tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76575442508042791192024-02-21T09:12:15.067-05:00Followed by CoffeeRiding a bike around the world... well, not literally.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.comBlogger326125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-74391107787182396832017-08-15T06:09:00.005-04:002017-08-15T06:09:34.369-04:00Grandpa...
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post was originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club
& can be found </span><a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/grandpa" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">…</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was recently scrolling through my Facebook feed when a
race photo of Davide Rebellin popped up. Under the picture were a bunch of
comments stating that despite the fact he is turning 46 later this year, he was
still going strong ‘for his age’ with no signs of slowing down. This sparked
some debate amongst my teammates and me.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to those comments, many people believe it is time
for him to hang up the bike, which led to the question---what is the best age
for racing? What I found out is that many believe the peak is in the early 30’s
and then it is all downhill from there.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here I stand at 35 years old…..</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quickly attention turned to me. I am the oldest rider on
Team Novo Nordisk, which has promoted the youngest rider on the team to
nickname me ‘Grandpa Williams.’</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like to think that I am not on that inevitable ‘downhill
run.’</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the last few years, I haven’t noticed that racing has
become harder due to my age or that it inhibits me from competing in any way.
Even when I was younger and racing locally in Australia, the 35+ or Masters
category was often faster than the Elite riders. We would put it down to the
fact that they often had the best equipment but at the end of the day, age did
not slow them down.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are a few differences I have noticed after this many
years on the bike. For starters, these days I need a good warm up. In the past,
I used to jump on my bike and go straight into a full gas effort without any
warm up at all. I could attack from the start line without any hesitation and
go from 0 to 100% was no problem. Nowadays, I need to warm up before I can turn
the pedals in anger and if I don’t, my legs feel terrible.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People always told me that as you get older, it gets much
harder to lose weight. I haven’t found this to be true. It’s not more difficult
to lose weight, but it sure is easier to put it on! When I was at university, I
lived on a diet that was pretty much made up of bread, pasta, and noodles and
my weight barely changed. If I tried to do that now, my weight would blow out
pretty quickly.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I first started cycling, I was at university and
weekends were a mixture of going out with friends and racing my bike. I would
often be out until the early hours of the morning and after only a couple hours
of sleep; I could head out to race my bike without a second thought. These
days, if I don’t get a good night’s sleep, then I struggle to get out of bed in
the morning. Long gone are the late nights and I’m often in bed before most
people here in Spain head out for dinner.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My posture is not what it used to be. My wife quite often
makes comments about how poor my posture has become. As I type this, I am
sitting at my laptop in a position more accustomed to riding a time trial than
working at a desk. I tell my wife that I am just more ‘aerodynamic,’ but she
thinks I am going to become a hunchback in my old age. Spending hours on end on
my bike has resulted in it becoming the more comfortable position.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel a day off the bike more than I used to. If I have to
choose between a recovery day off the bike or a short, easy ride, then I will
definitely take the ride. If I don’t, I feel much worse and seem to notice the
aches and pains a little more. I feel much better if I keep moving and do some
active recovery. I have never been a firm believer in the benefits of
stretching, but I am also beginning to come around on the topic.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was younger, I would ride no matter what. If I felt
tired, sore or on the verge of getting sick, I would still get out and ride.
This often ended in fatigue or coming down with an illness that required days
of rest. These days, I know my body better and recognize when I need to take it
easy and rest. This has become very important as I have witnessed many of my
younger teammates go through periods of fatigue and injury due to trying to
push their bodies too far and refusing to rest when necessary.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My days of being young and invincible may be behind me but
with age comes wisdom and I like to think that has far more benefits. I live by
the adage that you are only as young as you feel and for now, I still feel
great when I am out on the bike. Davide Rebellin has 10 years on me and is
still going strong. At his age, I can only hope to be half as fit as he is.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-19288349093483761182017-05-13T17:33:00.000-04:002017-05-13T17:34:38.137-04:00Behind the Scenes...<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This post was originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club
& can be found <a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/behind-the-scenes" target="_blank">here</a>…</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When you watch a bike race on television, everything appears
to run smoothly. Each day, the riders show up on the start line in fresh kits
with bikes that look like they just came out of the box. No one looks too
stressed, and they seem ready to take on the day’s stage. But things aren’t
always as they seem.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Behind the scenes at a bike race, it is anything but smooth
and stress-free. There are a huge number of things that need to be done before
and after each stage to ensure that everything and everyone is ready to do it
all over again the next day. On the day before the race, the team cars need to
be fueled and washed. The bikes must be cleaned and serviced. Riders generally
receive a massage to ensure that they are ready for the race start and managers
need to attend pre-race briefings.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then on race day before the stage begins, the soigneurs
organize water bottles and race food. Feedbags are prepared, and one or two
staff members must be transported to the feed zone before the race starts.
