And it is still dark out! And cold. And a thick fog is coating the hillsides. It’s gonna be a brutal morning.

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Is underway and the first day was a sleeper, yet death march as well.  The first 160k was pretty chill. Steady cruising behind a few cooperating teams chasing back a small break that went shortly after the start.  Nice roads, no real wind, no quacking for spots - just cruisy, steady, and pretty damn nice.  Then the clouds appeared.  It was already cold, and in retrospect we were pretty damn lucky to be dry as long as we were with the forcast, but when all of a sudden we were heading straight at the blackening sky it was pretty obvious things weren’t going to be pretty.  Rain, then hail, then some crazy slick rain-covered roads and a fast downhill run-in to the finish.  Could have been way worse, but somehow in 20k I went from feeling pretty dandy to absolutely rocked.  Amazing what 45 degrees and rain/hail does to a body when you’re at max effort.  I managed to stay out of trouble and cruise in with the lead split.

Benny Johnson scored a major coup for the team when he launched a surprise solo attack to take the last KOM, just as we were catching the breakaway.  Tied on points with the winner of the previous KOM he pipped the guy on the line and picked up a podium spot and the jersey for the team, a huge victory for our program at a race of this caliber.  Slick move…very slick!

Tomorrow we start the first stage at 8am.  A roughly 100k cage match in the ardennes starts straight uphill and apparently throws down from the gun and normally breaks to all hell shortly thereafter.  The afternoon holds an 8k TT for those that made it to the finish within a tight time cut in the morning.  Fingers are crossed…

Not sure what exactly and I have a feeling that it ranges from Catalan independence to the fact that cheap ryanair flights bring in too many tourists, but this hardy bunch bangs on pots and pans, blows the airhorn and backs it up with some good telling for hours EVERY morning. Got some stick-to-it-iveness at least…

It’s been a great week having Cheynna in town but we’re all back on the road tomorrow to one of the more important races for us this season: criterium international. 2 days; 3 stages; a bit of a mini-tour de France, put on by the same organizers. Time to git er dun!

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goes to …  newly engaged Pete and Rayme! We couldn’t be happier for you guys; congrats!

This time a shout out to teammate Ian and his longtime girlfriend Jen, just recently engaged!  Having just gone through the exciting yet overwhelming time they have ahead the only advice I can give isn’t even advice, rather a hearty “good luck!”

Otherwise not much happening here in Girona.  Cheynna in town and other than logging some good hours on the bike trying to get the body geared back up for racing we’re laying low, enjoying visiting with friends and spending some time together just the two of us.  I think she has some well laid our shopping plans as well…