Monthly Archives: March 2015

Tirreno-Adriatico Finish – Weather Protocol Situation?

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The stage finish from just a few minutes ago in the Tirreno-Adriatico was on a 16 km climb.  The announcers from Eurosport said the temperatures were -1C.  And it was misting on the climb, then turning to snow the last few kilometers.

I guess they needed to cancel the stage?  At least according to this “huge” problem that the sport seems to be having concerning weather and cycling.  Our, by our I mean here in the US, new riders group, ANAPRC would like that to be the case.  They suggest a +3C, plus snow, as a “plan B” switch.  Wonder what that would have been today.

Don’t worry, we have recently retired rider David Millar on point to figure this whole issue out for the riders.

My feelings, bike racing involves weather.  The sport is an outside sport.  Sure, it the organizers can avoid a complete tragedy by altering the course before the races, when the weather is extreme, they should.  But, they already do that.  Every once in while, it is just bad.  Bad luck, probably a little bad planning, etc.  In those instances, the riders themselves, or their team managers, can decide whether they should take the risks or just stop.  Some will, some won’t. That is how sport works in extreme conditions.

Fabian doesn’t like it again.  He isn’t too big on heat, or snow now.  Wonder what he’s going to say if it’s raining for Roubaix?  Maybe someone else will carry the torch then.  Danger is danger in my book.

I don’t understand how having specific rules in place can address each and every weather situation.  More rules, less sport, that’s the way I see it.

Nairo Quintana (Movistar), winning in the snow today.

Nairo Quintana (Movistar), winning in the snow today.

 

 

Water Wars

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I saw this Op-Ed a few days ago from a senior water scientist at the NASA jet Propulsion Lab who says that there is about one year of water left in the water storage system in California right now.

I knew that it has been a slim year for snow there, but didn’t realize January was the least amount of precipitation that has been recorded in California since they started keeping record in 1895.

This is bad.  I know this is also the situation in many areas of Texas.  Last time I rode by Lake Travis, near Austin, the docks were hanging vertical like ladders, not even close to touching any water.

We’ve been pulling water out of the Ogallala Aquifer, here in the midwest, way too fast too.  32% of the depletion of the aquifer during the 20th century happened in 7 recent years.  We’re draining it at record pace, using the water for agriculture, of course, but also for oil and coal extraction.

We’re not in such a dire state as they are in California, but we have our heads as buried in the sand as they do.

It think it is a given that the average citizen, especially in California, is very concerned about having a ample supply of clean water.  We are willing to do just about anything to assure that.

In California, they haven’t even established mandatory water rationing in most of the state. With less than a years worth of stored water available and they aren’t doing this?  It is completely crazy.

This isn’t a political issue.  It is an issue for everyone.  We need to figure out, throughout the United States, how to use our water wisely.  Maybe we should be building a ton more water pipelines instead of fighting about oil pipelines like Keystone.  I don’t know the answer.

I do know that our country can be very resilient  and cooperative when we feel it’s in everyone’s best interest.  We seem to be at odds over a lot of things right now.  This is a pretty simple situation.  We are running out of water where a lot of Americans call home.  There is very little water left, we need to use it more wisely.  And we need to address the problem very soon.

Jay Famiglietti, the author of the LA Times Op-Ed said it in a basic way – We’re not just up a creek without a paddle in California, we’re losing the creek too.

Mono Lake, outside Mammoth Lakes, CA. This is a picture for 2013. I went by this lake, everytime I've been to Mammoth, for years and years. This is so sad.

Mono Lake, outside Mammoth Lakes, CA. This is a picture from 2013. I gone by this lake, everytime I’ve been to Mammoth, for years and years. This is so sad.