From Paris to Nice

The first Euro Pro/World Tour race of the season has now come and gone. Sitting on the “happy” side of the race and reflecting back I’m once again reminded of why they call these races “Pro” Tour. Having a full Peloton of the worlds best goes a long way to up the level of racing. The stress and tension, especially in a often windy race like P-Nice goes a long away to make these types of races as brutal on the mind as they are on the body. The best part of each day is when we get back to the bus and know we have safely made it through one more. Some days I felt more like a cave-man than a bike racer. Luckily I’ve developed a knack for forgetting the bad/tedious/dangerous/insane and can move on from one day to the next.

Compared to the teams performance at the race last year, we pulled a sharp 180 degree turn for the better. A lot of that can be contributed to Mr. TVG since he was the one doing the actual result getting this week, but I could also tell that I was a notch up from where I was last year this same week. It was motivating and inspiring to have fellow american to rally behind. I don’t want to hear anymore fuss about the USA not having a legit GC contender for the future!

For now its back to Girona, which feels more like home than it ever has before. The sun is shining and i think its almost time to put away the winter jackets. I am looking forward to banking 10 days or so here with Jamie and then it will be time to “game on” again at Criterium International.