tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50579835568043069102024-02-21T03:15:54.510-08:00My Mind Is RacingBanner photo © Cor Vos / Team Giant-ShimanoChadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-76768507872003068722015-07-16T09:53:00.001-07:002015-07-16T09:53:09.013-07:00I've moved!You can find me <a href="http://chadhaga.com/">HERE</a> from now on!Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-21676751596313952602015-03-02T09:35:00.002-08:002015-03-04T21:31:51.178-08:00All of the things.Whoa, it's March already. Time flies when you're having fun, and I've been having a lot of fun. I've been meaning to do a proper update for a while, but I kept putting it off for a few reasons. First, there are exciting new things in the works (read: a proper website). Secondly, I've got a writing gig now with Velonews...so I want to save the good stuff for them. That's only logical, right? That means that what you're getting here is just the quick and dirty update for my real followers.<br />
<br />
Speaking of my Velonews journals, if you haven't already found them, here they are:<br />
<a href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/01/news/road/chad-haga_357261">http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/01/news/road/chad-haga_357261</a><br />
<a href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/01/news/chad-haga-journal-confidence-game_358557">http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/01/news/chad-haga-journal-confidence-game_358557</a><br />
<a href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/rider-journal/chad-haga-journal-danger_360652">http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/rider-journal/chad-haga-journal-danger_360652</a><br />
<br />
There have also been a few articles about me, which is always exciting.<br />
<a href="http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/haga-hoping-to-finish-another-grand-tour-in-2015">http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/haga-hoping-to-finish-another-grand-tour-in-2015</a><br />
<a href="http://texasbikeracing.com/renaissance-man-chad-hagas-texas-bike-racing-roots/">http://texasbikeracing.com/renaissance-man-chad-hagas-texas-bike-racing-roots/</a><br />
<a href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/chad-haga-giant-alpecins-resident-pianist_361836">http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/chad-haga-giant-alpecins-resident-pianist_361836</a><br />
<br />
I'm amused anytime I'm asked for an interview, because what do I have to say that could be interesting? But if people want to know what's going on inside my head, I'm happy to share. I'm also cracked up by how much attention my appreciation of the Oxford comma has received. I included that tidbit in my twitter bio long ago simply as a joke because I was rattling off a long list of things I like. And, well, I do like that little comma. I also do not claim to be a grammar expert, but I do make an effort.<br />
<br />
Now then, time to get caught up.<br />
<br />
Tour Down Under was great; I really enjoyed getting to race on a new continent. Riding on the left side of the road was bizarre, but I especially couldn't get used to the race caravan on the left. I was nearly pulled off my bike the first time I went back for bottles because I'd never experienced that force on the left side before. We didn't win any stages in the TDU, but we did walk away with Marcel's win in the People's Choice Classic...the hardest hour on a bike in my life. My average and max HR for the crit were only 8bpm separated, and my max was the highest I've seen in over a year. The racing all week was hard, the field was strong and motivated, and I left with a good boost in fitness after struggling post-flu.<br />
<br />
Dubai Tour was another fun one. Just the culture alone was interesting to see. I was ogling every exotic car that passed by, but by the end of the week they were all blurring together. Oh, look, another Bentley/Lamborghini/Ferrari/younameit. The racing was also an adjustment, as there is no terrain besides overpasses until you get way out there. The hardest adjustment was racing in a field with only a few ProTour teams. TDU was a field full of guys who knew how to handle themselves in a peloton. They can be crazy, but they're at least predictably so. Many of the racers in Dubai were just crazy. You simply never knew when they would do something stupid.<br />
<br />
Stage 3 of Dubai will be my lasting memory--that's what a perfect team effort looks like, and John certainly knows how to seal a deal. We narrowly missed out on winning the whole thing, which is always disappointing, but there are much bigger things to come.<br />
<br />
Next up was the Vuelta a Murcia, another fun one. I made the 12-man selection over the first climb at 15km into the race when things went nuts, but the move was a bit too dangerous for its own good and was chased back eventually. I didn't have quite enough left to get over the top of the double-cat-1 climb with the lead group, but an exciting descent saw me rejoin them at the bottom. In the group of 40, it was just me and Daan, and I used the last of my legs to set him up for the finishing climb. The finish would've been good for me, had I not spent my legs in the early move. That's racing, though.<br />
<br />
My last race was the Tour du Haut Var in France, a 2-day stage race featuring a pair of tough rolling/climbing stages. No major climbs, but plenty of intermediate ones all day long. The first day was cold and raining the whole day. I wasn't so excited about that, but you can't always race in sunny Australia or Dubai. Once I got over being wet, I did have a lot of fun. The race and the rain meant that we had to be focused all day long, so it flew by. I got to be a protected rider for the weekend, which was an adjustment--most of all when it came time to sprint at the end. Protecting someone else going into a sprint is something I'm very good at, but positioning myself at the end after my teammates have all done their work...I'm a bit rusty. As such, I was a bit too timid, letting others dictate the race and then I got caught up by a leadout rider who had dropped anchor. A missed opportunity there, but I was encouraged by my legs.<br />
<br />
A moment from the race:<br />
"How are you feeling, Chad?"<br />
"Good, I think. I can't feel my legs, but I'm not breathing hard. I guess I'm okay!"<br />
<br />
Stage 2 was even tougher, but nice and sunny all day. After an hour of constant attacks, a large break got away and we settled in to an uncomfortable pace as AG2R set about chasing them. Our guys focused their effort on delivering me and Luka into the final climb fresh and at the front, and they're certainly the best in the business: I started the climb second wheel. 8 painful minutes later, the field was down to 15 riders. We would be joined by 10 more in the few kilometers before the finish. I was covering the dangerous attacks, but AG2R and BMC were keeping things under control. Luka chased back to our group with just 3k to go and told me he didn't have the legs left to sprint.<br />
<br />
I moved up next to Luka as we got around the last turn with 1200m remaining. Somehow I knew that a sprinter's legs would perk up under the flamme rouge... "Wait," he said, then one hundred meters later, "Okay, Chad, go!" So I steadily ramped it up to move him the final 10 places into a perfect position to sprint. The final K was false-flat downhill, so at nearly 60kph I held him next to Gilbert until he could secure Gilbert's wheel, at which point I slid in behind the BMC rider driving us to the finish. I had just a tiny bit of energy left and my legs were twinging, hinting at cramps on the way. I was suprised at how fast the finish was coming up. The BMC rider started to fade, so I opened up my sprint just as 3 sprinters came blowing past. As I faded back, I watched Luka get boxed in, work his way to an opening on the right, and then kick again to take a handy win over Gilbert.<br />
<br />
As I write this, I have one day left of a short training camp in Spain. It's been nice to train with teammates, but I can't say it's been the most successful week for me...I caught some sort of stomach bug that has tried to keep me down for a few days. Nothing to keep me from training for more than a day, though. I also got my first crash of the year out of the way with an entirely new experience: being literally blown off the road. Our group was slightly echeloned on an already windy day up in the mountains. I was at the back of the group, just left of the center of the small road when we were slammed by a gust of wind so hard that all we could do was get low, lean hard into it, and hope our front wheels stayed on the ground while we all moved a meter to the left. When the next gust hit, I didn't have another meter of road. So I ended up in the ditch, flipping over a thorn-filled hedge. No damage to report besides some scratches, thankfully.<br />
<br />
In other news, I've settled into a little apartment in the heart of Girona with Carter Jones. I'm finding Spanish living to be more my speed so far, aided in part by the 4 years of high school Spanish that are slowly coming back. The community of pro cyclists (Americans especially) is huge, so there's always somebody available for a ride or dinner on those rare occasions I crave human interaction. Most importantly, I've already bought a keyboard for my cramped room. I think it's a magic piano, as it looked so small in the store that I had to double-check that it had all 88 keys. But when I got it into my little room, it suddenly became a full grand. Magic, I say! Between reading, writing, piano, skype calls with my girlfriend, training, racing, cooking, eating, and sleeping, my days stay pretty full.<br />
<br />
Consider yourselves up to date! Here's a picture:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMAHnyEUhkieqbbAoAnZZ9UtDCI_PWBF58WMBwGEbL9i3sHo033Kw1BkqgFnx0HTmhhfRctxRxCHQAQXgHOgynXMw2E9tDLbj5zeZo8-vkluyqc9EoKKorgU-FY5QhGv4ng_nV0DaSAw/s1600/171016_PIC521876634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMAHnyEUhkieqbbAoAnZZ9UtDCI_PWBF58WMBwGEbL9i3sHo033Kw1BkqgFnx0HTmhhfRctxRxCHQAQXgHOgynXMw2E9tDLbj5zeZo8-vkluyqc9EoKKorgU-FY5QhGv4ng_nV0DaSAw/s1600/171016_PIC521876634.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching Luka bring it home</td></tr>
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<br />Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-89541646804776178452014-11-17T08:50:00.001-08:002014-11-17T08:50:14.425-08:00Knobby tires, swinging hammers, and trainer time.Well, I've made it through the first week of training for 2015!<br />
<br />
My off-season went by way too fast, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I got to spend a few days with my parents in Texas before returning to Colorado where I had barely parked the car before I was on my mountain bike. My skills re-acquisition could have gone a bit smoother, leaving me with some minor scrapes and bruises, but hey, it's mountain biking. The good news is that my skills were sharp before we hit the road for Moab, one of the most famous mountain biking locations in the world. Our merry crew was filled with collegiate teammates from years past, and we enjoyed the scenery and incredible riding. For those wondering, we made sure to use our 3-days of riding well, hitting Slickrock, Klondike Bluffs, and Porcupine Rim. 29ers all-around, and most of us on hardtails. It was punishing at times, but a ton of fun.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FC500Ne3HvZwG86pQOKKqHsLeBb6sNEJiHR3lRGsfS6d56S7YHkMKgxpiQdt3tDQ7z3arAo3DeUd-LzYvB8XFrJL6QpWhD86__YC_D69qJh7RTcPfM04v4A2RGdkJMQ2xggZnMzppcs/s1600/10694388_10105653460821074_3954542571714066289_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FC500Ne3HvZwG86pQOKKqHsLeBb6sNEJiHR3lRGsfS6d56S7YHkMKgxpiQdt3tDQ7z3arAo3DeUd-LzYvB8XFrJL6QpWhD86__YC_D69qJh7RTcPfM04v4A2RGdkJMQ2xggZnMzppcs/s1600/10694388_10105653460821074_3954542571714066289_o.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to look tough</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xF2gjD-CnsrlT6cc5L5GEihHpa_NDX-A1y1nofes_9VulIEk6b1ikf71ITHiaYApgspuQWsHmDOQ7bt9NcOrHJnC5XVcXz0FeykUZWistxFQtnwjs-DZtVMNIUrWi6a9Ae0Vkjb5u7w/s1600/10330318_10105653693923934_4303667134764125121_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xF2gjD-CnsrlT6cc5L5GEihHpa_NDX-A1y1nofes_9VulIEk6b1ikf71ITHiaYApgspuQWsHmDOQ7bt9NcOrHJnC5XVcXz0FeykUZWistxFQtnwjs-DZtVMNIUrWi6a9Ae0Vkjb5u7w/s1600/10330318_10105653693923934_4303667134764125121_n.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slickrock is nothing but an enormous sandpaper rollercoaster!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5UwQdZ7SUmv0Ncagnb6z0XeR3KcfcgpPBeYWaEANxBL6r4vQyHwYoAnZyB2IzgRdhSsDfl6iBZYpeZAM99geOnNkHnid4vUmyZHWGae1wNKsJjI5XunC2b4apfaQ4rtfZIUxLKPCWWw/s1600/10447803_10105653693938904_378905340825636397_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5UwQdZ7SUmv0Ncagnb6z0XeR3KcfcgpPBeYWaEANxBL6r4vQyHwYoAnZyB2IzgRdhSsDfl6iBZYpeZAM99geOnNkHnid4vUmyZHWGae1wNKsJjI5XunC2b4apfaQ4rtfZIUxLKPCWWw/s1600/10447803_10105653693938904_378905340825636397_n.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pick a line, any line</td></tr>
