Flashback. Eight-thirty a.m. and the blue-haired seniors are chain-smoking their way through another tub of quarters at the Venetian slots. Dealers shuffle from foot to foot at their empty tables waiting for the action to pick up, or the world to end. In their ruddy brown uniforms they look sad, empty and in need of ironing. There's no sign of Frank, Dean or Sammy; this feels like Fry's Electronics with a bigger architectural budget.

It's day three of interbike and I'm dead tired after two 20-hour tours of duty. I'm nibbling on my four dollar muffin surfing the tidal bore of attendees coursing towards the Sands Convention Center and the show's final act. Messenger bags, plus fours and body art adorn the younger set; it's probably the only week of the year you can walk a single speed through the casino without getting tackled. A few plump salmon gambling against the current don't stand a chance, they either make it to the slots or get swept downstream into the show.

And what a show... nothing can quite prepare the novice for the spectacle of gear, gadgetry and garb served up by over 900 exhibitors. The venue floor is a maze of industry giants, up-and-comers and fledgling startups oriented by some logic known only to oracles and political wedding planners. Navigating with a combination of dead reckoning and the stars (Mavic, Campagnolo, Cervélo) I managed to find my way around sticking to familiar but circuitous routes. Note to trade show organizers: start thinking about GPS, just don't rely on Garmin for software.

A week later I'm still trying to sort it all out. Here are some highlights.

Bicycles – Isaac Sonic, Velodramatic Best-in-Show

There were so many beautiful bicycles at the show singling out just one wasn't easy. Cervélo had the S3 in gleaming black and silver livery, demonstrating a fresh visual sensibility. The Edge Composites booth was literally ringed by seductive, desirable models (the two-wheeled kind) from Vanilla, Parlee, and Crumpton all wearing Edge carbon. Then there was Museeuw Bikes with what looked like new paint across the range. The MF-3 was a standout along with the new 50/50 carbon/flax wheels.

All of these rides would make me happy, but it was the Isaac Sonic that really got my heart racing. Pictured above, the Sonic was fitted out with Campagnolo's Super Record group and CarbonSports Lightweight wheels guaranteeing it would be unsuitably expensive. The Sonic tubes are massive, but in keeping with the company's appreciation for natural forms, they flow seamlessly into each other.

For all it's brawn the Sonic's clean, understated paint and type-inspired graphics clinched the deal. I'm not sure I'd roll with gold handlebar tape (I don't have the shoes to match) but it sure looked good on the display bike. If the economy ever gets over its nightmare, I'm dreaming there's an Issac in my garage in 2009.

Clothing – Mavic, Panache and a Visit from Rapha

Even though Rapha was officially sitting this one out, U.S. G.M. Slate Olson was keeping his finger on the pulse and checking out the show. Slate, Jeremy Dunn (editor of Embrocation magazine) and I met up for lunch on day two and I got see the new Rapha Softshell Gilet. I loved it, and I'm pleased to say the one I ordered arrived last week. I wore it commuting the next three days and it fits and functions as good as it looks. This is a versatile piece of kit and sure to go fast. Get your order in if you want to enjoy one this winter.

Elsewhere big yellow (Mavic) introduced their luxurious new shoe and clothing lines. Leveraging big daddy Salomon's Design Center in Annecy and its access to rarefied technical fabrics, Mavic has assembled an impressive offering that is as broad as it is deep. The Zxellium shoe in optic yellow and its mountain equivalent, the Fury, are featherweights that feature unique closures immune to the material memory that Mavic claims compromise typical straps. The full, matte-finished carbon soles are as sleek as the uppers and happily their threaded inserts are user replaceable. Several riders in the CrossVegas pack appeared to be wearing the Fury shoe.

In the essential department, Mavic will offer nine varieties of bibs/knickers including the Stealth short that's entirely without seams. Just looking at it made my essentials comfortable.

On a purely visual note, I really like what Mavic designers have done with the stylized "M" throughout the lines. It's used effectively as: a background field on shoe liners; repeated vertically on jacket zippers; horizontally banded on socks and singularly as an accent with pulls, badges, appliques and labels.