Breakfast is prepared for the riders, the luggage is collected, and the cars
and truck are packed. The luggage and truck head off to the next hotel where a
soigneur prepares the rooms for that night.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After the stage finish, the bikes are washed and serviced
again, and any repairs such as punctures are fixed. The riders receive massages
and laundry washed and dried. The cars are cleaned and washed, race reports are
written, and dinner is prepared and eaten. On top of this, there may be any
other number of things that can come up during or between stages.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All of this takes time, so to make sure it happens, the
soigneurs and mechanics are the first ones out of bed in the morning and
generally the last ones to sleep at night. They have their race routines down
to a fine art and know where and when they need to be. Unfortunately, race
organizers don’t always take these behind-the-scene duties into consideration
when they are planning events.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the recent Tour of Croatia, we had some epically long
days both on the bike and in the car. Stage 1 was a six-hour day on the bike
that saw us cover 236 kilometers. Directly after the stage finish, we jumped
right into the team cars for a 500km transfer across the country for Stage 2.
The problem was, a snowstorm hit and the highway was closed. The trip was made
even longer by having to weave our way across back roads. Eventually, we
arrived at the hotel just before midnight, and we were one of the first teams
to arrive!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thankfully, the restaurant remained open for us so that we
were able to eat: everything else waited until morning. Needless to say, the
mechanics were not happy campers and neither were several of the bus drivers
who were stressfully stuck in the snow.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Tour of Croatia covered over 1000km in just six days,
making it a long race by any standard. Over the next few days, teams endured
several long transfers both before and after stages. In total, there was around
1200km in transfers, making the race that much longer. Fortunately for us, we
had enough staff and vehicles to send luggage and spare equipment to the next
hotel before the stage started. However, the smaller teams did not have this
option. Many riders arrived at the hotels late at night still dressed in their
cycling kit!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the end of the week, many riders were tired not only from
the long stages but also the late nights and early starts. Yet, the people who
were the most exhausted were the team staff. Unfortunately, if the stage is
long and made even longer by hotel transfers, they do not have the option to
finish their jobs later. It just means that they get less sleep.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fortunately, the Tour of Croatia was only six days long, and
respite was not too far away. I could not imagine a Grand Tour where the race
starts in a totally different country and then having to transfer everyone and
everything thousands of kilometers over three weeks!</span></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-58441550365530775932017-04-20T13:12:00.000-04:002017-04-20T13:12:01.720-04:00The 'Business' of Professional Cycling<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This
post was originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club & can be found <a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/the-business-of-professional-cycling" target="_blank">here</a>…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">At
one of the first professional races that I participated in, I watched a fleet
of brand new cars roll out, covered in stickers for the event to be used as
team cars during the race. I thought to myself, ‘Wow, that is a pretty big
financial commitment from the car manufacturer. They have provided around 40
brand new cars to be used in a bike race!’ When I asked my teammates and
manager why a car company would be willing to do this and what is in it for
them, I was told, ‘Don’t ask that question!’ The more I thought about it, the
more intrigued I became with the business of professional cycling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Cycling
is a very unusual sport. It is one of the oldest professional sports and has
been around for over 100 years with origins that are deeply rooted in tradition
and passion. To this day, it is still one of the truly 'free' sports because
all you really need to participate is a bike. You don't need to join a club.
You don't need a huge stadium to practice in. You don't need to have a team
around you, and you don't even really need an opposition or another team to
compete against. Just get on your bike and pedal and technically, you are a
cyclist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Even
watching a bike race is free. They are held on public roads without
grandstands, corporate boxes or season tickets, so anyone can go and watch at
no cost. Last year alone, the Tour de France had around 11 million people
lining the road to watch the race go by. All for free!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If
you want to watch a football match, you have to spend a relatively large amount
of money to get a seat in the grandstand where you may just about need
binoculars to make out the players. Even if you want to watch the game live on
television, you need to pay for a subscription channel or fight for a seat at a
local bar that is showing the match. In cycling, you get within arm’s reach of
the riders and even foolishly run beside them in the mountains... all for free!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Even
with cycling’s lengthy history, it is still growing in popularity around the
world. While it is free and easily accessible, it is still a sport that is
commercially underdeveloped, and this does not work in its favour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In
sports like football, they have a business model that allows the teams to
essentially operate as a business. Football teams cover their costs by selling
tickets to their matches. They sell merchandise like jerseys, flags, banners
and sports equipment. They charge other companies money to endorse their products
and put their logo on pretty much anything. Many leagues sell the TV rights to
their matches do to make money. This allows football teams to be profitable and
team owners to earn a profit or invest back into the team to buy better
players, staff, and equipment so the next year can be even more successful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In
professional cycling, teams cannot do this. There is no stadium or venue for
teams to charge an entry fee. The teams do not produce the equipment or the
clothing, so they do not make money from sales. The teams do not organise the
races, so they do not make money from the television rights to those races.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In
its current form, the business model of professional cycling is not a business
model at all. It is essentially a charity model. There is no way to make money
other than to raise revenue from sponsors and donations. This means that
professional cycling teams do not aim to be profitable, they simply try to
ensure they survive and can race in the following season.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Here
is how professional cycling teams currently operate:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Someone
sets up a holding company, which goes out and tries to raise enough money and
sponsors to offer riders and staff contracts and purchase equipment. The more
funds available generally equals better riders, staff, and equipment. This
means that a team's performance is often a reflection of their annual budget
because with more money means better riders. All cycling teams are
sponsorship-dependent, and there is no other sport in the world that operates
with this model.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">How
do teams raise money to fund their operations? There are basically three ways:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A wealthy donor. Someone that is
passionate about cycling and can afford to run a professional cycling team.