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After another few days of trails in Colorado, Shane and I were on a plane bound for California, where we'd board a bus and drive to Mexico for my second house build. Of all the opportunities that cycling has given me, these builds are my favorite. This weekend was on my calendar before last year's build was even finished, and I knew that I had to bring Shane along this time. <a href="http://babyhaga.blogspot.com/2014/11/more-than-sport-in-mexico.html">You can read Shane's take on the incredible trip here</a>. The weekend ended far too soon after many friendships and memories were made, and I can't wait to go back. And there's no substitute for the perspective and thankfulness gained on a trip like that.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcaUw86NJt06eTK5oUamfVabAiVN9Yd8LNTYM2GuhO5a8xVVGk-yjXykaRTV9unGlDsjY7FcPgxACHeqkMpCDMygMmdDePO9R33U5SNrVBUZsmV3nMLOTc4-UG9qf8h8Ql6fQMwzQO9zs/s1600/10704433_795797924298_4005491430611252678_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcaUw86NJt06eTK5oUamfVabAiVN9Yd8LNTYM2GuhO5a8xVVGk-yjXykaRTV9unGlDsjY7FcPgxACHeqkMpCDMygMmdDePO9R33U5SNrVBUZsmV3nMLOTc4-UG9qf8h8Ql6fQMwzQO9zs/s1600/10704433_795797924298_4005491430611252678_o.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging drywall with Tanner Foust</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZYiW07znnbuaVQWVt7LELhSrneuPcbnebHKkIBt709in1pyePx0_QsHvGmxQfHmiR-Xl55Ix_a4oWCBLMqIrxjExnS1t2AjTLLQYmQisyNrXHZ4MnZ6ehrKNzFNHFKJq3SlRax9YxSng/s1600/finale.jpg" height="213" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our build team with the family</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Shane and I returned to Colorado as Snowpocalypse 2014 hit and ended up spending the night in a hotel room just 60 miles from home after driving for 2 hours without even reaching the ring-road around Denver. After getting back to Colorado Springs the next morning just as the next snow storm started, I kicked off my 2015 season with a ride on the trainer. Then I spent the next 5 days on the trainer, too. You know it's bad when you actually go through the trouble of putting on the trainer tire. That's accepting that you won't be outside for a while!<br />
<br />
As un-enjoyable as all that trainer time was, I got through it with relative ease with this thought: <i>I just helped a family in Tijuana with nothing build a house, and they were so thankful. Can I really complain that I'm being paid to ride my bike inside for a week?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
The first week of training is always a big adjustment, though. Mentally, it's getting back in the routine of training. There's also the readjustment of eating like a professional athlete again, moving away from the off-season indulgences. The most difficult adaption is physical, however. After a three-day block of riding, lifting weights, and running, I was moving really slow. I felt weak on the bike, fighting off the fear that I'll never regain the fitness I once had. But I've been here before and know that I just have to push through the first week. Sure enough, by the end of the week I was riding 30w higher and 10bpm lower. Training at this time of year is addictive for me because the gains come so quickly and easily. I'm so excited for next year!<br />
<br />
Thanksgiving is coming up, and I have so much to be thankful for. I get paid to do what I love and see the world in the process. I get to meet incredible people and call them friends after a weekend spent building a house for a family in desperate need. I'm thankful for the time I get to spend with friends and family before I leave the country in 7 short weeks. Today, specifically, I'm thankful that my dad gets to celebrate his 55th birthday. He's riding a tumultuous rollercoaster, still fighting his cancer for the third time. The doctors can barely agree on what to do with him, as he's in uncharted territory. He <i>is</i> the cutting edge of treatment, as it is a rare patient that gets to the five-year mark. My dad is a rare one, though, and we Hagas are fighters like you wouldn't believe!<br />
<br />
That's all for now, I hope you can all enjoy time with family next week!Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-38590340864579976182014-10-14T00:49:00.004-07:002014-10-14T00:49:42.648-07:00Winding down<div class="MsoNormal">
My last race of the season was two weeks ago, which is hard
to believe. I was considering not even posting anything about it, but changed
my mind because I’ve written about every race so far this year and wanted to
finish it off.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Milano-Torino was my first road race in Italy, and my first
since the Vuelta. At a 1.HC ranking, that meant that there would be several continental
teams racing. The race was almost completely flat for 170km, then featured two
trips up a nearly 20min climb to finish. The plan was for Daan and I to save it
for the finish, while the others were free to go in the break.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The race started (albeit a bit behind schedule because of
protesters whose cause I couldn’t quite figure out….it involved a tractor in
the road, though) and I realized just what a Grand Tour does for your legs.
Attacks were constantly going for over 30km, and I was effortlessly floating in
the bubble. I was watching many of the attacking riders burn themselves out
after several failed attempts to escape, whereas it felt like I had no chain on
my bike. Granted, I wasn’t attacking, but I had grown accustomed to it taking
400w to just hold the wheel for the first hour of a bike race.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the break finally got away, we were in for a long ride
before things got exciting again. The fight going into the climb the first time
was a big one, and it highlighted the progress I’ve made this year. What should
have been a straightforward positioning battle turned dirty when the Tinkoff
team hooked the whole field three times on a straight road. It was a fast
run-in and they couldn’t hold the speed required to hold off the waves trying
to roll over them. As a wave was coming up the side, they abruptly swung to the
other side of the road to shut it down. It’s irresponsible and dangerous, and
it caused chaos behind. Out of anger and determination to give myself the best
chance for a result in my last race of the year, I did what I needed to do and
started the climb with Daan and Thomas in the first 20 riders.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the end, I was unable to get a result, but I’m happy with
my race. How can that be? Well, that climb was the furthest thing from suiting
me as it could possibly be. I’m a time trial climber, meaning I like to settle
into my rhythm and gradually increase the pace all the way up. That climb was
steep and pitchy, meaning there was no rhythm to be had, and we started it with
a 2 minute sprint. Even despite all this, I barely missed making the select
front group of 30 riders over the top. Part of that was due to not knowing the
climb. I had one big effort left to get over the top, but with the climb
constantly changing pitch I used it too soon and then got hit with another
steep section.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I spent the few rolling kilometers at the top in a chase
group, knowing that we were steadily losing time. I couldn’t ride the front the
whole time, but we were losing time in every turn. I wasn’t taking risks on the
damp-at-times road, but if the next turn looks like a possible u-turn, do
yourself a favor and set up on the outside, eh?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyways, after a disjointed chase effort and doing the final
climb at a manageable pace, we only finished 4 minutes down. If I had only made
the front group the first time up….<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My feeling about my race only improved when I downloaded the
power data from the race. It’s a good thing I had the power on my SRM covered
up, as my head would have exploded the first time up. After 170km of racing, I
started the climb off with a 2-minute power record. Then I kept going and matched
my 5-minute record. Then I kept going and set a new 10-minute record. Then I
kept going and almost matched my 15- and 20-minute records. All on a climb that
didn’t suit me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So while I failed to get a result, I’m happy with my last
race of the year. I needed to start the climb at the front, and I did. I didn’t
make the front group over the climb, but I posted some ridiculous power numbers
doing so. The only time I ever set power records late in the year was in 2012,
after my season prematurely ended in July with double hand surgery. To be
setting records in October after such a heavy race season and go into the
off-season without being in desperate need of rest, well, that can only mean
good things are on the way in 2015!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After learning that I was definitely not going to Beijing, I
decided to go into the off-season with one final crazy ride. I’m going to live
in Girona next year, but there were still a couple of destinations around here
I hadn’t hit yet. The weather deep in the mountains was no good, so I was
headed South to Volterra. Wanting a real challenge, though, I made it a ride to
remember: 200 miles (325km). I was on cruise control from sun-up to sun-down,
finishing the ride in 10:15, plus 45 minutes of rest from stops for water,
pastries, and a bit of sight-seeing in Volterra. It was an awesome ride, my
longest by a huge margin. My first 6, 7, and 8000kJ ride, finishing at nearly
9000kJ. And I wasn’t dead at the end!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The best part is that I awoke the next day fresh and ready
to go again. Life as a stage racer, I guess. After a couple days of rest, I
went for a run. Almost 5k in 20 minutes. I was sore after that! Since then, I’ve
gone running a few more times, and have adjusted well. I know I’ll be doing
some trail running and playing soccer in the weeks to come, so this transition
will help prevent injury.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today is my last day in Lucca, and I’ll be home in less than
a week! Just a handful of days with the team for sponsor meetings and getting
set up for next year, and then I get to see my family again!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll conclude with a treat for the data dorks out there: a
picture of my CTL for the 2014 season (starting in November). In layman’s
terms, this is the level of fatigue I went through from training and racing.
You can see the steady build and rest periods in the first third, becoming more
saw-toothed as racing starts. Catalunya, my first WorldTour race, appears just
before the middle of the graph. After Circuit de la Sarthe, and I had a bit of
rest, which is followed by the triple peaks of California, Belgium, and
Dauphine. Then begins the long slide of my summer break, which is followed by
camp in the French Alps and Vuelta a Burgos. Finally, the real purpose of this
graphic: that is what a Grand Tour looks like. It’s no joke!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqh1RX1UaPCZ7acYqUdxxbJSPsmCK-z72D7ei-tMLDPBqLLeaFUN_kGhtwUKI1jjIxRNah_2cjyUyW9HOtYlhp1egju7x-X4tzwUY6ChvDuuMXbsB4t-tvyVFUii6x2D4zaGh_xROhnw/s1600/Screenshot+2014-10-04+19.38.15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqh1RX1UaPCZ7acYqUdxxbJSPsmCK-z72D7ei-tMLDPBqLLeaFUN_kGhtwUKI1jjIxRNah_2cjyUyW9HOtYlhp1egju7x-X4tzwUY6ChvDuuMXbsB4t-tvyVFUii6x2D4zaGh_xROhnw/s1600/Screenshot+2014-10-04+19.38.15.png" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I wish you all a happy end to 2014! I'll be bouncing around visiting friends and family, playing in the dirt on my mountain bike, and helping build another house in Mexico before getting back to work for 2015.</div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-47758462212062840322014-10-07T06:31:00.003-07:002014-10-07T06:31:44.402-07:00An American in Europe<div class="MsoNormal">
Before moving to Europe this year, the sum total of my time
on this continent was 3 weeks. If that was dipping my toe in the water, this
year could only be described as jumping into the deep end of Euro-life. In
2014, I have spent only 40 days in the US. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As my time over here this year winds down and I become
increasingly homesick, I’ve thought about all that I will and won’t miss from
this side of the pond. I made a list of everything that is quintessentially
American—seemingly insignificant facets of the country I grew up in, but that I
find myself missing now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is likely no surprise that the thing I miss most from the
homeland is food. Not just American food, but food in America. Want Thai food
at 6pm? Got a sudden hankering for pancakes in the afternoon? Can’t decide if
you want Italian, Mexican, Chinese, or juicy steak? In America, you just find a
strip-mall with all of the above restaurants at whatever time the mood strikes
and go for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have dozens of incredible Italian restaurants just a short
walk from my apartment. I could eat myself into a pizza-and-pasta coma (but
only after 7pm) any day of the week without visiting the same place twice. It
doesn’t matter what I’m in the mood for, I’m having Italian for dinner. Variety
is the spice of life, but the spice rack over here has just basil and oregano.
