BSNYC Friday Fun Quiz!

Of all the many reasons to love and respect the paradigm for human behavior that is pro cycling, perhaps the most compelling is the integrity of the team ownership, as exemplified here by Oleg Tinkov:

Wow, okay.

So what are we to make of this?  Well, there are three possibilities:

1) Between the inherent limitations of the Twitter medium and the fact that Tinkov is not a native English speaker, some nuance was lost here, so when he says "no monkeyobama" to Vaughters what he's really doing is warning Vaughters not to draw the comparison, à la "Don't go there;"

2) Tinkov is fiercely defensive of his country's leader and was deeply offended by the implication that Putin resembles Leonardo Da Vinci in drag;

3) Tinkov is a flaming racist.

[Hint: it's #3, with just a pinch of #2.]

Oh, but he does have 200,000 followers though:

Good for you.

While Tinkov's comment did not go unnoticed on Twitter, it's unlikely to draw the ire of the UCI, since racism seems to be fairly low on their list of priorities--a list which is itself languishing in a drawer somewhere.  Remember this from last year, for example?

But on Tuesday, words were some of the loudest elements of the day. After the stage ended in Bagnères-de-Luchon, a report emerged that indicated Switzerland’s Michael Albasini called Kévin Reza, the only black rider in the race and one of few in the sport, a “dirty negro,” according to Reza’s general manager at Europcar, Jean-René Bernaudeau.

Reza, he said, was upset after the stage, and that the comments were “unacceptable, inadmissible,” reported France’s Sud Ouest website. “I do not tolerate racism,” Bernaudeau said. “After doping it is the other scourge of the sport.”

Albasini of course denied the insult, but Bernaudeau's comment was telling, because if racism is even remotely as prevalent as doping in the peloton then they've got themselves a rolling KKK rally out there.

I don't know if that devil guy is still around, but either way maybe they should replace him with an "irony tuba."

Meanwhile, here in New York City, here's what you have to do to get in trouble for killing someone with your car:

On July 19th, at about 11:17 p.m., Aron "Eric" Aranbayev, 40, was struck by a car in front of his home on 71 Avenue. The car, a Dodge Magnum, fled the scene. Aranbayev and the driver may have been arguing about a parking space.

One person said, "He was just being dropped off, and some guy was in a rush. They got into a verbal argument and then the guy ran into him backwards." Aranbayev was taken to Jamaica Hospital where he died.

Police released video of the car and one of Aranbayev's famous clients, Floyd Mayweather, offered a $10,000 reward for information about the driver. 

Okay, so here's what it takes to get arrested for using your car as a murder weapon:

1) You have to argue with your victim beforehand;

2) You have to run him over in reverse;

3) You have to flee the scene;

4) All of this has to be captured on video;

5) Your victim has to have close ties with celebrities who are willing to shell out cash for justice.

Otherwise, if all five of these factors are not present, then "I mistook the gas for the brake" is a perfectly valid excuse.  Case closed.

Here's what the DA had to say:

Queens DA Richard Brown said, “The defendant is accused of viciously running down and killing a 40-year-old man, who was standing in front of his home. The victim didn’t have a chance. He was allegedly brutally rammed by a 1,000-plus pound, high-speed vehicle that violently threw him to the ground. The victim hit his head and succumbed to his injuries. This was a senseless, violent death that could have easily been prevented.”

"Brutally rammed?"  "Senseless, violent death that could have easily been prevented?"  Obviously it's a good thing they're prosecuting this guy, but these things are true for pretty much every motor vehicle death in New York City, yet we don't prosecute the vast majority of those drivers.

But sure, keep patting yourself on the back there, DA.

By the way, I notice the writer here didn't mention whether or not the victim was wearing a helme(n)t.

Hmmm...

And now, I'm pleased to present you with a quiz.  As always, study the item, think, and click on your answer.  If you're right then good, and if you're wrong you'll see a "human bike ride."

Thanks very much for reading, ride safe, and stay cool--unless it's cold where you live, in which case stay warm.


--Wildcat Rock Machine

1) What was the typical Fred uniform in the 1870s?

--"...tailcoat and tophat, hunting shirt and splatterdashes"
--"...a sort of blouse, buckled at the waist, long boots or Knickerbockers and hose, and a little cap"
--"...white flared trousers and rough blue serge"
--"...steel plate armor with peaked helmet and velvet-lined codpiece"

("The Wiggle, Presented by Facebook")

2) San Francisco cyclists are protesting:

--Stop sign enforcement
--Tech company shuttle buses
--Facebook's proposed purchase of naming rights for "The Wiggle"
--Mileage caps on cyclists in order to curb excess water consumption

("I'm LOVING this new drug!")

3) The hot new performance-enhancing drug in cycling is:

--FG-4592
--THX 1138
--RU-486
--Pot Belge

(Um...)

4) The fastest team time trial in Tour de France history was Orica-GreenEDGE in 2013 at 35.9mph.

--True
--False

5) "Specialized claims the new S-Works Venge ViAS Di2 bike can save your 120 seconds over 40km."  This is a $12,500 bike.  According to Specialized themselves, how much time will a free leg shave save you over the same distance?

--0 seconds
--12 seconds
--40-90 seconds
--120 seconds

(Paul Bunyan, as played by Bill Murray)

6) Why should you not lock your bike to a tree?

--It is illegal
--Your bike will get stolen
--It is bad for the tree
--All of the above

7) It is acceptable to lock your bicycle to a tree if your bicycle is made of wood.

--True
--False

***Special Physically Separated Bike Lane-Themed Bonus Video!***

What, no parachu(n)te?