So Sunday is going to be quite exciting as one of the most recognizable Spring Classics in Belgium! Terrible weather returns after last years quite balmy race. Now the Belgiums love their terrible, wet, and cold weather and this year’s race is no exception. Be prepared for mud and crashes as racers ride around Flanders.
ps go boonen
This was a hard weekend. From staying in a cabin that only had a wood stove for heat and it being 19 degrees on both saturday and sunday, it was alright.
Saturday started with a 21 mile road race that ended with a 6 mile climb. I went pretty far on the course but due to back pain I had to bail halfway through the final climb. It was a good race and I was feeling good until the first couple of climbs when back pain set in. I tried powering through but in the end I just couldn’t do it anymore.
I took the descents pretty well until i came upon a crash and it looked like one of the guys involved in the crash used his face to brake. In the C race, there were more complications due to crashes.
Sunday was a decent day for me, woke up and it was FREEZING COLD again. Went to the time trial but I didn’t do it since it was so cold and I wasn’t really feeling up to it. Did the crit later in the day, got off to a good start and then a guy wiped out in front of me in the second lap during a chicane and I just couldn’t get back on the pack. Finished 30th out of 40.
This is looking to be my last collegiate race of the season since I am busy next weekend for Army and I’m not sure about going to Boston the following weekend since school work is piling up.
But, April 26th is my first day at the track this season where I plan to be quite a bit!
ASO has voted and the new big American team, Slipstream-Chipotle is riding in the 2008 TdF! This is extremely exciting since some veterans of other teams will be on the squad. Former champion Alberto Contador and Levi will not be seen in this year’s TdF since Astana still has been denied.
The rest of the teams:
Riccardo Ricci during the 43rd Tirreno-Adriatico. Mechanical errors can really ruin your day sometimes.
Floyd Landis the first winner of the tour de france to have his title stripped is going to have his last day court next week. In front of the Court of Sport Arbitration, he’ll plead his case in front of a closed panel to decide on his future. Hopefully it won’t be the circus show that happened last time in Arizona, where strange phone calls were made to Greg Lemond about kid touchers and other bizarre and weird blood work was presented. The French won’t be involved this time.
May your deliberations go well Mr. Landis.