Thankfully, mercifully, the supermarket has a few racks of imported foods that
give me a taste of home. Of course the prices are premium, but BBQ sauce and
Thai sweet chili sauce go a long way when it comes to sanity. Side note:
Italian grocery stores have pasta AISLES. Plural.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speaking of, I will never understand Europe’s widespread
avoidance of condiments. It only seems logical that your sandwich of awesome
bread, great meat, and tasty cheese would be well-complemented by some spicy
chipotle sauce, but maybe that’s just my typical American decadence speaking?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just because the supermarket has imported foods, though,
doesn’t mean they’ll be good. I have left the Mexican rack alone--I can’t even
see the expiration dates on the salsa because they’re so dust-covered. Maybe
I’ll crack in another week, though.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I celebrated the end of my season with a pint of Ben and
Jerry’s (they actually have it, and it only costs as much as a pizza!), which
is how I learned not to buy American ice cream in Italy. It’s been sitting
there so long that it crystallized from so many thaw/freeze cycles of being
moved from freezer to freezer while awaiting a particularly homesick bike
racer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Say you’re going out for dinner in Europe. You can sit
inside, but it’s a lovely fall evening and the weather is fantastic. Of course
you’d like to dine outside, and why shouldn’t you? Oh, right, because your
dinner might be ruined by the smoky intermingling of cigarettes and two-stroke
scooter exhaust.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I miss America, where cigarette smokers are the rightfully
vilified minority (I may be a bit biased on this topic, as their disgusting
habit is why I must preempt any judgment on my Dad’s cancer with the
oft-repeated “no, he never smoked”), rather than the behind-the-times majority
who can’t be bothered to account for the wind’s direction or the sensibilities
of other humans. Side note: I hate few things in life as much as somebody
having a smoke upwind of me while watching me warm up for a time trial. It
happens way too often.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In America, your dinner is accompanied by unlimited free
water in a glass that is filled to the brim with ice cubes, even though the AC
in the restaurant is cranked to ‘Arctic’. You finish dinner and drive to your
hotel in your big SUV that would lose its mirrors driving through any of the
small villages around Italy, and lay in your oversized hotel bed while flipping
through the myriad TV channels, all of which feature the original audio track
rather than the dubbed-over versions that dominate European media. Your phone
is charging while you watch How To Train Your Dragon for the third time
(because you only caught the second half the first two times), because you
don’t have to choose between recharging your phone and watching TV, as the
hotel room has 37 outlets to meet your electricity needs from any location. The
movie finishes and it only takes 2 seconds to check your email because the
internet in America moves faster than a door-busting shopper on Black Friday.
Caught up on email, you feel like taking a shower before bed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You wouldn’t think it would be such a big deal, but I really
miss American showers. Showers that make sense. American showers are big enough
to bend down and shave my legs without banging my head into the door or bumping
into the handle and turning the water to freezing cold. European showers that
actually have a door are just small vertical tubes that Americans who find
themselves on the right side of the waist-size bell curve would vehemently
protest.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Odds are, however, that the shower is one of the open-air
bathtubs with the plastic divider as a half-hearted attempt at keeping the
water in the tub. If the shower head is actually high enough to stand under
without bending over, it’s assuredly one of those adjustable-height numbers
that is worn out and constantly slides down while rotating to spray the wall
instead. The lukewarm water, in the short time that it sprays you before
returning to the wall, fails to combat the cold air attacking you from all
sides, as the absence of a door or shower curtain allows any warming water
vapor to escape. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dissatisfying shower completed, you go to step out, but
realize that you forgot the floormat on the other side of the bathroom. Now you
nearly bust your head because every European shower is a foot (that’s right, an
American measurement) above the floor, so you must awkwardly step down onto a
surface covered in water because that little plastic divider works about as
well as a mesh umbrella.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that’s just the AVERAGE European shower. I’ve seen some
truly baffling ones this year. At our altitude camp in the French alps, I spent
3 weeks trying to figure out how I was supposed to use the shower. I have an
engineering degree and was confounded by a shower. The plastic divider reached
no further beyond the slanted back of the tub, with the faucet at the other
end, where the mount for the shower head was at waist height. I found that if I
took my showers sitting down while holding the shower head with the water
barely flowing, I could limit spillage to just what the towel could absorb.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In America, you can go out in public without considering
your future restroom needs, as nobody is going to charge you for a visit to the
Water Closet. I have never paid to use a toilet out of principle--my American
pride would rather suffer a bladder fit to burst than pay for the privilege of
using a public toilet!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope you enjoyed my tirade. I really do enjoy Europe and
its culture, and my litany of trivial gripes will be quickly forgotten after an
evening of watching real football while eating a big juicy burger at home. I’m
counting down the days!<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-54357197503999598452014-09-26T09:49:00.001-07:002014-09-26T09:49:20.910-07:00Post-Vuelta thoughts, Worlds TTT, and more<div class="MsoNormal">
I realize that the World Championships TTT was the better
part of a week ago, but cut me some slack! I think I broke the blogging world
record by posting 24 times in as many days. 15,000 words while racing a Grand
Tour.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speaking of, I’ve got some final thoughts about the Vuelta,
now that I’ve had some time to digest it. First, I still can barely grasp the
significance of what I/we accomplished. My longest bike race ever was 10 days
and it was far from the level of the Vuelta, and it destroyed me (with the aid
of a nasty South-American bacteria, to be fair). My longest WorldTour race was
8 days. So it was a reasonable expectation that I would be able to contribute
for the first half of the Vuelta before shifting into survival mode. I and my
coaches anticipated finishing the Vuelta with the ability to do nothing more
than curl up in bed until the end-of-season team meeting, which is why I’m only
a reserve rider for most of the post-Vuelta races.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But that’s not what happened. Thanks to a lot of hard work
on my part and the careful training/racing schedule planned out by my coaches
and trainers, my legs did much more than survive their first GT, and I’m
pleased as punch about it. We fought as a team for every chance we had and came
out with a staggering 4 stage wins, very nearly getting 3 more. I have to say
that the last 200m of stage 4 was my happiest moment on a bike ever. There are
only a few times in my life I’ve had the thought “we’re going to win this bike
race, ain’t nothin’ to it but to do it,” and that was one of them. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s also something that those outside of bike racing
usually don’t consider, and that’s all the extra bike riding we do. What, isn’t
a GT enough? 10km of neutral before every road stage adds up! Plus all the
riding to/from sign in, and the ride to the bus after the finish. The race was
officially 3232km(1995mi), but over 23 days I accumulated 3677km(2270mi). I
covered that distance in 103 hours, 10 hours more than my GC time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like I said, we thought I’d be dead after the Vuelta, so I was
only a reserve rider for Worlds TTT. But then John had to be hospitalized for
an infection and I got the callup. Every TTT I do just makes me love the event
that much more. I’m a perfectionist, and the TTT is an event in which
perfection pays huge dividends. I also find it to be the most
exciting/terrifying event because of the skill required. We were rolling at
60kph for the first 15 minutes of the race. We’re going crazy fast, nowhere
near the brakes, and each of us only able to see the wheel in front of us. To
recover at all at those speeds, you have to fully commit to the wheel and trust
that the guy 5 bikes ahead of you will pick a good line and that the director
in your ear will warn you of dangers with enough time to do something about it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The TTT is also one of the most painful events. Unlike a
long TT, where you can just dial up the pain to a sustainable level and hold it
there, the TTT is an hour-long over/under interval. In the first 15 minutes, on
the flat ground, I was doing nearly 550W on the front for close to 30 seconds
(I kept forgetting to look at the timer when I started my pulls and went too
long). Then I swung off, soft-pedaled for 5 seconds, then sprinted to get back
on. Then I had 2 minutes at 300W before I had to do it again. And that was the
easy part of the course. Then we reached the hills.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was really in the hurt locker for 10 minutes before the
top of the climb, but I was pleased to have made it into the final 4. Our
efforts were rewarded with the top-10 placing that we were seeking. We’re
constantly getting better, which bodes well for the future!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The TTT was my first race with Marcel—I hadn’t even seen him
since the first week of January—so it was nice to get to know each other. I still haven’t done a race with Tom Veelers
or Bert de Becker (although I got to know Tom well at camp). That’s how big the
team is, there are guys that I haven’t seen all year!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I still have at least one race remaining, so there’s still
some training to be done to maintain my form. I mentally can’t do intervals
anymore, and even just telling myself that I’m going training cracks me a bit.
So yesterday I covered up the power and went for a bike ride. When I’m supposed
to go hard, I’ll just chase some Strava KOMs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Want to know what a GT does to your legs? I can’t go easy
anymore! It’s either 150 or 300W all day, I can’t find the in-between. 300W is
just cruising speed now, nearly nose-breathing. Also, 21 days of WorldTour
racing is a lot of speedwork, and now 90rpm feels like grinding.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, I’ve got at least one race remaining—Milan-Torino, plus
I’m reserve for a few others. I’m hoping to get bumped up, though. I’ve got
good legs at the end of the season for the first time ever, and want to use
them. Also, I’m not going home until after the team meeting in October, and
racing makes time go by much faster!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I said in an interview earlier this year that, as riders,
our job is to race our bikes and leave the team management to those in the
office. We can’t be stressing about sponsorship issues if we hope to perform
well, and our team office rewarded that trust by securing a new major sponsor,
Alpecin, for the coming years. Sponsorship stability is such a big deal in this
sport! I also love that the sponsor of the team with the rider most synonymous with
fantastic hair (and Marcel, too) is a shampoo company.<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-44456213096320671872014-09-14T12:12:00.000-07:002014-09-14T12:12:01.468-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 21: Done. And. Dusted!<div class="MsoNormal">
Just a short report today, for a
short stage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We got a lap of the course in this
morning. Once again, the course profile was incredibly misleading. If they
tried to present that profile to an engineering professor, they’d be very
disappointed in their grade. Scale, scale, scale!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What looked like a fairly flat
course was actually either up or down with very little flat in between. What
was obvious, though, is that the possibility of rain would seriously affect the
outcome on the technical course.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Warming up for TT’s is the most
bizarre part of bike racing for me. The best part of riding bikes is actually
moving, so I naturally hate trainers. But there I am, pedaling and going
nowhere. While I’m coming to terms with the necessity of this misery, there are
complete strangers just arm’s length away looking at me and taking pictures
like I’m a zoo animal, and all I can do is just pretend that they aren’t there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After 3 weeks of racing, I don’t have
much left in me, so I certainly didn’t want to leave my best effort on the
trainer. I opted for a longer, easier warmup instead.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All was good until I got to the
start house and it started to rain. I immediately reached over and lowered my
tire pressure. On that course, it was impossible for a wet time to come close
to the top of the leaderboard, but I gave it my best try anyways.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I didn’t take crazy risks, but I
definitely pushed the tires at times. I wanted to have a more steady effort,
but with the rain, I was just sprinting from corner to corner. By the time I
was through the corner, I was recovered and ready to sprint again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the end, I finished 1’04” down
on the winning time. I actually had a really good ride with good power numbers,
and I’m pleased with my ride technically. Among everybody who raced in the
rain, I finished quite near the top, so I can’t be too disappointed. I did everything under my control perfectly,
but there’s nothing I could do about the weather. Oh well!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But then Wawa had the ride he
needed to hold on to 8<sup>th</sup> on GC, and John won the points competition!
