Back in the USA

Yo.  I am back and I am wrecked.  Here are a few teaser  pics from Tour De L’Aude Feminin.  The photo gallery is coming soon.

THE FAN..  this guy was a big fan of the team and showed up at several stages

Me and Cyclo-Cross legend Daphny Van Der Brandt in the Pyrenees (she’s little)

This is a small part of the Col de la Llose a long Hors Category climb-  the second one of this stage-  BRUTAL

A little exchange of words in the caravan….  This is another “Dave”  Canadian mechanic for the Belgium based Global racing team.  They are the other “newbies” in the European Peleton and were alot of fun to joke around with.

In Stage 9 there were only 11 seconds seperating the leaders…. the attacks came heavy and hard straight from the gun and after only 25km the field was shattered.  Marina  (in black) was one of many front runners that did everything they could to try and hang on… to no avail.  this picture was taken out the back window of our team car-  we were 15th in the caravan and there were many, many riders behind these.

Holy Crap Balls!!!

OK-  I have been in a technology hole for who knows hoe long.  First the med, Then Bram, Then the Pyrenees and now Bram again.. We lost WIFI in Limoux while I was typing the last update.  We got access today-  after stage 9!!!!!  in Bram.  I will have to update later as far as race info… amazing!!!!  racing in Europe is nothing like the states. I have serviced a bunch of punctures and done 2 out the window, yelled at by the commissare, fined by the UCI, Official-  enrout fixes uncluding one involving cutting a computer transmitter off a fork after it fell to the bottom of the blade at 40km and hour-  I popped my cherry in France in a big big way and have been accpeted into the ranks of the best mechanics in the world.  Ah…Europe.  I have taken 300 pics and today I forgot my camera as we had 2 back to back stages… one with 2 GPM 1 climbs and the Second wiht a Hors Category… talk about steep.  The races went through these gorges that were amazing… I have never seen anything quite like it.  We saw the Frank Schleck  loading his bike into the CSC team van near the end of the stage the Tour D’ France will be using part of this route this year….  Hard!!!. Tomorrow will be excitinf for everyone except us.  The top riders are seperated by seconds and the Yellow Jersey exchanged owners today.  We.. on the other hand… Lost three riders and are now down to 2.  @ because of illness and one due to the torture of 9 days of europeen racing even our DS and Swany are sick!!  I am next.  It is hard not too be pulling 18 hour days.  I fell asleep with a 3 way in my hand fully clothed the other night while working on bikes in my Hotel room.  F’N a peter, F’N a.  Time to work…. it rained again today.  Need to wash all the bikes, spare wheels the car and the van before bed.  Only one more stage.  Au revoir!

Yo… Cafe Au Lait Avec deux sucre, sil vous plait

 

Hey, Still in Limoux. Pretty Laidback day.  Girls went out and preveiwed the final stage “Limoux a Limoux”  A 68k, hilly sorta rolling course.  Got Erinn out on the T.T. bike today for the first time.  This is her first official race since her knee injury back in Feb.(?)  We spent some time making sure the setback was perfect along with the seat height so there would be no issues.  20 minutes on the bike and the thumbs up.  Tomorrow we are going to do the team time trial course in a mock TT since Joelle and Amanda have not raced a team TT before.  We will follow in the car and make sure everything goes well.  The team presenation Gala where they introduce all the riders and such on the 17th.  Racing starts with a 3.9km Prologue TT the next day.  We will be moving to the race hotel which is on the coast (bummer)  We will be there for 3 or 4 days of racing then into the Mountains. Joelle was crapping her pants today when she found out that there are two climbs coming up into the pyrenees-  one is 25km the second 29km.  we calmed her by saying they were more of a “false flat and gradual undulations”  she fell for it.  I am sure she will do fine.  One thing Joelle is good at is suffering!  this will be right up her alley.

No, J’suis un mechanique de bicyclette de Velos

My french still stinks.Today- rain, rain and more rain.  Slept 12 hours and still tired.  Need to go the bike shop for a new Plateau Grande (big chainring) and..J’ai besoin de embout (i need cable ends)  Might have to walk to town in the pouring rain-  not to psyched about that.  Not sure what the rest of the day will bring I have been watching the French Version of American Idol  “Le saga de Noveau Idol”  it’s worse than the american version.  

