LR Friday, July 22, 2011 Alpe-d'Huez

[yowhatsshakin]

Hi Gang,

Lunch
Can only fill you in on yesterday's lunch. While my wife was working and our guests had departed for the Apple Store in the University Village, I made myself a nice batch of spaghetti con aglio e oglio: cook pasta while in a skillet; sauté some garlic, add some italian flat leave parsley and some pepper flakes; drain pasta; add to skillet; toss; add cheese and prego!

I'm barely able to write this. I'm riveted by another part of my computer screen showing the developments in today's stage in the Tour de France to Alpe-d'Huez. In the late seventies and eighties that town was 'owned' by Dutch riders but since that time the Netherlands never produced a high quality rider again. At the time of writing the leaders are just over the Col du Galiber, which they also scaled yesterday, and are in the long decent towards the foot of the Alpe d'Huez. Today is for all the marbles baby! I'm rooting for Andy Schleck. He should have won it last year but this year he is capable of doing it. Yesterday evening I got a phone call from my neighbor. He is American, totally understands cycling, but he had to call this European doofus to seriously talk shop because all other people close to him have no clue what he is talking about. For those in the know, they understand there is way more to (competitive) cycling than just turning the pedals around. And although it seems like an individual sport, it isn't. You need team mates to do some work for the you: keep you out of the wind, help you get back when mechanical trouble has struck or some competitor is gaining some time, execute the cycling equivalent of a basketball screen, i.e. all team members move to the front of the peloton and just when you escape they pull on the breaks so to speak. The latter happened for instance in yesterdays stage. Interesting stuff.

Non-music question
Anybody else following the Tour? Any of the Aussies rooting for their compatriot Cadel Evans?

G&L related question
Sports are heavily sponsored. I was surprised to learn a couple of years back that PRS started to sponsor NASCAR teams and beyond that builds trophies with honest to god playable guitars in the center. Should G&L do something like that?

Later today we'll be heading down to Olympic Sculpture Park and the Space Needle. Weather looks good for now. Hope it holds up until this evening so we can see the sun set form atop the Needle. If the pictures turn out OK, expect an additional LR tomorrow.

And finally, here is next weeks nominee (who has gracefully accepted already), drum roll please ....
Next week's LR reposrter will be ...
sirmyghin!

Talk to you later folks,

- Jos

P.S. While finishing this post, they are just starting the ascend. Go boys, go ...!!

[CGT]

I love the Tour though I haven't watched any this year due to various commitments. I'm still pissed off at the way that the whole apparatus threw Floyd Landis to the dogs as he's a far more talented cyclist than Armstrong ever was. Everyone dopes. Why don't we all just admit it, court the drug companies as major sponsors and stop talking about the purity of sport. It's all big business now and every advantage helps, so why don't we all drop the double standard? Would viewers want to go back to a pre-drug pre-record-breaking tour? I don' think so.

[sam]

Allez - Allez!

Glued to the tube watching the Tour now, Would like to see Andy win as well.

Don't think G&L sponsoring sporting events or teams would be best use of funds. I would love to see a G&L cycling jersey in the on-line sales offering though.

The climb continues>>>>>>

[sirmyghin]

Can't say I am all that interested ina few spandex wearing dudes taking the scenic route to their destination (did I make that disparaging enough?). Pro sports aren't really my thing, I don't understand the fuss.

I am not sure sponsoring sports would help much, who knows though.

[yowhatsshakin]

AMAZING!! El Pistolero (Alberto Contador) turns out to be human and is outclassed by the best young rider in this tour Pierre Roland. But my man Andy Schleck has taken over the yellow jersey and should be able to defend it in tomorrows time trial. What a great tour!

- Jos

[sickbutnottired]

IEveryone dopes. Why don't we all just admit it, court the drug companies as major sponsors and stop talking about the purity of sport. It's all big business now and every advantage helps, so why don't we all drop the double standard? Would viewers want to go back to a pre-drug pre-record-breaking tour? I don' think so.

I agree 100%. How are you every going to police doping? It just doesn't work. Ask Bud Selig.

I would love to see a G&L cycling jersey in the on-line sales offering though.

