A view of the tour, up close and personal
Aug 26, 2009 | Headline News |
The seven-day Tour of Missouri is set to begin on Labor Day weekend in St. Louis, Monday, Sept. 7. Rebecca Bell, a graduate of Gallatin High School, would like to be able to share her passion for pro cycling with the readership of the North Missourian. Rebecca plans to follow the race, attending Stages 5, 6, and 7 in person, and will be sending fan news and photos to the online site at www.gallatinnorthmissourian.com.
Rebecca has a lot of experience covering the cycling world. She is the founder and editor of the Alberto Contador Notebook (www.albertocontadornotebook.info) , which was launched on Feb. 10, 2008. It’s an online magazine in English devoted to Alberto Contador, the Spanish winner of the Tour de France. The site is updated daily, and features complete career coverage, a message board, and fan contributions. Contador likes the site and is happy with it, Rebecca said. She added that it is unfortunate Contador will not be in the Tour of Missouri this year.
Rebecca’s first blogging experience was devoted to Alberto Contador during the 2007 Tour de France, when he won the first of his two titles. These posts were written for CyclingFans.com, a website for international coverage of cycling broadcasts.
Rebecca wrote in her blog that she felt a special kinship with this young athlete who experienced a cerebral hemorrhage and brain surgery in 2004.
"In terms of inspiration, he’s my own personal Lance Armstrong," she said.
On May 12, 2004, during the Vuelta a Asturias, Contador experienced bleeding in his brain caused by a congenital condition known as cerebral cavernoma. The incident led to a crash and nearly ended his life. He underwent surgery at a hospital in Madrid. Far from being immobilized by severe trauma, Alberto got back in the saddle. Early in 2005, he resumed his trajectory of stage wins, top five finishes, points and young rider jerseys. Contador has gone on to win the Tour de France twice, as well as the Tour of Italy and the Tour of Spain, cycling’s Triple Crown.
When Rebecca was diagnosed with a brain tumor in November, 2006, Contador’s story took on new meaning. During recovery, she was advised to keep a notebook nearby, and to write things down. It was cognitive therapy, at first. But as the stack of steno pads has grown, her pen has traced the name Alberto Contador many times.
"It has been therapy for the heart and soul, not simply lubrication for the mental machinery," she wrote.
Rebecca also covered the inaugural edition of the Tour of Missouri in 2007. As a fan reporter for The Paceline, she was privileged to contribute to the official website of former champion Lance Armstrong while covering the team’s new champion, Contador.
She’s been joint editor and contributor to this website for Chechu Rubiera since it began in 2006 www.chechurubiera.info. Chechu is a teammate of both Contador and Lance Armstrong, and has been a crucial aid in many of their successes.
Rebecca and her husband Larry Martin and their daughter Cricket live in Kansas City.
