Ahh, a morning off. After two, 105 mile road stages, we get a respite this morning and Alex and Ryan have a measly 35 mile crit to tend to this afternoon. As for my view from the "manager's seat" here, I've gained some perspective on the neverending job a ProTour team support staff faces.
It's funny, but the mental attitude of being an off-the-bike part of the team is the exact same one you have as a domestique on the bike. You constantly ask yourself, "What can I be doing to make sure the riders have it as easy as possible, so that when crunch time comes, they are rested and ready to fight?" There is always some job to do: bikes to be checked, bottles to cleaned and prepped, laundry, maps to be studied, GC standings to mull over. And through it all I keep having to stop myself from being too motherly with the guys, "Alex, stop doing dishes and get your feet up!", "Ryan, get out of the sun for that post-race interview!". But like a mother, it's all love. The guys are putting in great rides at a very tough race out here, and we just want to make sure they've got plenty of fight left in them for the final stages.
However, I remember that those overbearing recommendations are what can make an American rider's trip to Europe so tough. Everyone really just wants to help you succeed, but that means even the little old lady at the grocery store barks advice at you or scowls at your dietary decisions while she rings you up. So, I'm trying to let the guys just feel it out and learn for themselves, and they are doing just fine.
The biggest indicators that they are holding up well came after yesterday's Stage 5 - the third 100+ mile stage in a row. Whereas I expected two riders who were just relieved to make it through another tough, rainy stage, Ryan was as chipper as ever and cleaned-up and changed into his podium clothes in record time. And Alex was all full of spit and vinegar and I think wanted to fight anyone in sight because he thought he could have done way better in the hairy, uphill sprint that had 10k of a 40+ mph run-in to a one-lane left hand turn. There's definitely plenty of fight left in these guys.
As for race details, Stage 4 was the "queen" stage with two, killer Cat. 1 climbs: Montebello and Reed’s Gap. Both the guys climbed in the main lead group, with only a few “super-climbers” sneaking off the front. It was mostly the gaps on the descents that forced the splits you see in the stage results. They were insane, steep, twisty mountain descents that even a moto official couldn’t handle! The caravan stared in disbelief as we flew past the beautiful BWM bike mangled in a ditch. Fortunately, the driver was up and o.k., but at least one rider was taken the hospital after high-siding over a guard-rail - nasty, nasty stuff. Alex and Ryan both said they had no problems at all and had complete confidence in their trusty Madone’s outfitted with Aeolus 5.0 wheels and Bonty Pro Tubulars (which, at five stages and two, 5-mile technical gravel sections into the race, are straight as an arrow and cut free!)
Yesterday’s Stage 5 was a much flatter stage, but the challenge came in the form of almost two hours of rain, wet roads, and one of those gravel sections. Alex fell over in one turn after an inferior bike handler’s antics, but worked his way back up through the peloton like a seasoned veteran. There were also some wide-open windy sections and the aforementioned super-high speed run in to the finish (all gradually downhill), but again, the guys had no problem.
I’ve got quite a few pictures to post, and will do my best to get them before tonight’s crit. Thanks for reading.
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