Yes, I think I'd like a 2004 Continental Rouge with my Foie Gras, s'il vous plais

Unless you live under a rock, you surely have heard of Lance's Retirement 2.0. Yes, THAT Lance. Need I be more specific? The MAN is hanging up his (road) bike professionally for good.

Will he full fill his alter-ego's (Juan Pelota....you do the translation; its pretty funny!) ambition of doing a triathlon this year with hopes of qualifying for Kona and competing regardless of a pro or amateur status? Who knows! Last I heard he was nursing a nagging injury that has him not running. But him competing would do wonders for this sport and the Ironman brand.

If you are still reading this, you might be asking youself, "What the heck does this all have to do with the ridiculous title of this post?"

Oh yeah! Came across a cool VeloNews article today about a bicycle mechanic, Nick Legan, who worked for Team Radioshack last season, including working one on one with Lance. Did you know that Lancey-boy ages his tires before using them?

"Second are Lance’s race tires. Julien Devriese ages them. The tubulars Hutchinson provided to the team all came with a manufacturing date stamp on the base tape. A few dozen are held back every year for Lance. They are stored in a cool, dark place (his wine cellar) for years before being brought out and glued to wheels. The “youngest” tire I glued on for Lance was five years old and in perfect condition (better than new actually thanks to the aging)."

Hey, if it works! Why not, right? I sure like to race on tires that I know are in perfect condition, after all that is the rubber surface between you and the road.

Also, did you know that Lance will NOT use a brand new saddle and prefers only one specific type and brand already broken in? Wouldn't you if you sat on a saddle for hours on end every day? I prefer only one brand and type of running shoe, and I prefer to have them broken in before I race on em.

"Lance is very technically oriented, with three things in particular. The first is his beloved San Marco Concor saddle. He won’t ride anything else, but he hates them when they are new. There’s a story that his personal mechanic in Austin would hand out new Concors to local riders to break them in for Lance."

If you can't tell, I am fascinated by the specific details of a racer and the maybe-superstitious things they do to have a perfect day. Hey, we all got em!

Do you have any superstitious things that you do or use come race day?

(source)