Jayco Bay Crits Classic Wrap

I was lucky enough to get to stage two and four of the 2012 Jayco Bay Crits Classic. This is an awesome series - showcasing some of the best scenery around Port Phillip Bay. In getting to these two stages I was able to witness first hand young 17yo Caleb Ewen set the series alight with two stage wins. His final kick was awesome to watch - Phil Liggett even remarked "this kid is as fast as Cavendish"!

The winners of the stages were Greg Henderson (state one), Caleb Ewen (stage two), Anthony Giacoppo (stage three), and Caleb Ewen (stage four). A keen cycling fan will notice that this list includes no riders from the new Green Edge outfit, who debuted at the Bay Crits. I know I for one, was expecting the Green Edge team to start filling their 2012 palmares for their new outfit but it wasn't to be! This was definitely a series for the amateures.

All in all, this was another successful Bay Crits series, with all races enjoying pretty decent crowds, except apparently for Portalington - must've been just a bit too far for Melbournites to travel to! Stage two in Geelong was contested in 40 - 45 degree heat. I've never witnessed such gruelling conditions, it was a credit to all who finished.

The womens races were just as exciting as the mens, with the female GreenEdge outfit outdoing their male teammates, taking home the overall yellow jersey (Melissa Hoskings) and the teams classification.

Highlight of the series for me was getting close enough to legend Robbie McEwen to give him a pat on the back and utter "well done Robbie". What a hero, 40 years old and still mixing it with the best! 

Keep an eye out for this weekends Nationals road race - we'll see just how well the GreenEdge boys can perform when the numbers are on their side! Watch it in Ballarat, or plant yourself on your couch and turn to SBS for full coverage!    

Final Results - General Classification

MENS

1. Allan DAVIS (Mitchelton Wines/Lowe Farms)
2. Caleb EWAN (NSWIS)
3. Anthony GIACOPPO (Bike Bug)
4. Bernie SULZBERGER (Urban Hotels)
5. Chris SUTTON (Urban Hotels)
6. Greg HENDERSON (Degani Bakery Cafe)
7. Leigh HOWARD (GreenEDGE)
8. Luke DURBRIDGE (Mitchelton Wines/Lowe Farms)
9. Nathan HAAS (Bike Bug)
10. Koen DE KORT (Urban Hotels)

WOMENS

1. Melissa HOSKINS (GreenEdge-AIS)
2. Amanda SPRATT (GreenEdge-AIS)
3. Chloe HOSKING (Total Rush/Hyster)
4. Rochelle GILMORE (BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team)
5. Jessie MACLEAN (GreenEdge-AIS)
6. Annette EDMONDSON (Pitcher Partners)
7. Tiffany CROMWELL (GreenEdge-AIS)
8. Loren ROWNEY (Total Rush/Hyster)
9. Shara GILLOW (GreenEdge-AIS)
10. Grace SULZBERGER (Jayco - AIS)

Is that Heinrich Haussler out in front?!

Allan Davis out in front with Caleb Ewen third

The GreenEdge lead out train on the second last lap

Matty Keenan with Caleb after his second stage win

The Jayco Podium Girls!

GreenEdge Director Andrew Ryan

The Womens winners

Allan Davis enjoying the victory - he funnily offered a swig to 17yo Caleb afterwards

The Mens winners

2011 - The Year That Was

It has been a massive year for Australian cycling, both internationally and in the domestic scene. In my last post for the year I thought I would offer some statistics that really put the years events into perspective:

• Of the 26 UCI World Ranked events, 5 of them were won by Australians
• Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the Tour de France. His wins at the Tirenno-Adriatico and the Tour de Romandie helped him to finish 2nd on the UCI world rankings, beaten only by Phillipe Gilbert (who had an outstanding season)
• In terms of country rankings in the UCI World Tour, Australia placed fourth (this is calculated by adding the individual points of a country's top five riders). This is a massive achievement, Australia finished ahead of many cycling powerhouses such as America, France, Britain and Germany
• At the World Championships Matthew Goss placed second, narrowly missing first place from Mark Cavendish. This means that in the last three years Australia has taken home 1st (Cadel Evans 2009), 3rd (Allan Davis 2010) and 2nd (Matthew Goss 2011). Never before has Australia experienced a time of such continued success on the world stage. 
• Australia lead the final medal tally at the 2011 UCI Track World Championships, taking home 8 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze
• Interest in cycling in Australia has boomed. The Tour de France gave SBS its highest viewer ratings of the year, in total, 5.37 million viewers tuned into watch the Tour De France nationally, up 33 per cent on 2010 which saw 4.03 million viewers tune in
• Over 1.2 million bikes were sold in Australia, outstripping car sales again
• The National Cycling Participation Survey found out that this year, more than 4 million people ride a bike each week, with Victoria the most active cycling state boasting 1.08 million weekly rides. 

