The Autobus and Bobby J. have a lot in common right now: We both don’t ride our bikes and we both wear a wrist brace on our right wrists! Jinx! Since the Tour is all but over, and Bobby’s season is all but over, it seems like a good time to take a look back on Bobby’s 2006 season or as I’d like to call it, a Retrospectacle.

I say Retrospectacle because I think the source of Bobby’s 2006 problems — and there’s always a source for his problems — lies with sponsor Oakley. If you look at him before the crash in Stage 7, you clearly see that he is wearing a pair of Pro M-Frame glasses with red iridium lenses. This is problematic. Red iridium allows 15% light to eyes, increases contrast and definition in variable light under bright sunlight. At 46°N of the equator and partially-cloudy/average sunlight riding conditions, I would have recommended an amber polarized or better yet, orange lens.

Who’s to blame for this? At first you might think it was Julich’s poor choice. Perhaps not. Looking back at the Tour of Romandie earlier this year, we learned that Bobby had serious problems with his sponsor Oakley:

Minutes before I spoke with CSC’s evergreen American Bobby Julich, the 34 year-old was having a fairly in-depth conversation with a representative from Oakley, one of his personal equipment sponsors. Phrases like, ‘I need another set of M-Frames for the Giro and Tour’ and ‘the ones with black Iridium’ were thrown around, indicative of someone very particular about the finer details.

“I mean, you’re used to doing things the right way and when a guy like that is right here and can take care of a problem… ” says Julich, his voice trailing off before explaining the reason behind his nitpicking: “In the time trial, there was something wrong with my glasses - I kept having to pull them up - and we found out they were a little uneven; of course, you don’t have the right vision if they’re tilted.”

Kröner, Hedwig, Ed. “Reality bites thrice for Julich” Cyclingnews 28 April 2006. 22 July 2006 <http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2006/apr06/romandie06/
?id=/riders/2006/interviews/bobby_julich_romandie06>

While I think that black iridium would have been the worst choice for the Tour TT, maybe what we’re missing from this is an on-going problem with Oakley not being able to deliver the proper equipment to Bobby. One look at Landis in the starting house in his orange (ideal in medium light conditions) Oakley Zero glasses makes you wonder if there isn’t a conspiracy afoot.