Pedal Dancer®

30 June 2011

Bernhard Eisel is a good choice. He is an experienced professional cyclist but is also quite funny and likes to have fun. He is 30-years old, from Voitsberg, Austria. He considered himself a sprinter, until Mark Cavendish (a very close friend) showed up on the scene. Now he proudly considers himself a lead-out man and leader of men. Bernhard Eisel is class. He speaks 5 languages including excellent English in an Austrian accent with a twinge of Australian (he learned from his teammates).

What I noticed most about Bernhard Eisel at the Tour of California is that the other riders genuinely like being around him, no matter what team they are on or what country they are from. There are a few riders that the peloton simply enjoys and Bernhard Eisel is one of them. His nickname is Bernie.

Following Wouter Weylandt's tragic death at the Giro d'Italia this year when so many riders spoke up to say what an admirable and funny human being he was, it made me reflect over the fact that there is much more behind the grimaced face of a pro cyclist than a race report can convey. I am very happy to see more of the human side of the riders. If we can't see them suffer in the way that we as amateurs would appear to suffer on a climb, we might as well see them having fun as we do off the bike!

Breaking news - Wednesday June 29, 2011 12:56
Ed in LA :

Neal, who will be your subject for the daily tour diary this year?
Neal Rogers:

Hi Ed, I won't be covering the Tour this year (I'm sitting this one out, enjoying summer in Colorado.) But we have lined up a daily video diary with HTC-Highroad's Bernhard Eisel, a very witty and classy rider and one of Mark Cavendish's main lead-out men.

HTC-Highroad’s Bernie Eisel to do daily video diaries from the 2011 Tour de France Breakfast with Bernie And now, thank you for an excuse to share all my recent photographs of one of my favorite pro cyclists Bernie Eisel. All photos below by PedalDancer.com:

Bernard Eisel in Claremont CA, 2011

Bernard Eisel in Solvang, CA, 2011

Fine pictures indeed, but I also like Bernie's philosophy on life. This statement is from his team profile page: Bernie enjoys wines of all colors and countries – providing it isn't thousands of miles from where he’s doing his quaffing. “I always try to drink wines from the place I’m in at the time, or close to there,“ he confirms. “I don’t see the point of sitting in a Paris brasserie and drinking a Chilean red wine.”

Quote: “something strange happens in every bike race you do”. ~ Bernhard Eisel. We are going to have some exciting unpredictable fun in France in 2011!

View the HTC Highroad team rider profile page for Bernhard Eisel's career highlights and stats. Bernhard Eisel also has a website: http://www.eisel.com/ (coming soon).
2011 Tour de France video series: Breakfast with Bernie (list of every stage video with Bernhard)
Bernhard Eisel Facebook page: Bernhard Eisel on Facebook
Bernhard Eisel - link to the orphanage he supports in Jakarta, Indonesia: Pa van der Steur Orphanage

Bernhard Eisel - did you know that Bernie rode the 2008 Tour de France with 2 fractured vertebrae. He won his first race at age 11 and was motivated to get into cycling by watching his older brother compete. Bernie likes to read, a lot, he also likes to talk, a lot, while riding a bike and chats constantly over the miles. In 2000 he broke his nose in 2 places and lost three teeth and was motivated to return to cycling by watching the Tour de France on TV. Since then he has competed in the Tour de France 8 times.

Post post update 07/03/11: Did Bernie Eisel finish after he crashed in Stage 2 of the 2011 TDF? Bernie is still in the race! Sunday, July 3, 2011 Bernie solos the Team Time Trial Wearing dossard #173 Bernhard Eisel is now in 173rd place in the GC today.

Post post update, 07/18/11: I have tuned in everyday to watch Breakfast with Bernie during the TDF, I was hoping VeloNews would loosen up and ask more interesting questions of Bernie, and they finally did at the very end for a satisfied fan. Bernie seems to be a a funny intelligent well rounded man, I would have liked to have heard a little less questioning of what will happen (always an unknown anyway) in the race, and a little more lifestyle stuff like his view on the new religious movement in Austria called Pastafarian, or if he liked the Basque sausages as well as the ones he can get in Austria. Or perhaps the worst thing he ever pulled out of a feed bag, or who has the most annoying pre-race rituals. But these answers will have to wait - until next year.