Think Oleg Tinkoff and Andy Rihs. Usually, the donor has a company that they
use to name the team and get some publicity. For Oleg, it was Tinkoff Bank. For
Andy Rihs, it's the BMC bike brand. The problem with receiving all of your
money from a wealthy donor is that when that donor no longer wants to provide
large amounts of money, the team may end up folding. This happened to Tinkoff
last year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Teams raise money through government
support or a country's cycling federation. Think Astana or the Russian Global
Cycling Project, which became Katusha. The problem here is that government
money usually doesn't last forever and teams typically must hire riders and use
equipment from their country to display their patriotism. This can limit the
depth of a roster.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Teams raise money through a commercial
sponsor that is looking for publicity. Think Trek or Cannondale. Teams sell
jersey space or naming rights to a company or companies that are looking for
advertising and exposure. The team serves as one big advertisement. Like any
advertisement, companies like to see a return on their investment to ensure
it’s worth the cost. Yet it is challenging to calculate a value of
impression-based publicity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In
addition to these three models, some teams come up with a combination. For
example, Orica-Scott or Greenedge has financial backing from cycling enthusiast
Gerry Ryan, but they also receives support from the National Cycling Federation
and sells naming rights and jersey space to Scott. This seems to be a well
rounded and more secure option because if they lose one donor or sponsor, it
doesn't necessarily spell the end of the team.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Regardless
of the method a team uses to fund itself, one thing is certain... funding can
disappear at any time, so professional cycling teams have no guarantee that
they will continue past their sponsor's contract agreement. In turn, riders
have no security that they will have a job in the following year. Most riders
and staff only sign one to two-year contracts because teams must rely on
sponsorship agreements to pay salaries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Consequently,
teams continuously come and go. Sponsors change and therefore so do team names,
yet, the team may still have the exact same structure. They look different, so
there appears to be no continuity. For example, look at Lotto Jumbo NL. Before
this name, they were Belkin, Rabobank, Novell, WordPerfect, Buckler-Colnago,
Superconfex-Yoko and originally Kwantum-Decosol! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Teams
may get new equipment sponsors, such as new bikes or clothing, and the change
is just as difficult. Changing product sponsors means that old clothing and
equipment becomes redundant and can't be used anymore, so teams need to start
from scratch. For a team, replacing entire fleets of bikes is not an easy thing
to do. For the manufacturer, they know that sponsoring a professional cycling team
can mean a large increase in sales, so they are willing to do it. Take Trek for
example. After hiring Lance Armstrong to the Trek-sponsored US Postal team in
1997, their popularity and sales skyrocketed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Over
the years, the cycling industry has benefitted greatly from the exposure that
professional cycling teams give them, so many companies are willing to sponsor
teams with their products. This has led to the development of several new
technologies over the years as manufacturers work with teams. One of the
problems with this relationship is that with so much potential commercial gain,
some argue that manufacturers are using the pro peloton to simply push new
products onto consumers rather than what's best for racing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Take
a look at the current disc brake debate. A survey has shown that the majority
of professionals don't want them in the peloton and their safety has been
questioned after a couple of incidents, but manufacturers and the UCI continue
to push for their use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
read a comment on Facebook recently that suggested that manufacturers do not
need the pro peloton anymore because recreational cycling is big enough and
popular enough without it. They claimed that cycling is moving away from racing
and more towards adventure cycling and other forms and can support itself. If
this were to happen, it would spell the end of professional cycling as
companies would no longer need to sponsor teams to get the exposure they want
or need to make more sales.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There
is no denying that the 'business' of professional cycling is in dire need of a
makeover. You have the teams in one corner wanting to race but unable to raise
money. The sponsors are in another corner providing the money in exchange for
exposure. Race organisers are in another corner essentially making money off
the teams and finally the UCI is telling everyone the rules that they need to
play by. All parties involved need each other to exist, but they are at a
stalemate when it comes to finding a solution that works for everyone. At the
end of the day, race organisers make money, the UCI gets funded, sponsors sell
more products and teams fight for existence. Ironically, if one of them falls,
then the whole sport would be likely to collapse with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
commercialization of professional cycling would mean that cycling teams would
be self-sustainable and not have to rely on sponsors to exist. The problem is
that the non-commercial nature of cycling and its deep history of tradition is
one of the main reasons that it is so popular.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When
the partnership was formed with global healthcare company, Novo Nordisk, Team
Novo Nordisk became the first-ever professional cycling team to feature an
all-diabetes roster. Every single rider on the team has Type1 diabetes. Novo
Nordisk is the world’s largest manufacturer of insulin, so the partnership