Newcomer and Velodramatic favorite, Panache Cyclewear, had a small, cozy display befitting a brand new outfit. It was great to meet founder, Don Powell in person after having exchanged countless emails with him over the past few months. He and designer Dylan Nelson showed attendees some polished, race-inspired pieces available now along with a few novel ideas coming soon. Look for clever overshoe gaskets and an under-jersey wind screen in the not-too-distant future.

Don proudly wore the Panache Training Jersey and Eleven bibs in the industry crit race Thursday night and despite getting involved in an early crash, came back strong to finish the 40 laps in tenth place.

Gear – Edge Composites, Super Record 11, Gore RideOn cables, Allay Saddles

I mentioned earlier that Edge Composites had assembled a sublime collection of bicycles to celebrate the companies growing reputation for quality carbon tubes, wheels and forks used by the likes of Parlee and Crumpton. Recently they've added a seatpost and handlebar to the mix. I'm not sure when they'll be available. I've emailed Jason for an answer.

I'm still getting used to my Ligero-built Edge Composites 38s... the differences between aluminum and deep-section carbon are more than I anticipated and I compounded the issue by going with Zipp carbon-specific pads over the recommended Swiss Stop Yellows. Sometimes I take the whole black and white thing too far. Jason set me straight and there's now a set of yellow pads headed my way. It will be great to stop again. Troy Watson of Ligero has a huge interbike gallery on Flickr. It features plenty of shots of the Edge booth and gear. Definitely worth checking out.

Edge Composites is a company to watch.

Campagnolo Record 11 and Super Record were the jewels of the show and everyone who was anyone was wearing them. I have no close up photographs of the components because I couldn't stop my hands shaking in their proximity. In lieu of that I substituted the fictional 11-speed ad below... the fishnet is a special carbon weave. The "11" bicycle WAS in the Campagnolo booth.

Gore impressed with the return of their RideOn Cable systems recently reintroduced to the North American and European markets. Standard equipment with SRAM's RED group set, the low-friction system is available in two flavors: standard; and sealed (within a continuous liner). Gore's Lois Mabon explained the system and the improvements that should make installation significantly easier for mechanics and wannabes alike. I'll have a feature and long-term road test of the sealed system soon.

I also spent time with Allay Saddles. Using technology that brings back memories of the Nike pump, Allay employs an air bladder under the front half of the saddle. The AirSpan feature is designed to alleviate pressure on that essential region we keep talking and worrying about. Given how easy it is to add and remove air this has got to be a boon on epic rides. Thanks to Allay I'll have one of these saddles installed on my commute bike for testing over the winter. I would point out that if you tune the AirSpan repeatedly while riding there's a good chance your fellow riders might think you're up to something else. Is that an AirSpan in your saddle or are you just glad to meet me?

And that does it for the highlights (well almost all of them). I learned more than I bargained for in the three days, met friends, made new ones and arranged to demo plenty of product in the coming year. If there was a disappointment, it was with the photography. With so much to cover it was difficult to talk and shoot at the same time. Next year I'll approach the event slightly differently. I'll start looking forward to it just as soon as I've caught up on my sleep.

I just received a press release from Lance Armstrong's Manager Mark Higgins concerning Pierre Bodry's proposal to retest samples from the 1999 Tour de France. While conspiracy theorists on either side of the issue will have a field day whatever the results, Lance issued the following statement today.

Today, Mr. Pierre Bodry, the new head of the French anti-doping agency proposed that they retest samples from the 1999 Tour de France. Unfortunately, Mr. Bodry is new to these issues and his proposal is based on a fundamental failure to understand the facts. In 2005, some research was conducted on urine samples left over from the 1998 and 1999 Tours de France. That research was the subject of an independent investigation, and the conclusions of the investigation were that the 1998 and 1999 Tour de France samples have not been maintained properly, have been compromised in many ways, and even three years ago could not be tested to provide any meaningful results. There is simply nothing that I can agree to that would provide any relevant evidence about 1999.

