Gila Weekend Edition

Levi Leipheimer, leader of the Tour of the Gila, won yesterday’s time trial, scorching the course with a 32:59 record time. And another member of the Team Mellow Johnny’s squad wound up on the podium in third. That would be the proprietor of TMJ’s, one Mr. Lance Armstrong, who is sitting in fourth in the general classification. Slim pickins for any news of Floyd Landis’ results from yesterday’s time trial at the Tour of the Gila: 52nd, at + 4:04, and is currently 57th in the GC.

Here’s a few links to stories from around the webosphere:

CyclingNews.com has Levi’s record-setting time trial covered. As does The Daily Peloton.

“I simply do my best,” commented a happy Leipheimer after the finish. “Yes, I am a specialist in this work, but that doesn’t mean that it is so easy. Having to climb the Little Burro Pass twice made it not so easy. A good test for the Tour of Italy anyway. It is always better to tune-up your time trial skills in a race.”

BikeRadar.com has results down to fifth place for both the time trial and the GC. Long-time cycling fans will recognize the last name of Peter Stetina, who is sitting in second for the GC and was fifth in yesterday’s time trial. Could he the progeny of one of the cycling Stetinas from way back when? Hmm. Enquiring minds may need to do a little research. [Update: Yes, young Stetina is indeed the son of Dale and nephew of Wayne, as Euro Peloton notes in this blog post.]

Local paper the Silver City Sun-News expects large crowds for today’s criterium race.

RTE Sports notes Lance Armstrong’s podium finish, quoting the seven-time Tour winner:

‘It was a tough course, deceivingly hard,’ [Armstrong] said.

‘There were a lot of false flats out there with a combination of hills, wind and altitude.

‘I think I buried myself in parts and couldn’t bring it back because of the altitude, but the ride was not so bad all things considered.’

Billy Witz, of The New York Times, spins a story that LA is a tad bit nervous about today’s criterium.

Armstrong would like to get to the front, where there is more space, and he hopes the hills will thin the men’s field of 168 riders. But he said he was fearful of another accident.

“That’s probably the one that makes me the most nervous,” said Armstrong, who was third Friday. “With the injury and that style of racing, obviously, it’s faster and more aggressive and typically would have more mishaps.”

Rant’s keys to successful crit racing:

1. Stay at the front
2. The corollary to #1: Stay away from the back of the pack.
3. Even the middle of the pack can be a dangerous place, stay away
4. Avoid crashes
5. Be fearless
6. Out of that last corner, sprint like you stole something

And if you’re a spectator, walk the course in the opposite direction that the race runs. That way you can see how the action plays out from around the course, rather than in one spot.

More later, as time permits. Right now, a sunny day and a bike beckons…