This is just a snapshot of the situation in 2011, I'm sure I could easily triple the size of this list if I did a little more research! I know that womens professional cycling, our elite mountain bikers and our professional riders on the Aussie pro tour have all had bumper seasons also.

I look forward to following cycling, in all its different shapes and forms, in 2012 - and then writing about it! I also look forward to attempting to conquer my own cycling goals for 2012, which include competing in a mountain bike 24hour and winning a club road race! I also look forward to some new bike purchases which will hopefully take my riding to a new level. Happy New Years All!  

Green Edge Gets The Green Light

Australians will be cheering their very own cycling team during the 2012 UCI World Tour! Aussie entrepreneur and long-time cycling supporter, Gerry Ryan, and his right-hand man, Shayne Bannan, first conceived of an Australian team a few years ago, and now, after much planning and paperwork, their new team, GreenEdge, has been granted UCI World Tour status, which aside from everything else, gives the team automatic entry to the 2012 Tour de France.  

There has been talk of an Australian international cycling team for many years and there has even been a failed attempt, but according to everything I've read and seen, this is the real-deal. As we all know, teams can come and go very quickly, just look at HTC Highroad, so GreenEdge in it's current form, wont be around forever. It will change and evolve, obtain new sponsors and lose old ones, but two things we can be sure of is that they are the first Aussie team to be granted such a license, and that they will be a force to reckon with in 2012!

So far, the team looks to be set up very well. There is a state of the art training base in Italy, and their equipment looks top-notch, being provided by high profile sponsor Scott. Other major sponsors, SMS Santini, will be providing the team kit, and Subaru - the team cars.

And lets not forget the most important thing - the riders! I joined the GreenEdge email mailing list many months ago to keep up to date with their progress, so I was well informed of all of their signings as the media releases trickled out. With their finalised list of 30 riders being released in early December, it was clear to see that they have some real depth - with a sprinkling of star talent. This i not a team that will be contesting for Grand Tour victory any time soon - but team management have acknowledged that. It seems their focus for now will be the one-day races, and picking up as many victories as possible with their strong sprinters. Matt Goss, Allan Davis, Leigh Howard, Robbie McEwan etc. will surely bring them some early success.

Two major signings were Australian sprint legend Robbie McEwan and everyone's favourite, Stuart O'Grady. These guys will bring a wealth of knowledge to the young team. And it's great for them too, both have stated in interviews that riding in an Australian team was a dream of theirs, and now it is a dream that will be fulfilled in the twilight of their career.

The early support is palpable. As we all know - Australian cycling is growing enormously and all of the new fans that the sport picked up through Cadel's victory will now have a team to focus their support on. And their will be no shortage of support - the GreenEdge website crashed the day they made their memberships available!

The team will make their debut in the coming days at the Bay Criterium Classic, where they are sure to pick up some significant placings. I for one will be happy to be there on the sidelines to support our new team and to check out the new kit - witch will be unveiled for the Classic!

Book Reviews

Bill Strickland – Tour de Lance

Ok, I know I’m a bit late with this one, but I only recently finished reading it. According to the big bold letters on the front of the book, Tour de Lance is ‘The extraordinary story of Lance Armstrong’s fight to reclaim the Tour de France”. This is a bit of an exaggeration, it should have read ‘ Tour de Lance – An interesting account of the first year of Lance Armstrong’s return to international level competitive cycling’.

And indeed, it is interesting. Bill Strickland writes well – he should considering the fact he has edited one of the worlds most widely read cycling magazine (Bicycling) for many years. Bill gives an honest and, at times, heartfelt assessment of the return – and all of the factors surrounding the return (the training, the doping claims, the reasons for the comeback, the failure to win his eighth Tour,  and the people surrounding Lance that had an impact).