makes sense in terms of advertisement and marketing alone. However, Team Novo
Nordisk falls under the company's 'Changing Diabetes' program. The company’s
main focus is to discover, develop and manufacture better medicines; they also
understand that it takes more than just medicine to combat diabetes. Through
various partnerships, including Team Novo Nordisk, the ‘Changing Diabetes’
program aims to address risk factors in urban areas, ensure people with
diabetes are diagnosed earlier, have access to adequate care and medicines and
can live their lives with as few limitations as possible. The team mission to
educate, empower and inspire people around the world affected by diabetes fits
perfectly with the ‘Changing Diabetes’ program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Why
is TNN so important for the diabetes community? Out of the 18 riders on the pro
team, 15 of them were told when they were diagnosed that racing a bike at a
professional level would be out of the question. Sadly, this is still a common
prognosis given by health care professionals around the world and is one of the
myths that the team is working hard to dispel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">2017
marks the fifth year of existence for Team Novo Nordisk and the team continues
to be a vehicle of empowerment for people with diabetes worldwide. We have the
largest social media following of any professional cycling team and most pro
sports teams in general. As well as competing in races around the world, we
also attend events and speeches through various patient and health care
professional outreach programs. The accessibility of cycling races also means
that at every race, we meet young children and other people with type 1
diabetes who come to the team bus to meet the riders and share their own
stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Team
Novo Nordisk may have the typical cycling business plan and is still 100%
dependent on sponsorship for survival but we have a greater cause and
motivation to race. We don't represent a country or only a sponsor, but over
415 million people living with diabetes around the world. I feel motivated to
race not only to do the best I can, but also to empower and inspire those
affected by diabetes to achieve their goals. It is a unique opportunity that no
other professional team has in their ‘business’ plan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-85238084174334931342017-02-01T13:07:00.000-05:002017-04-11T13:18:16.867-04:00Fresh Eyes...<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">This
post was originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club & can be found <a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/fresh-eyes" target="_blank">here</a>…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">This
season marks my fifth year racing with Team Novo Nordisk and it began in the
usual fashion with a training camp in Altea, located in the south of Spain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQr-XRy1olUZqRZ3Qvhw-7CgWLgv9EXdw-u4-Uu6HzrObjIKzpT4ns_v7rC3cA6nts12k7kgu7dT-A8ZwNe2k3bGJf0YxqYpP-eTXr5JDIhUTM9_JDu85yL7sF40j0lhDwtb0l7iSW7vh/s1600/IMG_4911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQr-XRy1olUZqRZ3Qvhw-7CgWLgv9EXdw-u4-Uu6HzrObjIKzpT4ns_v7rC3cA6nts12k7kgu7dT-A8ZwNe2k3bGJf0YxqYpP-eTXr5JDIhUTM9_JDu85yL7sF40j0lhDwtb0l7iSW7vh/s320/IMG_4911.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">At
this time of year, cycling teams overrun the area with everyone looking to
escape the cold and train somewhere with relative warmth. As you ride around,
numerous teams and team vehicles go by and the climbs are swarmed with riders
going up and down completing their prescribed efforts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">However,
this year the weather was exceptionally bad. Nearly every day, there were
severe storms and snow even fell for the first time since ~1982 (yet this fact
was difficult to verify because everyone seemed to have different dates). Due
to the extreme weather, most training sessions were limited to the trainer or
bundled up and heading outside in the poor conditions. When we ventured
outside, we stuck to the lower elevations. On social media, riders from various
teams were posting pictures of indoor training sessions during the 'tRAINING
camp'.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHi5SL-G9Yivp2MLiTcmlDzHzSF3u2Yfqo1tLRBj5EXuUJq6GWl1HOS30oUP_Q2auiZTnvFqkplZVGGuFFDOkq7QGU2jNJl2sPyunKYVLyarK9wOc0v98TTrHo5wJtuyOiUjg22J-G1IR/s1600/IMG_4984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHi5SL-G9Yivp2MLiTcmlDzHzSF3u2Yfqo1tLRBj5EXuUJq6GWl1HOS30oUP_Q2auiZTnvFqkplZVGGuFFDOkq7QGU2jNJl2sPyunKYVLyarK9wOc0v98TTrHo5wJtuyOiUjg22J-G1IR/s320/IMG_4984.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In
addition to coming together to get in some solid training, camp gave us the
opportunity to meet the new riders. This year, Team Novo Nordisk has six new
pro riders, most who moved up from our development team. It was interesting to
see their initial reactions and interactions with the rest of the team.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEQ33Us12jUERPgJhnvk0-Cd96ToLuzIw42JIk9IX2PLuU3OrSrFb93ilqCJHwMdlL2Z6KCAFrw-MehwmnYVXJEyyWKSjj5zYpVXgfsqdttn6a5SmJxU3TOSsidgBynUSd6Uu23jNhBqj/s1600/IMG_4850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEQ33Us12jUERPgJhnvk0-Cd96ToLuzIw42JIk9IX2PLuU3OrSrFb93ilqCJHwMdlL2Z6KCAFrw-MehwmnYVXJEyyWKSjj5zYpVXgfsqdttn6a5SmJxU3TOSsidgBynUSd6Uu23jNhBqj/s320/IMG_4850.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">When
the weather turned sour, it was these neo-pros who don't say much and simply
got on with their jobs. This was compared to the older guys, including myself,
who were the first ones to complain. The new riders were the first ones out to
the truck before a ride, while us veterans took our time and most likely held
things up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1feRWMrDpCrbW0U23iOwZHvdZZ1hsvrEy_b3WRcJ9kXPMXwSme7zTN8Vtcr5XNoaV4esgTLjDQ4nUbgQ5o0qf24aY2Z2aqJgFovFZYmH_dfvfUWf4VPgb4Bd6xGJP-qdJtPAznGqm607i/s1600/IMG_4833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1feRWMrDpCrbW0U23iOwZHvdZZ1hsvrEy_b3WRcJ9kXPMXwSme7zTN8Vtcr5XNoaV4esgTLjDQ4nUbgQ5o0qf24aY2Z2aqJgFovFZYmH_dfvfUWf4VPgb4Bd6xGJP-qdJtPAznGqm607i/s320/IMG_4833.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The
