This past week I was able to purchase a new Lap Top computer. Actually, the computer is new but I did not want you to get the wrong idea. This is the First Lap Top that I have ever owned. You know, that is not exactly the truth either, it is the second Lap Top that I have bought. The first one was some ten years ago and does not even count, sort of. But I digress.

The Student store at UCLA has academic discounts for students, faculty and staff. Taking advantage of this discount, I purchased an IBM T42 Monster Centrino Lap Top as well as a router. Getting all of the hardware running is always fun. The hardest part of it all was getting the router set up. The main problem was remembering what my log on name and passwords were for my internet server. Oh well. Once I remembered the passwords, the setup went smoothly.

Turning on the IBM T42 with its brilliant screen was a real treat. The most interesting part was seeing the little window on the bottom right hand side telling me that I had a signal on the WiFi Centrino connecting me to the internet. Just like that I was free of the desk and able to wander. The computer room has got to be the hottest room in the house so being able to move out of there during the heat of the day will be really great. Actually, I did not get the Lap Top to wander around the house even if this is a real benefit. The WiFi capability of the Monster will enable me to be up and running doing research while on campus. Both UCLA and USC have WiFi and internet access for Students and Staff. Getting the accounts and passwords are all that is necessary to really be productive. All I lack now is maybe a little portable Blue Tooth printer to make copies of articles or papers. I will have to see if I will really need to have a portable printer.

Free at last, free at last, thank God, I’m free at last. I waited a long time before jumping into the Lap Top frenzy. This is the perfect time for me to explore this. I will be keeping a little update going about all of the terrific things you can do with WiFi and this wireless technology. There is a lot of information on the Web about all of this and maybe I will be able to collect some references and links so that this technology is easier to access for you. I have to learn about it all and this process will be a good exercise to stimulate that learning.

So long from the desk of The Extremist. The Daily Blog still exits but is now on the back burner. I am playing with the idea of being a little more “out there” with the title of this Weblog. “The Daily Blog” sounded so dull. Let me know what you think about the new title. Who knows I may go back to using the old title. It just depends.

by AFP

Armstrong was not going to allow Simeoni to go anywhere unchallenged

It was meant to have been a day for the minnows in the 2004 Tour de France peloton to fight for the scraps. And whoever won the stage could steal some thunder from the Armstrongs and Ullrichs of the race.

But instead, the 166.5km stage 18 from Annemasse to Lons-le-Saunier became the platform for an ugly and bitter dispute between the biggest name in cycling, the overall race leader Lance Armstrong (U.S. Postal Service) and one of the lesser known names in the sport, Italian Filippo Simeoni (Domina Vacanze), who has won only seven races in his 11-year pro career.

For a race that is now 48 hours from reaching what is meant to be a celebratory run into Paris with Armstrong writing history as the first six-time winner, today’s incident left a sour taste.

by Graham Watson

Simeoni has a dig – and Armstrong was having none of it

The 32-year-old U.S. Postal captain, who leads the race by more than four minutes and has won four stages – five if you count his team time trial win – chased down the 32-year-old Domina Vacanze rider as he sought to join a break of six riders, hoping for a stage win.

For those unaware of the history between the Texan and the Italian, there seemed to be absolutely no reason why the yellow jersey would bother to chase down a rider placed 142nd, at 2:42.55.

Simeoni – who has given testimony against Dr. Michele Ferrari in the ongoing investigation into the controversial Italian sports doctor – has sued Armstrong for defamation for comments the Texan allegedly made questioning Simeoni’s honesty and good name.

And ever since the French newspaper L’Equipe published an interview with Simeoni in the first week of the Tour, in which the Italian voiced his ill feelings about Ferrari, a flare-up between the two riders was expected.

It finally came Friday, soon after Simeoni’s wheel went to the front of the pack at 32km and sped off in pursuit of an early break that included the two Spaniard’s who would fight out the stage, eventual winner Juan Miguel Mercado (Quick Step) and Vicente Garcia Acosta (Illes Balears).

Armstrong saw what Simeoni was doing, jumped onto his wheel and stayed there up until the pair joined the breakaway at 36km. Once there, they contributed to the pace setting and helped the break accrue a 1:50 lead at 40km.

Unwelcome company
Mercado said the arrival of the yellow jersey in the break was “bizarre” and he didn’t understand what was going on. It has been reported that at one point one of the breakaways, Spanish rider Juan Antonio Flecha (Fassa Bortolo) said to Simeoni: “What the hell are you doing? You know we won’t stay away with you.”

by AFP

Armstrong was not welcome in the break, but he wasn’t leaving until Simeoni did.