Things I have learned in the past 24 hours.

1.  American’s are fat

2.  A large here is our small

3. The Belgians really do hate the dutch

4.  Rugby fans are crazier than soccer fans.  (NZ won last night and there were people going up and down the road in cars signing and blaring horns while wearing NZ jerseys-  lots of cars too…like a whole bars worth of people)

5. French comedy is not funny at all…

Erinn should be coming into the Hotel any minute and it’s back to work getting her bikes set up.  Hopefully the rain will break and the girls can ride in sunshine today..

Au revoir.

Bonjour!

 

No, really.. it’s fun to fly with all this……

…and make it fit into this!

Greetings from the South of France.  Holycow what a trip so far.  We landed in Paris at the CDG airport with 17 boxes-  TT bikes, carbon wheels o- plenty, parts, nutrition, etc…  we needed for trolleys to get all the stuff through.  I got nabbed by customs-  we think because I had 4 bikes and the most of the wheels.  My french stinks.  Anyway-  I told them I was going on a cycling trip in the South with some friends that were flying in the next day.  I am glad that Jeff told me what to say in case I got stopped-  good thing-  customs in France will search every ounce of your boxes and luggage if you are with a team-  ahhhh doping controls.  We got a rental (very small renault)  we waited inline for 2 hours and there were only 4 people in front of us-  no big cars left.  we got this tiny renault-  took everything out of there boxes and stuffed every nook and cranny-  we even stuffed the 50 waterbottles we had in and around everything.  We then drove two hours nort west to Evroux(sp)  to pick up the team car we were borrowing-  nice sporty wagon with the totally pro tour de’ france style roof rack (pics soon)  Then we drove south, way south. about 965km +/-20km.  Got a speeding ticket (auto camera at 4am this morning) going somewhere in the neighborhood of 180km an hour (no- it wasn’t me, well… that got the ticket)  in a 100km zone  We got to limoux a small village south of Tolouse and near the Pyrenees.  The race will take place on many of the climbs used in the Tour de’ France. There is a 26km climb-  ouch glad I will be in the team car for that one…..  anyway built some bikes up.  Drank some good coffee, practiced my french (I can understand directions anyway) and had some good food-  Sunday is not a day to be hungry in a small french village- especially around noon-  everyone takes a 2 hour lunch-  and you will be lucky to find anything open.  Saw some Gerolsteiner guys near a cafe in town-  and ATV’s are road legal!?!!  weird to see 4 wheelers ripping through an ancient village.  Anyway….  Je suis Fatigue.  We are here for 3 more nights and the on to Carcassonne and the prologue.  Bikes to work on in the morning.  The girls arrived late today and Erinn is coming tomorrow.  We had a little bike damage in shipping so lots to do right from the gun… girls are riding at 10 tomorrow.  As soon as I find a USB cable ( i forgot mine) I will upload some pics… this is a beautiful region of France.  Aurevoir!  check out www.tour-aude-cycliste-feminin.com

Here we go again…..

Tomorrow it’s Montreal.  Jeff and I are meeting up in a parking lot next to the airport to box up all the gear and get it ready for our 8pm flight to Paris.  The on to Tolouse where we meet up with the girls and prepare for the Tour de L’ Aude.  oH yeah, We are a man short too.  Director Sportif Scott Gerrie has had some stuff come up and can’t make the trip!!! so it’s now me and Jeff to run the show in Europe!!??!!.  Since Jeff is taking over as D.S. we had to get a Swany to take over his duties.  We will be pickin’ that cat up along the way-  I think in Carsaconne, France.  Anyway-  gotta go to bed.  Hopefully I have packed all my tools.  I will know when they weigh my C.H. Ellis ballistic box at the airport-  if it doesn’t weigh 44lbs.  I will know that I forgot something and it will haunt me all they to Europe.  Jesus- I hope it’s all there…..  Au revoir