neo-pros didn’t complain about weigh-ins nor skin fold tests. They didn’t
complain about meetings. They didn’t complain about eating pasta for the eighth
consecutive day. They didn’t complain about riding farther than planned. They
didn’t complain about early morning anti-doping controls. They didn’t complain
when the Spanish guys were on the front driving the pace up a climb. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Maybe
this eagerness is because they are new and want to impress the rest of us,
maybe they are just keeping quiet while they earn their place or maybe, just
maybe, it is because a few of us have grown complacent because we’ve been doing
the same thing year after year. We’ve grown complacent and are too quick to
complain when things don't go to plan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">At
the end of last season, we had two stagiaire riders from the devo team race
with the pros at a few late-season races. I immediately noticed there was an
air of positivity and optimism around them. They were always excited to race,
willing to push a little harder and seemed to have a bit more fight in them.
This meant they refused to give in when racing got hard. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">I
find these new, positive riders refreshing. They serve as a breath of fresh air
and a reminder of how excited and eager I was to line up for the first time
next to the pros. These guys give 100 percent and fight for every inch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Have
I too readily accepted my limits rather than push them as far as I can? This
past month, I remembered how good it is to have someone around to challenge me.
It gives me motivation to train and race harder. Sometimes we all need a little
kick….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-82894093921857766202017-01-11T13:04:00.000-05:002017-04-11T13:06:51.214-04:002016 - The Year In Numbers...<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This
post was originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club & can be found <a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/2016-the-year-in-review" target="_blank">here</a>…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">2016
is over and everyone, including myself, is busy preparing for the start of the
2017 season. Before it begins, I wanted to write a brief recap of last season
by the numbers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In
365 days, I rode my bike 33,898 kilometers, which isn't quite around the world
but it is an average of 92.9km per day. I only drove around 5,000 km in my car,
so I definitely saved on petrol. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">During
the year, I had a total of 43 days off the bike and most of those were due to
travel. For the days that I did ride, I averaged 105.3km per day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
rode 1,058 hours with an average speed of 32.0 kph. That's 3 hours and 17
minutes for every day that I rode. My wife worked 1,520 hours last year, so she
wins the 'who worked harder' bet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">During
the year, I summited the equivalent of Mount Everest 37.3 times with 330,317
meters of elevation gain. For those Australians reading, that's 148 times up Mt
Kosciusko.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My
favourite statistic of 2016 is the fact I burned 725,000 calories while riding
my bike. That's the equivalent of 1,287 Big Macs. Or around 340 large pizzas.
Or around 1,900 slices of cheesecake. Or 4,531 KFC drumsticks. Or around 679
liters of ice cream. Or around 6,600 bananas...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">During
the year, I took 73 flights and numerous trains and buses. Despite all those
flights, I have yet to earn any frequent flyer status that gets me any useful
benefits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In
2016, I spent only a quarter of the year in Australia: 97 days in my home
country. While racing and training, I spent over half of the year sleeping in
strange beds with 202 nights in hotels. This didn’t even include the nights I
spent away visiting family or friends!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As
a result of all this travel, I rode my bike in 18 different countries in
Australia, Europe, Asia and North and South America. I went as far north as
Norway and as far south as Melbourne, Australia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In
those 18 countries, I did 81 UCI race days composed of nine one-day races and
14 stage races. I also had five training camps during the year in five
different countries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So
that's 2016 in a nutshell. I got to see a lot of places and have many memorable
experiences. In two days, I board my first flight for 2017 as everyone from
Team Novo Nordisk heads to Spain for the first training camp of the year. Time
to start burning off all that holiday ice cream!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-82070874697403092422016-12-07T12:57:00.000-05:002017-04-11T13:03:25.146-04:00Perspective...<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">This
post was originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club & can be found
<a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/perspective" target="_blank">here</a>...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">It's
that time of year again. Riders are coming together with their teams for early
2017 training camps. These are the people you will spend many nights on the
road with during the coming year. It’s interesting to meet for the first time
the people whose job at times will be to sacrifice themselves and protect you
while racing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">As
a result, teams are climbing mountain peaks together, hiking long trails,
sailing or even just spending a relaxing holiday together to better know each
other and bond as a team. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">At
Team Novo Nordisk, we had a slightly different approach. We spent the last week
in the Dominican Republic building three homes for families living in poverty.