4 wins, a top-10 on GC, and the Green Jersey?! I’m scared that the bar has been
set unreasonably high for all future Grand Tours!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And just like that, it’s over. It’s
going to feel really weird for the next few days, I think, as I adjust to life
outside of this bike race again. Nothing important has happened while I’ve been
away, right?<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-67943387595818810502014-09-13T14:48:00.002-07:002014-09-13T14:48:40.617-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 20:Dark places<div class="MsoNormal">
Our mood before the start was very
good. It was the last road stage, the weather was nice, John had a good lead in
the points competition, and Warren was 8<sup>th</sup> on GC.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The problem with mind trickery,
such as convincing yourself that you’ve made it to the end, is that eventually
you are faced with 185km of racing before it becomes true.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The stage started with 20km of
descending, with some short little kickers thrown in. The descents were narrow
and technical, and bumpy. I was mid-pack when I threw my chain coming out of
the corner. I had a 32t cassette today, which requires a long-cage derailleur,
which can be quite bouncy in the smaller cogs. All that is to say that, when I
was in the 11t through the corner and hit a bump just right, off it went. I
tried for a while to gently get the chain back on, but it just wouldn’t go, so
I had to stop and put it on by hand.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I chased back through the caravan
(but didn’t have the presence of mind to turn the camera on) on the tricky
descent. When I got back, I saw that the field had split into multiple groups,
and Warren was in the last one with me. So I worked my way up to the front and
started chasing with Tobias and Nikias. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We got Warren back to the main field
just in time for it to split again. This time, at least, he was ahead of it. I
wasn’t so lucky, though, and my group didn’t regain the main field until the bottom
of an uncategorized climb of 10km at 5%. I had spent the whole race chasing,
and the attacks were still going.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I ended up in the cars just
35km in the race on such a hard stage, I started to freak out. I was panicking
that I would end up by myself all day and miss time cut. I thought about the
consolation that everyone would give me about all the success that the team has
had and the part I played in it, and that just sent me further into the dark
places of my mind. I thought about how I wanted to finish the Vuelta for my dad
and everybody who’s helped me get this far, and the fear of failing sent me
further into the spiral. I knew that the break would go eventually and the
field would take it easy and I could make it back, but rationality in such a
situation on stage 20 is hard to come by. Thankfully my directors were there to
calm me down. It also helped that there were 20 other guys in the cars
suffering just as badly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sure enough, that’s exactly what
happened, and I enjoyed the hour of relaxed pace to recover and eat. I learned
that I didn’t have it so bad, as Warren was really suffering from mounting knee
pain—a lingering side effect of his crashes. My mood was really boosted when
Larry Warbasse said that my legs, in his opinion, show the most improvement in
muscle definition out of the whole Vuelta peloton. That meant that I have any
muscle definition at all, which sent me over the moon.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thankfully the pace over the next
two climbs was hard, but manageable. My legs were tired but I was feeling
better, and every kilometer spent with the main field meant that the risk of
missing time cut was further reduced.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My mental trick today was as follows:
80km to go, that’s just 50 miles! Look at that, 30 fewer already just by
converting the units! With my SRM display showing the kilometers ticking by,
but thinking of remaining distance in miles, my end-of-the-grand-tour mind had
a firm grasp on any straws it could reach. Just get me to the finish!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I managed to reach the bottom of
the penultimate climb with the field and happily sang ‘grupetto’ as the fast
dudes took off. Time-cut estimates were about 40-45 minutes, so when we reached
the top of the climb just 10 minutes behind, things were looking good.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The last climb was brutal for
about 5 kilometers in the middle, but we reached the top with 10 minutes to
spare. I spent half of the final climb swatting off spectators who forgot the
number one rule of spectating: don’t touch the bike racers. Guys are welcome to
ask for a push if they want (although they could be penalized for it), but I
want to reach the finish line under my own power. So keep your hands off!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Warren not only battled his
demons, he beat them into submission to finish 6<sup>th</sup> on the stage. I’m
so impressed with his Vuelta so far!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, it doesn’t require any mind
tricks: there is only one stage left. It’s a short and technical TT, and it’s
what I’ve had my sights set on for 3 weeks now . The chance of rain should keep
it interesting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
20 down, ONETOGOONETOGOONETOGO!
(You’re supposed to read that in Dave Towle’s fanatical end-of-crit voice.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, seeing as the time trial isn’t
until tomorrow evening and will be immediately followed by post-race
festivities and travel, it may be a day or so before I post again. Just be
forewarned!<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-51584563406150429782014-09-12T11:53:00.000-07:002014-09-12T11:53:05.025-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 19: Mind games<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Racing for such a long time does weird things to your
body. My legs are still good, but I just feel kind of exhausted in general. I’ve
been sleeping really hard the last few nights. So hard that when my bladder
wakes me up in the middle of the night, I walk into walls because I’m so out of
it. Part of that is due to the countless times we’ve changed hotels. If only
hotels would adopt a universal floor plan…but then I guess that may be too much
like prison.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The fatigue has carried over into my willingness to
sign autographs. If somebody comes up to me when I’m not moving, sure, I’ll
sign, but you have zero chance of getting me to stop once I’m rolling to/from
sign-in. Every time we’re ambushed for autographs at the hotel elevators, or
the walk to/from the bus, or at breakfast, I die a little inside. All I want is
to not think about bike racing, and here’s some stranger that thinks I’m
important because I can pedal a bike well. This daily blog is the only race-related
activity that I actually like to do each day (aside from the race) because the
positive responses it gets are good for my state of mind. Thus concludes my
antisocial paragraph.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sitting on the start line each day is the toughest
point of the day mentally. Once the race has started, you just focus on the
task at hand. But sitting there, just waiting for the suffering to come, that’s
miserable. Today’s mental battle on the start line was tougher than normal
because it’s not the last road stage, but the next to last. We’re almost almost
there. So I did some fuzzy math to trick myself (insert Aggie joke here).
Basically, the last stage is a TT, which barely counts. Tomorrow will be tough,
but today? Well, it’s already today. You can’t include today’s stage in the count
(nevermind that it hasn’t started yet), so really there’s just one stage left.
I can do one more stage!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Today’s stage was a perfect one for the breakaway,
but it was also another perfect opportunity to get another win for John—and equally
importantly, more green jersey points over Valverde. The course profile was tough,
with two cat 2 climbs, the second topping out just 15km from the finish. For us
to have our way, it would require another full-team effort from start to finish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Even though there are only 7 of us now, we rode like
there were a dozen Giant-Shimano riders in the field. We had to break the
spirit of the attackers. Even though it was hard, our constant presence at the
front showed that we were willing to keep the fight going as long as necessary
until the reshuffling dealt us a hand that we liked. Soon they weren’t even
attacking at 100% because they didn’t want to waste energy. Slowly, fewer and
fewer riders were attacking, until finally 3 riders slipped away and we shut
the field down for good.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then the Ramon show started. I helped him a bit
today, but he took on 80% of the workload, nearly shutting down the break
single-handedly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
You now things are going pretty well when your
biggest complaint is the complete failure of your usually-trustworthy weather
site. Even after it failed me yesterday (I looked like a hobo, wearing my rain
socks as my tanlines were being sharpened, the forecast rain nowhere to be
seen), I trusted its forecast for sunny skies today. I was dressed in blazing
white, my socks brand new and my kit with only one rest day ride under its
belt. So when it started to rain, I was quite upset. Oh well….<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The fuzzy math continued well into the stage: 180k
total, and we’ve done 60…I’m working to chase the break until the base of the
final climb at 160…the descent of the first climb is 15k…so really there’s only
85km left! See what I did there?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
With 40km remaining before the final climb, Orica
sent two riders to help me and Ramon. We were chasing hard, but it was obvious
that the break was lacking motivation, legs, or both, as the gap started to
tumble quickly. With 5km to the base, our job was done as the GC teams took
over to begin the fight for position for the narrow climb. The break was caught
before the climb.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
John suffered up the climb—even earning himself a ‘chapeau’
from Contador—and came down the other side with a few teammates to finish the
chase. Then, the only wrinkle in the day’s plan: a 500m wall through a little
town with 5k to go that we had no idea about (it didn’t show up on the course
profile). It shed Nikias, who had just finished a pull, and allowed an
opportunity for Adam Hansen to jump away. Once he had the gap, the course
favored a committed solo rider—twisting, mostly downhill, and tailwind.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the end, John won the field sprint for 2<sup>nd</sup>,
just 5 seconds behind Hansen. As much as we wanted the win, the green jersey
points were arguably more important. Now, Valverde has to podium both of the last
two stages just to match John’s total.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now there’s just one stage left
between me and the time trial. So basically I’m already there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">19 down, 2 to go!</span>Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-68974226580238533902014-09-11T11:31:00.002-07:002014-09-11T11:31:20.464-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 18: Another one down<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the start line today, there were a lot of
spectators (as always). I was particularly impressed/annoyed by the two guys screaming
chants about Movistar for 10 minutes. They were really passionate, but for some
reason the Movistar riders seemed to pay them no attention. I would come to
learn later that they were chanting hateful things and death threats. Pretty
ballsy with all those police officers there….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The general consensus is that today’s start was the
hardest fight for the break so far. Even if you had no interest in the break,
you were still in for 80 minutes of suffering on the same twisting and rolling
terrain from yesterday. I was focused on floating around in the bubble, just
behind the attacking riders, to save as much energy as possible. My legs weren’t
destroyed from yesterday—they actually felt alright—but I didn’t want to waste
them needlessly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At long last, a trio of riders got away after a 10
minute uncategorized climb that knocked the field down to 50 riders. We caught
our breath for just a few minutes before Movistar strung the field out again.
They never let the break get very far, and it wasn’t long before we were on the
finishing climb for the first time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The profile showed the climb as a steady 7% grade,
when in fact it was very pitchy the whole way up. I hate that (‘that’ being
both pitchy climbs and profiles with a deceptive smoothing factor). I was
dangling just behind the lead group of 40 riders for most of the climb, hoping
that it would flatten out and I could help Warren leading into the final climb.
