a tragedy in italy

today the cycling world suffered a horrifying loss. wouter weylandt, a 26-year-old belgian cyclist, died during a descent in the third stage of the giro d'italia.

wouter just joined the schleck brothers' leopard-trek team at the beginning of the year. he spent most of his professional career with the quickstep team, and he was one of the most talented sprinters in the pro cycling world.

his death is particularly horrible because he leaves behind teammates, fans and his girlfriend - who is five months pregnant.

cycling is a dangerous sport. i watch it whenever i can, and i'm constantly squeezing my eyes shut as the cyclists peel down some of the highest mountains in the world with nothing between them and the pavement (or a ravine) but flimsy spandex. each death, when it happens is rare - but also profound. when andrei kivilev died during paris-nice, the uci (cycling's governing body) instituted a mandatory helmet rule.

but when you're traveling upwards of 70-80 mph down a mountain road that curls like a raging river, sometimes surrounded by other cyclists, hovering at the mercy of your milimeter-thin wheels - what can you do? what can we do as fans but love the sport for what it is? wouter died during one of the three Grand Tours (the other two are the vuelta a españa and of course the tour de france). in this sport there is no bigger stage, no better example of why we love it than the sight of a cyclist in a colorful jersey whipping down a mountain, for a moment like he is flying - hands in the air, victorious.

wouter was one of the best. he will be missed. and more importantly - remembered.

here's to alissa

alissa czisny won the u.s. national championships yesterday. she skated third-from last, in a virtual three-way tie with mirai nagasu and raechel flatt. her performance to "selections from winter into spring," by george winston, a graceful, quietly powerful piece of music that featured a single piano, perfectly showed off her elegance and maturity. she is coming off a major international win - the grand prix title, almost more impressive than the nationals win because it's against competitors around the world.

but what's even more special about alissa is her age: she's 23. she was competing against girls who were almost 10 years younger than her. most ladies in this sport peak early (sometimes too early - see caroline zhang), and lasting from one olympics to another is considered longevity.

but alissa is changing that. she is actually better now than she was as a teenager. as a person in my 20s, i am so happy for her. i have been watching skating almost my entire life - i remember thinking oksana baiul's pink costume at the 1994 lillehammer olympics was the prettiest dress i had ever seen. i have always loved skating, and not because of the jumps or the points. it's the artistry - the way skaters like alissa express themselves through their programs - that i love.

chalk one up for the 20-somethings.

making a fool of myself on ice

i bought skates over the weekend.

my old ones - which were used and lovely - floated away in the flood last year. sad. and though i'm afraid the really cold weather has left indiana for the year, i had to buy some skates, just in case.

i took lessons when i was younger. that doesn't mean i'm a good skater; it just means i can stay up (most of the time) and fake gracefulness.

i used to be mad at my mom that she didn't make me take more skating lessons. i remember watching gordeeva and grinkov - who remain my favorite skaters of all time - win the gold medal. i also remember my grandmother taking me home from school one day, pulling up to my house and telling me sergei died.

i have watched every skating competition since then, especially the olympics. when i was younger, i stayed up way past my bedtime to see who won the gold medal. i love the music, the costumes and the artistry of skating, and will always prefer someone with artistry (sasha cohen) to someone strength (see irina slutskaya and rachael flatt).

and in a move to capture back a childhood regret, i bought ice skates which i plan to use at the public rink if not on my mom's frozen lake. there is something about skating that i love - but i love pocketing a regret even more.

picture via the woods hutchinson health series

just send me to france

every july it happens. i start to feel antsy and can't concentrate. weekend mornings are spent glued to the tv for three hours. work days are worst - i search the web for live results, preferably with phil & paul, and if i can't find them, i eschew all news - until i inevitably break down or accidentally see the results. i am so not a sports person, but there is one event that i hold near and dear to my heart: le Tour de France, the premier bike race in the world, one of the three grande Tours and absolutely the hardest, most amazing sporting event ever. i can't help it; i'm obssessed, to the point where i seriously think about blowing off major meetings in favor of tuning into the live results. i have been depressed all day because i missed the team time trial due to meetings, and then can't even watch the results tonight - so i looked and found out who won. (he's so close!!!) because america is what it is and the majority of us would rather see beefed-up guys in layers and layers of pads run into each other, i really don't have anyone to talk to about my love of cycling, except for my dad, who started me on this obsession anyway. he's actually a cyclist himself. i wished i had a sport that i enjoyed that much. i've thought about taking up cycling, but bikes are expensive and spandex can be so unforgiving.