View more PedalDancer.com blog posts on Bernhard Eisel at:

30,000 views - The Men of the Peloton

The legs that powered the tour

Image of the Day: Bernie in Solvang

Quote of the Day: Nick Nuyens & Ted King

Talk about personality

Recommended Reading: They start young

An old but good one, video of Bernhard Eisel:

You know you are a TDF fan if

This video gets you really excited and you find yourself smiling

The Publicity Caravan at the Tour de France - oh the memories of fun!

39% of spectators come first and foremost to see the caravan

The publicity caravan in figures

A 20-km long parade

160 colourful and decorated vehicles

600 caravanists

33 brands represented

16 million gifts given away

45-minute long procession

12 members of the republican guard

4 traffic regulator motorcyclists

3 medical cars

€ 200,000 to € 500,000 investment for each advertiser

28 June 2011

Who is Škoda

A long term sponsor of the Tour de France

Škoda, is an automobile manufacturer based in the Czech Republic. Škoda is a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. Škoda took over the auto sponsorship of the Tour de France from FIAT in 2004. Skoda has also sponsored the white jersey of the Tour de France since 2004.

The history of the company has it's base in the love of a bicycle. In 1894 a 26-year-old bookseller living in Czechoslovakia was looking for some spare parts to repair his bicycle. Frustrated in not being able to find the parts he needed, Václav Klement began to manufacture his own parts, eventually going into business with Václav Laurin and expanding into motorcycle parts and then building trucks under the name of Laurin & Klement.

After WW I, Škoda Works, an established arms manufacturer since1859, acquired Laurin & Klement, and the company became the biggest industrial enterprise in Czechoslovakia. During the occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II, Škoda Works was part of Hermann Göring Werke serving the German World War II effort. After WW II, Škoda became part of the planned economy. The automobiles maintained their reputation into the 1960s, but by the 1980s became quite outdated. By 2000 Škoda gradually became 100% owned by the Volkswagen Group completing improvements in brand reputation and automobile models.

Oh how Skoda has grown!

In 2011 Škoda updated their company logo. This is the new look of Skoda.

This is the old familiar logo we became accustomed to seeing at the Tour de France since 2003/04.

Skoda and the White Jersey: The white jersey, for the best young rider under the age of 25, had been awarded intermittently since 1975. From 1968-1975 there was a white jersey, but the purpose was to award the combination classification rider (best rider in the overall, points and climbing competitions), not the youngest rider. Since 1975, 25 different riders have worn the white jersey, only 5 of them went on to win the yellow jersey. Here is a fact about the white jersey you may not know - in 1997 the official name of the best young riders jersey was changed to 'Souvenir Fabio Casartelli'.

Andy Schleck wore white
Geraint Thomas wore white
Thomas Voeckler wore white
Fabian Cancellara wore white

In 2010 Andy Schleck won the White jersey for the third year in a row. Andy Schleck turned 26-years old in June 2011. He is now out of eligibility for the white jersey in the 2011 Tour de France. The prize money for the winner of the white jersey is: € 20,000 (€ 66,500 in total). In French the term for the white jersey is Maillot Blanc. Nike makes the white jersey.

Who is eligible for the white jersey competition at the 2011 Tour de France? The contenders for the white jersey include these riders under the age of 25:

Robert Gesink (Rabobank, 25)
Roman Kreuziger (Astana, 25)
Rein Taaramae (Cofidis, 24)
Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-Highroad, 22)
Bauke Mollema (Rabobank, 24)
Rigoberto Uran (Team Sky, 24)
Jerome Coppel (Saur-Sojasun, 24)
Pierre Rolland (Team Europcar, 24)
Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil, 24)
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky, 24)
Ben Swift (Team Sky, 23)

I would like to thank Škoda for adding to my fan memorabilia over the years, the company is an exciting addition to the publicity caravan:

Karen at Pedal Dancer styling in Škoda fashion

Apparently Škoda has a rough and tumble job at the Tour de France

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNunotJ14o8

Recommended Viewing: The first American team at the Tour

The old 7-Eleven Team to be featured in a film

Last week, Gripped Films was in Colorado at Wheat Ridge Cyclery shooting interviews with the riders of the 1986 7-Eleven squad. It has been 25 years since this American team raced their first Tour de France. The film segment will be aired twice this Sunday, July 3 at 12:00 p.m. on NBC (MST), and again at 6:00 p.m. on Versus (MST).