But nope, I just ended up in a group of riders that had been dropped halfway up
the climb, riding easily to the finish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Warren is up to 8<sup>th</sup> on GC now, but John’s
lead in the points competition took a big hit when Valverde finished 3<sup>rd</sup>
on the stage. It’s not over yet, though! Unfortunately, Koen had to abandon
today—his body is too busy fighting an infected saddle sore to send any power
to his legs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You can really tell now that the whole peloton is
tired. We’re going just as fast, but our faces show much more agony. The
peloton that started at 198 riders is now down to just 164. We’re as tired
mentally as physically, but the good news is:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">18 down, 3 to go!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-17909158945192729382014-09-10T11:46:00.001-07:002014-09-10T11:46:13.083-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 17: going all-in for number 4<div class="MsoNormal">
At first glance, this stage looked
to be a straightforward sprint stage. But look a little closer and you’d
realize that it would be tough for us. We have the most dominant sprinter in
the race, while other key sprinters have dropped out. If we wanted a sprint, it
would be up to us to control it. Of the remaining stages, there are limited
opportunities for breakaways (depending on how the GC riders play the uphill
finish stages), so they'd probably be gunning hard for this one. The course for the stage also presented a challenge: it was
along the coast the whole day. Winds can shift constantly, and the roads are
always rolling and twisting. It could make for a very hard day. The last
time I chased a breakaway on coastal roads (California), the break managed to
stay away….<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But we did want a sprint, and that
meant that our work started from kilometer 0. There was likely to be a big
fight for the break, but we had to shut it down, probably alone. We had to
assert ourselves and make sure that the break was manageable, and let me tell
you, we asserted ourselves all over the place. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The fight went on for 20km, and we
had all hands on deck to shut the moves down when they got too big. In that
time, I could tell that I had again responded very well to the rest day. My
legs felt awesome, and I was excited to put them to use.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we went through a town, a small
group was off the front. We all rushed to the front and clogged up the works
immediately while we still had narrow roads. It worked, and the break of 5 was
established.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A short aside: I’ve always thought
the team’s superstition about how the salt should be passed at meals was silly,
but I respect it to be a good sport. Well, last night Warren was reckless with
the salt at dinner. After he stopped to pee today, he crashed into a car in the
caravan. He’s alright, but I think he’ll be a bit more careful at the table in
the future….<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We started riding tempo
immediately so the gap wouldn’t go too far, allowing it to slowly grow to 3
minutes. For over 70km Tobias and I took 10k pulls at a good tempo, keeping the
gap at 3 minutes. Orica and Omega had promised to contribute to the chase after
100km.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a funny game, the
give-and-take between the break and the chasers. They ride hard enough to
increase the time gap, testing to see how far we’ll let them go. We adjust our
pace behind when the gap reaches our desired maximum, then both of us ease up a
bit while still holding the same gap. We want them going hard enough to at
least get a little tired, but not hard enough to wear ourselves out. Then later
on, we start ramping up the pace to bring them back. So they ramp up their pace
to hold us off. So we keep going harder until the gap starts to fall. Or in
today’s case, we add more riders to the chase when we can’t go harder.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The break today was really strong,
I’ll give them that much. After the feed zone, we started trying to pull them
back. It was me, Tobias, Johannes, and a rider each from Orica and OPQS. We
were going hard for 40k, but all we managed to do was match the pace of the
break. OPQS added more riders along with Orica, and finally the gap started to
fall.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had to take a break after 150km.
I was starting to crack, already over 4000kJ. After a short recovery, I was
back at the front for another 10k before I could contribute no more. The gap
was slowly falling now that there were a dozen riders chasing all-in, and up
ahead the break was starting to splinter.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We checked out the last 7km of the
stage yesterday, and it served us well today. We had wanted to save the other
guys for a proper leadout, but in the end we needed to use everybody just to
bring it to a sprint, and hoped that John could finish it off. And boy howdy,
John sure knows how thank us for our hard work, bringing home his 4<sup>th</sup>
win at this Vuelta!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our team had a goal today, and it
required a complete team effort from start to finish. We did exactly what we
wanted and needed to do, and the goal was accomplished. I’m so happy, it almost
makes my legs not hurt!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today was another 5000kJ day for
me, setting new power records (for the second time in a week!) of 3.5-4.5 hours.
That makes my legs hurt.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
17 down, 4 to go!<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-53517738479221804612014-09-09T10:41:00.004-07:002014-09-09T10:41:36.990-07:00THE Vuelta Rest Day 2: Entering the home stretch<div class="MsoNormal">
You know a race is long if it has
the ability to reconfigure your body clock. I’m now going to bed around 11:30
each night and waking up between 8 and 8:30. I’d say that maybe I’m not such an
old man after all, but I’m writing this fresh off a much-needed nap, so that
argument doesn’t hold much water.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speaking of water, our hotel for
today and tomorrow has a beach-view, which is nice. And a beach smell, which
can be nice if the wind is blowing in the right direction. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This rest day was desperately
needed. It’s nice to break the routine and just have a day of laying around,
but our minds are so deep into the stage race vortex that it’ll take more than
one day to heal the thousand-yard stare we’ve developed. It seems like every
stage was, at the same time, yesterday and a year ago. Our legs can make great
use of a day “off” (only 40km ridden today!), though. The last 4 stages
comprised the hardest 4-day block I’ve ever undertaken, nevermind how far into
the race they were! The rest day is also greeted happily by our sit-bones and
digestive systems.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just 5 stages remain, and every
day is a new adventure. I’m so far into the unknown right now that all I can do
is take it one day at a time, just as I have been. I just have to remember that
everybody is tired and suffering.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yesterday also saw a pair of
unusual events. The fistfight was silly, but it’s hard to have a fight and look
respectable when you’re riding a bike and trying not to fall off it. There are
a few hotheads in the bunch, and nerves can fray after a couple weeks of racing
against the same guys who do the same stuff time and time again. It is usually
only puffery, though, and serves only as material to keep us laughing when we
reenact the drama at dinner.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On a saddening note, one of the
Guardia Civil motorcycle officers that keeps us safe died in a crash yesterday.
I don’t know the circumstances of the crash, but it’s sobering to think that
someone died while we were playing bike racers. I’ve been impressed with the
fleet of officers that close the roads down and give us the confidence to fly
around blind turns at ridiculous speeds. They’re a crucial part of the sport,
and my thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family.<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-81682670846304690322014-09-09T00:33:00.000-07:002014-09-09T00:33:16.562-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 16: By the skin of our teeth<div class="MsoNormal">
Yesterday, I was expecting to
spend the whole of today’s stage in the rain, so I was pleasantly surprised to
see sunny blue skies at the start. The updated forecast showed that we’d at
least get through the first climb dry, but rain was likely later. In the event
that the race became a triathlon on the later climbs and I didn’t have access
to the team car, I started with my rain vest in my pocket. Just to be safe.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The worst case scenario was
realized on the first climb when the break still wasn’t established at the
base. The race exploded just 10km into the stage on the first of 4 cat-1
climbs. Everyone stayed calm and just rode as hard as they could over the top,
finding a group. Today was all about strength in numbers for the climbing-challenged.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The break finally got away on the
other side, and the race regrouped completely. 1 climb down, just 4 to go! The
pace over the cat 2 climb was quick, but manageable, and the field stayed
together for that one, too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the base of the next climb,
there were a couple of rolling kilometers before the real climb began. Our
director said this would be a good time to get bottles, and I was already near
the back, so I decided to go for it. We had a soigneur on top of the climb with
bottles, but I was completely out and figured that my teammates could also use
a fresh bottle. I loaded up with bottles and took off just as the road got
steep. It didn’t take long for panic to set in, and I barely managed to get to
the front to deliver the bottles (I would later learn that most of the guys
didn’t need one at that point. I’ll take a poll in the future before going back
on a climb for bottles!). The effort blew me up, though, and by the time I was
recovered, I was in the grupetto. Our numbers swelled the further we got up the
climb, and by the time we reached the next climb, we had about 50 riders.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Still no rain by this point, so
that was nice! With two climbs to go, we were already 11 minutes behind the
leaders. Rough time-cut estimates were about 36 minutes, so we should be okay.
As long as we didn’t go too slow, that is.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then we went really easy on the
penultimate climb. I always find myself at the front of the grupetto on climbs,
as I usually don’t belong there and am comfortable climbing a bit faster. Even
still, I spent the whole climb thinking that we needed to go just a bit faster.
You can’t ramp the pace up without being bombarded with complaints, though, so
we chugged along. We got over the top 20 minutes behind the leaders, and things
suddenly looked a little dangerous for us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Contador won the stage, we
still had 11km to climb and only 35 minutes to do it. We actually had to climb
quickly, but many riders were really protesting the effort. They were using
some more liberal time-cut calculations (which I really don’t understand…it’s
elementary math, after all) and said we had plenty of time. “They’re not going
to time-cut 50 guys!” Yeah, well it’s best not to dare the officials.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We reached the top just 30 seconds
before the time cut. Whew! I wish I had been in a chase group that was a bit
safer, but in the end it was good that I was in the group with John, Koen, and
Ramon, as I was able to do a lot of work on the flatter portions to keep us
rolling. There were lots of guys that didn’t contribute at all on the flats and
then did nothing but complain on the climbs, so it was good that I could help
in that way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We ended up reaching the finish
just as the first drops of rain started to fall. After putting on a lot of
clothes and a rain jacket, we descended back down to the bus in pouring rain.
Not much could dampen my spirit, though, as I’ve reached the second rest day!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To top it off, Warren climbed up
another rung on the GC ladder today. Yeah, things aren’t too bad in the
Giant-Shimano camp right now!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
16 down, 5 to go!<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-52553081626088996702014-09-07T12:11:00.001-07:002014-09-07T12:11:52.134-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 15: chewing on the handlebars<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been fortunate thus far to roll out of bed each morning
with fairly fresh legs. They were aware that they’ve been punished repeatedly
over the past two weeks, but still started each day with a vigor and eagerness
for more. Today, that changed. I got out of bed and immediately thought, “oof.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over-analytical me immediately thought this was a bad sign.
Then I thought, “Hey goober (I sometimes call myself goober in such
situations), you’re two weeks into one of the hardest bike races the world has
to offer. It would be weird if your legs DIDN’T hurt, especially after
yesterday’s stage. Besides, sore is good. It's dead legs that you need to fear. And yours aren't dead, so quitcher complaining!"<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We started under sunny skies, but knew that it would change
at some point. With luck, we’d stay dry until the final climb. In either case,
I was wearing my rain socks. I’d heard that the descent to the final climb
could be treacherous if wet, so I let a bit of air out of my tires on the start
line. It also made for a slightly more comfortable ride (my underside is also
aware that we’re two weeks into the race, after all).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We again wanted to have a rider in the break if possible, to
guarantee that someone was there for Warren before the final climb, which is
one of only two HC climbs in the whole race. Feeling sore from yesterday and
intimidated by tomorrow, I allowed myself to follow exactly one attack: the
first one. It didn’t go, so I settled into the field to save energy for later.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everything was going fine for
about 15km, at which point I was caught up in a crash. I almost saved it, but
when I came to a stop I had nowhere to put a foot down and fell over the guy
next to me. I’m not sure that even counts as a crash, but there’s no need to
pick nits. You know you’re okay if your first thought is, “Aww man, I didn’t
have the camera on!” Side note: I’ve had a camera on my bars for the past few
stages, hopefully I got some nice footage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I chased back on without incident,
getting back to the field just as another crash happened. I was eager to
recover a bit from the chase back, but the next 20km were cross-windy, rolling,
and twisty. The field was almost completely single file, and I was suffering. I
just kept telling myself, “Everyone’s suffering, just hold the wheel. Just hold
the wheel.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, mercifully, a group of 5
got away with John inside. He was excited to ride in a break for the first time
in his pro career, and while he was up there, he took the sprint points to
further pad his lead over Valverde. We just might be able to hold on to the
green jersey to the end!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Things were easy for a while, and
we managed to get our rain vests from the car just as the first drops started
falling. Then a lot of drops started falling. We got soaked, and it kept
pouring all the way to the bottom of the cat 2 climb. Koen and Johannes got
Warren to the bottom in perfect position, while I was a bit further back. I
made the front group, though, as the grupetto was forming behind. I felt good
for a while, then all at once I was done. I was down on myself for a bit,
thinking that I simply wasn’t very good today. Post-race analysis says: nope, I
was pretty good again today, we were just going really really hard.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I got over the top in a small
group somewhere between the leaders and the grupetto, which is where I wanted
to be. I got to do the descent in a small group at my own pace, which was very
nice, because that descent was Sketchy with a capital ‘S’. The pavement wasn’t
good, and most of it was shaded. Translation: it was mossy and slick. I had
spun my wheel twice going UP the climb, so I knew the road was not to be
trifled with.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My tires and skills delivered me
to the bottom safely, and our group set about getting up the last little hill.
