Cycling has a few components to it that will help make you better. The easiest to implement is making sure you are in a good aero position. If you are not certain whether or not you are in this category, here is the litmus test. Put yourself on a stationary trainer and start pedaling in your aero position with a bit of resistance set on the back wheel. Once you have settled into the position, that is what you would be in during a race (note that in races most people shift slightly forward on their seat and come closer to their elbows) have someone look at you from the side. A good aero position that you will be able to maintain until the end of time is one where the angle of your upper arm is at least as steep, if not steeper, than the angle of your fork. This affords you the ability to relax your upper body and support its weight by simply resting on your elbows.

If the angle is more relaxed than that of the fork, meaning that you are stretched out and having to reach with your arms to get in the aero position, it becomes impossible to actually hold your upper body weight with your elbow and it also ends up putting huge stress on your upper back, shoulders, neck and usually lower back. This is not a position that you will be able to maintain for very long. It is uncomfortable. It will take energy to stay in it and cause your body stress. The position is best remedied by shortening your stem to draw your elbows closer to your knees. If your stem is already very short, then the second option is to move your saddle forward to close the gap between your upper body and the pads of your aero bars. If you have already done both of these and are still too stretched out, then someone sold you a frame that is too big for your body!

Why is this part of your position so important? It is because you are a triathlete who will be spending a lot of your time in a race in the aero position. And the best way to become efficient in this position is to train a large percentage of your time on the bike in the aero position. And to do that, you will need to be comfortable in the aero position. Even if your goal race is a hilly event like Ironman France that rides through the Maritime Alps outside of the town of Nice, there is still a significant amount of the bike that will benefit from being efficient in the aero position.

The second piece of becoming efficient and faster as a cyclist is having spin efficiency. What is that exactly? Spin efficiency is getting the neuromuscular firing that takes place starting in your brain and traveling down to your cycling muscle to happen efficiently and without any thought. This happens when you push your legs to their current ability to do this without effort and then go a bit more.

The easiest and most efficient way to do that is to spend a bit of time on a stationary trainer. The resistance causes a more constant load on the legs than the natural deceleration that happens in the dead spots of a pedal stroke when you ride say on the flats on a road. You have likely seen how this works. When you ride on flats outside it can be tough to get your heart rate up. On a hill where gravity works similar to a stationary bike keeping the load more constant on your legs it is easier to elevate your heart rate. A trainer accentuates this even more. The year that I had some of my best results on the bike was a year when I did one trainer workout every week. Here is that exact workout. It is one hour, and is the best hour you can spend training your cycling muscles to step up to their best level.

One Hour Bike Trainer Session:
Warm up 5 minutes gradually increasing your HR
30 minutes steady, increasing your effort and gear every 5 minutes up to max heart rate you will achieve in the session, make sure to do some standing for 30-60 seconds within each 5 minutes, ride in aero position a lot of the time if you are training for a flat race, or you can sit up like you are climbing if a hilly race is also going to be on your schedule.
5 minutes small chain ring easy spin recover
5 minutes one leg (you can start with whatever you can do, even if it is only a minute or two, and can work up to 7-10 minutes per leg)
2.5 minutes easy spin both legs
5 minutes one leg the other leg
2.5 minutes easy spin
5 minutes with high rpm (over 100) for 30 seconds then 30 seconds normal rpm, repeat for the 5 minutes, usually easy gear is good for this.
5 minutes easy warm down

Best of luck!
Mark

MarkAllenOnline.com

Our sport, particularly cycling tends, to be trendy. From bike parts to helmets there is something that all of a sudden everyone has to have, or at least they think they have to have. Whenever a top professional has some success with a certain product, everyone thinks that is the way to go. This also happens with technique. If the top professional in Kona rides 100 RPM then that must be the way to ride. But if you notice the following year some other pro rides closer to 80 RPM and then they turn the tide, that most be the way to ride. If you look there have been great spinners and not so great spinners in cycling and in triathlon who have had great success.

We often see two riders together going about the same speed and one with a low cadence and one with a higher cadence. I will always put my money on the higher cadence having more experience and being a better rider with a better chance to have great races, particularly endurance races. This is because the rider with the lower cadence has to recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers which burn more muscle glycogen than the other rider pedaling with less force thus recruiting more slow-twitch muscle fiber which burn more fatty acids.