Spaniard Vicente Garcia-Acosta (Illes Baleares) spoke to Armstrong, asking him to do the breakaway a favor and leave them to fight for the stage victory. Armstrong accepted, but only if Simeoni left the break as well.

Several men in the break then asked Simeoni to leave, according to Sebastien Joly (Crédit Agricole), and the Italian had no choice but to forget his victory ambitions, and drop back to wait for the bunch.

by Graham Watson

With the Armstrong-Simeoni thing resolved, the break proceeds

“When he let go, Lance had the kindness to do the same thing,” Joly said.

Armstrong and Simeoni stayed with the break until the first sprint at 43km where the lead was 2:20. That was when Armstrong and Simeoni agreed to sit up and let the break race on to the finish.

by Graham Watson

We’d like to have been able to listen in on that chat

As they dropped off the back, it was clear that Armstrong and Simeoni shared some words, with the Texan even placing his right hand on the Italian’s left shoulder.

With 120km to go, attention for the remaining hours of racing was on what would be the fall-out of the incident: correctly, a bitter one.

Even U.S. Postal directeur sportif Johan Bruyneel, while aware of the reasons behind it, said he was unprepared for Armstrong’s antics. “It was something to do with what happened in the past. It was a surprise. It wasn’t planned,” he said on French television.

So, under a blanket of thick humidity and intrigue, the scene was set for a sensational finale – but sadly, for all the wrong reasons.

The breakaways rode on, relieved that they were left to fight out the stage among themselves. In the final 10km, there was a spree of attacks, resulting in just Mercado and Garcia Acosta remaining in front. With 5km to go their lead was only 25 seconds over four chasers. But it was a big enough gap to fend them off.

Garcia Acosta did much of the work, setting tempo over the last 2km, but he was robbed of a true chance to win when he had gear trouble and could not shift down to sprint.

by AFP

Mercado wins

But credit to Mercado with his timing to jump off Garcia Acosta’s wheel with 200m and win the stage. Mercado played his hand perfectly to come over the line just inches ahead of his 31-year-old rival, who has tried several attacks throughout the race and demonstrated his frustration by punching the air downwards as he crossed the line in second place.

The big topic of the day
Photos snapped and a stage winner determined, the press quickly turned its attention to the bigger story of the day, and that wasn’t to see who would win the bunch sprint for seventh place; but for Armstrong and Simeoni to explain their scrap.

Later reports said that Armstrong was “thanked” by many riders for his stand and that Simeoni was abused by some and left to slip to the back of the peloton for a lonely day in the saddle that left him on the verge of tears and quitting.

Both openly stated their cases after they crossed the finish line with the peloton 11:29 behind Mercado.

by Graham Watson

Armstrong awaits the peloton after snuffing Simeoni’s plans

Armstrong arrived in 74th place with teammates George Hincapie and Pavel Padrnos around him in support, while Simeoni was third last to finish the day in 145th.

Armstrong stood by his actions, claiming it was on behalf of all riders. “I was protecting the interests of the peloton. The other riders were very grateful,” he said.

“I followed Simeoni. He is not a rider the peloton wants to be in the front group. All he does is attack the peloton, says bad things about the other riders and group in general. When I came back I had a lot of people patting me on the back.

“Simeoni … it is a long history and (with) a guy like that, all he wants to do is to destroy cycling … to destroy the sport that pays him.

“For me that is not correct. And when back with the group I cannot say how many riders said: ‘Hey, chapeau … thank you very much.’

“They understand this is their job, they absolutely love it and are committed to it. And they don’t want somebody within their sport destroying it. For me it is no problem to go on the wheel, to follow the wheel. So….”

Simeoni must feel thankful that the Tour is nearly over. But the last two days will surely seem a lifetime as he takes on his life as an outcast. But he was clearly not afraid to say what he felt of Armstrong today.

by Graham Watson

Armstrong had the firepower to back up any threats

“He showed the whole world what type of person he is. I was the victim of a big injustice,” he said. “How can a champion like Armstrong not let a little rider like me get a little piece of the glory in the Tour de France. It is a sin.”

Wall of silence
Vincenzo Santoni, team manager of Simeoni’s Domina Vacanze team, was furious at the way his rider has been treated not only by Armstrong but other prominent members of the peloton.

Santoni told RAI TV: “The American (Armstrong) went to catch him and told him and the six leaders that if he (Simeoni) did not stop he would not let the breakaway continue.

“What is even worse was the insults that Simeoni had to take when he was rejoined by the peloton.”