Just 12-ish kilometers at 10-ish%, no big deal.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you watched the race at all,
you know that Warren felt good today, attacking the biggest names in the sport
several times. He went on to literally climb himself back into the top-10 on
GC, and we’re all pumped for him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tomorrow is going to hurt. Like,
really bad. And we’re going to get wet
again. Everyone is hopeful that maybe, just maybe, the big hitters will wait
until the third climb before they start launching bombs. But I’m doubtful.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
15 down, 6 to go!<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-30480222004633560542014-09-06T13:10:00.002-07:002014-09-06T14:23:50.108-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 14: a real kick in the pants<div class="MsoNormal">
Today’s stage profile had a menacing shape. Even with only 3
categorized climbs, we knew that we could be in for a day of suffering,
depending on how we raced it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We anticipated another big fight for the break, and wanted
to have somebody in it. If the race exploded on the first cat 1 climb, we’d at
least have one guy on the other side to help Warren into the finishing climb.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I made sure to be on the front line at the end of the
neutral section—you know, just in case it was the first break that went (a guy
can hope, right?). The attacks kept going, and I was doing my best to hold
myself back. My legs felt good again, but I had to be smart to not destroy
myself and then not make the break, in case the race blew up later. I would
only go with one or two attacks at a time before taking a breather in the
field. After about 15km, I made one real attempt at the break, nearly matching
my 5-min power record. After that, I gave up hope on the breakaway. It was hard
enough just sitting in the field.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When 30km had passed by without the break being established,
we decided to take control of the front to keep things together for the
intermediate sprint in 5km. The field welcomed a brief respite while Tobias and
I set a good tempo. Everyone knew that the break would go just on the other
side of the sprint, so Johannes was resting up for it. John won the
intermediate sprint, padding his lead over Valverde with another handful of
points.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sure enough, a group of 24 got away (with Johannes in it)
immediately after the sprint. Tinkoff was still setting a pretty good pace to
hold the group around 6 minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the cat 2 climb, I saw that I was already at 2500kJ
burned, and we were still at the bottom of the stage profile! The pace Tinkoff
set for the first 10km of the giant climb was manageable. I had started in the
center of the field and drifted back as guys worked their way up the sides. The
climb was gently rolling upward, so I was looking for a flatter spot to make a
move back to the front with the others. Before I could do that, OPQS took the
front and proceeded to shred the field. I was able to get to the front group as
guys continually peeled off, but the effort to get back to the front was a bit
too much for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The group I found myself in as we crested the top 4-5
minutes behind the GC group was about 30 riders, including Koen. We had 60km of
low-grade descending ahead of us. For about 40km we actually had the whole
group rotating through. It wasn’t so hard to pull through because the group had
so much momentum. With all of us working, we were steadily making up ground on
the GC group. Eventually some guys got too excited and upped the pace when we
were just 1:30 back, at which point only a half-dozen riders were still working.
Oh well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Suddenly we found ourselves just 3km from the finish of a
really tough day. We could see the 1km to go banner waaaaay up on the mountain,
and couldn’t fathom how it there was only 2km of pavement to get there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then we reached the proper climb. That son of a gun was
steeeeeeep. It took 360w for me to turn a 34x28 at 55rpm. It was the sort of
climb that wears your arms out as well as your legs. I watched as a handful of
guys from our group got pushed halfway up the mountain by spectators, but I’m
proud to say that I got to the finish completely under my own power!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Up the road, the plan had gone perfectly. Tobias got over
the top with Warren, and they were joined by Johannes when he sat up out of the
break. They delivered him to the steep slopes with the GC favorites and let him
go on to another solid finish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All was not well, though. Lawson has been in the hurt locker
for days and found himself in the cars early on. He fought all the way to the
top of the cat 1 climb until he was talked off the bike. We’ll definitely miss
him in the final week, but he can be proud of all he’s helped us accomplish so
far.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for me, today set personal records in TSS, kJ burned
(5800), and power records of 4.5-6 hours. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Good thing the last week of the
Vuelta is the easiest, right?<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
14 down, 7 to go!<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-86162818934834726292014-09-05T11:40:00.000-07:002014-09-05T11:40:24.189-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 13: A doozy of a stage<div class="MsoNormal">
When I stopped to pee in the neutral section (anticipating a
big fight for the break and no chance to pee for a while), I failed to consider
that I might not be able to get back to the front before the start. Every other
neutral section has been fairly easy to start at the front if you wanted, but
lots of guys wanted to be in the break today, and the road wasn’t very wide. It
was a complete logjam, and a crash and many close-calls in the neutral
evinced the excitement in the field.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Immediately a big group got away, but Movistar was chasing
it full gas, as it contained a number of big names. It took me 7km to get to
the front on the twisting road, but by the time I got there, I was warmed up.
We were on a long uphill drag, so I just kept my momentum going and jumped
across to a group that was halfway across the gap. I was halfway across when it
struck me just how quickly I was getting there, while lots of other guys were
going backwards. I actually thought, “whoa.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I’m honest, I was worried that I was too under-trained
coming to a race like this. I had heard (and been told) that it’s the best way
to arrive at a Grand Tour, but I was still nervous. I didn’t think that I could
really race into shape, but doggoneit, that’s exactly what’s happening. My “whoa”
feeling corresponded with matching my 3-min power record. Tinkoff chased our
group back, and the break built their gap to a minute. I wished I was in it,
but I was encouraged by how good my legs felt.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First Europcar chased full-gas, but the gap only went out
further. They gave up and half the field stopped to pee, at which point Orica
took up the chase.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Orica held the gap at 3 minutes for most of the stage,
slowly chipping away on the climbs. On the second and third climbs, we caught
some riders that had been dropped from the break. As the race wore on, I didn’t
feel quite as good (that’s usually how it works, anyways), but I was never in
danger of getting dropped on the climbs, while the field gradually got a bit
smaller.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the bottom of the final descent, we had me, Warren,
Nikias, Tobias, and Koen together. The final 2k would be tough, so we worked
together to keep Warren fresh and deliver him to the key turn at the front. He
had good legs in the finale, but was a bit too timid when the attacks started
(his own opinion), finishing with all the other GC riders. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’re excited that he’s feeling so good, and I wouldn’t be
surprised to see him off the front on the crazy-steep finish climb tomorrow.
The race book says sustained grades of 19%, but guys who’ve ridden it say it’s
more. I’ll have a 34-28 gearing, hopefully that’s enough!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
According to the power analysis, today was the hardest stage
of the race so far (highest TSS). For all I know, my form could be headed toward
a blind cliff, but I’ll just keep taking it day-by-day and enjoy the good legs
while they last!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, and today's finish was in a zoo. We saw zebras and hippos. It's easy to forget to look around once in a while.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
13 down, 8 to go!<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-83314296882695960892014-09-04T11:49:00.003-07:002014-09-04T11:49:35.953-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 12: Adding to the tally<div class="MsoNormal">
I couldn’t believe it when I learned at breakfast that the
conspiracy theorists jumped on Ryder Hesjedal’s crash as evidence of a hidden
motor. I’ll leave the physics out of the argument and just say this: if he had
a tiny motor hidden in his frame, it would definitely have a very limited
battery life. Why, then, would he be using it in a slick downhill corner, when
he wasn’t even on the front?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyways, we were excited to have our own bus back for today’s
stage. You don’t realize how spoiled you are until the toilet and showers are
taken away from you!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was no doubt in anybody’s mind that today would be a
sprint stage: 8 laps of a relatively flat circuit. With a tough week of stages
looming, everyone wanted a fairly easy ride today, which is why it took 3k
before anybody attacked. Even then, only one Cannondale rider was willing to
fall on the sword.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With only one rider to chase down 160km later, we were in
for a very easy day. For 3 hours, the hardest I worked was getting back to the
field after one of my four pee stops.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With Lawson on the front sharing the workload with FDJ, the
gap steadily fell over the last 100km. With nothing interesting going on,
Tobias asked over the radio if he could swap out with Lawson and do some work.
I couldn’t help but laugh when’s Lawson’s reply came over the radio, “Just let
me be happy, Toby!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the final two laps, the speed steadily increased. With
10k to go, we were at the front before the short descent. Everything was going
to plan, until it wasn’t. Due to some miscommunication, half of us ended up at
the front too soon, with the others all fighting on their own to join us. We
were still trying to find each other at the moment that we had planned to make
the big move to the front, and we never properly linked up. Due to skill,
experience, and a bit of luck, however, John and Ramon were together very near
the front when the field strung out for good with 4k to go.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nikias and I were fighting to get up there to help until
about 1.5 to go, then pulled the plug after accepting that we wouldn’t make it.
When the barriers narrowed at 1k to go, some riders tried to force through a
gap that wasn’t there, and the crash spread across the road. I was relieved to
see no Giant-Shimano jerseys among the fallen, and continued on to the finish,
where I learned that John had taken his 3<sup>rd</sup> stage win after a superb
leadout from Ramon.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just to give you an idea of how motivated we all are: we got
the stage win, but most of us are left a bit unsatisfied, wanting more. The end
result was achieved, but not in the way we had wanted, and for that we will
work harder next time. 3 stage wins is not enough—we’ll fight every day!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We aren’t sure what we’re in for tomorrow…it could easily be
a stage for a big breakaway, or possibly a another field sprint. After a relatively
easy day today, it could be really exciting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
12 down, 9 to go!<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-661782321601516982014-09-03T10:20:00.000-07:002014-09-03T10:20:49.919-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 11: Getting over the hump<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, we were reminded that the race does not happen in a
vacuum (fun fact for the day: did you know that that expression comes from
physics?). Just as in real life, where your car never breaks down when it’s
convenient, our team bus had some issues. While it was off in Bilbao being
serviced, we were supplied with a normal coach. With a seat-to-person ratio of
6:1, we had plenty of room to spread out. My biggest disappointment was that I
only managed to photobomb 3 of my teammates’ photos of the bus.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We expected another big fight for the break today, and we
got one. Movistar was instigating most of the moves to put pressure on Tinkoff,
and the field was excited and fresh after the rest day and TT. It’s actually my
favorite way to start a race, with a long fight that just keeps going. We
weren’t trying to be in a break, but if we followed the wheels and ended up in
one, so be it. So 4 of us were surfing wheels while the rest kept Warren out of
trouble.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then there was a crash. A move had just been brought back,
causing the field to swell at the same moment a moto was trying to squeeze by.
