I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before. I had mighty plans for a cable channel for enduro sports. The better option would be to assemble a production company to record cycling events to not broadcast on the web, but to make available for download through itunes. That way you could bypass the complications of broadcasting –you wouldn’t be beholden to any TV outlets for air time and webwise you could bypass the bandwidth problems of streaming. Give it a couple of years to develop, and you eventually make deals to offer the Tours and Classics for download – adding another revenue stream for those races to diversify with.

@##=#<3,r>@##=#Apple already has the web infrastructure, and a production company isn’t impossible to assemble by any means. The money you save on broadcast complications, you could spend on the production itself – and get a helo for every race. NYVelocity media! I’m available for commentary. Can someone get me a meeting with Apple?

So, let’s get to the race today, a long circuit race. Lets’ go Euro and call it a Kermesse – what the hell.

Four guys are up the road, and are virtual leaders of the race: Olsen, Chadwick, Frattini, and Zwizanski. Now or never time for these teams.

And now the last Clif Bars skit, Ed Beamon and Glen Chadwick are there. I have nothing left to say.

Frattini gets a wheel change at the front. The Saunier car comes up and says that Ricco wants him to wait for him.

Frattini makes it back to the break with some savvy car riding.

Mark McCormack is having his heart rate broadcast today. His monitor can also tune in to Paul Harvey.

The four are still away, looks we’re doing the race radio mambo. Listen to your DS coxswain, bring them back slow, and then set up for a sprint. As if being a breakaway specialist wasn’t hard enough.

@##=#<1,L>@##=#Zwizanski is riding one of those fade challenged Merckxs. Those bikes are the perfect storm of sponsor color madness.

2 minutes to the break. Seems likes they are going to catch them for a sprint. Haedo seems pretty unbeatable lately.

Floyd has this race wrapped up; in fact he’s begun tanning hides in the peloton.

Oof, this is a dull one. 1:20 to the break. Can someone just jump off the pack? Please?

Let’s start the post race interviews now, shall we?

Floyd, “I’m just glad to have this race over before planting season.”

Levi, “If I put on a toupee, will you interview me?”

Hincapie, “Lance retired six months ago.”

Mark McCormack, “Make this quick, I’m late for bingo.”

Briske, “When does the race start?”

They are still riding at the front. Bob just mentioned Vino’s TDF attack, I can’t wait to see Vino in this year’s Tour. If Vino was here he’d attack the camera motos.

I’ve just added “Vino” to my dictionary in Word, for use later in the year. “Thor” made it long ago. THOR WILL SMASH! That one’s for the kids…

An attack at the front from the break, Zwizanski goes – what the hell? He’s got nothing to lose; maybe the TVs aren’t working in the team cars.

And he’s caught like pink eye. Here comes the field.

All together now.

Hincapie in a split off the front. He pushes the pace at the front. All together again.

This is going to be a 4 mile leadout, which we won’t see develop or finish.

McCormack’s hr is 147; it jumped to 155 when he had to yell at those kids to get off his yard.

There’s the camera shot of the back of the pack, the finish must be getting close.

@##=#<2,r>@##=#Paul just quoted “The charge of the light brigade”, all of California just looked at the TV like a dog at a radio.

Pollack wins. Looked like an exciting sprint. Haedo almost got a barrier sandwich, I think. NOT THAT WE COULD SEE IT.

Podium stuff, big crowd at the presentation. Show those shots to ESPN, please. Maybe we could pre-empt Bass Fishing next year?

THERE’S A GODDAMN HELO SHOT OF THE SPRINT!!! They wait until the last minute of the last stage to show it?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!

Now, eight stages into the race we can finally break down a sprint:

Haedo came out of no where to jump the T-Mobile train on the right. Two more feet and he would have had it. That man is fast! Pollack did try to “nudge” him into the barriers a little, but nothing illegal.

So, did they have helo shots all along and they just didn’t show them to us? Did they forget? Why spend the money to have the helos and not use the footage until the closing credits? My head is about to explode!