I often see the cycling downloaded files of some of my athletes and noticed that some tend to ride a low cadence early to warm up and while the heart rate is down; however, later they raise the cadence and pedal easier but more often to keep the heart rate down. This matches with the muscle fiber recruitment as the higher cadence uses the slow-twitch fiber recruitment thus lowering the use of glycogen and reducing the need for a higher heart rate to supply the glycogen and oxygen required.

It would make sense for most of you triathletes to not smash the pedals and have a low cadence in order to save glycogen and save your legs for the run. But on the other hand, we all have to use what we have and some of us have more slow-twitch fibers than others. What we do need to do is train in such a way as to develop what we may not have and give ourselves a better chance to have a great result.

At MarkAllenOnline we recommend a cadence between 85 and 95. This seems to be a cadence that saves your legs for the run but there is one more reason. Most top runners have a running cadence of about 90+ and there is a relationship between your bike and run cadence. You will most likely have a similar cadence in both sports, so improving one will also improve the other.

If you check your cadence and you are always below 80 and sometimes going up small grades you are way lower, then I would say you are a low cadence rider. Examine your race results and see if you think you burn out and slow down towards the end of races. How is your run off the bike? Examine your riding style too. Do you keep the bike straight? What happens when you have to go uphill? If many of the answers here are not positive you need to do some higher cadence work to try to reset your body and mind to utilize easier gears. Go out and make a commitment on some rides to never fall below 85, or perhaps do intervals where you spin over 90, or 95 the whole time. Develop the pedaling motion and pedaling efficiency. Do this once a week and see if things change for you feeling better on longer rides and bricks.

On the other hand if you are a spinner and are always above 90 and your results are good but the problem is you still get passed on the bike by powerful riders, you will benefit from doing some low cadence work to recruit some of the slow-twitch fibers that can contribute to a higher power output come race day. I often like to do 3 minutes with a high power and cadence around 80 RPM or below, rest 2 minutes spinning and repeat. I do this for 30 minutes total.

I prefer spinners to smashers, but whether you smash or you spin you need to develop all levels of cycling as races are hardly ever a perfect steady effort. The hills and the wind will force you to shift and decide on a good cadence to ride. It will be good to have your body ready for whatever comes to give you a chance at a good result.

Luis Vargas

MarkAllenOnline

Often we talk about the training. The getting up early. The pushing through, the fatigue, the soreness. What we don't talk enough about is what brings it all together. The recovery. REST is a four letter word in this society of type triple A athletes, and trust me I am the captain of the club. At the same time REST is critical if we want to build fitness, and get stronger and faster.

There are different kinds of rest. These days the keyword is recovery…. active recovery to be exact, and for good reason. There are times when we do have to completely rest. At QT2 we give our athletes about 2 days completely off per month. That shocks some people…. that insinuates that we are balls to the wall the other 28 +/- days of the month. Not so. We utilize recovery days, our infamous Zone R.

In our world zone R is easy. Not conversation pace easy, opera singing easy. Our athletes who typically run 3-3:15 marathons off the bike…. will run recovery runs at 12-13 minute miles. My rule on the bike is that Zone R means HR and watts below 100.

"But I don't even break a sweat" They cry. Exactly. In fact when I do a Zone R ride I do it on a spin bike with zero resistance. I wear a hoodie because if I develop a sweat… it means I am going too hard. Zone R helps us … sit down for it… recover from the previous harder efforts. It encourages the blood to flow, which carries all of those waste products away from our healing and strengthening muscle fibers.

All of this is very layman…. but you get the point.

I might train hard, but I recover even harder, and that lesson has not been an easy one to learn or stick with. You balance the creeping feelings of "I have not done enough" with the knowledge and proof of what recovery does.

During recovery weeks I keep my frequency the same. I shorten the duration and or the intensity. I work harder on nutrition because I need the nutrients to help my muscles heal from the previous training block. When that healing occurs we go forward stronger. I often fall into the trap that many others do… I try to get more things done outside of sport, and often times that leads me into a hole. Thankfully my husband can call me out on that one pretty quick.

