was, Hincapie closed the gap to a very stubborn Ballan with just 2k to go, then peeled off to the left – head down, completely blown.

Most of the rest of Cav’s delivery train were missing in action, spent after the long chase, so it was the young climber, Tony Martin who took on the final leadout duties typically assigned to Mark Renshaw. Martin pounded down on the pedals for as long as he could hold on and then pulled off to the side as Cavendish came around him to start the long grind to the finish.

Contador lives up to yellow with impressive individual time trial victory

heidiswift — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:13:52 -0700

Contador didn’t need to win today to protect his race lead, but win he did. The Spaniard rode away with the 40 kilometer individual time-trial, beating time-trial specialist Fabian Cancellara (a two-time former TT World Champion and Olympic gold medalist) by three seconds. Contador covered the course in 48 minutes and 30 seconds, averaging over 30 miles per hour.

Winning the individual time-trial is a point of pride for the maillot jaune - Armstrong did it in 6 of his 7 historic Tour de France wins. The victory puts a stamp of authority on Contador’s overall race lead - if there were any doubt up to this point, the performance confirms his worthiness of the Tour’s highest honor.

More changes in the GC

The individual time trial event almost always causes significant shakeup in the overall classification and today was no exception.

While Contador and A. Schleck remained in the 1st and 2nd place slots, Lance Armstrong’s performance (16th place, 1:30 off the lead pace) was good enough to bump him up a spot from 4th into 3rd overall. The Texan will be keen to keep a foot on the podium all the way to Paris and will likely set his sights on moving into second with a big ride up Mont Vontoux on Saturday.

Contador’s four minute lead over the rest of the field will be hard (if not impossible) to overcome in the remaining days. He’ll have to make a pretty serious mistake to open the door for his rivals to have a chance at stealing the maillot jaune. That said, there’s a very real battle shaping up for the remaining podium positions.

Astarloza takes Stage 16 to earn the first victory of his career

heidiswift — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:54:28 -0700

Basque rider Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel-Euskadi) did what the Basques do best today and conquered two major slopes in a bid for personal and national glory. After spending most of the day out ahead of the peloton, Astarloza successfully attacked 3 remaining breakaway companions with 2 kilometers to go, earning him the first ever victory of his 7-year professional career.

Behind the race for the stage win, GC contender Andy Schleck and his Saxo-Bank team fired several missiles in the battle for the overall classification, but were unable to shake Astana’s firm hold on the yellow jersey. Alberto Contador responded to every Saxo-Bank move with apparent ease and Lance Armstrong also showed impressive form that caught many off guard.

At the end of the day, the main group of GC contenders remained neutralized and finished together barring one notable exception – the dismal performance of Silence-Lott’s Cadel Evans. The Australian, who was second in last year’s Tour, was once considered a hopeful for the overall win in this year’s show, but lost 3 minutes on his rivals today. Now more than seven minutes back in the overall classification, it’s fairly safe to say that his chances of winning the 2009 Tour are over.

How the race unfolded

An early break of 21 riders went clear of the peloton early and opened up a 2 minute gap just 17 kilometers into the race. The group contained no serious threats to the race leaders, and their gap group to as much as five minutes over the course of the stage.

The first climb of the day shattered the large pack of leaders and Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas) and Vladimir Karpets (Katusha) led over the summit with a gap of 1:20 ever the rest of their breakaway companions and 2:30 over the peloton. Three groups strung out along the road between the two lone leaders and the main field.

Contador ends speculation with dominating Stage 15 victory on Verbier

heidiswift — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 23:52:48 -0700

Alberto Contador climbed into a wall of sound, legs ticking out a quick rhythm, face calm in the midst of a frenzied crowd. When his pace dropped, he stood up and accelerated. Pressing fans roared their support, clanging cowbells, banging sticks together, and screaming at top volume – often blocking the road ahead and moving clear just at the last second to reveal the pavement ahead. When they came too close, he threw two warning punches into the air – one to the left, and one to the right.

In the midst of the mountain-top chaos, the Spaniard pedaled smoothly away from his competition, winning the Tour’s first stage of the Alps 42 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, Andy Schleck (Saxo-Bank).