Not only did it give us a chance to become closer as a team, but it allowed us
find purpose and give back to society in a very real way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">At
various times over the last few years, I have questioned the significance of my
career choice. Before becoming a professional cyclist, I was a school teacher.
While at that job, it was easy to see how I was contributing to the greater
good and contributing to society. However, as a professional bike rider, I
sometimes question my purpose and how I give back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Cycling
is very much driven by your own personal results. After a few disappointing
performances, it is easy to doubt yourself and your self-worth. I have seen
many cyclists fall out of love with cycling as a result of this. I have even
seen some cyclists quit riding to seek out more purpose in life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Last
week in the Dominican Republic, we worked with Hope Sports and Homes4Hope to
provide shelter for three families in a community that is in desperate need. It
was a chance for us to give back and see that there are other ways we can live
a more purposeful existence.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlecX_YMQ9kzKHKE7IlIhGAm5JhevlWhuAHOieI1VA7OMzyI_g-c93U4a-rWgjLuzFGBCbS5-xOUBzdVGSCJCMbuHXg46f-OYRAbsYql4kqpCAlCwOBNEDiVOsDcBd8Bqsn3mG7CLO4rdd/s1600/IMG_3121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlecX_YMQ9kzKHKE7IlIhGAm5JhevlWhuAHOieI1VA7OMzyI_g-c93U4a-rWgjLuzFGBCbS5-xOUBzdVGSCJCMbuHXg46f-OYRAbsYql4kqpCAlCwOBNEDiVOsDcBd8Bqsn3mG7CLO4rdd/s320/IMG_3121.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">On
a personal level, the experience gave us the chance to reflect on the lives
that we live. As professional cyclists, we spend the year travelling around the
world staying in hotels and racing expensive bikes. We complain about things
like not getting the best equipment, not having the milk we prefer at breakfast
or missing your favourite flavoured bar during a race. Meanwhile, the
communities in the Dominican Republic are going without the most basic of
needs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMOAX-8f_c1sM7lF3dV7OXg7TiISJKcySzKVYoC_tSbW1AeB6_vt5_3jgyb1c32L4i4OjKfk0u1Or8wG9oqbA_9b6ydol6Mvt5FJMfNEsGw3YhxNuw2f8N0I0gjvDrojzHq5lQWznwqRS/s1600/IMG_2911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMOAX-8f_c1sM7lF3dV7OXg7TiISJKcySzKVYoC_tSbW1AeB6_vt5_3jgyb1c32L4i4OjKfk0u1Or8wG9oqbA_9b6ydol6Mvt5FJMfNEsGw3YhxNuw2f8N0I0gjvDrojzHq5lQWznwqRS/s320/IMG_2911.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">They
are living in homes made of scrap metal, the kids are walking the dirt streets
without shoes, and they struggle each day to find enough food. It's an
eye-opening and confronting experience that really puts things into
perspective.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">We
have all seen pictures and videos on the internet, but nothing can prepare you
for the shock of seeing it up close. Personally, I think each and every rider
on my team has a new appreciation for what we have and the opportunities we are
given. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2PzBpOFgz8c19TUWJ772plEO9uTGyL6IlRXiKLHLTlNUxFfK9h-AyALeJxLCNAeGUEQc4cZ-L4UentOjC1IxK4zWdc5MiUr32RQj9UybPZVQtSMlhOMptXEni4Kp_Ol4sfMK4KMiQFbU/s1600/IMG_3054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2PzBpOFgz8c19TUWJ772plEO9uTGyL6IlRXiKLHLTlNUxFfK9h-AyALeJxLCNAeGUEQc4cZ-L4UentOjC1IxK4zWdc5MiUr32RQj9UybPZVQtSMlhOMptXEni4Kp_Ol4sfMK4KMiQFbU/s320/IMG_3054.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">When
you see kids happily playing with nothing but an empty cardboard box, I can't
help but feel guilty when my biggest problem is deciding what colour iPhone to
buy. My problems are insignificant in the bigger picture, and it took an
experience like this to give me a wake-up call.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJG4mNMSme9u6Um7KUXUbvWSQ71ZQdYEPr2cnpq6ESqlV37ZjKCsGEZ62k-QC6gigT-de27EmSF4eInV2ovusqRoZNkqQLIQWxHJT05JNSC_mGjJvrzEGtNIMemnq-g1AAnWOhju3AQTh/s1600/IMG_2933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJG4mNMSme9u6Um7KUXUbvWSQ71ZQdYEPr2cnpq6ESqlV37ZjKCsGEZ62k-QC6gigT-de27EmSF4eInV2ovusqRoZNkqQLIQWxHJT05JNSC_mGjJvrzEGtNIMemnq-g1AAnWOhju3AQTh/s320/IMG_2933.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">As
well as the opportunity to provide homes for three families, this experience
will hopefully help us to grow as individuals and have a stronger bond as a
team. It's something that I think everyone needs to experience in their lives.
I believe it will make me and anyone else who goes through this a better human
being.</span></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-36972925921489046062016-10-05T12:55:00.000-04:002017-04-11T12:57:10.046-04:00Off Season<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This
post was originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club & can be found
<a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/off-season" target="_blank">here</a>...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It
has been a long year but fortunately the end of the season is fast approaching.