My recovery week this week was good. It's the first time in many years I have to balance the physical demands of teaching spinning and training. As long as I just keep it a zone below theirs, which is doable I just have to REMEMBER…. it's fine.

I got a massage for the first time in four years (don't ask) from the incredible Kara Calabro at Midtown Athletic Club. I highly… highly recommend her. She knows her stuff, especially when it comes to athletes.

Lastly… if I could afford Recovery Boots…. those would be something I used on a daily basis. If you have the cash for them, they are invaluable. (my mortgage and car payment take priority however!). The benefits of recovery boots are tremendous!

I always tell my athletes and my group-ex classes….. getting them to work too hard would be the easiest thing in the world. I can get anyone to commit physical suicide. I am not in the business of being the hardest group fitness instructor. I am not in the business of being that kind of coach. I am in the business of helping athletes become fit and healthy and achieve the things that their training and abilities will allow them to achieve.

Recovery is a big part of that process, and not one to be ignored.

So rest up!

Mary Eggers is a 38 year old age group triathlete, race announcer, writer, mother, wife, triathlon coach with QT2 Systems, yoga teacher, and nurse. As the race announcer for the Score This Multisport Series in Upstate New York, she's been in the sport for over 17 years. She's a 6 time Ironman finisher and Kona qualifier, and has raced everything from sprint upward.Mother to 12 year old Luc, wife to Curt, she calls Rochester NY home. Ironmomma.com

When I finally was able to ride the Shiv that was situated in my living room, I was pretty stoked - like, Christmas morning stoked! I finally get to take this alien-looking bike for a test ride, I thought. I was pretty sure I was going to have to ask Scotty to beam me onto the saddle. When I sent some pictures to my mom, she thought I was going to be riding some new rocket ship. My response was, "Well, it's a bike that sure rides like one."

"Aero, fuel, fit." is Specialized's slogan for the bike, and that's it in a nutshell. Each of these words describe the difference in the Shiv vs. other bikes I've ridden.

Aero.

The bike is fast. Just look at the thing! It's sleek and, well, my mom's first impression of a rocket ship isn't too far off. I'll talk about the fit shortly, but overall it's the geometry and frame that makes the Shiv standout. The down tube is 11cm deep, and where the head tube and top tube meet it's almost 20cm deep! The tubes on this bike are not 3:1 compliant and thus with never be seen in the Tour because the UCI won't allow it, so keep your hands off my bike, Contador! It doesn't stop there - the rear brake is behind the frame, the frame is Di2 compatible, and everything is aero, right down to the fork, seat tube etc. True to its name, the Shiv slices through the air.

The next test came when I headed out on a solo ride out toward Lake Mead. It gets rather gusty out here and I was in the midst of it all. The cross-winds were fierce. In instances where I'd be slowing down or braking I felt like I was in a race with a disc wheel on. The Shiv, sliced through the wind and I was able to "sail" with the cross winds (much like when you ride a disc wheel with cross-winds. You're more stable and you're able to lean into the wind for that sail-effect). The reason of course: that deep down tube! Raise the topsail. Full speed ahead!

Fuel.

The geometry of the bike wasn't just made for aerodynamics but also creates an awesome way to carry your hydration on the bike. The integrated bladder (a.k.a. the Fuelselage) is another thing that makes the Shiv specific for triathlon. I'm an X-lab user and love the front torpedo water bottle mount. I've raced for the last two years with this setup. And now with the option of using the Fuelselage or not, I've been practicing a few different ways to carry my nutrition and hydration.

I was quite skeptical at first about using a drink system with a straw. I've tried those front-end setups before and hated how I had to be prepared for spilling of liquids, and how the actual sucking out of the straw took energy (minute to some, but to me, I need all my energy focused on pedaling the bike!). I was always left with frustration and a pretty dirty bike post-race. The fuselage bladder fits into the down tube and carries just under 500mL of fluid (my bike frame is an XS).

I wasn't sure about it and was not certain I'd ever actually use it, but I had to try it out. Surprisingly it was easy to use and didn't require extra energy. The mouth piece isn't like a gigantic straw, it's like kissing a water fountain...water comes out with ease. :-) It slaps into the frame easily and the drinking tube can be positioned any way you deem fit with the help of a simple magnet. I love it!
In a half-iron distance race, I'll be using the Fuelselage to carry my main nutrition and use the water bottle carriers for hydration. It's a reassurance that I'll always have some nutrition on the bike (I've had the issue of losing a much-needed high-caloric drink when hitting a pothole once!).

