Stage 16 - Dead Man's Ride

Quick thought for the day - Tyler Hamilton was riding a BMC bicycle when he was busted for drugs. Floyd Landis was riding a BMC bicycle when he was busted for drugs. Alexandre Vinokourov was riding a BMC bicycle when he was busted for drugs. What does all of this mean? I don't know. I'm just sayin'.


Darin was riding a Trek bicycle and Elvis was riding a Colnago bicycle as we put in 68 miles for today's stage of the 2007 50% of the Miles 100% of the Effort Tour de France Challenge. It was very windy again but that wasn't the worst of it. Due to summer being the road construction season in Wisconsin we found ourselves going around, through or over dug up roads, gravel roads, non-exsistent bridges and mud. As well as down the middle of a State Highway. At points during the ride we were forced off the road by a street sweeper and a dust control truck, which was watering a dirt road to keep the dust to a minimum. All that it did for us was to turn a dry roadway into a mudfest. One highway worker gave us some good route advice by telling us to detour through a cemetery. I must say, cemeteries have smooth roads, little traffic and lots of trees for shade and wind protection.

Darin sees dead people

An idea; why not stage criteriums in cemeteries? No traffic controls to worry about. A small donation to the church is better spent money than fees to municipalities. Good use of the otherwise dead wasted real estate. And as I said, nice roads in a park-like setting. Ideal for racers and fans alike.

Cemeteries and tombstones are a creation of man's ego. The desire to be remembered. The desire to leave some mark behind that proves you once walked the face of the earth. Yet these places are forgotten corners of our communities. Kids avoid them and only strange old men are willing to do the landscaping. Is there a better way to celebrate life than to race a bike surrounded by our ancestors? I think not.