Oh, Lance Armstrong...

Remember when this guy used to be a badass?

Now Lance Armstrong has won as many Tour de Frances as me: none, after getting them stripped amid doping and drug allegations. If those weren't damning enough, and I think they were but the average American could probably care less, he then went on Oprah last night to admit he did all those horrible, no-good awful things that everyone else was doing at the time too.

Sportscenter then played highlights of the interview on a non-stop loop and people had to come to grips why they really give a crap about this guy and cycling. Okay he cheated, so did a lot of other cyclists. Do we have to freak out?

Well yeah. Here's why. Being in the public eye, Lance Armstrong didn't just deny the possibility of drug use or blood doping  He vehemently denied it and sued the pants off anyone who questions him. My good friend Curtis Campbell had this to say in a Facebook comment and I think it sums up this mess in about 140 characters...

You know, the doping thing is forgivable. But suing and ruining the lives of those who were telling the truth?!? It takes a special kind of scumbag to do something like that. He doesn't deserve to be ostracized because he's a cheater, he deserves to be because he's a horrible human being.

In the interview, Lance also read the definition of cheater and said he didn't cheat because he wasn't gaining an unfair advantage over everyone else. Apparently using PEDs or doping was as common as filling up your tires with air or taking a water bottle along. Thinking like this, I believe people would have been more than understanding of Lance had he not denied the truth for so long.

But he attacked his critics in a vain attempt to keep his image. A false attack. Lance Armstrong is a liar, which is worse than a cheater.

So instead of blowing this up in some controversy that rages on sports talk radio for years like Pete Rose or Barry Bonds - lets do what this guy deserves ... ask him to just go away, we don't care about him or cycling anymore.

Honey Badger socks

Around the Just South of North headquarters we're huge fans of the honey badger. During our editorial meetings the phrase, "honey badger don't care" is often thrown around.

Well now we've found some team socks that Brandon and I will certainly be wearing.

Check them out:
They are from DeFeet International and are awesome!

Here's the official description:

By now you've probably heard of the honey badger. If you haven't, search for the animal on youtube. Such an amazingly tough animal makes us want to award the nickname to our toughest athletes. Jens Voigt, for example. The German attacks his rivals incessantly. He seems practically unbothered by having to make tempo at the head of the field for hours on end. Voigt would crash, rise, crash, and rise again, only to resume the attacking when he regained the group.

Jens Voigt knows how to keep pushing himself.



"Honey badger don't care!"

Team HTC-Highroad to disband after season

This is some very unfortunate and sad news coming from the cycling world. Cycling team HTC-Highroads will be disbanding at the end of the season.

Top professional cycling team HTC-Highroad is folding after five years in the sport following an unsuccessful effort to secure a long-term sponsor.

Team owner Bob Stapleton announced the decision Thursday, urging riders such as 20-time Tour de France stage winner Mark Cavendish of Britain, top time trialist Tony Martin of Germany and up-and-coming American Tejay van Garderen to find new teams for 2012.

The American squad has been one of pro cycling’s most successful since it was formed, winning 484 races, including 54 grand tour stages.

Stapleton said the team’s “success has been based on our outstanding people” and he was making the decision to disband the team now so that they could find teams in 2012.

I hate to see any team disband but especially a extremely successful, American team.

New Team Garmin-Cervélo kit features return of argyle

Team Garmin-Cervélo unveiled their new Tour de France kit today.

And I love it.

I was very disappointed in their kits this season when they got rid of the argyle. You can't be the Argyle Armada without argyle!

But the Team Garmin-Cervélo 2011 Tour de France kit brings the argyle back! It also switches the dominate color from black to white on the jersey. Which will be much cooler for the hot weather of the Tour de France.


The new jersey and shorts retain the distinctive Garmin and Cervélo logos, but reverse white with black on the jersey. The signature Slipstream Sports argyle is prominently displayed.

“We’re really excited about the Tour de France kit,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports and Director Sportif, Team Garmin-Cervélo. “The lighter color is perfect for hot weather and our signature argyle is more prominent.”

This is the third time Castelli have introduced new clothing at the Tour de France. “We consider the Tour de France a very special event that deserves a special design,” said Steve Smith, Castelli Brand Manager.

“This team is rider-centric, and Castelli has done its part to make sure the riders have the most comfortable and technically advanced clothing for this big event. Racing in hot weather is physically demanding, that’s a given, and despite the fact that Castelli makes some of the lightest and coolest fabrics in existence, wearing a lighter colour will make a big difference, both psychologically and physically, to a rider’s well being,” explained Steve Smith.

Levi: A Documentary

Saw this over on Levi Leipheimer's site. I think it looks good. Worth checking out.

Coming in the fall of 2012.

This film will take its viewers on a journey through Levi Leipheimer’s rise from the mining town of Butte, Montana to the podium of the Tour de France.

Scheduled to debut during the 2012 GranFondo in Santa Rosa, CA. Sign up on our mailing list to be informed of DVD pre-sales and other film related information.

2011 Garmin-Cervélo team jersey design

Today Slipstream Sports, LLC released a sneak peak of Team Garmin-Cervélo jerseys. Earlier this year Team Garmin-Transitions and Cervélo SA joined forces for the 2011 season to create a new team that is known as Garmin-Cervélo.

Check out the team jersey:

What do you think of the new look?

I think the black is pretty cool. A much tougher look than the white of last year.

However I really hope that there is more argyle on the jersey than just the sleeve. The argyle is what really sets the Garmin jerseys apart from other cycling teams.

I guess we'll see once the team releases views of the full kit.

And here's what this year's jersey looked like in case you forgot:

Tyler Farrar interview in Portland

Tyler Farrar, of Wenatchee, Washington, was in Upper Echelon Fitness in Portland. Here's a video from the interview:

Farrar's season will start in January 2011 with the Tour Down Under. Which is the opening event of the 2011 ProTour season.

Farrar, who is with Garmin Transitions, was a stage winner in the Giro d'Italia and Spanish Vuelta last season. The event runs from Jan. 16-23.

Farrar joins Lance Armstrong in the field. The seven-time Tour de France winner will compete in the event for the third straight year.

The race will be Armstrong's last professional event outside the United States.