It was a performance that put an end to any doubt about who will lead the Astana squad (Armstrong is now second overall, but at 1’37” off the pace, it would be a tall order for him to overtake his teammate in the coming stages) and also established that he is the man to beat in this year’s Tour de France.

Three in the top fifteen for Columbia-HTC

Kim Kirchen, Tony Martin and Maxime Monfort all finished in the top 15 today (10th, 12th and 14th respectively) preserving their top-20 positions in the overall classification. Don’t be surprised if you see one of the three Columbia climbers find their way into a break in the coming days.

Kirchen looked solid on the steep slopes of Verbier and we should continue to see strong performances from him over the coming mountains. He has managed to increase his standing in the overall classification almost every day since the beginning of the Tour – if he can dig deep and deliver the ride of his life over one of the next four stages, we may be in for a sweet surprise.

Katusha's Sergei Ivanov takes Stage 14 win, Hincapie misses yellow by 5 seconds

heidiswift — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:46:35 -0700

Sergei Ivanov delivered the first Russian victory of this year’s tour with a massive effort in the final ten kilometers of the race. Ivanov had been in a break of 12 men for the better part of the 199 kilometer stage when he attacked his breakaway companions with 10 kilometers to go.

With such a long way still to go to the finish, it seemed like a risky move, but the six-time Russian National Champion used his time-trialing skills to stay clear of the group, crossing the line with a comfortable margin of 16 seconds.

Just behind him, Team-Columbia’s George Hincapie finished with the rest of the breakaway and, for a moment, it looked like his efforts might payoff with a day in the yellow jersey as the main field was still almost six minutes back.

But it was not to be. A big push from AG2R (attempting to defend Nocentini’s race lead) and Garmin-Slipstream brought the gap down just enough to deny Hincapie his day in the maillot jaune. He’s now sitting second in the overall standings, 5 seconds off the pace of Nocentini, with Contador and Armstrong just behind in 3rd and 4th.

Woman killed by caravan vehicle

Overshadowing today’s race was the tragic news of a 60-year-old woman who was struck and killed while crossing the road after a breakaway group of riders had passed. She was hit by one of the several police motorbikes which accompany the race.

It was the first fatality since two children were killed in 2000 and 2002 hit by cars from the publicity caravan.

The biggest accident in the Tour’s 106-year history took place in 1964, when a police supply van struck a bridge in the Dordogne region, killing 20 people.

Racers are constantly engaged in close calls with spectators, who line the courses and congregate en masse (especially up the mountain-top finishes).

Heinrich Haussler takes an emotional Stage 13 victory

heidiswift — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:49:10 -0700

There’s no crying in cycling, but don’t tell that to Cervelo’s Heinrich Haussler.

The powerful Australian-born German crossed the line first today in a classic solo win over a challenging mountain stage. With his nearest challenger more than four minutes back, he had time to relish the moment of the first Tour de France stage win of his career – and the moment overwhelmed him.

Covering his face, rain-soaked and exhausted, Haussler sobbed visibly as he raised his hands for a victory salute.

Better known for his sprinting prowess, Haussler often serves as the key leadout man for Thor Hushovd. Today, however, the glory was all his. Heinrich went with a break of 7 that formed just 5k into today’s stage – by the time he’d shed his companions to cross the line alone he’d been off the front of the race for a grueling 195 kilometers.

How it unfolded

Biblical rain pounded the race as the riders set out to conquer five climbs including the Category 1 Col du Platzerwasel, an 8.7 km climb that averages 7.6 percent. The tough, winding 200k route, coupled with the abysmal weather made this a perfect day for a hard man to ride away with the win.

When the break of 7 formed early in the race, the peloton was determined to keep it on a short leash because of Rabobank’s Manuel Garate presence among the would-be escapees. At just 6:56 back from the race lead, he presented a serious threat to the yellow jersey.

Haussler eventually attacked at 60k with two others from the group: Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) and Ruben Perez Moreno (Euskaltel-Euskadi). The four remaining riders faded back to rejoin the peloton and the trio up front soon had a sizable gap that grew to as much as 9 minutes over the course of the race.