Fantasy cycling - Nerd up

Time to show my 'geekness' and reveal that I have joined a cycling fantasy league. This league is based out of Belgium and has around 2000 participants. I finished around 200 in the Giro di Italia and then forgot to even update my team for le Tour de France. However, I'm fully participating for the Vuelta. Here is my standing and points after stage 3. I'll try to keep this updated - like anyone cares.

60th Vuelta a Espana

This year my pick for the breakthrough ride of the year will be Tom Danielson of Discovery Channel. The Tour of Spain (Vuelta a Espana) just started on August 27th and Tom Danielson placed a nice 5th in the first stage TT.

Although I think Tom can grab a top 5 overall and maybe surprise the world with a Damiano Cunego style tour (2004 Giro winner), I honestly believe that the defending champion, Roberto Heras, is the overall favorite to take the title...again.

But watch out for Floyd Landis as well. Maybe he will be motivated enough to bring another American atop the podium in a grand Tour.

Lance Wins 7th and much more

Sorry that I didn't write a lick during the 2005 Tour de France. I was overly busy last month with the tour on TV, listening to it on the internet at work, working too many hours and throwing in a marathon weekend of golf. I also did the greatest thing ever by purchasing TIVO, just in time for the tour. I just concluded burning 5 DVD's of this years tour all from digital recordings on my TIVO. That box is great.

Lance won his 7th and now is retired. In a way I'm glad he decided to call it quits. First, the tour will be very exciting next year as several guys will think they can win. But best of all I NEVER have to hear or see that old hag Sheryl Crow spouting off about cycling again (although now it will probably be back to her paranoid views on politics). Wow is she annoying.

Some other great news is that my good friend and former teammate of about 6yrs, Mike Dempsey, is engaged to be married. I'm so thrilled for him. Congrats Mike.