Santoni said that Italian Daniele Nardello (T-Mobile) was among those who directed verbal abuse at Simeoni.

He also said that the team’s star sprinter, Mario Cipollini, who pulled out of the Tour early in the race, did not even want Simeoni on the squad.

“Simeoni wanted to quit,” said Santoni. “We had to plead with to stay in the race: he is someone who makes sacrifices for the team and that Cipollini, who joined the Tour run down and not bothered about the team, did not want on the team. Frankly, I wish Cipollini just stops riding – he has taken the team and the sponsors for a ride.”

Nardello denied insulting Simeoni although he conceded that the two had spoken.

“I have never insulted anyone in my whole career and I don’t think I have today,” he told RAI TV. “If I have today, then I am sorry.”

Results are posted.

By Rupert GuinnessSpecial to VeloNews
This report filed July 20, 2004

by AFP

Armstrong edges Basso for his second stage win and the yellow jerseyIt was an Armstrong kinda day….
It’s 35 years ago to the day that American Neil Armstrong took that small step that became a “giant leap for mankind,” becoming the first person to step on the Moon. And on Tuesday, with his 18th stage win in his Tour de France career, Lance Armstrong also took his own giant leap, moving closer to becoming the first man to win six Tours de France.
Victory in the 180.5km stage 15 from Valreas to Villard de Lans, which took the Tour into the Alps, was not really needed for Armstrong to claim the yellow leader’s jersey. That’s because the overnight race leader and French champion Thomas Voeckler (La Boulangere) slipped off the back and surrendered his slim 22-second lead on the Texan long before the exciting finale.
His 11-day reign in yellow came to an end with him placing 54th, 9:30 back. He is now eighth overall, 9:28 behind Armstrong.
“I am not disappointed,” Voeckler said after the finish. “I knew it would happen, even if I have gotten sort of used to wearing it. It was predicted I would lose it, but even earlier than I did. ”
Armstrong’s win over Italian Ivan Basso (CSC) and four others breakaways certainly helped stretch his smile.

by Casey B. Gibson

The Posties just keep on rollin’As he crossed the finish line after a double-fisted punch in the air, Armstrong’s grin was as bright as the hot beaming sun that greeted the riders on the first of three days in the Alps.
And it should have made Armstrong happy, considering it was his second stage victory in four days (including the rest day) and extended his overall lead on second-placed Basso by another eight seconds.
After beating Basso, Germans Jan Ullrich and Andreas Kloden (both T-Mobile) and American Levi Leipheimer (Rabobank) in that order, Armstrong could not hide his joy.
“There is something special about winning in a sprint. It is much more intense than being alone,” said Armstrong. “I can’t lie. It’s exciting to take the yellow jersey, whether its number 61 or however many. It is still a part of me that wants to ride up a legendary mountain to l’Alpe d’Huez in the yellow.”
With time bonuses up for grabs in the finish, there’s no question Armstrong was going to consider letting anyone else win either. He wanted the win as much for the 20-second winner’s bonus as he did for what it means.