We had been going fast, and I wasn’t able to slow down quickly enough. I
managed to stay upgright, putting a foot down (hard enough to crack my cleat) to
maintain my balance when I slammed into the saddle of another rider with my
wrist, which is a bit swollen now. I’ll definitely have a nice bruise later. As it turns out, this was the crash that caused Quintana to abandon, so I came out pretty well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By the time the field finally agreed to let a small move get
away, we had covered 70km. We’d done nearly half the stage in 80 minutes. We
had barely had a chance to eat, and we were already at the feed zone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The stage was uneventful after that. We worked to keep
Warren at the front on the category 3 climb, then focused on delivering him to
the final climb in the perfect position. I was with the guys in the fight for
position, but was separated when we went from the left to the right side of the
field, starting the climb a bit too far back. I chased for a while, trying to
stay close to the leaders until the team car passed me, but the climb just
didn’t suit me well. It was either flat or steep, constantly changing pitch,
but that perfectly suits Warren. He had another great climb to finish high on
the stage, while the rest of us finished safely in the time limit, covered in
salt.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although the last climb didn’t go so well for me, I’m
pleased with how my legs felt today. I was definitely fresh, with my heart rate
shooting up quickly after a hard effort, but I felt good, and the power numbers
confirm it. Lawson, though, had a rough day today—the rest days affect everyone
differently. Hopefully he can bounce back quickly, as tomorrow is another
perfect opportunity to get another stage for John.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
11 down (we’re officially over the hump!), 10 to go!<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-31386549032033889222014-09-02T09:40:00.004-07:002014-09-02T09:40:59.175-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 10: Pretending like I'm time trialing<div class="MsoNormal">
Time trial days are always strange, because everyone is on a
different schedule. The logistics for a day like today are surprisingly complicated.
The race start was an hour away from the hotel, and the race finish was 1.5
hours from the next hotel. So riders are coming and going in waves along with
the staff and team cars. Eventually, we all end up at the same place.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like I said before, this would be my second time trial ever
in which my only goal was to finish safely within the time limit. Time cut
today was huge, at 35%, so as long as I actually pedaled I’d be safe. I did
plan to go somewhat hard on the climbs to wake my legs up again, though. I was
very relaxed while getting ready, and quite ambivalent towards the warmup. Seeing
as it was the longest TT I’ve done in nearly a year, however, I knew that I’d
appreciate a decent warmup after nearly an hour in my aggressive position.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The start was really bizarre, on some sort of bike path
through/around a castle. I just kept wondering where the heck I was going.
Finally I popped out onto something resembling a road and settled into a hard
tempo that I’d hold all day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wasn’t completely blind on course thanks to video that the
guys took during their recon yesterday. They said there were a few dangerous
corners, so I took a look at those beforehand. I would be taking zero risks
during the TT, but it’s always good to be prepared.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As such, there was only one time today that I was a bit
scared. Just before the final climb at the top of the course, there’s one
really fast downhill with a little whoopty-do at the bottom. I lost all
downforce when I hit the whoopty-do at over 90kph, then the really strong winds
came underneath me and I could barely get the bike to lean over through the
next turn.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I took it easy on the descent that Quintana crashed on
later. The next 15km were really fast, moderately technical, and really bumpy.
They had freshly resurfaced a bumpy road, so it looked nice but my arms were
definitely tired by the end. I had a deep front wheel and was really fighting
it in the winds on that bumpy road, and knew that the little GC riders would
really struggle there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I finished in 52 minutes, 5 minutes down from Tony Martin’s
winning time. I felt really good all day and was never going hard, so I’m
excited about the days to come. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Warren yet,
so I don’t know how he feels about his ride, but he dropped to 15<sup>th</sup>
on GC and will certainly be looking to climb back up into the top-10 in the
next week. I’ll be doing everything I can to help him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
10 down, 11 to go!<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-41801962743144576132014-09-01T11:06:00.000-07:002014-09-01T11:06:17.144-07:00THE Vuelta: Rest Day Miscellanea<div class="MsoNormal">
It seems the rest day has gone by as quickly as the past 9
stages. I’ve done a whole lot of nothing today and it’s now approaching dinner
time. This is my first rest day in a race, and it’s a bizarre feeling. There’s
the duality of “we’ve ALREADY done 9 stages/we’ve ONLY done 9 stages,” but I’m
also confused by the concept of a day without racing in the middle of a race.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Normally, I’d be doing a short ride with a little bit of
intensity to keep my body in the race rhythm before tomorrow’s time trial, but
the plan has changed. Since I’m climbing really well right now, and seem to be
improving daily, the team has asked me to pass on the opportunity for a personal
result tomorrow and take a bonus rest day. It’s directly against my personal
philosophy of passing up opportunities, but I have to keep in mind that my
primary purpose here is support for Warren and John, and the best way to do
that is to be as sharp as possible for the remaining 11 stages (after the TT).
So today I took it really easy and will use tomorrow’s TT to wake my legs back
up. To soften the blow, the short TT on the final stage suits me better anyways—and
there will be no holding me back on that one!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m very encouraged to be feeling so good at this point in
the race. My longest race this year was 8 days, and we’ve already passed that
point. August is over, and the numbers show that it was my biggest month on the
bike ever at over 100 hours and 2135 miles (3500km).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s not much else to say, it’s just a rest day, after
all. So instead, here’s some miscellaneous stuff from the race that I couldn’t
quite fit into my other posts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Something that isn’t focused on much from the outside, but
is crucial to our performance, is food. Normally, the race gives our hotels
money to feed us, and it frequently goes like this:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Here’s 30E per racer to feed them during the race.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What can we possibly give them for only 30E? Oh I know, how
about we give them a meager salad, some pasta with red sauce, and boil some
chicken and potatoes? That’s all cyclists need, right?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The team travels with a big box of condiments to breathe
some life and flavor into the meals, but at the core, you have a meal that gets
old before it the plate touches the table. In the last week, I’ve averaged
3900kJ per stage. Including the calories I need just to get through the day, I
have to eat about 6000 calories daily. To do that for 3 weeks requires flavor
and variety—in short, good food. And that’s where Janneke comes in.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Janneke is the team’s chef, she comes to almost all the
WorldTour stage races, and she makes life SO MUCH BETTER. Every night we’re
graced with a spread of dishes, and I always have to have some of everything.
My biggest problem is refraining from eating too much. From quinoa salads to
bruschetta with goat cheese, steak and mashed potatoes, we’re never left
wanting for food. Her delicious breads never last long at breakfast, even when
supplemented with omelets and fruit-filled muesli.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I just wanted to take the opportunity to give credit where
it’s due—in this case, a chef whose work is almost entirely behind the scenes.
The mechanics keep our bikes running, the soigneurs maintain our legs, and
Janneke fuels the engines that are running full steam for 3 weeks straight.
Tonight she’s treating us to burgers!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On to another topic, one that’s been puzzling me. With 198
racers frequently all trying to be at the front at once, contact is bound to
happen. Of all the bumps and grazes I’ve given/received in the peloton in the
last week, I’ve been shocked—literal, electrical shock—4 times. All 4 were from
BMC riders. They must be the source of the static buildup, because I’m not
shocked every time I’m bumped. I’m just really curious as to the cause…is it
due to one of the half-dozen battery-powered devices on the bike (which most
teams have), or some sort of clothing interaction, like wool socks on carpet?
And why are they the only team?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And finally, a story from Lawson’s crash a few days ago:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s no secret that spectators go nuts for souvenirs. I’ve
seen a water bottle tossed into the middle of an unsuspecting crowd and been
disturbed by the ensuing frenzy. I’ve heard that spectators will sometimes
remove the water bottles from a crashed rider’s bike as they generously stand
it back up for him. Well, it seems they are willing to go even further for a
taste of what we’ve got. Lawson crashed in a roundabout while eating one of our
soigneurs’homemade rice cakes. Naturally, he dropped it. Wanna guess where it
ended up? That’s right, a spectator’s mouth. Lawson picked himself up off a
road so dirty that it was literally shiny, while somebody else picked up his
half-eaten sticky rice cake and enjoyed an afternoon snack.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s all for now!<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-38213089150289684032014-08-31T14:20:00.003-07:002014-08-31T14:20:43.385-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 9: We weren't hot today<div class="MsoNormal">
My luck with the piano yesterday ran out quickly. I went
down to play before dinner only to find some sort of party going on in the next
room with their own music. So I decided to wait until after dinner, at which
point other guests were dining next to the piano…which normally wouldn’t have
been a problem, but their meal was a giant leg of smoked and dried ham. That
ham leg was parked 12 inches (25.4cm for my metric readers) from middle C. I
awoke in the morning to find the same dead animal obstructing my out-of-tune
relaxation. On to the next hotel, where maybe my luck will turn around.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The stage would be a tough one, at 185km. Rain was forecast
from the midpoint on, which had me a bit less than excited. I don’t have a
problem getting wet—it’s the roads that worried me. The bartender at our hotel
said the last time they saw rain was May. If it was going to rain, it needed to
RAIN…anything less than a complete downpour would just turn the descents into
warzones.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I need to confess something that I’m not proud of. Everybody
does it at some point, but most try not to acknowledge it, instead pretending
as if nothing happened. But I admit my mistakes: after the last climbing stage
finish, my sock got a solid chainring mark. I was trying to move out of the way
to allow room for the motos and other finishing riders, and knew as soon as it
happened what I’d done. So I hurried down the mountain before anybody saw it.
Unfortunately, it didn’t wash out. What I’m trying to say is that the decision
of which socks to wear in the rain today was an easy one.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our plan for the day was based entirely around protecting
Warren as long as possible for the tough climb to the finish. With no interest
in the break, we all just floated in the field during the really fast start. We
had a mild tailwind, but the first 50km were also false-flat uphill. Attacks
were going like crazy, and we covered 48km in the first hour.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A huge group of 30 got away, and Nikias managed to jump on
to give us representation. Behind, things became more controlled, but we were
still moving fast: 47kph average for the
first 2 hours. As we neared the first real climb of the day, the sky started to
look a bit more ominous. I think my legs are still coming around anyways, but
the cooler temps had me feeling really good on the climb when the pace was
clearly high. We reached the top and it became clear that the mountain was
holding the storm on the other side. 1k into the downhill, we were completely
soaked. We could at least be certain that the roads were clean. It was more
than a downpour—the descent was fast, making the rain hit us so hard that it
was really painful.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We reached the bottom safely, and then the task became
getting Warren to the penultimate climb at the front. Things got a bit chaotic
and I lost the guys when they worked their way to the other side of the road.
Thankfully Koen was there to get me back to the front just as the climb
started. The pace was high, but controlled, and I was still feeling good.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tobias was making sure that Warren never touched the wind,
while I was keeping an eye on them both from a little further back. Tobias was
done after the plateau, after which I stayed with Warren in case he had a
problem. Everyone sprinted over the top to start the crucial descent at the
top, but I lost speed when somebody dropped anchor in the middle of the field,
so I started too far back in the group. Warren, at least, was near the front.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the rain, of course some gaps opened, and my chase group
had to use a bit too much energy in the 2k before the climb. We almost got back
to the lead group, but not quite. I was Warren’s last support, so I had to go
full gas until the team car passed me. Then he was in their hands. So for 9
minutes I dangled just 15 seconds behind them. Around 6km to go, I was able to
back off and ride a good tempo up the climb. I wanted to take it easy, but I
wanted more to get out of the cold rain.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the last few kilometers, I chatted with Tony Martin a bit
about how anytime I wanted to feel like I didn’t exist, I’d just ride next to
him. Seriously, every spectator we passed said his name like they thought he’d
forgotten it. He told me that 5 years ago, he felt the same when riding next to
Philippe Gilbert. So maybe they’ll shout my name someday!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Half of the break managed to finish ahead of the main field.