Fit.

The Shiv is a 'tall' bike and I had to really figure out how to get myself comfortable. I'm a Shimano girl and a big perk for the Shiv is that it's Di2 Compatible - no making holes to mount batteries, etc! I opted for the Missile Pro Flat Aerobar with a 100mm stem length. At first, I thought I was on too small of a frame. The effective top tube length was 2 centimeters shorter than my previous bike. When I was trying to get my original fit, I couldn't. It took some tweaking with the help of Mark Allen, Mat Steinmetz and the Specialized Team out in California. Going to a longer stem (previous stem on bike was a mere 60mm!), I was able to drop the front end almost 15mm. This allowed me to get the same seat position and ride style I'm used to (more forward than a standard triathlete setup) without having to gain the flexibility of a professional gymnast. It's definitely aero and comfortable now.

The bike also came with dual seat posts - both of which are flip-able. When I was fiddling around with fit, this was one of the coolest perks of the Shiv. It's very light, and to adjust the seat there are no extra bolts or metal (it's one simple hex key turn for fore/aft and seat tilt!). (The Shiv is made for true compatibility with its amazing range of adjustments with their aerobar setup. I ride PRO aerobars so I don't have personal experience with this. Paul however, just got his Shiv and we found fitting him to the position he liked super easy - with the help of a good mechanic!).

Overall this bike really is like something out of this world. It's everything I hoped it would be and I can't wait to get out and race!

- angelanaeth.blogspot.com

First a summary of 2012: As you know I had my foot and knee surgery early in the year, and spent the first 6months focusing on rehab, swimming and an introduction back into biking. While both surgeries went well, the knee operation was a lot more complex than anticipated. Expected recovery to resume running was 6-9 months. Of course like most athletes I only heard the 6 part of that estimation, and hence was left a little (to say the least) disappointed and frustrated when my knee was not ready to run on that date. I am now just around the 10month mark, and am sad to say that I am still not really running. I have tried a few times in the last 3 months, and while the foot issue has greatly improved, the knee is still giving me some swelling. The last 6-9 weeks I have really hit the gym hard, and have been focusing on really trying to alleviate any weakness I still have as a result of some if the foot injury. I have made some great gains so far and am definitely in a lot stronger position to try to run again within the next month. Long live GUNS and BUNS!

While being on the sidelines last year was far from ideal, I do feel like I walked away from the year having learned a lot. Through various different avenues I was fortunate enough to get to experience the triathlon scene from the other side. I got to see my competitors race. See how they handled themselves both during the race when under pressure and pre and post. I think this gave me a great insight not only into their mindset as athletes, but also as to how I can be a better athlete myself. I think I also got to learn how I can be a better ambassador for the sport of triathlon, and for the sponsors I represent. I also hope that I can help grow the sport, share my insight and experiences, while I continue to try to get myself back on the start line as soon as I can. When you are competing at the top of the sport, I think it is easy to lose sight of this, and become a bit self-consumed with only your race results. While this is often seen as a side effect of focusing 100% on your sport, I now think I realize that there is more to professional sport than just competing, and in the future, I will give more focus on the business' of my sponsors who support me as an athlete.

For the most part, in 2012, my athletic performance side of things were put on hold. I still feel like I did everything I could to get myself ready to race, if that was possible. I spent my many hrs in the gym imitating a clam, imagining someone was stealing a 100$ bill from my butt-crack (squeezing the glutes), and generally doing mindless boring exercises that would strengthen everything around my knee from the hip down and the foot up. I also spent many hrs at PT's office, on the massage table, getting poked with dry needles, in the pool, and when able on the bike.