Lance is Bill’s hero, he makes no secret of this, he doesn’t want him to fail, he doesn’t want him to come back for the wrong reasons and he doesn’t want him to break his perfect record of seven TdF victories. Lance does fail, he does come back for questionable reasons, and he did break his perfect record by coming third in the 2009 TdF. Bills assessment of all of this is a fascinating read albeit if, at times, he sounds like a kid who has grown up and suddenly found out their childhood hero is flawed.  

The fight against cancer gets a big mention. The great work that the Livestrong foundation does and the hope that Lance gives to survivors and grieving family members is a recurring theme. Bill does this well – he speaks with everyone at races, from hardcore fans to hangers on who know nothing about the sport of cycling except for the name Lance. These encounters make you realize the far reaching impact of Lances work – both on and off the bike.

The doping also gets a big mention, how could it not? You can’t write a book about Lance Armstrong without devoting a large chunk of it to the allegations that have dogged Lance for the last 13 years. Bill remains impartial, but offers a good summary of the situation as it stood at the end of 2009. It is interesting to note that the since the release of Tour de Lance, Bill has officially jumped the fence and joined the long list of those who believe he is a cheat – I think the statements by all-round good guy George Hincapie were enough to sway him. I wonder if this admission has ended the friendship?!

For me, perhaps the most enjoyable aspects of this novel were the few pages here and there where Bill gets sidetracked. During his 25 years career he has amassed a formidable knowledge of international cycling competition and its main protagonists. As a cycling fan I found these little diversions entertaining, particularly the three-page account of the romantic tragedy that was the life of cycling legend Fausto Coppi, and the tales of some of the TdF’s most famous Lanterne Rouge’s who fought for the honour of last place. Concerning last place Bill writes the following – a quote I will not soon forget:

In the Tour de France, you can’t coast into last place; you have to tear yourself apart for the honour.   

 I liked this book – this is a pretty glowing review, I must admit. I never have been much of a critic. It is yet another novel about Lance Armstrong - one of our sports most interesting characters – but one that should perhaps sit closer to the top of the pile. 4 out of 5 stars!

Elizabeth Kreutz – Comeback 2.0 Up Close and Personal

During the 2009 season, the comeback season of Lance Armstrong, Lance gave unrestricted access to photographer Elizabeth Kreutz, to visually document his comeback. It’s a similar story to Bill Strickland and Tour de Lance really.

This is pretty much like every other sport coffee table book – minimal text and really beautiful pictures. It would be hard to stuff one of these up! The introduction by Lance is interesting and he offers captions for almost all the images, which is great for context.

You have to wonder if he had a big hand in the compilation of the book as it is strategically put together; it has Lance in training, Lance racing, Lance with celebrities, Lance campaigning for cancer and Lance speaking with government officials (there’s even a pic with K Rudd!). I guess it is a side effect of Lance’s spectacular, tumultuous and controversial career that we now question the motivations behind everything he does. 

I like Lance Armstrong, I think he is one of the biggest names in cycling, and international cycling would not be the same without him. Honestly, I think he probably did cheat, but it still takes an incredible athlete to achieve what he did (doper or not). I am a fan. Therefore, I enjoyed this book, and any fan would. It was particularly great to flip through it whilst reading Tour de Lance, as it provides the visuals for Bill Strickland’s account of the 2009 comeback. Again, 4 out of 5 stars.

Made in Australia? I Wish!

So I’m approaching that time that all bike enthusiasts day-dream about every day – the time to purchase a new bike. I have been making do on my aluminum frame Fuji for a long time, racing and training on the same bike, and it’s time to take the plunge and spend some serious money on a carbon frame. Hopefully it’ll make go a little faster!

I’ve been doing a lot of research to ensure I get something that is going to tick all the boxes – or as many of them as possible. One of the biggest boxes that I’d really like to tick is to buy Australian.

Manufacturing in this country is sadly dying. Our car industry has been downsized, many Ford plants have shut their doors, the textile industry is non-existent, even classic Aussie brands like Bonds have now gone offshore. Pretty much everything we buy these days has a Made in China label on it. And, this is now true for the cycling industry too.

