Tour de France champ Cadel Evans to race in USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado

Cadel Evans

Maybe it’s time to start calling the upcoming USA Pro Cycling Challenge the “Tour de France West.” After all, the news that Tour champ Cadel Evans would compete in the Colorado stage race means the entire podium from the tour — brothers Andy and Frank Schleck committed to race earlier this week — will compete in the race that runs Aug. 22-28 .

Here’s what today’s story in the Denver Post said about Evans, as well as the odds that Alberto Contador might join them. Learn more about the Schlecks’ decision to race here.

Want to attend the USA Pro Cycling Challenge? Find out the route, see what jerseys its leaders will wear and more at the race’s official website.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on the Tour and more adventures.

Ouch: Crash ends ‘Pastranathon’ at X Games before it had a chance to start

This wasn’t what Travis Pastrana had in mind. The superstar crashed twice Thursday night at X Games 17 in Moto X Best Trick, breaking his foot AND ankle. So much for what he was calling a ‘Pastranathon’ this weekend between his X Games competition and NASCAR debut on Saturday.

Amazingly, Travis felt the need to apologize to the fans. See what he said and get the rest of Day 1 results at ESPN.

THURSDAY, AUG. 28

Today marks the start of X Games 17 in Los Angeles.

That means you can expect the usual outrageous creativity, tricks and athleticism to dominate the airwaves this weekend. How much can you watch? A lot, according to ESPN, which says “ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will offer 25 hours of live, HD programming from X Games 17. ESPN3.com will simulcast 23 hours and ESPN 3D will telecast 21 hours of live X Games coverage.” Sounds like enough to us.

All the big stars are competing, including Travis Pastrana and Kyle Loza in Moto X, Jake Brown in Skateboarding Big Air, Nyjah Huston and Ryan Sheckler in Skateboard Street.

We have the complete schedule here, but some daily highlights include:

• Thursday: BMX Freestyle Park Elimination, Skateboard Park Elimination, Moto X Step Up, Best Whip, Best Trick, BMX Freestyle Big Air
• Friday: Skateboard Street Women’s, Moto X Free Style, Skateboard Big Air
• Saturday: Rally Car Racing, Skateboard Street Final, Moto X Speed & Style, Skateboard Vert
• Sunday: RallyCross, BMX Freestyle Street, Skateboard Game of SK8

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on the Tour and more adventures.

Andy and Frank Schleck headed to Colorado for USA Pro Cycling Challenge

Two of the biggest names in cycling, Andy and Frank Schleck,  appear to be headed to Colorado for USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

Check out this story from the Denver Post about the two coming to the race, which runs from Aug. 22-28, starting in Colorado Springs and ending in Denver. The brothers just finished second and third at the Tour de France behind Cadel Evans.

Learn more about USA Pro Cycling Challenge, from the route to the jerseys, at the race’s official website.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on the Tour and more adventures.

Dave Treadway’s excellent mountain bike adventure

An old cabin Dave found on a ride.

Dave Treadway may be best known for flying off cliffs and skiing the steeps with the greatest of ease. But when warmer weather comes, he likes to get on his  mountain bike and explore the backcountry. Since we can’t all ride with him (would we even be able to keep up?), here’s a look at some of the cool photos and a video he saw from his two-wheeled vantage point.

Looking for great mountain bike rides? Check out these links:

• Top 10 Mountain Bike Tours in North America.
• Maps, photos and more for mountain biking in the northeast.
• Mountain biking in Colorado and California.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on the Tour and more adventures.

It’s official: Cadel Evans wins the Tour de France

After three days of high drama, the  Tour de France finished its 2011 edition with the usual uneventful ride into Paris. Uneventful, that is, for everyone but  Cadel Evans, whose stirring time-trial on Saturday vaulted him into the yellow jersey, making him the first Australian to win biking’s biggest prize. Evans’ biggest challenge might have been balancing his champagne glass as the Peleton cruised into the City of Light. As expected, Andy (2nd) and Frank Schleck (3rd) became the first brothers to grace the podium together.

There were some other titles to hand out as well: Sammy Sanchez was King of the Mountains, sprinter supreme Mark Cavendish earned the green jersey for most points, Pierre Rolland won the best young rider competition and Team Garmin-Cervelo was tops among teams.

Read more at the Tour de France website, including the overall standings.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on the Tour and more adventures.