Once some fitness returned I was tempted to go out and test myself, satisfying that competitive nature all triathletes tend to have, with some bike races like Leadville, and some Hill TT's, but I felt it was too risky and too early. Instead I forced myself to back off the training, and spend more time on the rehab. At times this was very un-natural, and instead of doing what I would normally do when frustrated (go out and crush some training), I found myself having to back off and let my body heal when it was ready. The only time I really let myself lose and let my competitive nature free was my 2 weeks in Kona for the IM. I had two fantastic weeks supporting Rinny, and working alongside Triathlete magazine. During these two weeks I did some incredible riding, and managed to test myself against the clock on the Kona course a couple of times. The opportunity to spend that much time on the Queen K was awesome and after testing my form on the bike, I came away with some invaluable information on what I think I can do, and what I now I will need to do to set myself up to win that race.

So while last year was a year to sit back, focus on the rehab, and watch the triathlon world move around me, 2013 will be a different approach. The big goal is still 100% to get back to racing at a higher level than before. I am as hungry as I ever have been to achieve this and still find myself waking up every morning with that burning desire to get out there and put myself to new levels. I cannot wait to get out there and race. That's what I do! And, I feel I need to get back out there and race at that level again. This may include swim races, Mtb races, TT's, and other bike races at first. I feel that if I can do this, then when I am able to run at a decent level again, that the transition back to top racing again will be that much smoother.

I am also getting back more into coaching. Coaching is something I started back in 2006 when with a few other athletes we set up a UK based coaching company Driven to Tri. Since moving to the US, and stepping up to IM, the coaching side of things took a back seat. I now have the time and energy to devote to it, and am excited to be coaching a small number of athletes. I am also going to be coaching at a number of different camps throughout the year, which I think should be a lot of fun, and a great way for me to interact more and goof around like I normally do.

Follow Julie on her website and on Twitter: @juliedibens

This past sunday I was fortune to take part of the inaugural Mercuryman half-ironman on the Grand Cayman Island. I was a welcomed guest of the race directors which made sure to provide everything a world class organization should. The event ended up being an experience and not just a triathlon race. The Cayman Island is a British Territory located in the Western Caribbean Sea and the Seven Mile beach on the West coast of the Island is one of the Top Ten beaches of the Caribbean. It's also known as a major offshore financial centre with over 270 banks located on the Island! Once you get to the Grand Cayman and arrive on an outdoor-Kona-alike airport you know you are about to face a one-of-a-kind experience.

The Reef Resort - the race host hotel - although not Four Season-luxurious is definitely worth every penny. If the clean, kitchen equipped and spacious appartaments weren't enough, the beach front windows give you the true Caribbean/Paradise experience. Plus the week schedule of the resort's activities would have kept me busy if I didn't have to swim, bike and run around the Island. Unfortunately I could only fly in on Friday and had to rush back into training on Monday so i couldn't take advantage of everything both the Resort and the Island had to offer. Although its January and its right in the middle of my winter re-built leading up to my first Ironman (Texas in May) I still took the race as a serious hit and was an awesome ice breaker for 2013. Racing this early motivates training and the weather the island offers is a cool "chill" (as in good) for those who are still dealing with freezing temps back at home. I knew the performance itself wouldn't be world record breaking but I guess my white, European and almost translucid skin winter color would take a huge boost of tan lines.

The Swim

The swim took place on the East coast of the Island, where a natural reef forms a small "bay" in front of the Reef Resort. The choppy water (due to high winds that troubled the island this weekend) made up for bit of a zigzaggy route. Someone told me a former Olympic swimmer was participating on a relay and immediately after the start I identified a "swimmer's stoke" on my left (for the record, a swimmer stroke would be really long, calm, high elbow, etc). We ended up meeting after the race. Darren Mew, a friendly former British breaststroker in Athens '04 now retired and enjoying life on the Island as a coach. So back to the race, I went straight to Darren's feet and drafted the entire course.

The Bike

With a nice cushion out of the water, I knew it wouldn't take a record performance to maintain that lead until T2. I had a loaned bike and position wasn't great either. However, it's was still a race and it's still everyone trying to get to the finish line first, including 3-man relay teams. Whenever the gun goes off, I always enter in race mode, doesn't matter if it's a world championship or a beer mile. So with my head down, I went through the bike course as fast as I could. The heat and the wind started to pick up as the race progressed and the pancake flat course along the coast made up for a great effort. I applied the normal nutrition (half a bar, gel, gel and lots of energy drink per hour) while dodging the numerous wild roosters on the road. Kind a of like Mario Kart trying not to hit the hazards. I came to T2 with over 4 min over the next man in.

