Actually, I'd guess that most people on this board don't follow racing. I got interested during the 99 Tour de France -- because of Lance's story, the gorgeous scenery, and Phil & Paul's amusing coverage. And ogling 100 or so young guys with nice butts and legs is fun too. I really only pay attention to the "big names" and big races, so I'm not a true race fan. I'm totally bummed that George Hincapie is in the Vuelta and won't be at SF, but I guess the thrill of seeing Lance will make up for it. I like Roberto Heras, David Millar, Petacchi, hmmm who else?, at the Vuelta. I'm waiting to see Heras on Angliru again -- last year was awesome.

klr, I totally agree about Lance, his wife and Mom. Being Mrs. Lance Armstrong must be hard work.

Veronica, yeah you're right about the Delta, I'll try not to whine about the wind. I was thinking of a winery to winery bike ride in Napa . Just kidding, I can't drink and ride, but I can't believe how gorgeous it was up there on the Tour of Napa Valley -- I want to go back for more.

Oh, some lingo:
* Diablo is Mt. Diablo, in Contra Costa county
* the Delta is east of Antioch where the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers empty into the bay
* a stoker is the person on the back of a tandem (doing all the work )
* stroke is pedal stroke - you want to spin and not stomp the pedals
* STI is Shimano's integrated brake/shifter setup on road bikes
* friction vs index shifting - I'll refer you to this bike glossary for a better description than I can give. As Veronica mentions, friction shifting requires more skill on the part of the rider, but does reduce the derailleur problems that usually plague Shimano index shifting.

Well, I'm off to do some real work this afternoon.

Kim