Stage 8 Amgen Tour 2016

Stage 8 Amgen Tour 2016

Alaphilippe defends his 16 second lead

He’s had a year to dwell

Will the stage 8 record book

reflect heaven or hell?

Tail winds bedevil 

The course is level

Cav needs a win

We all agree

It’s time to Mark a victory

Bad luck for Jelly Belly

Both Morton bros crashed

Alaphilippe must compete

with men strong and brash

Kirsten Wild wins last stage for women

A dutch girl who clearly likes the gym

Etixx is serious protecting Alaphilippe 

They’ve made him a promise they hope to keep

Cavs’ hopes rest on Dimension, Direct

I’m not sure what to expect

Tinkoff takes the lead

Pete Stetina goes down

Sad to say

But he’ll live to ride another day

Cat and Mouse the game they play

Peloton is hot

Get out of the way!

Mark makes it the hard way!

Pete on his heels

The joy of victory!

We know how he feels.

Alaphilippe holds onto yellow

A young, French happy fellow. 

Stage 7 Amgen Tour 2016

Under the eye of

Direct Energy

Peter Sagan flies ahead

the break flakes uneasily

Van A is not cooperating

The break needs arbitrating

Legs are all are aching

The climbs can be breaking

Miles to go are 33

Peter does an ITT

And he makes it look easy

Descending Coleman with 2 minute lead

Stage winning dreams begin to breed

Santa Rosa stand and cheer!

Quite a race to host this year

Pete never looks back

From his attack

No rookie he

A giant green Pixie

Making dust

He’ll be jammin’

Santa Rosa or bust!

Peter starts his downhill flight

It’s on the circuit he must fight

Three laps with an angry pack

Whatever comes

He can’t look back

But team car comes and shuts him down

No energy burned playing the clown

He does glance back

His expression one

Of child caught having too much fun!

Now for the sprint—

To the  merry Ale House Group

Do you have a view of part of the loop?

Katyusha leads 

Up front Alaphilippe

and BMC has Rohan D

Etixx does well to shelter their guy

Katyusha and Direct dig deep

Toms Skujins pops up to take a peak!

 Kristoff is in a great spot

He wins! Sagan comes a close two

I think it was his day, don’t you?

Stage 6 Amgen Tour 2016

Pit Bull Andrew Talansky

Shows his ruddy best

Alaphillppe shines!

Rowen Dennis wins

Taylor Phinney shows 

some class

Time Trial excitement !

Stage 4 Amgen Tour 2016

This morning in San Simeon 

My eyes befell the Peloton 

Amassed and going fast

What can I say?

I’d like that testosterone 

Every single day

Now semi-recovered

I watch on NBC

A tsunami of cycling men

This is my fantasy!

Over 26 mph

The break sets a snappy pace

It includes Markey C.

Quite surprisingly

He’s a total champion

Entering phase two

I reckon he has 

a lot more to do!

Tinkoff looks tough

Pete wants a chance

To preview his new 

victory dance

But having stood

along the route

and watched the pack scream by

It’s hard to make book on skills

of just one guy

One km to go

Peter takes it neat

Stage 4 Tour of Amgen

Has been a super treat.

Stage 3 Amgen Tour 2016

Stage 3 Amgen Tour 2015

The Peloton lallygags 

through the feed zone 

Ventura’s a town cute

Next to the lunch route

A place you might like to roam

Just a bit south of Santa Barb

For us Central Coasters

It’s our back yard!

Heading for Gibraltar 

A mighty peak

Cannon works for Craddock and King

A summit finish is what they seek

They hope Craddock will not falter

Or Ben could take it—as an alter

Again no one bets on the breakaway

Will the gods of surprise rule the day?

Yesterday management announced a sprint

But Ben made mincemeat of their testament

Just when I fear all ’s rote on the road

A special rider will explode

Such a stage was yesterday

When “fu*k you” was heard from the breakaway

All talking heads were nonplussed 

Their group surprise was worth the fuss

Seven miles up Gibraltar Road

Which team can carry the load?

 I was secretly betting on Coquard

He crashes out—a fallen star

Greg Daniel dewy 21

leads up a grade which can’t be fun

Peter is dropped as is Ben

Glory is fleeting

Now and Then

Cycling IQ?

Christian—oh, poo!

Show me a rider with heart

Neilson Powless

 A. Merchx’s best

Seems to be playing this part

19 years old

Fearless and bold

A shooting star from the start!

Stetina and Morton catch him at last

But they had to peddle really fast

Alaphilippe sprints up

And dashes past

Stetina gets two

after injury grave

an amazing performance

that he gave!!!

The stage goes to Alaphilippe

But the pic of Powess

I will keep.

Stage 2 Amgen Tour 2016

The siren call of Golden Cali

Brings stars down

our Highway 1 alley

Our gorgeous coast

Plays host

to all the big names

If the Giro nears zero

We have Amgen to blame

Pete took stage One

And made it look fun

Cav turfed out of his spot

He’d  love to take 2

With the power he’s got!

But Sagan’s got him on the run

It’s a sprint finish but very lumpy

For pure climbers and sprinters

it could get bumpy

Alaphilippe is tipped for the tour

But Sagan is on form to close the door

Evan Huffman take’s two KOMs

The break is hardy 

Four strong men

At fifty miles out they’ve got a good lead

But the jaws of the beast they’ll  soon  feed

The speed is intense

Many suffer in silence

This stage calls for energy conservation

Tinkoff takes off without reservation

Their goal to soften the riders behind

So they won’t have the legs when

they come to the line!

Walter Wippert came in two yesterday

Take a bow, laddie

He came to play

Speaking of W

Wiggy is here

supporting his team

it’s all skittles and beer

The climb of kilometers five

tells who will live and who will die

The sprinters unhitch

Life is a bitch

The break is still out

into the wind

Jens says they’re doomed

We believe him

Direct Energy is putting in muscle

Pete, I hear,

benefits from their hustle

Ben King endures

Defying gravity

Into the jaws of death

A cavity

Ben wins! The comeback kid!!

They said it couldn’t be done

And then it did!!

Stage 9 Giro d'Italia 2016

Brambilla won the TT

And stays in the Pink

Etixx Quick Step shines

Stage 3 Giro d'Italia 2016

May 8, 2016 Giro d’Italia Stage 3

The Giro so far has been upbeat

The Netherlands has been a treat!

Kittel is tipped for stage 3 

He won stage 2 quite easily

Cannondale  puts hard work in

They think their man Uran can win

Arriving in Arnhem for the last two laps

The break still leads 

Four hearty chaps

Etixx steps up

Led by Pieter Serry

Hope Kittel will have a victory 

A side wind blows

Taking down FDJ

The bunch is in disarray 

Tjallingii  KOM deserves praise 

For the last 2 days

Van Zyl is going for broke

From the original break

He is the final bloke 

Etixx steps up

Kittel goes for two

Completely dominant

To him and Quickstep

The highest compliment 

He ends the day arrayed in Pink

A jolly effort, don't you think?