Gripped Films will also be doing a daily behind the scenes segments at the 2011 Tour de France to enhance the race coverage by Versus TV. The pieces will air as part of the Versus Tour de France primetime coverage at 6:00 p.m. (MST). More information can be found at www.Versus.com and www.Grippedfilms.com

An old article on the 7-eleven racing team

27 June 2011

Quote of the Day: Mark Cavendish

"Said it Friday evening & I'll say it again, some of the nicest fans I've ever met up in Newcastle. Not 1 person treated me like a zoo animal" ~ MarkCavendish via Twitter

Strava Tour de France maps 2011

Maps of 2011 Tour de France Stage 1 through 21

For those who love maps, Strava has completed all 21 stage maps for the fans of the 2011 Tour de France. Each map includes: climb profile, distance, elevation, grade, and who owns the record for the fastest ride time. Special Features on the Strava maps include: viewed in english or metric measurements, zoom in for more detail or out to quickly see where the stage is located in the country of France. On the profile maps, place your cursor on any point to reveal more details. Tour de France Maps – Stage by Stage. All Strava route maps for the 2011 Tour de France (select the number tab at the top for each stage) or see below.

Strava is cool but I like the traditional layout of the maps provided by A.S.O on the official Le Tour website. I specifically enjoy the information provided under the tabs including detailed time schedule, road and town names. I also like to see the titles on the cols and climbs. I like the new sprint maps and details of where the feed stations and KOM points are located. I guess I just like tradition. (Video of the Route)

Now if you want full GPS tracking of your favorite riders you might want to go with NBC Sports Tour de France All Access. But it'll cost ya - $29.95

Stage 1 Tour de France Strava map - July 2, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 2 Tour de France Strava map - July 3, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 3 Tour de France Strava map - July 4, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 4 Tour de France Strava map - July 5, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 5 Tour de France Strava map - July 6, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 6 Tour de France Strava map - July 7, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 7 Tour de France Strava map - July 8, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 8 Tour de France Strava map - July 9, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 9 Tour de France Strava map - July 10, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Rest Day - July 11, 2011

Stage 10 Tour de France Strava map - July 12, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 11 Tour de France Strava map - July 13, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 12 Tour de France Strava map - July 14, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 13 Tour de France Strava map - July 15, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 14 Tour de France Strava map - July 16, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 15 Tour de France Strava map - July 17, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Rest Day - July 18, 2011

Stage 16 Tour de France Strava map - July 19, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 17 Tour de France Strava map - July 20, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 18 Tour de France Strava map - July 21, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 19 Tour de France Strava map - July 22, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 20 Tour de France Strava map - July 23, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

Stage 21 Tour de France Strava map - July 24, 2011 Le Tour de France Map

More route information at this previous PedalDancer.com post: Route of the 2011 Tour de France

The New 2011 National Champions of cycling

National Championship road and time trial for 2011

Update: Pedal Dancer: 2012 National Champions and their jerseys

This was an active week for cyclists racing on their home soil. The new 2011 National Road Championships took place in Belgium, Britain, France, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, German, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Switzerland. Just in time for the Tour de France (which begins July 2, 2011) a btach of new jerseys will have to be made for the latest victors.

It is exciting that Fabian Cancellara is now back to wearing both the Swiss National Champion Road jersey and the World Champion jersey at time trials. Also Bradley Wiggins now wears both the road and time trial National Champion jerseys for Great Britain. Nicki Sørensen successfully defended his 2010 Road Champion title, so did Matthew Brammeier, Giovanni Visconti, and Frank Schleck. Edvald Boasson Hagen and Luis León Sánchez both defended their 2010 time trial National Championships.