The cycling market is dominated by the large Asian brands (Giant being one of the biggest – centered in Taiwan). However, what is interesting is that ownership of many of the big name cycling brands is still spread out throughout U.S.A., Europe, and the U.K.. Even though the parts and frames are manufactured and distributed in Asia, ownership of the brand has remained in the country of origin; for example, Trek remains an American stalwart, Bianchi, Colnago, De Rosa and Cinelli are still Italian owned, and Gitane remains French.

What’s my point? Cyclists living in Canada, America, Europe, Britain, and all over Asia can support home-grown brands – yet Aussies have no option.

The concept of a transportation machine consisting of two wheels put in line was pioneered by an eccentric German named Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbronn, who in 1817 created a prototype that consisted of two wooden wheels connected by a wooden bench that the rider straddled. In its current form, the bike has been around since 1885, when Bianchi pioneered the use of equal sized wheels and rubber tyres. So why, 126 years later, does a big name Australian-owned bicycle company not exist?

I can hear you screaming – “what about Malvern Star?” Well friends, Malvern Star, a great Aussie brand started on Glenferrie Road in Melbourne in 1902, became a wholly owned New Zealand brand as of 1 September 2011, when Pacific Brands sold it to the New Zealand based Sheppard Group.

So what do I do, frankly, I would love to buy a Malvern Star. Their new range competes with any of the big European or American brands, and I love the history associated with Malvern Star – their links to Aussie cycling legend Sir Hubert Opperman and I work on Glenferrie Road – not far from the brands humble beginnings back in 1902. But is this iconic Australian brand, now owned by the sheep-shaggers across the Tasman my only choice?

I’m aware of a few humble operations like Baum, that concentrate on bespoke frames and client specific set ups – but this is not a solution for the cash strapped enthusiast. These bikes are for those who consider the cost as irrelevant.

As an Australian, acutely aware of the downward spiral our manufacturing sector is riding at the moment, I want to buy Australian. I want to support an Australian company. And I’m astounded that there aren’t many options out there. I suspect that this situation has arisen because the cost of a wholly owned, manufactured and distributed Aussie bike brand is too expensive – because of high taxes, rates, wages etc. etc. And if this is correct – it is a sad state of affairs indeed.

Am I right? Are there other bike brands I’ve missed? What do you think I should do? Comment below!

Cycling Games

Many of you will remember the great little film a NYC resident named Casey Neistat made about his encounter with the NYPD who berated and then fined him for not cycling in the bike lane (which was blocked!).

Here it is if you haven’t see it:



Casey also has another little film about running:



I really love this film, I can relate to it. I run sometimes to vary my training but mostly, I cycle, and when I do I play the same sort of games in my head, I’m sure we all do. So I’m going to steal Casey’s idea and transpose it for me, and my cycling.

I love to cycle, to race, to commute, to train, to ride single track in the quiet bush, just me and the dirt and the trees. But before I ride, the games start in my head.

Is the weather ok? What is the wind doing? It's Melbourne, it's always windy. Have I got enough time? Is it worth it? Should I spend more time at home?

Housework. Friends. Fiancée. TV. Those jobs around the house that aren't going to finish themselves. Those unwashed dishes, that un-vacuumed floor.

What do I have to do today? Can I rock up in Lycra? Should I take a change of clothes? Will I be able to grab a shower? Will I be stinky? Can I fit everything I need in my back pockets?

How do I feel? Is my knee ok? Has yesterday's headache gone? That pain in my thigh - what is that? Do I feel strong? Do I feel fast?

Which bike? Is the bike ok? Is it clean, oiled, tight, stiff? Is it 100%?

And then I ride, and the real games begin...

How far will I go? Where will I go? Can I go further, faster, higher than yesterday, than last week, than ever before?

Catch that guy, pass those girls, hold that wheel, give that guy a spell. Roll a turn. Should I stick in this Peloton? That guy's fat - go around him. What's that smell? Man that's bad BO - go around him - quickly!

How fast can I get to work today? Can I beat yesterday's time? Have I got enough water? Have I got enough food? Gels, bars, fruit, nuts, jelly babies. Urrggh! I'm getting a burger after this!

How many kilometre's have I done? How many pedal revolutions have I done? What's my altitude? What's my power output? What's my heart rate? Is it too high? Is it too low?

Damn this rain. Why is the wind blowing? Why is it always a headwind? I hate you wind! I will not let you get to me. It's cold. It's hot. It's early. It's late.