The garmin file for the ride:connect.garmin.com/activity/264706265

The Run

The finisher tshirt described the run course as a "wall of heat". I couldn't describe it better. The temperatures rised up to 100oF and even the locals were surprised by the brutal heat that took by control the entire Island. January is the coolest month of the year on the Cayman Island but it felt like human BBQ. Considering the extra weight I still carry along this time of the year, if someone had sparkled me with some cinnamon and sugar, I was a running French toast. A dry one, like it was left on the table for a few weeks. In terms of heart rate I managed to sustain a reasonable effort (and even rise it by the final stretch) while still feeling dehydrated the entire way. As the season progresses, this will be the type of curve I (and coach) will want to see on my runs. I'll try to make it a little faster to the finish line though. Nutriton was pretty simple. Three gels and fluids as much as I could get (clearly not enough).

The garmin file of the run: connect.garmin.com/activity/264706251 (I stopped the file a bit before the finish line)

Overall

I took the win in 4 hours and 11 minutes. It was an amazing experience and I will want to come back and redeem myself on this same course. It is too early in the year to be smashing races. I'm now back to Clermont, FL, where I will remain and resume training until my next race - San Juan Ironman 70.3.

Pedro Ribeiro Gomes is a 28 year old triathlete from Portugal, currently based out of the US and focused on Ironman events. You can follow Pedro on twitter (@krepster) or find him on facebook.com/krepster.

-Article from the Independent.ie

Here is an article from 1999, where the author, Paul Kimmage of the Independent.ie, proved to have some very keen intuition as to what was unfolding during the 1999 Tour de France.

A JOURNALIST from a radio station in Philadelphia called last week on the day before the opening round of the British Open at Carnoustie. She wasn't interested in golf.

Lance Armstrong had just won the ninth stage of the Tour de France in Sestrieres. Three years after being told he might not survive cancer, the 27-year-old was leading the world's toughest sporting event by a whopping eight minutes. It was, she enthused, a truly remarkable story. Would I be willing to be interviewed on how the sport had cleaned-up its act?

``What makes you think it has,'' I replied. ``For sure, there has been some improvement but there is still much to be done. The same people in the same positions are still making decisions. Syringes are still being dumped in hotel rooms. The champions are still being exposed.''

Not sure this was really what she wanted to hear, I could sense her mood begin to deflate. ``That's interesting,'' she said, ``just let me run it past my producer and call you back.'' She never did.

Walking into Jonzac for the start of Le Tour's 18th stage was a strange experience on Friday. A year after the visit to Ireland, a year after being torpedoed by its greatest ever scandal, the carnival was in full swing and it was business as usual on the race. How unnerving to hear the applause for Richard Virenque, exposed as a cheat and a liar and yet still as popular, more popular, than ever! How could this be?

And there was no escaping the sense of deja vu. To the right we had Lance Armstrong, resplendent in the famous yellow jersey. Across the barriers, we had an adoring public, loudly cheering him on. And in the middle, nine hundred journalists, bitterly divided. Except for the name and a few other changes we might easily have been in Atlanta re-living the nightmare of Michelle de Bruin.

Is the Lance Armstrong story the same one? It depends who you ask. The American media, so quick to lead the charge against de Bruin, have been slower to question a fairytale made at home. The yellow jersey, they fume, has been treated disgracefully. The French media should put-up or shut-up. Armstrong was a champion from the moment he entered the sport. He has never tested positive in his career and there is no evidence to suggest he has ever used drugs. (Ring any bells?)

But journalists from Le Monde, Liberation and L'Equipe are not so sure. So absolute has been the American's dominance of the race, so great the transformation from the athlete he was before, that in a year when so many champions (who never failed drug tests) have been exposed, there is a duty to question everything. And for the last three weeks, Lance Armstong has been the man under the microscope.

He was born in Dallas in September of 1971. The United States amateur champion in 1991, he turned professional with the Motorola team a year later after a 14th place finish at the Barcelona Olympics.

IN 1993, his first full season as a professional, he won a stage of the Tour de France at Verdun and two months later, at the age of 21, became the youngest World Professional Road Race Champion in cycling history.

