Jon Brand writes…

… and shoots video, records audio, etc.

Posts tagged cycling

Jul 23

Tour de France’s yellow jersey out of reach, riders battle for lesser awards

The Tour de France, which ends Sunday, offers $2.6 million in prizes. Beyond battling for the yellow jersey, racers can collect points (like in Super Mario Bros.) for smaller awards. 

My story on the green, polka dot and white jerseys ran in The Christian Science Monitor today. 


Jul 22

How are Tour de France towns picked? Incognito, apparently.

Jean-Louis Pagès (above), a former geography professor, spends nearly half the year on the road scouting future Tour de France towns. My story on his selection process appeared in today’s Christian Science Monitor


Why Tour de France fans will camp out for days to glimpse cyclists

My story on the atmosphere, the racing and the unleashed donkeys atop the Col d’Aubisque appeared in The Christian Science Monitor today.


Jul 19

How the Tour de France’s yellow jersey came to be yellow

My story on the history of the maillot jaune appeared today in The Christian Science Monitor


Jul 15

Locals love Tour de France, even without a French winner

If French soccer supporters were frustrated with their team’s performance at the most recent World Cup, one can only imagine what the country’s die-hard cycling fans think about their homegrown talent – or lack thereof – in the Tour de France. It’s been more than two decades since a Frenchman won the Tour.

My story on the plight of French cycling appeared in today’s Christian Science Monitor


Jul 12

Tour de France stars ride hard during the day, then ride in luxury on the team bus

In the not so distant past, the Tour de France starting line was a simple affair. Riders arrived each day in the backs of cars and changed into spandex suits at local high schools, behind trees or even in plain view of spectators.

Today’s scene is more like a rock concert than a bike race. Teams drive to the start in huge buses adorned with colorful designs and sponsor logos. Fans hover around, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite cyclists. Outside some buses, such as Lance Armstrong’s RadioShack vehicle, bodyguards in dark sunglasses scan the crowd.”

The lead of my story on the evolution of team buses in today’s Washington Post. 


Jul 6

Can Lance Armstrong keep his Teflon image?

As the Tour de France gets under way, defrocked 2006 winner Floyd Landis has put forward fresh, detailed doping allegations against Lance Armstrong. But Armstrong has become as famous for deflecting scandal as for leading the peloton. My story on Armstrong’s recent travails appeared in today’s Christian Science Monitor.


Sep 18

Is Ted King The Next Big American Cyclist?

In the summer of 2009, I had the honor of spending a week with American cyclist (and my college friend) Ted King as he raced in the week-long Tour of Austria. Out of our experiences came this profile story for Middlebury Magazine’s Fall 2009 issue.  


Jul 23

In Tour de France, Individual Success is Product of Team Effort

During the 2009 Tour de France, I spent a few days behind-the-scenes with Cervélo TestTeam. My story on their team chemistry appeared in The Washington Post. 


Jul 20
Click the photo to view my slideshow of Cervélo Test Team during the 2009 Tour de France.

Click the photo to view my slideshow of Cervélo Test Team during the 2009 Tour de France.


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