08 August 2007
Time continues to fly by and we're now just a month away from the seasons climax... the worlds in Scotland. Somehow my days are always full to the brim as I try to juggle my training, cooking, playing house and garden and lying on the sofa. The tour was great for that... I recorded it each day so after my erands I could vege out and watch the great drama unfold.. and who could have predicted that story line!
Marcus and I made a really fun mission in the mountains. We spent four days on big bikes around the Alps between Val Thorens and Alp d'heuz. We came back again the following week for the marathon world cup starting in Les 2 Alps.. I was hoping for a win, but had to settle for 5th after blowing up majority in the final hour. Was a super course though over some serious mountains and down some great switchback descents that lasted 30-40min at a time. Marcus got 16th.. his PB.
Somewhere high above Col de Galibier... the real pass!
At home things have been much the same. I've tried to keep quite, but its never really so easy. The weeds in the garden were exploding, my garage seriously needed a full clean out, etc etc... Then there are the non-stop stupid issues with the French bureaucratic system.. The simplest of tasks, such as changing an address for an internet company appear to be beyond their ability! And when you call for help, they charge 30c per minute to sit on hold.. just to have the line dropped once you get through... makes me f#*#*& mad!!!
The last few weeks we've been back to business again with a German Cup in St Margen, then a Swiss Cup in Bern. I managed 2nd in the first race and 6th in Bern, which was good considering the later was practically a world cup (13 or the best 15 ranked riders were there!) It was also really fun to have the company of Rosara and Anja, two of our very best kiwi girls. It all worked out sweet, except that Anja crashed just before Bern and couldn't race due to stitches on her knee. Its her first time racing here, so not such fun.
We went to Bern early so Marcus and I could get our Chinese Visa's, as we'll be going to check out the Olympic course in September. Afterwards we met up with my dad and cruised the streets of this stylish capital city.. lots of cool stores and cafes, but not cheap! People were surprisingly open and happy, music was on the streets and we even met a funny group of pretty girls, celebrating there friends marriage by dressing up in Flamenco skirts and handing out sangrias.. nice :)
This weekend its going to be a lot of suffering again, as we've got the marathon world champs. Its in Belgium and the course will be non-stop 5-10min climbs.. in other words, a XC race, but for 4-5hrs.. ouch! I will not have the chance to pre-ride the course, but the form is good, so... got to try right!
This pic is from Canada.. the team remembered my birthday!
Marcus and I made a really fun mission in the mountains. We spent four days on big bikes around the Alps between Val Thorens and Alp d'heuz. We came back again the following week for the marathon world cup starting in Les 2 Alps.. I was hoping for a win, but had to settle for 5th after blowing up majority in the final hour. Was a super course though over some serious mountains and down some great switchback descents that lasted 30-40min at a time. Marcus got 16th.. his PB.
Somewhere high above Col de Galibier... the real pass!
At home things have been much the same. I've tried to keep quite, but its never really so easy. The weeds in the garden were exploding, my garage seriously needed a full clean out, etc etc... Then there are the non-stop stupid issues with the French bureaucratic system.. The simplest of tasks, such as changing an address for an internet company appear to be beyond their ability! And when you call for help, they charge 30c per minute to sit on hold.. just to have the line dropped once you get through... makes me f#*#*& mad!!!
The last few weeks we've been back to business again with a German Cup in St Margen, then a Swiss Cup in Bern. I managed 2nd in the first race and 6th in Bern, which was good considering the later was practically a world cup (13 or the best 15 ranked riders were there!) It was also really fun to have the company of Rosara and Anja, two of our very best kiwi girls. It all worked out sweet, except that Anja crashed just before Bern and couldn't race due to stitches on her knee. Its her first time racing here, so not such fun.
We went to Bern early so Marcus and I could get our Chinese Visa's, as we'll be going to check out the Olympic course in September. Afterwards we met up with my dad and cruised the streets of this stylish capital city.. lots of cool stores and cafes, but not cheap! People were surprisingly open and happy, music was on the streets and we even met a funny group of pretty girls, celebrating there friends marriage by dressing up in Flamenco skirts and handing out sangrias.. nice :)
This weekend its going to be a lot of suffering again, as we've got the marathon world champs. Its in Belgium and the course will be non-stop 5-10min climbs.. in other words, a XC race, but for 4-5hrs.. ouch! I will not have the chance to pre-ride the course, but the form is good, so... got to try right!
This pic is from Canada.. the team remembered my birthday!