In addition, the Independent Investigation concluded that the French laboratory, the French Ministry of Sport, and Dick Pound, the former head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, all behaved improperly with respect to the 1999 Tour de France samples. The Independent Investigation concluded that both Mr. Pound and the French laboratory engaged in improper conduct that violated a number of regulations and laws. After the report of the Independent Investigator was issued, Mr. Pound's conduct was submitted to the IOC Ethics Commission and the IOC Ethics Commission censured Mr. Pound.

What the Report of the Independent Investigation did recommend, was that the issues of the conduct of Mr. Pound, the World Anti-Doping Agency, the French Ministry, and the French laboratory should be submitted to an independent tribunal, in particular the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Court for the entire Olympic movement, to address the issues and improper conduct identified by the Independent Investigator. Two years ago I agreed to have all of these issues aired and decided by that tribunal, but WADA and the French Ministry refused. If Mr. Bodry would now like to re-examine the past, he must start with presenting the issues of the misconduct of the French laboratory, the French Ministry, and WADA before a proper tribunal.

To avoid any questions going forward and to avoid any distractions from my primary purpose to launch a global campaign against cancer, I am working with the man who has been the leader of the world anti-doping community for the past twenty-five years. I approached Dr. Don Catlin in August and proposed to him that he should develop a comprehensive drug testing protocol, to test my blood and urine as often as he believes is appropriate, in order for him to determine categorically whether I have taken any performance-enhancing drugs. As I have stated, I have given Dr. Catlin my permission to post all of my testing results on the internet. Dr. Catlin is developing a protocol that will be available to other athletes who may want to subject themselves to such a rigorous drug testing regimen that Dr. Catlin or other leading anti-doping experts can determine whether they have used performance enhancing drugs.

In 2005 VeloNews reported that Christiane Ayotte, Doping Control Director at Canada's Institut National de la Recherché Scientifique was surprised that samples stored since 1999 could still show evidence of EPO when tested. That had not been the experience in her lab. Now three years on, and a full nine years since the Armstrong samples were taken the French authorities would like to retest. I fully support new protocols that call for long term profiling and storage of samples for future study, but given the particular circumstances around this case, this looks like persecution.

The independent investigator ruled against the French authorities already and this just seems like another attempt to spin the wheel in the hope of getting the result they want. It's a no win situation for Armstrong. If he agreed he'd be throwing out his earlier vindication, and if he declined (which he has today) the innuendo machine can continue its work.

On the road Lance is nothing if not cool and calculating. Frankly I cannot imagine that if he had doped that he would come back to the sport with so much on the line; his legacy; his endorsements; his charity; and most importantly the hundreds of thousands of cancer survivors that continue the fight because of his inspiration. No one with that much spiritual responsibility would risk destroying so many hearts. In their zeal to find fault, I wonder if the French authorities have considered the true human cost of what they are doing? Let it go.

Thursday morning's press conference fireworks with Lemond overshadowed what I thought was the best question from the floor. When VeloNews' Neal Rogers (who, by the way, was seated between me and Lemond) asked Lance to put himself in Alberto Contador's Sidis for a moment and consider the young Spaniard's reaction to Armstrong joining Astana... his answer was illuminating on a number of fronts.

First, I was struck by how little communication seems to have occurred between Lance and the team. Everything we've heard publicly from Bruyneel suggests he was caught completely off guard by Armstrong's initial decision; and whether it's completely true or not, that's fine. Without a doubt, formulating the basic mission to raise global cancer awareness, sketch out a doping control strategy and juggle scheduled commitments are sure to have dominated Lance's personal energy and attention in this rapidly moving story.

Unfortunately, the kid (Contador) hasn't been part of the equation. Lance stated Thursday he'd not talked to Contador, and suggested the lack of a linguistic common ground might make that difficult anyway. Contador put up a brave front early on, but his latest statements come as no surprise.

