Sis, the Germany win at the World Cup was absolutely fantastic! I watched the replay of the game yesterday morning (3am was just too early for me) and was able to marvel at how the two teams played so hard to get the gold. But, in any sport there can only be one winner and Germany got all its stars aligned at the right place and right time! It was such a pleasure to see how in synch the German players were throughout the match. Excellent show of team work Germany!
I read a very interesting article about how the German team was able to acclimatise and recover well throughout the World Cup by spending time in Campo Bahia, a training camp located close to Rio de Janeiro. Campo Bahia gave the team a venue to continue their training in a beautiful environment and at the same time focus on the build up of the all important team spirit that was evident throughout all their matches. Check out the article on Campo Bahia
I appreciate football but ever since I started joining triathlons, I developed a keen interest in cycling events. As we all know, cycling is a third of the three disciplines one needs to train for in a triathlon. The Tour de France, one of the oldest and most prestigious of the world cycling events, is one that I had been following through the years.
Yesterday was a full-day of sports, World Cup finals in the morning and Stage 10 of the Tour de France at night. Yesterday's stage proved to be very memorable as one of the favorites to win the race, Alberto Contador, suffered a bad crash on a descent and had to bow out of the race because of a fractured tibia. This comes after an earlier crash by last year's Tour winner, Chris Froome, who fractured both his hands.
I am in awe of all the riders who have gathered enough experience and courage to join the Tour. All the riders have to contend with the ever-changing weather conditions, sunny one day and rainy the next. Throughout the race one is faced with brutal mountain climbs that are horrifically steep and then upon reaching the top of the climb a rider has to contend with narrow and windy roads on the way down (as they say what comes up, must come down!) which they need to ride as fast as they can, sometimes reaching speeds of over 100 kph. Can you imagine being on a bike that weighs less than 7 kgs. and going downhill in winding roads at over 100 kph? Scary thought! The Tour has become so popular, that fans all-over the world line the course at various locations. At times you can see over eager fans who cheer and give a pat to the rider as a sign of support, but this may prove to be detrimental at times as it may startle the rider unnecessarily. But despite all these circumstances, the riders with "nerves of steel" still continue to amaze us by joining the Tour. Kudos to all of you!!!
In addition to the live telecast of the Tour, I would suggest that you monitor the Tour website to appreciate the goings on of the race Tour de France 2014 . They have live commentary, maps, daily news, photos and videos, that make the Tour experience absolutely enjoyable!
Below are some info that may be of interest if you decide to follow this years Tour de France:
1. First Tour de France was held in 1903; primary purpose of the first tour was to sell more newspapers
2. First Tour had 5 stages vs. 21 stages in todays modern day Tours
3. A few riders in each team aim to win overall but there are three other competitions that draw riders: points, mountains and young riders
4. Overall (Individual) or general classification - riders' times are added so that the rider with the lowest aggregate time wins; the overall leader has the privilege to wear the yellow jersey
5. Mountains classification - points are given to the rider who is first to reach the top of each climb
6. Points classification - points are awarded to riders depending on the type of stage i.e. flat, mountain, etc.
7. Young rider classification - leader is determine the same way as general classification, but restricted to riders under the age of 26; the leader of this classification wears the white jersey
8. Since 1975 the race finish has been held at the Champs Elysees
9. Most stages are in mainland France but since 1960s the Tour has included stages in nearby countries i.e. Belgium, England, Germany
10. Youngest ever winner of the Tour - 19 yrs; oldest winner ever - 34 yrs.
I read a very interesting article about how the German team was able to acclimatise and recover well throughout the World Cup by spending time in Campo Bahia, a training camp located close to Rio de Janeiro. Campo Bahia gave the team a venue to continue their training in a beautiful environment and at the same time focus on the build up of the all important team spirit that was evident throughout all their matches. Check out the article on Campo Bahia
I appreciate football but ever since I started joining triathlons, I developed a keen interest in cycling events. As we all know, cycling is a third of the three disciplines one needs to train for in a triathlon. The Tour de France, one of the oldest and most prestigious of the world cycling events, is one that I had been following through the years.
Yesterday was a full-day of sports, World Cup finals in the morning and Stage 10 of the Tour de France at night. Yesterday's stage proved to be very memorable as one of the favorites to win the race, Alberto Contador, suffered a bad crash on a descent and had to bow out of the race because of a fractured tibia. This comes after an earlier crash by last year's Tour winner, Chris Froome, who fractured both his hands.
I am in awe of all the riders who have gathered enough experience and courage to join the Tour. All the riders have to contend with the ever-changing weather conditions, sunny one day and rainy the next. Throughout the race one is faced with brutal mountain climbs that are horrifically steep and then upon reaching the top of the climb a rider has to contend with narrow and windy roads on the way down (as they say what comes up, must come down!) which they need to ride as fast as they can, sometimes reaching speeds of over 100 kph. Can you imagine being on a bike that weighs less than 7 kgs. and going downhill in winding roads at over 100 kph? Scary thought! The Tour has become so popular, that fans all-over the world line the course at various locations. At times you can see over eager fans who cheer and give a pat to the rider as a sign of support, but this may prove to be detrimental at times as it may startle the rider unnecessarily. But despite all these circumstances, the riders with "nerves of steel" still continue to amaze us by joining the Tour. Kudos to all of you!!!
In addition to the live telecast of the Tour, I would suggest that you monitor the Tour website to appreciate the goings on of the race Tour de France 2014 . They have live commentary, maps, daily news, photos and videos, that make the Tour experience absolutely enjoyable!
Below are some info that may be of interest if you decide to follow this years Tour de France:
1. First Tour de France was held in 1903; primary purpose of the first tour was to sell more newspapers
2. First Tour had 5 stages vs. 21 stages in todays modern day Tours
3. A few riders in each team aim to win overall but there are three other competitions that draw riders: points, mountains and young riders
4. Overall (Individual) or general classification - riders' times are added so that the rider with the lowest aggregate time wins; the overall leader has the privilege to wear the yellow jersey
5. Mountains classification - points are given to the rider who is first to reach the top of each climb
6. Points classification - points are awarded to riders depending on the type of stage i.e. flat, mountain, etc.
7. Young rider classification - leader is determine the same way as general classification, but restricted to riders under the age of 26; the leader of this classification wears the white jersey
8. Since 1975 the race finish has been held at the Champs Elysees
9. Most stages are in mainland France but since 1960s the Tour has included stages in nearby countries i.e. Belgium, England, Germany
10. Youngest ever winner of the Tour - 19 yrs; oldest winner ever - 34 yrs.