With World Championships in Qatar coming much later than normal, many riders
are struggling to stay motivated with some even forfeiting their spot at the
biggest single-day race of the year, knowing they won't be 100% ready. For me,
last week saw my final European race for 2016, so I am keen to get back to
Australia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">With
only one stage race in China left for me, like most riders at this point in the
year, I am already thinking about the off-season and where I can take a
holiday. Many pros get to the end of the season and they simply do not want to
touch their bikes. Some even go weeks without turning the pedals. However, I
have discovered I don’t like to stop riding for an extended period.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
can only handle around three days off the bike before I am itching to get back
in the saddle. The reason for this is simple: I love riding my bike. Pre-season
is my favourite time of the year as I get to do long rides, find new roads and
not worry about the numbers. Also, riding my bike helps keep me healthy, and
that’s good motivation to keep riding. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Consequently,
whenever I go on holidays, I take my bike with me. In fact, in the last four
years, I can remember only two holidays where I didn’t have my bike with me,
and that was probably because my wife put her foot down and said it needs to
stay at home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When
selecting a holiday location at home in Australia, there are several things
that I need to consider. It generally has to be within riding distance so that
I can set off on my bike in the early hours of the morning before my wife
drives the car to meet me. This usually gives me a 200km or so radius to work
with but in the past I have been known to ride only halfway before being picked
up with the car. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
also try to make sure that there are plenty of roads to choose from as well as
avoiding the city center so that I don’t have to deal with traffic. The
accommodation needs to have laundry so that I can wash my cycling kit and it
doesn’t hurt to have a balcony to keep the bike out of the way. Half of my
suitcase is usually taken up by cycling clothes, spare tubes, and energy bars
and you can never forget to throw the floor pump into the back of the car. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If
I have to take a flight, then there is a whole other kettle of fish to consider
such as luggage fees, tools for assembling and disassembling my bike and hiring
a car that is big enough to fit my bike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Currently,
I am researching my next location and making sure that I can ride there via
smaller back roads. Do I call it a holiday? Or do I call it a cycling holiday?
Or do I call it a training camp?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-52260829990725624322016-09-02T12:47:00.000-04:002017-04-11T12:49:27.975-04:00Endless Summer...<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This
post was originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club & can be found
<a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/endless-summer" target="_blank">here</a>...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Being
Australian has limited benefits when it comes to professional cycling in
Europe; however, one of them is that I have an endless summer. While the
Europeans are preparing for next season with cross-country skiing, riding a
‘cyclocross’ bike or relocating to Southern Spain in search of the sun, I am
back in Australia training in the summer. Then, just as sunrise starts to take
a little longer and the nights begin to get chilly, I head back to Europe for
the Spring races.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As
a result of this, I have never seen snow. I mean, I have seen the leftovers of
it on the ground, but I have never actually seen snow falling from the sky. To
be honest, I’m not entirely sure what I am supposed to be looking out for. Most people from Europe don’t believe me when
I tell them, but where I live, the lowest temperatures on a winter’s day are in
the mid-20’s Celsius. I never even owned a puffy jacket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Every
year, the team equips me with all the cycling kit that I could possibly need.
This includes near endless amounts of winter warmers, jackets, gloves and rain
gear. I think this is all thrown in to accommodate the Dutchies with all their
complaining about how cold it is training in the Netherlands. The first time I
even open my winter kit is at the first European training camp of the season.
Before this, I beg for more summer kits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When
it rains in Australia, a rain jacket is redundant. If you put a jacket on
during rain in summer, you will end up wetter than if you didn’t because you
will be sweating so heavily. Rain is a welcome relief because it cools you down.
Even then, the temperature barely drops below 30°C. In Europe, it is a totally
different story. If it rains, it gets cold…typically really, really cold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
honestly don’t know how the European riders train during the winter or when
it’s raining. Most guys say they use a trainer. Personally, I couldn’t think of
anything more boring. This year, I have spent a grand total of two hours on a
trainer. That’s less time than what most pros do in a single session.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
cannot stand putting on heaps of extra layers just so I can ride outside. I
feel like the Michelin Man. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that this week I am
going to need my rain bag. I am in Bergen, Norway, for the Tour des Fjords
where it rains more often than it doesn’t. It is supposed to be summertime, but
I am walking around in a warm jacket. It’s cold, it’s wet, and it will be like
this all week. I spent an hour on the trainer today while other teams braved
the weather and went riding outside. Maybe I need to forego my endless summer
this year and try to ‘toughen up’ during the winter. Then again... No thanks!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-73517064964731410742016-08-05T12:45:00.000-04:002017-04-11T12:46:48.745-04:00Gotta catch 'em all . . .<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This
post was originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club & can be found
<a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/gotta-catch-em-all" target="_blank">here</a>...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Being
a professional cyclist means you are on the road a lot. You are always
traveling to different places, catching trains, buses, planes, taxis and of
course, riding endless miles on the bike. Being a professional cyclist also
means you have a lot of time to kill and think while you are traveling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This
combination can have a dangerous and sometimes sad result: PokemonGO.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
will happily admit that I have downloaded the app. I mean, my news feed has
basically been the Tour de France & PokemonGO for the last three weeks so
it's difficult to avoid it. I will proudly say though, that I have no idea what
I'm doing when I open it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My
age puts me just outside of the Pokemon era... I'm more of a Voltron guy.