How fast am I going? Can I go faster? Can I hold 35kph? The PRO's do an average of 40kph. How do they do that? Will I ever do that?

What's that bike? What's that jersey? My bike is better than that. That bike is awesome, I want it. My bike sux. No it doesn't.

Is my bike running ok? What's that noise? Why is the chain slipping? Which gear? Watch the road. Watch that pothole!

This hill never ends. This mountain is steep. My legs are screaming. Don't stop now. Just a bit further and I'm at the summit. Don't stop. Shut up legs. SHUT UP LEGS.

What's that car doing? Has she seen me? Are they turning? Where's the indicator? Red light. Green light. Amber - ride faster, I can make it!

It's time to race. Can I get a place today? Can I win? The pace is slow, should I try a breakaway? The pace is high, can I hold this? Should I sit at the back? What if i miss a break? Should I take a turn at the front? What if I crash and burn?

These are the games I play. The thoughts that run around in my head. In the end it all doesn't really matter - as long as I ride.

Random Acts of Snotting

Why do I have to be concerned about being sprayed in the face with bodily fluids when I go riding? More than a few times I've ended up with a face full of snot from the rider in front of me.

So what can I do, not much really I guess. The last guy that sprayed me with his discarded nasal fluid copped a verbal spray and then ate my dust.

But I shouldn't have been showered in snot in the first place!

When you want to blow your nose pull out a tissue from your back pocket - best solution. BUT, I know we all want to be PRO and imitate that thumb to nostril style professional cyclists do so well. I found it actually has a name ‘snot rocket’, go on follow the link and read all about it, if you can stomach it that is.

I also found this blog post that goes into much deeper detail about the causes, origins and idiosyncrasies of the snot rocket. I can’t write that much about it. My weak stomach is turning enough as it is. And here’s a pic of the action, sneakily appropriated from the ‘Mira Mesa Cycling Club Blog’ thanks be to them whoever they are!

So this is my plea – I know we cyclists don’t tend to carry around handkerchiefs, therefore, if you need to blow your nose, first take a look around and most importantly, behind you, and make sure it’s safe to do so. If it’s not safe drop to the back of the pack and ‘snot rocket’ to you hearts content. These suggestions go for spitting too!

We already are embarrassing enough with our loud lycra and our sweat – we don’t need to make things worse by spraying unwanted bodily fluids over each other!

That’s it - my pointers for on-road etiquette that I post here in the hope that we put an end to random acts of snotting.

Have charity events hijacked our sport?

The exponential growth of cycling in Australia has been undeniable. Cycling shops are springing up everywhere, the trails are busier, the club and Cycling Australia races have high levels of participation, and commuting by bike is becoming a recognised form of transport that a large proportion of Australians use daily to get to and from work. In short, more people are cycling more often. Along with this I have noticed the introduction of many new cycling charity rides.

I'm sure you have noticed it too. We've all seen the flyers and the ads online and in cycling magazines. You know the standard tag line: 'Get on your bike, get fit, get active, and raise money for (insert random charity name here)'. I've ridden a few of them in my time and I'm sure you have too.

Now, I'm not against charities and I'm not against public philanthropy for a good cause. In fact I think there needs to be more of it in Australia, we are lagging behind other countries (like the U.S.) in the public philanthropy stakes. There are certain charities close to my heart, and if I see a charity ride in their aid I'll happily fork out the cash.

I just find it hard to ignore the economic aspects of these events.

Essentially these events are money making activities, often not just for the charity. There are many organisations involved (commercial and non-profits) that have financial vested interests in these events; event organisation companies, public bodies and corporate sponsors - they all have a stake in the success or failure of any charity ride, and sometimes we are talking big money.

Some of the rides are even advertised on TV. TV advertising is very expensive, I should know, I work in Marcomms. Organisations do not outlay that sort of money for advertising unless the potential profits are sizable.

So - profits need to big (to ensure the charity is well looked after), plus event coordination costs need to be covered, then there's road-closure and event marshalling costs and advertising costs, and I'm sure there's other costs I am unaware of. All of this ads up and someone has to cover it, corporate sponsorship only goes so far.

Registration fees are where the bulk of the funds come from. Registration fees that cycling enthusiasts pay - to do a ride that, on any other day of the year, they could do for free. And these registration fees aren't cheap. For example, last weekend, you had the choice of four different charity rides. If you were to register for the longest ride option for all four of these events you would be up for $300 in fees. And most of the time there's not a lot in it for the cyclists as these events are not races sanctioned by CA, therefore there are no prizes for placings.