Contador may be to cycling what Tiger Woods is to golf. Three grand tour wins in the past 18 months is almost the equivalent of Wood's Tiger Slam. And the parallels don't stop there. Woods wins by unleashing his power on par fives, Contador shreds the competition in the mountains; Woods holds his own on the par fours and likewise Contador is steady in the time trials (and getting better).

While nothing in sport is a given, the kid has the legs, and the smarts to become a stage race legend and this was to be his time in the sun. That future is jeopardized by Armstrong's decision. I don't know if Lance can return to his previous form and reclaim his position as boss of the peloton, but I wouldn't want to bet against him... so there's no way the two of them can ride on the same team as co-captains (it was hard enough with Levi).

What's in a Name

Just as Sastre's Vuelta statements citing a lack of support from Riis presaged his exit to the Cervélo Test Team, the writing is on the wall. Contador is leaving and that's not bad news for anyone.

Lance will take his shot with Bruyneel on a team that detaches itself from the Kazakh connection and races under the Livestrong banner bankrolled by Trek and Nike. Contador will find a new home, perhaps on CSC (Levi will also leave) and then the kid and the Texan can duke it out against the mountains and the clock in what will certainly be the most anticipated Tour since Lance left the peloton.

I hope Lance pulls it off and takes his place on the starting line in Monaco and I hope Alberto is at his best surrounded by a strong team of his own, then we'll see a battle for the ages.

This morning’s press conference with Lance Armstrong, Don Catlin and Taylor Phinney took an unexpected turn when Greg Lemond, seated in the front row (two seats to my left) opened the question period with a hardball aimed straight at Lance. The tension broke over the room like a giant wave as all cameras swung in the direction of the three time and first American Tour winner.

Sitting so close I could reach out and touch him, I watched him breathing nervously as he attempted to articulate his long-held frustration into a question ostensibly directed at Don Catlin, who will head up Lance’s personal doping control program, but clearly it was targeted at Lance. To his credit it was Lance, and not some conference handler that recognized Lemond with the first question. Given their personal history the topic couldn’t have come as any surprise.

Lemond rambled a bit in the delivery but essentially he made the argument that physiological factors (oxygen uptake) were the true baseline and indicator of athletic performance (or performance enhancement). I was struck by his large hands, hands that look like they’ve done a lot of manual work; his big fingers fidgeted with his phone which seemed to be recording the exchange.

Catlin, who I spoke to briefly after the throng had dispersed, confirmed he hadn’t been able to follow Lemond’s argument. In any event, after letting Lemond speak for two or three minutes, Lance cut things off. “Greg, we’re not going to go negative here”

Lemond incredulously uttered something like a “huh” at the closure. I’ll give him his due, it took guts to ask the question. His face flushed, eyes turned down, he could do nothing but sit as Lance recognized the next question. It was not a follow up.

Update: A little later in the morning I discovered that Lance and his manager had been informed that Greg planned to attend and wanted to ask a question. It's a positive sign that Lance didn't attempt to duck the confrontation and politely recognized Greg Lemond. It's quite clear that the two winners of cycling's most pretigious race can't reach an understanding, and even if we'd sat there for weeks they couldn't have agreed. Ironically, Taylor Phinney who represents a bright future for American cycling sat watching the spectacle.

CrossVegas, the first UCI C1 race on the calendar was already brimming with talent, but the last-minute appearance of Lance Armstrong (his flight landed an hour before the start) amped up the racing under the lights on a course that suited pure power over technique. Defending champion Ryan Trebon took the win with a late surge from the lead selection. Lance, wearing his signature yellow and black Livestrong kit, really seemed to be enjoying himself. He chatted with other riders during the warm up and got a few tips about course direction for the first lap with its extra high-speed straight.

He took a couple of hard spills on the course, but bounced back on the bike and rode on, bloodied (a minor scrape on his left knee) in the third group.

Katie Compton won the woman's race after a strong challenge from Katerina Nash who led going into the last few corners.

Next time, I'm shooting cyclocross at night I'm bringing a ladder, two soft boxes and remotes. Tough.

