Gad damn. Kinda high up here - and fortunately we’re staying up tonight. The VIP crew is around and heading down by chopper - I couldn’t imagine trying to get off this hill by car. Not a chance. A journal just up on velonews talking a bit about the crowds out there - pretty insane.
Two to go, kinda…
What you just read came wirelessly from a small black fruit.
…on rest day number 2. I’d way rather be asleep right now, but for some reason, despite having no desire in the world other than to be not thinking of anything, a bit of a snore going on, I can’t sleep. Ryder’s in the same boat, and put it well with the first words out of his mouth this morning: “I hate falling off my bike.” Well said. Friggin sucks. You roll just a bit wrong in bed and are quickly reminded that pavement and an unprotected body don’t really get along. It was almost comical watching this crash happen - and I really hope it was captured on cameras somewhere, cause it was a good un. We joked afterwards that it’s all the directors’ faults for telling us to ride together all the time. Fortunately none of us are really hurt, just banged up a bit and thank god we have the rest day to recover a bit before attacking the two stages ahead.
The past week has flown by and it’s hard to believe we only have one more to go, wait, only? Hmm… Yeah. With some of the hardest stages yet to come it’ll be an interesting one. The top 6 are all so close and without the Saunier-Duval circus around to blow things apart in the mountains it wouldn’t be surprising if the final weren’t decided until Saturday’s TT. For now however a day to enjoy: an early breakfast, 3 hour cruise, lunch, massage, nap, some time with Kevin Reichlin and his laaaser to zap the wounds, dinner, and sleep. Then back at it manana. This time next week vacation will be on…
On the rest day here in Pau we got our little slice of Americana…Chipotle burritos! The guys from chipotle came over, sourced up local goods and whipped up a few hundred of these puppies for us and the press core. Think Millar set the record with 3, and then a good solid helping from the dessert trays too. And now for a food coma induced nap.
What you just read came wirelessly from a small black fruit.
Finally some good weather… Even yesterday was cloudy and cold when we hit the hills - look at the spectators roadside in winter coats and hats, then us flying downhill drenched from the climbs up. A recipe for getting sick. A link here to yesterday’s Velonews.com journal. Worth noting, and then reiterating, that Christian is the man. Guy is unreal right now. Dancing on the bike as they say. An honor to work for him - somebody I’ve known for a long time and watched go from strong support rider to the very top of the sport. Send the guy all the good juju you can today for that final climb up Hautacam.