Cadel Evans outclasses Andy Schleck in time trial to secure first Tour de France victory for Australia

On Friday Andy Schleck said the yellow jersey would “give him wings” in Saturday’s time trial in Grenoble. Perhaps, but it didn’t give him enough speed in Stage 20 of the Tour de France to hold off a hard-charging Cadel Evans, whose stirring ride catapulted him into the yellow jersey and will make him the first Australian to win biking’s biggest prize when it concludes Sunday in Paris.

Evans started the day 57 seconds behind Andy Schleck , but his strong effort in the time trial (second overall on the day behind Tony Martin) put him in the lead by more than 90 seconds over Schleck, who will finish the Tour in second place, followed by his brother Frank Schleck. Defending champion Alberto Contador finished third in the time trial, but it was not enough to lift him on the podium. Instead, he will finish fifth behind the gritty Frenchman, Thomas Voeckler.

Read more at the Tour de France website, including the details of today’s stage and the overall standings.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on the Tour and more adventures.

Contador attacks, but Andy Schleck scales to the top of Tour de France

Alberto Contador

On Thursday Andy Schleck went on the attack, in Friday’s Stage 19 of the Tour de France defending champion Alberto Contador tried the same strategy. While he did gain time on all of the riders ahead of him, Contador didn’t win the stage (trailing France’s Pierre Rolland and Spaniard Sammy Sanchez) and didn’t prevent Andy Schleck from taking the yellow jersey. Contador still trails the leader by nearly 4 minutes the day before Stage 20’s critical time trial.

Even better for Andy, his teammate and brother Frank is now in second place in the overall standings, trailed by Australian Cadel Evans. Although the gritty leader Thomas Voeckler finally fell out of first place, he continued his heroic riding in the stage that rose to its usual raucous finish at Alpe d’Huez.

Read more at the Tour de France website, including the details of today’s stage and the overall standings.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on the Tour and more adventures.

Andy Schleck’s big move helps him close in on Tour De France lead

Andy Schleck

Andy Schleck went for all the marbles on Thursday in Stage 18 of the Tour de France. While he didn’t secure the yellow jersey by winning the the Tour’s highest finish ever at Galibier Serre-Chevalier, he might have taken the big step necessary to clinch the overall win.

Schleck made his move on the second climb of the day. It left Spaniards Sammy Sanchez and Alberto Contador, as well as his brother Frank and Cadel Evans, in the dust. Although the gritty leader Thomas Voeckler finished close enough to keep the yellow jersey, Andy Schleck is second and seems poised to take over the lead in Friday’s stage, which includes the famous finish at Alpe d’Huez.

Read more at the Tour de France website, including the details of today’s stage and the overall standings.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on the Tour and more adventures.

Evans, Contador, Schleck edge closer to lead in Tour de France

Once again, the winners were less interesting than those who followed in Stage 17 of the Tour de France on Wednesday. That’s because everyone farther back keep inching up on the leader — but couldn’t separate from each other.

Young Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen won the stage, but the drama came when Spaniards Sammy Sanchez and Alberto Contador tried again to crack the Schleck brothers and Cadel Evans with a late breakaway. Try as the two might,  however, there were no changes in the leaderboard. And even though Thomas Voeckler has said he won’t remain in the yellow jersey, there he is again at the end of this stage. All of which will make Stage 18 , which will have the Tour’s highest finish ever when it reaches Galibier Serre-Chevalier after three climbs, a big newsmaker.

Read more at the Tour de France website, including the details of today’s stage and the overall standings.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on the Tour and more adventures.

Hushovd wins Stage 16 but Contador, Evans take time away from Schleck brothers

Cadel Evans

Thor Hushovd deserves acclaim for winning a rainy Stage 16 in the Tour de France on Tuesday in a clever sprint finish in Gap. But the big news came farther back in the race, where Alberto Contador cracked the Schleck brothers with a late climb and Cadel Evans took advantage of the same attack to put time into the Schlecks and Contador. 

The stage result leaves Thomas Voeckler in the yellow jersey for perhaps the last day, while moving Evans into second place four seconds ahead of Andy Schleck. And while Contador remains 3 minutes and 42 seconds out of first, the Spaniard is clearly a huge threat in the Alps stages ahead. Stage 17, which winds into Italy on Wednesday, should prove highly entertaining.

Read more at the Tour de France website, including the details of today’s stage and the overall standings.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on the Tour and more adventures.