I'm concerned that we as cyclists are being taken advantage of with these sometimes expensive events. Do charities and event organisation companies see cyclists as cash cows? Are the $150 - $200 registration fees really justified? Perhaps they are just trying to cash in on the rapidly burgeoning popularity of our sport?

Don't think I am against raising money for good causes - it's not about that. Personally I think you have to make your own judgement call with these events. Obviously you can't compete in all of them, so you just do the ones that either interest you because of the route, or interest you because you support the charity involved. I think the Amy Gillett Foundation do a fantastic job and I am therefore happy to participate in at least one of their charity rides per year.

This is a phenomenon that is unique to our sport, apart from perhaps running, there are no other sports that feature so heavily in fundraising ventures - this fact in itself inspires debate. What are your thoughts? Comment below.

Friday Time Waster

Great video I caught recently from one of the many bike email lists I subscribe to, and I just had to re-post.

Watch it, get inspired, and use it to push you along as you head out this weekend!

Ride hard, or ride home. 

PUSH PULL from Landis Fields on Vimeo.

Guest Post: Riding in the SRAM Support Car

Last Saturday, Rob - a friend, was given the unique opportunity of riding in the SRAM car as the Jayco Herald Sun Tour made its way around the Mornington Peninsula. Thanks Rob for giving us this insight into the fast-paced world of support vehicles.

Words: Robert Merkel 

I wish I could tell you about my ringside viewing of the battle of Arthur's Seat. Haas and Bobridge trading blows, while up ahead Silin took his first pro stage win.

But that would be a fib. One brief glimpse out the rear window near the bottom of the climb - that's all I got. I didn't see the riders again until I jumped out of the car at the finish line. Nor did our friendly mechanics have any mechanical incidents to deal with; so I can't tell you just how fast they can change a wheel.

Nonetheless, it was a fascinating few minutes in the neutral support vehicle.

The first thing you notice when you jump in the car - after it stopped for all of a millisecond to pick us up - is that it's a busy, busy workplace. Race radio is constantly nattering away. "All back together". "112, 63, and 47 off the front". "Jerseys in the bunch". "Moto 2, follow the break". The driver listens carefully for any instructions to reposition himself, while the mechanic in the back seat is constantly noting down who's in the breakaway in the course "mocka" - a very detailed description of the route provided by the organizers. While we were able to have a brief chat at times, working in a support vehicle is certainly no holiday. It was clear that our hosts were pretty tired after four days of doing this.

I was interested to see how the neutral support car managed the profusion of possibly incompatible wheel standards. There's two different cassette standards (Campy and Shimano/SRAM), and two different types of braking surfaces (carbon and aluminium) that the neutral support car might have to deal with. If you think that's bad, a couple of years ago there would have also been Campy 10 speed to deal with, making six possible combinations!

To simplify this, the support car used older-style Zipp (owned by SRAM) clincher wheels with aluminium braking tracks, and borrowed a wheelset from the one team in the race using Campagnolo. Even so, the car was completely full of spare wheels; I had a rear wheel sitting on my lap. Disc brakes, if they ever bring them in for road bikes, are going to make things even more complicated!

While you see it on television and you get a bit of a sense if you descend yourself, it's still a shock just how fast the convoy has to drive to keep with (or ahead) of the pros on descents. The cars and drivers get a real workout at times, and it's a testament to the professionalism and experience of the drivers that there are so few accidents.

I've helped out backstage at a few amateur theatre events, and the parallels are clear. While it's the stars that make the show, without the dedication and skill of a lot of people doing their jobs properly, the stars won't get their chance. I'm very grateful to see how it's all done, even if, on the surface, not a lot happened.

I should also add that my prize included a very high-quality collection of loot from SRAM, including an Apex conversion kit. This rear derailleur lets you fit a mountain bike 11-32 cassette to a SRAM-equipped road bike, giving the kind of gearing that makes climbs like Mount Baw Baw or the Dargo hill doable without the expense and inconvenience of fitting a triple crank. I just wish Shimano made a similar derailleur for their road range.

Thanks to CyclingTips and SRAM for organizing this excellent prize.