by Casey B. Gibson

Armstrong on the descent”The group came back together so then there was the risk of the time bonuses. Sure, you could sit up and get fourth but why give away 20 seconds to your rivals,” he said.
“Johan was screaming in my ear that I had to win because of the time bonuses. Every second counts…. sorry, no pun intended,” he said, laughing at the coincident mention of his most recent autobiography.
In Wednesday’s stage 16 time trial, the 15.5km haul from Bourg d’Oisans to the summit of l’Alpe d’Huez, Armstrong will be the last of 157 riders to start, and he is very happy about that.
The U.S. Postal team leader is rightly still wary of Basso. As a new challenger, he still does not know the Italian’s potential, hence, Armstrong’s appreciation for also being the last to start the time trial, two minutes after Basso.
“I expect him to be strong.  He will be tough to beat. A lot of people expect that it won’t be close in the time trial. But he has done a lot of work on the Alpe,” said Armstrong. “I have the good fortune to be starting behind him.  I will have his time splits – which is a great advantage.”
Tuesday’s stage was far more aggressive than most of the peloton had bargained for after the rest day in Nimes.  And the result sheets showed the damage it caused.  Behind Armstrong’s group was a field that had been split into at least six groups, with the last rider coming in 35:25 behind him.
Although, if there were one rider who appeared calm throughout, it was Armstrong. The only real moments of strain and emotions he revealed came during his finishing sprint, which he began just before the left turn with about 250 meters to go.
The only challenge Armstrong faced before that was an attack by Ullrich six kilometers up the fourth of seven climbs, the 12km-long Cat. 1 Col de l’Echarasson. But with Ullrich starting the day at 7:01, that attack was as much a threat to anyone else aiming to get onto the podium as Armstrong.
At the time, Armstrong was in a group of about 20 riders that included Basso and had just been stretched by a surge from Ullrich’s T-Mobile team. The group was chasing 10 riders – one being Australian Stuart O’Grady (Cofidis) who led and was off on his own in pursuit of points at the second intermediate sprint, followed by nine others who were with O’Grady in the break that formed on the descent of the second climb, the Cat. 3 Cote du Puy St Martin at 40km.
To escape, Ullrich actually rode off from the front of the bunch in which Armstrong had been on the German’s wheel. He caught and passed all but two of the 10 riders in front of him – Frenchman Richard Virenque (Quick Step-Davitamon) and Dane Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) who were leading the race.
Ullrich’s move certainly didn’t rattle Armstrong, especially as he and Basso both had teammates who combined forces to reel in the German. There was Floyd Landis – later dubbed “player of the day” by Armstrong – and Jose Azevedo working for Armstrong; while Basso had Carlos Sastre and Jens Voigt, who dropped back from the original break when Ullrich made his attack.
“We were not very concerned. I knew the course very well. We did it a month ago at the Dauphine,” said Armstrong. “Really, there is no descent on that climb. Then there is a Cat. 3 climb (Col de Carri) that is not very steep. It is also easy for two teams to work together, which is what we saw. It was not really a threatening situation. Absolutely no problem.”
Nonetheless, Ullrich persevered and got a maximum of 55 seconds on Armstrong and Basso, before the gap started to come back down after the fifth climb, the Cat. 3 that Armstrong had rightly brushed off as not steep enough to make any impact.
Ullrich was finally caught at 152km, on the approach to the penultimate climb to the summit of the Col de Chalimont at 164km. Up front, Virenque was amassing more climbers’ points to extend his lead in the climbers’ category to 177 points against the 102 of his nearest rival, Armstrong. With those points accrued his mission for the day was over.
With 16km to go, the stage and yellow jersey now hung in the balance. It had already long claimed casualties with Voeckler and Spaniard Roberto Heras (Liberty Seguros) being dropped, and Iban Mayo (Euskaltel) not even starting. But all the final overall contenders were still around Armstrong.
The stage leaders, Virenque and Rasmussen, were brought back with 9.5km to go for the final climb up to Villard de Lans. Just before they were caught Leipheimer made a strong counterattack. “I felt strong and told my team director that I could win,” the Rabobank team leader said, “But Sastre and Landis were just too strong.” Also, Voigt, Azevedo and Kloden were all setting fearsome tempos at the front that finally split the group. Kloden’s was the decisive one, as it split the 10-strong group in half to set up the sprint that made it an Armstrong kinda day ….

Results are posted

Lance Armstrong is in the process of winning his sixth consecutive Tour de France Race. This has never been done before in the Tour’s history. Never! Many have tried and even the Greatest Cyclist of all time, the Great Eddy Merckx only managed to have five Tour de France victories.

I am thinking today about overcoming adversity and what it takes to make changes in how we live. All of us have challenges and goals. Some of us start later in life to really get down to doing the things that make a difference for our worlds. Many days I talk with friends who are struggling with accomplishing what they want out of life. Nothing worthwhile is easy. After all of the platitudes are spoken, hung on walls and glibly spoken to others, it takes real hard work to get these things done. That is what I have found to be true anyway.

Lance Armstrong, besides being the current greatest cyclist in the Tour de France, is a seven year cancer survivor and has started an organization, The Lance Armstrong Foundation, to promote wellness and healing among cancer patients. I was going to say cancer victims, but I don’t think that is how they would look at it. These people are overcomers. Looking at their web site a read their philosophy:

“The LAF believes that in your battle with cancer, knowledge is power and attitude is everything. From the moment of diagnosis, we provide the practical information and tools you need to live strong.”

To help support their efforts and to show support I have ordered Ten Yellow Wrist bands that are the Livestrong symbol.

Any one that wants one from me, just drop me a note and I will get it to you. When I think about these brave people fighting and struggling to “Livestrong”, I feel empowered to do the same even if my battle is not as great.

Here’s to you Lance and all the rest of the crew who “Livestrong”, cheers and keep up the fight.