Bags packed, cameras charged and loaded I’m sitting at the gate in SFO waiting for the 7 am flight to Las Vegas and my first Interbike show. I’m looking forward to seeing friends and meeting some of the reps I’ve corresponded with through Velodramatic. Tonight the plan is to photograph Cross Vegas and tomorrow night the USA Crit finals. Shooting racing at night, under the lights will be another first (probably tough, I hate flash). Temperature at 9pm is forecast to be 80 degrees; I thought it got cold in the desert at night?

Tomorrow morning, as I expected, Lance will be making an unscheduled appearance at the show. The press conference and media scrum is at 9. I knew I should have brought a helmet.

There’s a whole list of gear I want to see, in particular: Mavic’s new clothing and shoe lines; Campagnolo Record 11 (which is destined to trim out the next bike in the stable whatever that may be); Rapha’s softshell gilet (Rapha’s not exhibiting, but I’m hooking up with Slate and he’ll have samples); Shimano’s electronic Di2 stuff (I’m not converting faiths, but I’m keen to see if the reports about the shifting precision are accurate); and lots more. If I’d been thinking I’d have asked my doctor for beta blockers, the adrenaline rush may be too much.

Somewhere in the mix, I might slip away from the bicycles and catch a Vegas show, we’ll see.

The fall rut is upon us. With the scent of Eurobike still fresh in the air and Interbike peeking out from the desert scrub and slot machines, the annual cycle of bike lust is nearing it's zenith. Can you feel it... it's the quickening McCloud.

To put this in perspective, or perhaps to demonstrate how totally lacking in perspective the lust makes us, you'll find a new section on the site called The Tab. The Tab is a running total of my cycling purchases since my January 2007 relapse. Some will see it as a return to madness and folly. Others a sign of hope in gloomy economic times... surely we can spend our way out of this economic downturn, can't we?

I expect cycling scientists will pour over the list in search of rare subatomic particles like the peloton, clipon, and elusive brazeon that explain this massive burst of activity. Believers will find salvation at the carbon alter and comfort in the gentle presence of Sportwool.

There's no doubt I've got it bad, but this is relatively innocent fun. The mortgage still gets paid, the fridge is full and there's room for charity too after picking up the tab.

WARNING: If you have credit card debt, wear a helmet mirror or suffer from a carbon-deficient skin condition you're advised NOT to visit this page.

Saturday, under idyllic skies, we covered 100 of the same miles from Carmel to San Simeon in support of the Best Buddies mission to enrich the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. At dawn a couple of hundred cyclists tackling the century course assembled at Chateau Julien for a high-energy sendoff from Chairman Anthony Shriver and California’s first lady, Maria Shriver. Collectively we’d raised over 3.5 million dollars for the fifth annual Audi Best Buddies Challenge, now there was nothing to do but enjoy the ride with friends Brendan, Tim, Marcella and Stacey.

We sensibly hung back as the mass of riders nervously clipped and unclipped down the drive and out onto Carmel Valley Road. Brendan struck up a conversation with Andy, a young guy sporting some interesting ink, riding a cross bike in Vans and cut-off board shorts (of course he finished). We were making our own statement in matching Dark ‘Cars r Coffins’ jerseys and socks from Twin Six. We’d be asked repeatedly what it meant.

Safely out on Carmel Valley Road we enjoyed a rolling escort from the California Highway Patrol. They took us East for a mile, then looped us through an underpass that frustratingly produced flats for a couple of unlucky soldiers. We then paraded back past the winery on the way to Highway 1 and freedom.

It must have been the excitement of seeing David Hasselhoff on stage with a starter’s pistol but within the first mile riders began peeling off in ones and twos for a quick nature break behind any promising tree, bush or shrub. By the time we reached Highway 1 it seemed half the peloton had dismounted and decanted under the flashing lights and bemused grins of the CHP.

We warmed up and moved steadily through the pack, always expecting to find the others round the next bend. As planned we rolled straight through the first rest stop and over that iconic bridge.