An updated list of who is now wearing their National Champion Cycling Jersey beginning this week!

American 2011 Road National Champion - Matthew Busche (Radioshack) [blog]
American 2011 Time Trial National Champion - David Zabriskie (Garmin-Cervelo)
(National Championships took place in May 2011)

Matthew Busche US National Road Champion 2011 Photo by PedalDancer.com/Sys

Australian 2011 Road National Champion - Travis Meyer (Garmin-Cervelo)
Australian 2011 Time Trial National Champion - Cameron Meyer (Garmin-Cervelo)
(National Championships took place in January 2011)

Belgian 2011 Road National Champion - Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto)
Belgian 2011 Time Trial National Champion - Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto)

British 2011 Road National Champion - Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky)
British 2010 Time Trial National Champion - Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky)
(The British 2011 Time Trial National Championships will be held September 4, 2011)

Denmark 2011 Road National Champion - Nicki Sørensen (Saxo Bank-Sungard)
Denmark 2011 Time Trial National Champion - Rasmus Quaade (Team Concordia Forsikring)

Sylvain Chavanel will be wearing this new jersey at the 2011 Tour de France

French 2011 Road National Champion - Sylvain Chavanel (Quickstep)
French 2011 Time Trial National Champion - Christophe Kern (Europecar)

German 2011 Road National Champion - Robert Wagner (Leopard Trek)
German 2011 Time Trial National Champion - Bert Grabsch (HTC-Highroad)

Irish 2011 Road National Champion - Matthew Brammeier (HTC-Highroad)
Irish 2011 Time Trial National Champion - Matthew Brammeier (HTC-Highroad)

Italian 2011 Road National Champion - Giovanni Visconti (Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli)
Italian 2011 Time Trial National Champion - Adriano Malori (Lampre-ISD)

Lithuanian 2011 Road National Champion - Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin-Cervelo)
Lithuanian 2011 Time Trial National Champion - Gediminas Bagdonas (an-Post Sean Kelly)

Luxembourg 2011 Road National Champion - Fränk Schleck (Leopard Trek)
Luxembourg 2011 Time Trial National Champion - Christian Poos (Team Differdange-Magic-Sportfood.de)

Netherlands 2011 Road National Champion - Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil-DCM)
Netherlands 2011 Time Trial National Champion - Stef Clement (Rabobank)

New Zealand 2011 Road National Champion - Hayden Roulston (HTC-Highroad)
New Zealand 2011 Time Trial National Champion - Westley Gough (Subway-Avanti)

Norway 2011 Road National Champion - Alexander Kristoff (BMC)
Norway 2011 Time Trial National Champion - Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky)

Spanish 2011 Road National Champion - José Joaquín Rojas (Movistar)
Spanish 2011 Time Trial National Champion - Luis León Sánchez (Rabobank)

Swiss 2011 Road National Champion - Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek)

Swiss 2011 Time Trial National Champion - Martin Kohler (BMC)

All 2011 national road cycling championships

Thor Hushovd wears the World Champion jersey Photo by PedalDancer.com

World Champion Road - Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo)
World Champion Time Trial - Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek)

(The next Cycling World Championships will be held on September 19 - 25 in Copenhagen in 2011, Limburg in 2012, Florence, Italy in 2013, and Ponferrada, Spain in 2014)

Update on the 2011 National Champions here: National championships round-up - we look at who in Europe gets new jerseys to wear

If you want to look back at who was wearing the National Championship jerseys in the first half of 2011, read this previous post by PedalDancer.com: Tuesday, March 29, 2011 National Champion Jerseys for 2010 / 2011

PEDAL DANCER GUIDE PAGES

30 June 2011

Recommended Reading & Viewing: The Tour de France is here

Rules of the Tour de France for 2011

Tour de France Start List and Champions

Updated Prize Money for the Tour de France

29 June 2011

Bernhard Eisel at the Tour de France