By Rupert Guinness
Special to VeloNews
This report filed July 19, 2004

When Thomas Voeckler rode into the Tour de France yellow jersey 11 days ago, the 25-year-old Frenchman, with his beaming and infectious smile, brought a breath of fresh air into cycling that the sport has long needed.

by AFP

In an era that reeks of cynicism, commercialism and myriad on- and off-saddle scandals, Voeckler brought back to the Tour (and all those who love it) a much-needed and hefty dose of the romanticism that has drawn so many of us to cycling.

Voeckler, 25, has been modest yet understandably appreciative of his spell in the yellow jersey. He knows the Tour is like no other race, that the real struggle of a pro cyclist will still be his.

by Graham Watson

Voeckler’s remarkable Stage 13 fight to save his jersey earned him the respect of many.
“Without a doubt it will boost my career. Sporting wise it has helped me discover who I am, but I won’t change,” he said. “My strength is that I have no great weaknesses and my weakness is that I have no great strength. I realize I don’t have a huge motor. My results I get from my hunger and aggression.”

It is true that since Voeckler took the yellow jersey by slipping into an opportunistic breakaway on stage 5 to Chartres, he has proven to be a leader with heart. In fact, he has so much of it that many have since joked he can’t be really French.

They say he has too much guts and that he is willing to put everything on the line, as he did to win the French championship. As foreigners love to remind the French cycling fans, the last time one of theirs won the Tour was in 1985 when Bernard Hinault bagged his fifth Tour victory.

In fact, Voeckler’s upbringing is anything but typically Gallic. Born in the Alsatian town of Schiltigheim, he was actually raised in Martinique. There, his now deceased father taught Voeckler to sail, a sport the younger Voeckler grew to love. He even made several cross-Atlantic trips with his dad who was sadly lost at sea during one such solo voyage when Thomas was a teenager.

As a cyclist, Voeckler’s professional career began in 2001 when he signed with the Bonjour team of former French cyclist Jean-Rene Bernadau that today is Brioches La Boulangere.

Showing signs of a remarkable instinct for survival in that rookie year, Voeckler was the only member of the team to finish the Giro d’Italia — 135th, second-to-last, 2:54.07 behind the Italian winner Gilberto Simoni.

by Graham Watson

Voeckler has enjoyed his time in the yellow jersey
His career progressed last year with several wins, including the Tour of Luxembourg, but it really kicked in this season with wins at the Across Morbihan race, a mountain stage of the Route du Sud, and the French championship on June 27.

This week, there has been talk that the volcano in Martinique is about to erupt. Little wonder, considering the impact Voeckler’s successes have had in France and back home where the local tongue is Creole — a language Voeckler was more than happy to draw on when asked by French television for a message to those in Martinique.

Voeckler’s reign in yellow takes nothing away from the dominance of Lance Armstrong and his U.S. Postal teammates. He appears stronger than ever. They do too.

And judging by what we have seen — in the prologue, team time trial and Pyrénées — the Texan is destined to create history come the Tour’s finale in Paris on Sunday afternoon.

But in Voeckler’s defense of the yellow jersey we have been reminded of the weary and sometimes overused adage that dreams CAN come true.

He is not Armstrong. His La Boulangere team does not have the luster of the U.S. Postal Service. In the Tour, there could be no greater extremes of pedigree and collective might and power. But thanks to Voeckler, we have been reminded of how human beings — a single one or united as a team — can rise beyond their physical limits, whether they are limits set by others, themselves or even the environment around them.

True, Voeckler’s dig to the finish to La Mongie halfway up the fabled Col du Tourmalet last Thursday was impressive. He came in 3:59 behind Armstrong and a victorious Italian Ivan Basso (CSC). But I will never, ever forget the sight of Voeckler 24 hours later as he raced against the clock in those last few and steep kilometers up to the finish of Plateau de Beille.

There is the image of his steely blue eyes, his grimace of pain, the way he bit his bottom lip, and how his shoulders dipped to the left and then right, before, and finally, that smile we had all become accustomed to seeing and his clenched fist of triumph as he scraped through to finish with 22 seconds of his overall lead still intact.

It was sheer, unadulterated survival. So desperate was Voeckler’s fight, his life may well have depended on it. He was a veritable tiger on two wheels.

Armstrong had already dusted off Italian Ivan Basso (CSC) – and every rival in his wake. But as Voeckler continued his fight to reach the finish line before the credit of his 5:24 overnight overall lead on Armstrong expired, he was greeted by the masses as one who may have been a real danger to Armstrong’s sixth consecutive Tour victory.

This week as the Tour heads into the Alps and Armstrong continues to turn the screws, Voeckler may well fall back into the relative anonymity he came from. But that smile is one for the ages.