Nikias was able to protect Warren for a bit after he was caught, before the
real attacks began. Warren had another great climb to stay in the top-10 on GC.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The finish was at nearly 2000m altitude(~7000’), but the bus
was at the bottom of the climb. We immediately put on a few jackets and headed
back down the mountain.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some fans had painted my name on the road and were very
excited when I climbed by, but seemed quite upset when I didn’t stop on the way
back down. If you all happen to read this, I want to say that I’m sorry about
that! I wanted to stop and take a picture with you, but I really needed to get
out of my soaking clothes that were getting colder by the minute. It just
wouldn’t do to get sick!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And with that, we have reached the first rest day! <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
9 down, 12 to go!<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-64454598268225162692014-08-30T11:26:00.001-07:002014-08-30T11:26:13.888-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 8: A whole lot of nothing, then everything at once<div class="MsoNormal">
Today was the longest stage in the race, but had no
categorized climbs. It was still a warm day, but in my opinion it was the most
pleasant day we’ve had so far. Almost the entire stage was on a big national
road, and we went almost the same direction the whole day. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everyone expected a field sprint, but before that can happen
the right break must be created. We had the whole team on the front row of the
field when the neutral section ended. 2 guys were allowed by, and then the road
mysteriously became clogged by a field that wanted an easy day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had a tailwind for most of the day, so the stage went by
really quickly. Lawson spent a lot of time on the front riding tempo, with
Johannes subbing in periodically. FDJ finally contributed a rider, but he was
constantly whining that we were only putting one rider on the front. He wanted
at least a 2:1 ratio as condition for his work. But for all his complaining, we
couldn’t get him to slow down when the gap started falling too quickly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After 150km, the field got really excited. Every team knew
that at 175km, we would change directions. The threat of crosswinds meant we
spent half an hour in a 60kph washing machine as everyone tried to be at the
front on the twisting valley road. In such a nervous bunch at those speeds, I
don’t do so well at holding position. I was able to join up with the team
several times, but would get separately soon after.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With the turn coming soon, I made my way to the upwind side
and prepared for one final, big move to find the guys. And I almost made it.
The crosswinds grew, the field strung out, and my legs felt pretty good as I
made my way towards the front. Then I saw Ramon taking Warren across the gap
that had formed to the front group. I was officially caught behind the split.
With most of the team in the front group, including our GC rider and sprinter,
my job shifted to staying near the front of the chase group. In the event that
our group made contact, I would need to be fresh and quickly rejoin my
teammates for the leadout.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But my group never caught the leaders again, so I had a fast
but fairly easy ride to the finish. John finished 4<sup>th</sup> after doing a
bit too much work to stay in the front group, and Warren would finish with the
front group and preserve his GC place before tomorrow’s climbing stage.<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-48718005923275022572014-08-29T11:29:00.000-07:002014-08-29T11:29:00.783-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 7: we've got a bike race!<div>
I
slept alright last night, but awoke cold. It seems housekeeping had set the AC
in the room to full blast and Ramon and I failed to notice it before bed. I
almost didn’t adjust it, just because I wanted to remember what being cold felt
like. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
We
had a real bike race on our hands today. The tough stage profile lent itself
well to the success of a breakaway, and after yesterday’s climbing finish, the
GC was more spread out. As such, we had permission to go for the breakaway
today if we wanted, and I did.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
With
30k flat before the first categorized climb, I was active in following moves.
But it was a real fight for the break today, and as the climb neared I stopped
trying. We’re only a week into the race, and I didn’t want to destroy myself by
jumping on every move and then getting spit out the back when we did the climb
full gas. Besides, tomorrow we’ll be working for a sprint on the longest stage
of the race, followed by a tough climbing stage. Best to be a bit conservative
at this point.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
Just
at the start of the climb, Warren was involved in a crash with Froome. I sat up
to help him chase back, but he came by so fast that I ended up just settling
back in to the field, unable to contribute. The field exploded on the opening
climb as the attacks continued. Finally a small group got away before the top. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
There were some crashes on the descent, one of which took John down—banged up,
but he would go on to finish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
The
field stopped for a pee break after 60km, then quickly settled into an
uncomfortable pace for the rest of the day. We spent a lot of time on smaller
roads that twisted and rolled through the countryside, at a pace that stung the
legs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
As
the kilometers disappeared, the field slowly got a bit smaller, until a real
selection was made on a 5-minute climb with 15km remaining. After this climb,
it was just me, Tobias, and Johannes to watch over Warren. We got him into a
good position at the front with 5km remaining, where the road begins to slowly
roll upward. I stayed with the group until 3k to go in case Warren had a
problem, then sat up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In
the sprint, Warren’s front wheel was clipped in the chaos and he went down
hard. He’ll be sore tomorrow, but his GC position is safe.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
Today
was definitely the hardest stage from start to finish so far, and I think a lot
of that can be credited to the temperature. It was still a warm day, but
noticeably cooler than the past days. Hopefully the milder temps will continue
tomorrow!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
7
down, 14 to go!<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-79637031343743223182014-08-28T11:48:00.001-07:002014-08-28T11:48:34.549-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 6: Wawa can climb!<div class="MsoNormal">
You know my least favorite thing about racing at this level,
especially in Spain? It’s that we don’t start until 1pm on many days. Nevermind
that that means the race is in the hottest part of the day, that’s not even
what bothers me most. It’s because I’m an old man that likes to eat early and
go to bed early, and get up with the sun and have breakfast early. No, I don’t
particularly enjoy being awoken by my body clock 2 hours before breakfast and
having dinner at 10pm because our race didn’t even end until nearly 7. I got
into bed at midnight yesterday and slept 15 minutes at a time from 7am until I
finally gave up at 8:30. Like I said, I’m an old man.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Guess what?! Today’s stage was hot! The break got away
fairly quickly, but it took a while for the field to finally stop attacking
behind. Then it became a massive coast-off, as none of the teams with GC riders
wanted to take the front. For the second day, Orica refused to put even one
rider up front even though they led the race. And so the gap continued to grow…and
grow…and grow. It ballooned to nearly 15 minutes before Garmin took over and
set what would be a most uncomfortable pace for the rest of the day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We had a handful of climbs to contend with before the final
cat 1 finish climb. We were never going extremely fast, but everyone was really
suffering. All the guys were staying busy shuttling bottles to Warren, Lawson,
and me the whole day. The plan was for us to support Warren as long as we could
on the final climb.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The 20 minutes before reaching the base of the climb were
actually really hard, as everyone wanted to get their climber into the base in
the perfect position. I got pinched off from the guys early on, just before we
went single file. We stayed single file for a long time, and I didn’t have the
legs to get back up to them. I wasn’t so far back, but every time somebody sat
up and left a gap, I had to use more energy to close it. The legs I’d been
saving were wasted because of bad positioning.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I did nothing the whole day so that I could help Warren at
the end, but by the time we got there I couldn’t do anything. So I’m a bit
frustrated about that. Thankfully the others got Warren to the base in second
wheel, and he had a great climb to jump into the top-10 on GC.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We’re well into the stage-race vortex now, as we frequently
forget what stage we’re on (another good reason to rip the completed stages out
of the race book). My legs can tell that we’re a week into the race, but our
soigneur just told me that my legs are feeling better each day. I’ll take his
word for it. The upcoming stages will provide some more opportunities for John
to win, so I’m excited to see what we can do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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6 down, 15 to go!<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5057983556804306910.post-5498967983966094412014-08-27T12:44:00.005-07:002014-08-27T12:44:41.546-07:00THE Vuelta Stage 5: First blood, second win<div class="MsoNormal">
The start of today’s stage was a bit more interesting than
planned. First, half the team missed the start…they were staying cool on the
bus for as long as possible. But like always, we had a 9km neutral section, so
there was no real danger.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We knew that today was another perfect opportunity for John,
especially considering his propensity to go on hot streaks. After yesterday’s
win, he would be that much more confident. So again we were looking to deliver
John to a sprint while keeping Warren’s position on GC.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The first step in the plan is letting the right break go.
Immediately Tony Martin attacked, which was fine on a day like today. Even with
the sweltering heat, you never want him to have too much help, though, so after
a Lotto rider jumped the road mysteriously became clogged with Giant and FDJ
riders. As the gap grew, a MTN rider managed to sneak through the road block
and go for it. The probability of closing the gap was slim, but he was going to
try. As he began to fade on the rolling and twisty road, an uphill switchback
appeared. FDJ took the inside, and it was clear they were going to sweep across
at the exit of the turn to block him. In desperation, the MTN rider tried to
cut inside harder. I knew what was about to happen before it happened and was
able to avoid the pile when he washed out, but Koen and Johannes couldn’t. </div>
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Thankfully both suffered only minor road rash in the team’s first crashes of
the Vuelta.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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We put Tobias on the front immediately, as you can’t let a
rider of Martin’s caliber get too far up the road. FDJ was also helping with
the chase.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The gap started to immediately fall, and over the next two
hours, we would ride slower and slower in an effort to keep from catching them
too soon. It seemed the heat was a bit too much for the breakaway and they were
begging to be put out of their misery. Finally Martin stopped altogether to
rejoin the field. With just one rider out front in the heat and headwind, we
were going really easy. Unfortunately, Lawson became the next casualty of the
slick roads in a roundabout before the feedzone and became the third rider to
hit the deck today. A fair bit of road rash, but he’ll be okay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Expecting the same relaxed race until the only major climb
of the day, we were a bit careless with our positioning as we started a small
climb to yet another small town. Alarm bells started going off when
Tinkoff-Saxo took over and cranked up the pace. The climb was actually fairly
hard, and part of it was on cobbles. </div>
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Then, further up, there was a really hard
bottleneck that brought us to a near trackstand. We were single file over the
top and suddenly what had been a headwind all day was a cross-tail. On the fast
descent with those winds, it didn’t take long for gaps to form.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tobias, John, and Koen were in the first group, while I was
in the second with Warren and Ramon. Ramon and I were working to get Warren
back to the first group, getting considerable help from other teams—notably
Garmin, who had also missed the split with their GC riders.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Warren would make it back, but Ramon and I couldn’t quite do
it, while Tobias would come back to join us after helping John and Koen stay
out of the wind until the proper climb began. Our grupetto would just cruise to
the finish and save our legs. In a bizarre show of sympathy toward our
teammates’ injuries, Ramon and I both got nosebleeds atop the final climb.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It wasn’t a perfect situation, but we at least had John and
Warren up front with Koen to provide the leadout. And in the end, that proved
enough, as John took his second stage win in as many days! There were
definitely some lessons to take from today, but everything came out alright and
we can do it better next time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For now, we’ll just enjoy our champagne at dinner and
celebrate John’s second win. Tomorrow Warren gets to come out and play on the
first real uphill finish of the race.<o:p></o:p></div>
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5 down, 16 to go!<o:p></o:p></div>
Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12822007931420412925noreply@blogger.com