Ladies Tour of Qatar, Stage 1. Chloe Hosking of Hitec won it from a four-up break. Hosking, who rode for Specialized-lululemon in 2012, is new to Hitec, and is also studying journalism.

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Who is that masked man?

Yes, it gets cold in California. Once in a while.

Ivan Basso, Cannondale Camp, January 2013.

Now for something a little different from the Mid-Atlantic kids. Some bike racers - including Joe Dombrowski, Jeremiah Bishop, and Ben King - got together in a barn and made some music. Not only does Joe Dombrowski climb pretty fast, he apparently also plays a pretty mean fiddle. Thanks to Mark Blacknell for sending this one my way.

These downhill videos are like crack. Can’t. Stop. Watching. Also, OMIGOD THAT STAIRCASE YOU GUYS!

Review: Pactimo Women’s Designer Jersey and Shorts

Pactimo was born in a basement in 2003. The Colorado-based company has grown just a little since then, and they offer clothing for cycling, running, and triathlon. The company also does custom team orders.

The thing that stands out most about Pactimo clothing? The colors. Especially in the Women’s Designer line, Pactimo loves bold colors and intricate graphics. If black-and-white is not your thing, Pactimo has got you covered.

I had the chance to try out a jersey and shorts from the Designer line. I have long been a bibshort kind of girl, but if I were to have a conversion experience, these Pactimo shorts just might do it.

The colors look just as rich in person as online, the quality of the stitching and materials is high, and the fit is comfy.

Sizing

Pretty much the worse part of online ordering is guessing sizes. Is the little picture with the measurements correct? In the case of Pactimo, it is. I tested size medium in both shorts and jersey, and the measurements matched the size chart. No unwelcome surprises, there.

Women’s Designer Short

I switched to bibshorts early in my cycling life, due in part to an aversion to the binding feeling that shorts tend to have in the waist. It turns out the waistband on these shorts is the very best part. Okay, they look pretty nice, too.

But people! The waistband! Knowing that tight elastic on long bike rides is not a fun thing, Pactimo gave these shorts a smooth front like you might find on a nice pair of yoga pants. The elastic bits are in the back, and the shorts stay on, but they don’t bind.

I hear you, enough about the waistband. You get it, it’s comfortable. The Chamois! Tell us about the chamois!

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Armstrong and the USADA →

My turn to write about the Armstrong fandango.

Neil Browne: "Knowing What You Stand For" →

Having a high VO2 is something only a small percentage of the population has. Having the courage to do the right thing is in all of us. It doesn’t require human growth hormone or revitalized red blood cells. It requires knowing what you stand for.

Beautifully said.

The Giro d’Italia will announce its 2013 course on 30 September. We already know that the race includes a finish on the col du Galibier by way of the Télégraphe. In his announcement in Vegas, Michele Acquarone called this one “the king stage.” Which means, more harder mountain stages to come. The 96th edition of the Giro starts on 6 May in Napoli and finishes on 26 May.

Fun video from @LUNAbar about Georgia Gould, Katerina Nash and Catherine Pendrel. All three are headed to the London Olympics to play mountain bikes. Somewhat related? Georgia Gould repeated as U.S. national xc champion over the weekend. 

Podium Insight Interview with Cari Higgins, Giving Back →

Excellent interview from @podiuminsight with Cari Higgins, who runs the Exergy Jr. women’s team. It’s also a call to arms, because Higgins would like to see more top women serve as mentors for up-and-coming talents in the sport.

“There is such a bright with USA women’s cycling if and only if these girls don’t get lost, if they have mentors. And that is my challenge to every professional women cyclist is to take one of these girls under your wing…”

Really, go read the whole thing. Hopefully, as more U.S. women reach the elite levels of the sport, we’ll see more mentoring and more support for the juniors and U23s. For the women racers, I think it’s an especially difficult jump to get from the junior to the elite ranks sometimes. 

Also? It’s super awesome to have Lyne back writing.