To our right the earth teetered and fell steeply away to the dark blue waters of the Pacific. The absence of any barrier for long stretches heightened the sensation that free fall was an option if we wanted it. When the road eventually kicked up for the climb at Big Sur the sun made a grand entrance and we said goodbye to arm warmers and gilets for the duration.

Leaving the second rest stop we discovered Tim, Marcella and Stacey were behind us. Since we'd already spent 20 minutes filling bottles, refueling and airing up one of Brendan's tires we said hello/goodbye and pushed on figuring we'd eventually get in sync.

The miles ticked off steadily and soon we'd passed the half way point. The climbs were reasonable and probably averaged 6%, save a couple of short pitches on the last two hills. The descents were thrilling high-speed affairs with wide-open straightaways and little traffic to worry about in either direction. If I'd had an 11 on the back I'd have hit fifty several times. Next Year.

Brendan didn't enjoy that last hill much so to cheer him up I broke into a full-throated chorus of "The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music" only to be spontaneously joined by the rider behind us harmonizing "Fa la-la-la-la." It's a pity Julie Andrews never sang on Alpe D'Huez.

We made our third and final stop, and for the first time all day felt a breeze at our backs. That was all it took for the two of us to crank it up to 25 mph. We pacelined the next ten miles of shallow rollers into the finish at San Simeon. Thanks for a great ride partner.

The Buddies Challenge is a marvel of organization. Kudos to the hundreds of volunteers that put on a fabulous event. We picked up the bags we'd dropped off at the start that morning and made our way to the incredible mobile showers. Hot water and plenty of it washed away the miles of dirt, sweat and GU. We emerged refreshed and ravenously hungry and after grabbing a couple of drinks spotted Tim. He showered and in the true spirit of the event, took advantage of a complementary massage (pronounced MA-saj, to hear Tim say it). He glowed and grinned from ear to ear.

We sat in a row of wooden loungers for a couple of hours soaking in the late afternoon sun, listening to the ocean and recounting the day's events. Tim, Marcella and Stacey decided to stay for the Black-Eyed Peas' Concert. We said our goodbyes and then Brendan and I grabbed a front seat on the 5:30 shuttle back to the winery. We looked forward to a good night's sleep in our own beds.

The bus took highway 46 inland to 101, and that's another road to ride another day (46! not 101). We chatted with Kate, who'd flown all the way from Atlanta to ride her first century and loved it. Just after eight we rolled into Chateau Julien, tired, happy and incredibly grateful for the chance to make a small difference riding our bikes. Thanks to Best Buddies and all our sponsors. We'll be counting on you again next year.

We had an interesting time identifying our bikes in the pitch dark... BB next year a little light would make things a lot easier ;-) – but we got off easy, four hours later Tim and Marcella would discover their car had been towed ($330 thank you Carmel). Thank god for that MA-saj.

Gear Notes: The Enigma Eulogy proved that whatever its race-inspired intentions its a versatile performer over longer distances. For all it's stiffness, the frame soaked up the century so I didn't have to. Great job Mark.

At the last minute I purchased a couple of Gel-Bots, a novel bottle system that incorporates a Gel dispenser inside a water bottle. With the bite valve closed you get gel; with it open you get fluid. I thought it worked great.

It's no secret I love the Rapha Gilet. There's no more versatile piece of kit in my closet and that's why it's number one on my Top Ten Kit List. Tim, Marcella and I were all wearing it.

Finally, Brendan and I loved the Twin Six take on Cars r Coffins. Looking forward to more good stuff from Ryan and Brent this fall.

Additional Velodramatic Gallery  |  Tim's Gallery

There's a moment when you catch a glimpse of yourself and wonder who you are, the enormity of all you've done, when the sum of good and bad don't cancel each other out. Roads taken, and those you've missed. Promises made and broken. The loves, the dreams... close your eyes and see the road coming at you faster and faster and realize it all comes to an end one day.

The Verve –  “ I'm coming home, I feel so young. I don't know where I've gone...
I'm going to keep it together. ”

The Verve are back after a long absence. The new record "Forth" and in particular the closing track Appalachian Springs (lyrics above) are a sonic gut check.