In 1995, he won the San Sebastian Classic and a stage of the Tour de France at Limoges. In 1996, he won the Fleche-Wallone classic, finished second in Liege-Bastogne-Liege and was the fifth ranked racer in the world when he was suddenly diagnosed with testicular cancer that for a while, threatened his life.

After courageously battling with the disease, Armstrong returned to the peleton in February of 1998 with a promising (15th) finish in the Ruta del Sol. But the promise was short-lived. Demoralised with his form two weeks later in Paris-Nice, he abandoned the race after the second stage, returned to the United States and didn't race again until June when he returned to winning ways at the Tour of Luxembourg.

After a fourth place finish at the World Championships in Holland, just when he seemed to have returned to his best, his career took its second unlikely twist ... he just kept getting better.

In his four previous participation's in the Tour de France, Armstrong had finished just once 36th in 1995. Suddenly he was smashing the specialists in the time trials, free-wheeling away from the climbers in the hills and leading his nearest rival in the race by a staggering eight minutes. The greatest return since Lazurus? Again, it depends who you ask.

The thing that intrigues me most about his career is how, like Stephen Roche and so many of the great names who have conquered the Tour before him, the American has never encountered doping in the sport. In an extensive interview with L'Equipe on Monday he was asked if cycling still had a drugs problem? ``I have no idea,'' he replied. ``There is none in my team. And none in any of the teams I have raced with. The Festina affair was a huge surprise to me.''

Really?

``Yes.''

And you never spoke about it in the peleton?

``Now that you mention it, no.''

Remarkable.

Incensed by the innuendo, Armstrong insists that his life is an open book. He says he is clean and has no secrets and asks us to treat his achievements with the respect they deserve. Should we? Sorry, but for some time now I've had a problem with fairytales in sport. For the moment I'm reserving my right to applaud.

For me, the real hero of this year's Tour has been Christophre Bassons, the man they call ``Monsieur Propre'' (Mister Clean). Bassons, you may recall, is the 25-year-old Frenchman who refused, during his time with the Festina team, to join his pals in the daily queue for drugs. Not nearly as fortunate as Armstrong or Roche, there was no escape from drugs the moment Bassons turned pro.

TO take or not to take, that was the question. His decision to abstain had earned him the nickname `Monsieur Propre.' Bassons regarded it a badge of honour. His team-mates regarded it with disdain.

A stage winner at the Dauphine-Libere race in June, Bassons began this year's Tour, the so-called `Tour of Redemption' with high hopes of a repeat performance until the reality of a Tour at two speeds, a Tour where drugs were still being used, buckled his legs.

Writing a daily column for Le Parisien, Bassons spoke candidly about the continuing abuse. Too candidly for some. On the tenth stage to Alpe d'Heuz, Armstrong sought the Frenchman out to challenge his views. Two days later, bowing to pressure from his manager and team-mates, Bassons withdrew from the race.

The reaction to his departure spoke volumes for how little attitudes have changed. Armstrong could barely conceal his contempt when questioned by L'Equipe: ``My opinion of Bassons? I can tell you that he really loved you guys, you journalists. He adored seeing his face in the papers.''

And how depressing it was to hear Jean-Marie Leblanc (the race organiser) a week after denouncing Bassons as ``playing the martyr'' admit to Le Figaro that Virenque's late admission had proved a good thing for the race.

Virenque and Armstrong will share centre stage when the race reaches its conclusion in Paris this afternoon. You can just see their beaming faces on the podium, Virenque, in polka-dot, the delighted King of the Mountains. Armstrong with golden fleece, the proud conqueror of the race.

Smile please for the cameras lads. You deserve each other.

- PAUL KIMMAGE

-Article from the Independent.ie

In this video by shutterbliss, Chris shared insights to his training and nutrition, lessons learned through his career, the mental and physical challenges of Ironman, and a story of his favorite race victory. A come from behind win at the 2004 Ironman Coeur d'Alene. With 13 miles remaining in the run Chris was 12 minutes behind the leader, but the promise he made to himself to give 100 percent led him to catching the leader with 1 mile to go and finishing as the winner with a 2 minute lead. His relentless determination continues to inspire.