Now that's a great idea. Especially in European sizing so I can get a XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXL!

The tour, I am not really following the tour. I do believe road racing is a grand sport. I was into it myself some years back, was never good or anything, just a cat 4 rider for a couple years. At the elite level it such an interesting event. I am especially a fan of the old, super-grueling, but not necessarily just from length/elevation gains, one day classics.

Thanks for the pictures, look forward to Sirmy next week. jeremy

[Boogie Bill]

I do watch some of the Tour when I can but haven't watched much at all this year. My focus on sports is mostly on the local pro teams: Mariners, Seahawks, Trailblazers; and the local colleges.

I really can't see G&L going after any kind of sports endorsement. I think it would be a waste of money that could be spent of better advertising.

Whenever I think I have to have some hot new guitar, I always think about Lance Armstrong's comment, "It's not about the bike."

Great job with the LR this week.

Bill

[blargfromouterspace]

A few points on sponsoring things and why I voted no
1) Sponsoring anything will just see the cost trickle down to the consumer.
2) The sheer amount of sponsorship in sports makes it, to me at least, invisible. Those ads on the side of the football field are just pretty colours.
3) A few years ago J.B. Were sponsored a golf tournament around here. Not being particularly interested in professional golf or finance, I thought J.B. must have been one of the golfers until my girlfriend at the times dad told me J.B was some sort of money laundering thing only rich people know about (he is a rich, former golf pro..... really). My point is that as a lot of guitarists haven't ever heard of G&L's it would most likely be wasted money.


I like Le tour god enough but have never watched enough of it to get a grasp of how it's scored with all them teams and what not. It's painful watching al that lovely scenery. Just before the race begins every night there is a segment called 'Taste Le Tour'. It's a cooking segment hosted by Australias best loved Frenchman, Gabriel Gate.
[youtube]SanSzCc0JZ8[/youtube]

The best ones are the ones where he pretends to be a Gendarme in the kitchen - hilarious! Well, funnier than Steve Martin in the Pink Panther anyway...
[youtube]fSwPEgunwUM[/youtube]

[zapcosongs]

I'm with Blarg here (as usual, eh) except I thought that JB must be Jim Beam. Which I'm more than happy to drink to!
Regarding sponsorships and G&L: Sponsoring sporting events doesn't seem like a good fit to me. On the other hand, sponsoring concerts where G&L instruments are featured would seem like a good idea to me.
The Tour: As long as we know that some riders ride clean and that others have a chemical advantage, I'm not sure I see the point. One way or the other, the playing field need to be level in order to excite me. But the race is cool in some ways nevertheless.
On a side note, it was brutally hot here today (102 F in my back yard with stifling humidity making it feel much worse. Heat records were tumbling down all along the Eastern part of the US today. I'm not a big complainer, but it was just horrible being outside.
But it's cool in the house, and we've had our fiber optic telecommunications services restored today (phone, Internet, and TV), so all is well.
It's early to bed this evening, as tomorrow early AM begins the big annual "Divisional" swim meet for my oldest boy, and more brutal weather is forecast. Me and the family need to be at a pool about 45 minutes away by 7:00 AM, so I will try to turn in early, and drink in moderation.
Nighty night! - ed

[Philby]

Allez Cadel!!

[yowhatsshakin]

It's Saturday morning and again I am riveted by the developments in the time trial. Andy Schleck is just past bthe first time heck and has already lost 36" on Cadel Evans whereas he started out with a 58" advantage. MIght be another day in which the yellow jersey changes. And usually whoever is in yellow today is allowed to bring it to Paris in the last stage tomorrow.
Philby, you might have a good day today! We'll see but I give you a good chance right now.

Jamie. unfortunately I am not able to watch the Aussie chef vids. It tells me that they cannot be viewed in my region. Guess its Australia although I will do a search on the Tube to see if they are still available over here.

It was fun being your LR this week.

- Jos

[yowhatsshakin]

Andy Schleck is just past the 2nd timing point and has lost 1'42" on Evans, which means he is now 44" behind in the general classification. While writing, Cadel just finished only 7" behind the fastest time so far with only the Schleck brothers still to come in. Philby IS going to have a good day!

- Jos