What has been happening. Ups and down, got sick anti bio-tics etc, so races didn't go so well for a few weeks. Coming good now, although still have a cough and splutter every now and then. The nations cups didn't go well for me, I was on anti bio-tics leading into them, I was coming right after Flanders and was going well in Le Cote Picardie(a nations cup in France) until a motor bike crashed on a narrow bridge, caused a pile up which I didn't see...but I soon realized what had happened after I went over the handle bars. I broke the fall with my head and fingers, less than ideal but I seemed ok and kept going. I got back on the back of the group just in time for the crosswinds. I was battling them for a bit, then realized holding onto the handlebars was getting more and more painful, until I couldn't bend two of my fingers(the ones you use to brake) it was shit but I pulled out. I went to ask for ice at a French pub, the kind lady gave me 3 bits...she reminded me I was in France. I would love to say that ZLM(a nations cup race in Holland)went a lot better, I punctured at the wrong time (150km into a 180km) I got back on ok, but these races have about 150+ riders and your riding on these narrow little roads. So getting to the front after chasing on didn't really happen, I missed the front split and ended up rolling in about 5 mins behind the pelton. Although that all sounds like a bit of a downer, it was all good for me. I think a week or so after I raced in De Pan on the coast, there were about 150 starters. An early break went and it was going solid. I managed to get across, just as I did that it split again and I tried but my jump across was rather short lived and about 5kms to slow so I missed the break again and was chasing with a few others until the finish. I got 15th, my sprint was something pathetic after what for me was a pretty tough race, against some pro's from the Sean Kelly AnPost team, who had ridden in some of the classics. But it was good and I was happy to be up there and in the mix especially after Monday and Tuesday where I had 4 hour days back. My training is back on track, getting in some good work. Today had a double day with the second session being behind the derny along the cannel, I did this with my host families granddad aka Bompa. I had 3 efforts to do and once they were done and I was cooked he insisted I do a few more. My Flemish and his English are not really there, so he got his extra few efforts in. But as they say here “yaaah...it's good for me”. Tomorrow I'm off to a tour in France, in the Champagne region. Its 3 stages with a TT, over rolling terrain so I am really looking forward to it. This is my first big race with the team. Now I am back from France... I crept on the first stage, I had nothing really. I lost 3 mins to the peleton and came in just in front of the shunters. Michael got up for 3rd on the stage so we would work for him the next day. In the TT I hoped to have a good one, but then again I wasn't firing. I got 4th but was 1”20 down on Michael. That put Mike in a comfortable position going into the last stage. We let a break go, me and a few others road the front for the first 50kms. Then Mike and I put it in the gutter in the crosswind and he took off up the road with 4 others. So it was job done for the day. Mike got to the break and went straight through it, won the stage. 3 others went up the road on the last lap and I jumped the bunch 1km before the finish to take 5th on the stage. So Michael won the Tour and our team Isorex won the teams classification on stage 2 and overall. So in the end it was a good tour for the team! It was tied in with the tour de france sponsors so we got yellow hats that we made look pretty sauve by bending the beaks, I'll put those photos on when I get them. Now its a fresh week of training, strength block. Double days and ergs, with a small helping of spontaneous lettuce picking for the host family. On other stuff its really good to see Clinton Avery winning over here, he's won 2 really big races so far this year and hes always in the mix in the others(he might have won more, so don't quote me on it). Its really motivating to see this, as he's one of the guys whos been over here by himself doing it for the last 3 or 4 years and its really paying off for him. As with Tom David who just got a win over here yesterday. Winning a race here is a big thing, everyone knows what everyone is doing so to get a win here doesn't go un-noticed. So its all good here, really enjoying it, my host family are great as is my souniguer Oliver(he reads this and wanted a mention). Other things over here that are different is that there are girls that stand behind class windows in there underwear, sometimes they are dancing when you ride past( I only ever ride past, never stopping). The cars are a lot more exotic, my neighbors goat yells a lot and Merdia's break easily, My rear brake has pulled right through the frame and my front derailleur hanger had several cracks in it, I operated on it, now it have a derailleur clamp that works a treat. Thats me. I am going to attempt to add photos to this blog to make it exciting(give it the Wow factor). But if there are no photo's, then I haven't worked it out yet.
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