ADVENTURE SPORTS BY WINA STURGEON 6/18
TOUR DE FRANCE BANS CLEAN RIDERS, BATTLE GOES ON
The most compelling part of this year's Tour de France will be the feud between the organizers and the International Cycling Union, the world governing body of cycling.
ICU has notified riders that they will face sanctions if they enter the Tour, which begins July 5 in Brest, France. Meanwhile, French organizer and race owners Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) yanked the Tour from ICU oversight, unheard of in the cycling world.
The battle began when ASO banned the Astana team, citing last's year's doping problems. But Astana is a new team, with new management and new riders. Many believe it's those new riders that are the problem. They include U. S. star Levi Leipheimer, considered the cleanest of the clean, and last year's Tour winner, Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador. Not a French rider among them, and if permitted to compete, either Contador or Leipheimer would probably win.
The threat of sanctions by the ICU, just six weeks before the Beijing Olympics, ramps up what is basically a battle over who will control the sport of road racing; a non-profit Olympic governing body, or a for-profit private company which is buying up ownership of prestigious cycling races all over Europe.
The contentious banning of Astana has already drawn 33 million comments from all over the world on a web site about the issue.
U.S. BASKETBALL PLAYER TURNS RUSSIAN TO PLAY IN OLYMPICS
America has lost a citizen, Russia has gained an Olympian. WNBA basketball player Becky Hamilton gave up her U. S. citizenship so she can play for Russia at the Beijing Games.
Hamilton, last year's runner up for the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award, has no connection to Russia. But despite her stats, she was left off the trial team of 23 WNBA players selected to try out for slots on the U. S. women's basketball team. It meant she had no chance to play in the Olympics.
She called Russian officials. POW, action! She was fast tracked for Russian citizenship, and will now play for the Soviet team in Beijing. To twist the knife in further, she was signed by a Russian women's b-ball team to a four year contract worth two million dollars. If Russia wins the gold medal, Hamilton will get an additional quarter million.
THE SKI SEASON THAT WON'T DIE
In Utah, those moving little dots you see on top of the Ogden mountains are; yes, skiers and snowboarders climbing up to ski down the soft snow that still covers the peaks. Snowbird is planning on extending their ski season for another week, conditions permitting. Snowbasin is having its SECOND Firecracker Ski Race a giant slalom on the 4th of July (the first one was three years ago). The snow is soft by 10:00 a.m., but there's a short time of beautiful corn that has snowriders starting to climb before dawn.
Stay tuned for more news about the Snowbasin Firecracker, a week of 90 + degree weather may change things, but as of now, the race is on, with a plethora of season pass prizes to the top racers as well as those whose names are drawn in a free raffle including all competitors.
WANNA BUY ROSSIGNOL---THE COMPANY?
Rossignol, the famous ski manufacturer, is up for sale. The revered company, one of the oldest in the ski industry, is being offered by parent company Quicksilver, which purchased 'Rossi' just three years ago.
Insiders say the reason for the quick cutoff is that Quicksilver, which sells hip surfstyle apparel, didn't realize what a niche market the ski and snowboard business is. Unlike shirts and shorts that can be sold anywhere, snowriding equipment only sells in limited places, for less than six months out of the year.
Curt Geiger, President of Ogden-based Descente, USA, says, "You don't get rich in the ski industry. You have to love it to be part of it."
Quicksilver, which is located in ultra-bucks, ritzy Park City, expects to get more than $300 million for Rosignol. But Rossi says nothing about the company itself will change, either during the sale process or afterwards.
THE TRUTH ABOUT SUNSCREEN
So you rub sunscreen on in the morning and off you go, protected for the day. Big myth. Big wrinkles and skin cancers to come.
First of all, whether the protection factor is 25 or 50, those numbers mean the time the sunscreen works. After 25 or 50 minutes, the protection is done. You need to apply more. If you're active in the sun, you will sweat it off, so you need to apply it even more often.
Second, read the label. All sunscreens block the UVB rays that cause a sunburn. But the most dangerous ones are the UVA rays, which penetrate deeper in the skin and cause the cellular changes that can create skin cancers. Choose a broad spectrum sunblock that protects against UVA as well as UVB protection.
Third, use a lot more than you think you need. Experts suggest a full ounce---three tablespoons---is the amount of one application to the legs, arms, shoulders, neck and face. Rub it in until the whiteness disappears. Don't forget behind the ears and the tops of your feet.