In the past two weeks I've have been trying to get a bit of form back, which isn't easy. I've been slowly getting it back though and have now been selected to do another stage race. This means I get my first experience of a team TT, which is a lot harder than you think. It's a short stage race of only 4 days but apparently it's hard, but should be good fun. Cycling still going well in general as well but these days with it being 40 degrees it means early start.

On the other hand my cooking has got a lot better with me whipping out a Jamie Oliver recipe every other day. Apart from that not alot really has happend. just a lot of nights at the bar and afternoon eating ice cream.

This week has been another week with little training. Now its started to be about 40degrees on a daily bases the hours of training come down and it just racing, then recover. Most of the time its been a mixture of gym work and going out for three hours, with one day of distance training. Wednesday was a good 5 hours on the bike.

starting training

This week finally started training again after a nice rest week. On Tuesday manage about 120km with hills done at max minus ten. Before I went out on the bike I tried the new gym routine, nice hour and abit before training doing exercises on the gym ball. Found it much better...
Wednesday a nice 3 hours nice and easy without any hills, Makes a change. Managed to get about 80km in after a lazy morning but still doing the gym exercises. Thuraday managed 160km with a 10km hill, but since we started early could be arsed to do the gym exercises. But the main thing on Thursday was Italy V Germany. It was a great game and afterwards went to San Benedetto to celabrate. Today has be a rest day, waking up late, doing gym excerises, going for a massage, and then clearning the house. Im starting to become a bit of a clean freak now.
Also about three times a week I've been cooking a Jamie Oliver recipe, mainly to try and learn how to cook, and to get new ideas because I've ran out. Cant follow them to the letter because some of them are proper fatty so I have to interpretate then which working 80% of the time, have made a few mistakes.
.......Anyway tomorrow gym and 40km and then Sunday of to Tuscany to race, just hope I dont hit a tree this time.

rest week

Frankly this week has just been taking it easy and getting adapted to the heat which has come along. Every day this week I have pretty much done the same thing. Get up at 7, do an hour of core excises etc, get 4 hour easy riding in, and go to the beach. Just a week of recovery for the baby giro really. Fortunately now its hot no one seems to stay in so I have plenty to do on a night. This week the has been a five a side tournament near me so I've been watching most night.. its better than you think.

stages

Sorry its been so long but I' ve been a bit busy.
The Baby Giro has been one of the best experiences I have had. Racing at a world class level for the stages I've done has been amazing....
The first stage of 150km went right past my house and was a nice break in with a 7km hill and a 5km hill. Helping out team mates and finishing with the first group was the aim of the day, and it went well.
The second stage of a 75km crit was too nice but I didn't get dropped.

The third stage along the beach was the TT. Finally manage to use Garzelli's TTbike and it flew, just a shame I messed up every corner....
The forth stage was the long one. 212km with 4 7-9km climbs all at 10%. I surprised myself that day and alot of others. I finished with the leaders. Killed myself doing it but I was pretty happy with what I'd done, and so was my director of sport.
The fifth stage was one of the hard ones.180km with 1 10km climb and at the end a 16km climb, and the bit in between was just up and down all day.
The sixth stage was 160km with the first bit of gravel roads, 4 bit to be exact. This day didn't go well. I manage to finish in a group but not the first one, and a team mate arrived out of maximum time.
Finally a rest day, but don't see how 80km was a rest day.
 the seventh stage. It ended up that this was the worst stage yet. 160km with another bit of gravel road. Unfortunately on the gravel road I punched twice and had to wait 2mins for the team car. Then afterwards going down hill the bike gave away and I hit a tree head first, didn't even hit the road. Ended up waking up in the bike of the ambulance with a light in my eye and a neck brace on......Baby Giro Over...but shit happens, I'm only 20 got another two years yet at under 23.

getting towards the giro

After a hard week of training and finishing the prep for the baby giro the race on Sunday went well. I was my first international race with the astana and katusha delletanti teams turning up. Today the TT bikes turned up and it looks pretty good just got to have the legs to use it. Tomorrow a nice easy day then Wednesday I leave to start the giro. First stage Friday....

end of may

Tried one of the stages of the Baby Giro the other day. All it consists of is uphill and downhill, and when we did training on it, hailstones. Sunday  manage a to get in 160km in with the lads with another 15km hill, this is getting tedious. After all them kilometers I was aloud a big ice cream and finally a trip to the beach, hopefully first of many.
Monday got in two hours nice and easy in the morning. Spent most the afternoon sitting in the sun with another ice cream and getting a massage. But I also did finally manage to clean the house, and get 1hour of gym work in.
Yesterday manage 150km in with another 15km hill. Got back about 2.30 so there wasnt much left of the day so spent it watching TV lying dead on my bed.
Today manage 3hours going slow. I was planned to do sprints but frankly theres no way, espescially considering the fiver hours I have to do tomorrow.