So a couple days ago BSNYC introduced the chaos theory (also referred to as the butterfly effect) which I took one step further and hypothesized that his writing about it caused the Garmin double with Farrar and Dave Z. Now it would appear that in all the chaos that has been occurring in the pro peloton, Francesco Chicchi's (mispronounced Cheeky) sprint victory in the ATOC has caused the first Italian stage win in the Giro:
Back to the chaos that has rippled through the pro peloton; my heart sank when I read this. There is enough writing in all corners of the WWW that there is no need to summarizes the article. I'll just say this - it's depressing that he lied to everyone for four years, but if he's telling the truth now (which I believe he is) I hope the sport takes his allegations seriously and conducts proper investigations. Mr. Kucher is loving the fact that there have been references to his movie 'The Butterfly Effect' as well all the egg on our faces after Landis punk'd us.I guess the one good thing here is that the ESPN gadget on iGoogle had, for the first and probably only time ever, two stories covering cycling:
Sure, neither is good, but as the old saying goes, 'If you have nothing nice to say, become a journalist.'On America's west coast, Liquigas got another stage win with their young star Peter Sagan:
At first he gave credit to either his legs, the color combo of green and blue (long live the Hartford Whalers!), or the Canondale logo on his shorts. He quickly realized his gaff and paid tribute to those by whom he is paid:
The last bit of cycling I'll discuss today is the ATOC coverage. The website is amazing and has allowed me to pull double duty watching the Giro in the early afternoon and the ATOC each night. Check this though:
We don't have centuries only castles and palaces in America so the aerial coverage highlights oil fields, cows, and the always impressive junior college track. In addition to that, we as Americans have no problem renaming football and calling it soccer, but yet all the on-screen graphics for the ATOC have been in French. Does it make it more authentic to say étape instead of stage? I doubt it.With the weather being so crappy lately, I've taken to frequenting the breweries a bit more. Last night I enjoyed some weinerschnitzel (breaded, fried pork cutlet) and a couple beers at Klosterbräu.
Klosterbräu has been around brewing their signature beer, Schwärzla, for a mere 477 years, making it Bamberg's oldest brewery. The Schwärzla is very dark in color (as the name would imply) and has a nice, faint bitter aftertaste that reminds me a little of dark chocolate and maple syrup. Not the pancake syrup like Mrs. Butterworth, but real New England maple syrup.
Once I completed that glass (which was taken away very quickly, unusual for Germany) I ordered myself a delicious Braunbier (brown beer). This beer is amber in color and has a smooth flavor that tastes like greatness. When push comes to shove, Klosterbräu brews the best beer in town. 
As I sat there listening and watching, I think I saw the real difference between breweries in Germany and those in America. In Germany, the breweries have an atmosphere of community; they are a meeting place where you catch up with your friends and neighbors. In Franconia (northern Bavaria), there are two constants in every town larger than a couple hundred people: a church and a brewery. In America, the micro- and craft breweries have an atmosphere of enjoyment (and in some bad cases elitism). While enjoyment is not a bad atmosphere to nurture, it's not the same.Speaking of America, it seems that there are many people worried about their personal information on Facebook. I do not have an account, but my wife does and I read the website Lamebook so I see the crap people put on there. It doesn't make sense to me that people are so willing to share information concerning their bowel movements, possible STD infection, and disturbing stories of walking in on their parents after work activities, yet they are in a huff about protecting personal information. Here's an idea - instead of 'networking' with society over the internet (this blog excluded), get out and get involved in person.
As I slowly step down from my soapbox, I've decided to reduce the frequency of the DB podium to once a week, giving those who made amateur mistakes time to regroup as well as allowing more time for others to show their true colors. So I'll close this week with updated standings and a nice video for you to enjoy.
21 May DB Podium
1. Floyd
2. No Middle Name
3. Landis
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