Getting Back to Work! And a new Gran Fondo Giro d'Italia

Credit: Simon Wilkinson/SWPix.com
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My apologies for about being out of the loop the past three weeks. There was this event called the Tour de France that was occupying my attention! Being in California, I would record the each day's stage and then watch it throughout the day, sometimes catching the finish in the evening after starting in the morning! This was certainly a tour with lots of drama. There were times when I thought that Froome was going to lose the lead the next stage because his team looked weak. And then, boom, they bounce back. What I most enjoyed about this year's Tour was the emergence of a new group of fresh faces, untarnished by the past 10 to 15 years of drug use, who give us hope for some exciting races in the years ahead. 

Normally, I try to keep my opinions to myself but the news of the past three or four days has made me very incensed. I struggle to understand why, if we want to see the sport move forward, that we continue to give any time to confessed dopers. After all, these are people who knowingly cheated the sport for their own personal gain. In m opinion, we should just ignore every one of them and give them zero attention. One, after all, needs and thrives on the attention the press gives him. Even after his confession on Oprah, the cycling press continues to give him time. He doesn't deserve an inch of a column. And I've already said way too much. 

But the news today of the riders from the 1998 Tour should come as no surprise. What would come as a surprise would be those riders who actually raced clean! We'll never know who they were, if there were any, but it would be nice to know that there were some who tried to do it the right way - through hard work and persistence. After all, isn't that how we progress in the business world??

On a completely separate note, if you are in the Los Angeles area or intend to be in the area on November 3, I've got a new ride for you. Just announced this week, the Giro d'Italia organization is promoting a new gran fondo in Beverly Hills. It begins with an unforgettable start on Rodeo Drive with two spectacular and challenging courses (50 and 90 miles), a 2-day Expo in the heart of Beverly Canon Gardens and the most incredible Pasta Party ever in an award winning restaurant! Registration opened today, Wednesday, July 24. Get a 40% discount with the code BH2013 (valid ONLY until August 7). More details here!