finally! i took my bike out for a ride today and it was gorgeous! i’ve been waiting for this day for months. i needed a few days to decompensate and accommodate to the new situation. i think i am fine now, although a little tired and with a aching right knee which somehow started to hurt during the 3 km climb of my usual route. i believe i am not used to climbing (small) mountains anymore, although my overall shape is approximately the same as last year.
Archive for July, 2004
time to ride, part 2
Saturday, July 31st, 2004stuff to read
Wednesday, July 28th, 2004finally get around reading books i wanted to read for a long time but was too busy reading for and writing my thesis. right now on my bedside table: “currahee! a screaming eagle at normandy”, “the road to arnhem. a screaming eagle in holland” and “beyond the rhine. a screaming eagle in germany” — all by donald r. burgett and “pegasus bridge” by stephen e. ambrose.
finally done
Sunday, July 25th, 2004not only the tour the france is over, so is also my thesis-writing-marathon. lance won the 6th tour title in a row. congrats! the big question is what am i going to do now? i figure not much, relaxe, take the bike out for some rides and enjoy the rest of the (so far not too great) summer. i have to wait for the approval of my supervisor before i can actually print the thesis and hand it in. (deadline is december 3rd, 2004!)
closing time
Friday, July 23rd, 2004just like the tour my thesis is finally (as anticipated) coming to an end: i plan to wrap this thing up on sunday. what’s still missing are the introduction and the summary which i intend to write after the review of the chapters by my supervisor. everything that has a beginning has also an end.
Alpe d’Huez, again
Wednesday, July 21st, 2004it would not be the tour without a stage up to Alpe d’Huez. last year was a bit disappointing because Lance finished second if i recall correctly. but this year was a blast! Lance rode up that mountain like it was flat and beat everyone. he won the stage and defended the yellow jersey. it was both a thrill and a joy to watch Lance riding. he make it seem so easy but i know that it is hard work, very hard work to ride like that. just four stages left… actually 3.5, the last one is not really a “real” stage… go Lance, grab that 6th title! (it is all that matters, as you said today in the post-race interview.)
go lance!
Tuesday, July 20th, 2004what a stage! “ulle” ullrich broke away on the forth climb and lance just played cool. he was eventually chased down and gained nothing. even better, lance outsprinted him a few meters before the finish line and won the stage and the yellow jersey. and tomorrow is going to be even more dramatic because it’s time for the individual time trial up Alpe d’Huez; the famous mountain in the Alps. the tour is not over yet… but i believe that lance will do everything that is necessary to win that historic 6th title. go lance!
final week
Monday, July 19th, 2004this is the final week of thesis writing. one more film and then i am done. for now. i am pretty burnt out today from watching Matrix Revolutions. it took me three hours for the first 45 minutes so i guess you’ll get the picture…
wear yellow soon
Saturday, July 17th, 2004lance is one step closer to the historic 6th win and i really expected him to take the yellow jersey today as he flew up the mountain like he did in 2001 and 2002. he is stronger than in 2003, that is for sure. but the tour is not over yet, it ends next sunday in Paris and that is all that matters. so… go lance!
le tour and le thesis
Thursday, July 15th, 2004it is so ironic that the end of both the TdF and my thesis are going to coincide. tomorrow, however, the tour is finally getting down to serious business in the mountains and i really hope that lance is going to surge up a climb, leaving his opponents way behind. but the ultimate highlight is going to be the individual time trial up to Alpe d’Huez. i guess that is the stage where the tour ‘04 will be decided.
reloaded
Tuesday, July 13th, 2004have i already mentioned that matrix reloaded sucks? i consider revolutions a bit better than reloaded, but still… the sequels suck big time. this is only a cash thing: just take enter the matrix, the animatrix and now the matrix online… yeah, keep the money coming in. intertextuality is great provided it is used in a constructive and fruitful way and not just for the sake of making profit. maybe i am that cynical because i am disappointed how the trilogy ends. so what is next? matrix recycled? how about that?