However, my younger teammates fall right into the PokemonGO riptide. My Belgian
teammate, Kevin 'The Mess Maker' de Mesmaeker, spent 3 hours last night trying
to 'catch 'em all' and complained that the owner of the closest gym was too
strong... Whatever that means.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There
is one problem with cyclists becoming hooked on a location-based augmented
reality game: Cyclists hate walking. The game requires you to get outside and
explore the area around you, walking around a virtual reality map in real-time.
I could hear some guys from other teams in the rooms underneath me last night,
complaining that there was a Pokestop too far away and they didn't want to walk
that far. After all, we do have a stage to race tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What
results is a bunch of guys sitting in their rooms or hallways, waving their
phones around trying to fool it into thinking that they are moving around. It's
a great sight to see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Even
my teammates who I would least expect to play PokemonGO had succumbed to the
pressure and were out in the hallways last night. When questioned about what
they were doing, everyone says the same thing... 'I'm just killing some time.'
Sure you are, guys, sure you are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So
what's next for cyclists vs PokemonGO??? I can only imagine that training rides
may become the perfect opportunity to play the game. How many Pokemon could
there be in a 180-km ride? My teammate also explained to me that there are some
components of the game that require you to walk a certain distance to complete
them. Not just small distances either but up to 5km! Imagine how fast you could
knock that over on a bike!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
difficult part is going to be explaining to the coach why you have 2 hours of
pause time during a 6-hour ride! But at least you don't have to walk anywhere!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-34348445588067997112016-06-17T12:38:00.000-04:002017-04-11T12:44:05.617-04:00In Theory...<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
post was originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club & can be found
<a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/in-theory" target="_blank">here</a>...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
racing in Europe, the race usually follows a pretty predictable pattern: a
break is allowed to escape at the start. The bunch relaxes until the bigger GC
teams or sprinters' teams move to the front to control the pace. Eventually,
the break is brought back just in time for the usual suspects to contest the
finish. Sometimes the bigger teams get it wrong and the break survives to the
finish, but most of the time, it's fairly predictable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
racing in America, the racing is full-on from the start and it doesn't stop.
It's as if every race is a criterium, regardless of the actual length. The race
is single-file from when the flag drops until the peloton blows apart as riders
tire of the pace. With so many smaller teams keen to prove themselves and show
their potential, it is a war of attrition to the end. It makes for tough,
exciting racing and you will see a lot of names in the future coming out of the
US.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On
the flip side, when racing in Asia, there is absolutely no formula or pattern.
Whatever you think will happen, typically it is the opposite. The attacks are
relentless with riders seemingly chasing down their own teammates with kamikaze
attempts to escape the peloton. Last week, the Tour de Korea was no exception .
. .<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
looking at stage profiles, the Tour de Korea was a sprinter's race - in theory.
With no climb greater than a Category 3, you could expect a bunch sprint almost
every day. However, the race was anything but.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stage
1 went as expected with a final sprint, but with team rosters limited to six
riders, and many teams fielding a second team at other races in Europe, no one
was strong enough to control the race.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What
resulted were endless attacks, breakaways that typically would stay away
getting brought back, and breakaways that never should’ve survived reaching the
finish well before the peloton. The leader’s jersey changed hands four times,
and the overall winner never actually won a stage all week. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On
some days, it would take over 100 kilometers for a breakaway to form with every
team almost desperate to put a rider off the front. Generally, no more than
five riders were allowed to escape. However, when a break finally did get away,
it was almost impossible to organise the pursuit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again,
in theory, teams that had no reason to ride on the front of the peloton were
driving the pace whilst others, including the leader's team, refused to work.
There were several instances where a team would have a rider in the breakaway,
riding hard to stay away, while at the same time, their 'teammates' were on the
front of the bunch, riding hard to bring the break back. It made absolutely no
sense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every
climb, regardless of the race situation or how far it was from the finish, was
taken at full speed and the race would blow apart. Things would always come
back together a few kilometers down the road. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Team
Novo Nordisk brought along our Spanish GC rider, Javier Megias, and after
looking at the stage profiles, he concluded that the race would be decided on
bonus seconds in the sprints and that the race did not suit him. However, on
Stage 6, he found himself in a breakaway that finished seven minutes ahead of
the peloton even though the leader’s team rode hard all day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
the end, Javier finished second overall, which is Team Novo Nordisk’s best GC
result to date. It was a pleasant surprise because, and once again based on
theory; the race shouldn’t have panned out this way. Racing in Asia is always a
surprise and eventually, you learn to expect the unexpected.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-45442118074013291122016-06-06T12:27:00.000-04:002017-04-11T12:30:53.472-04:00Time Travel . . .<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This
post was originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club & can be found
<a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/181499463-time-travel" target="_blank">here</a>...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Team
Novo Nordisk has an exotic race calendar that sees us compete in a smorgasbord
of countries around the globe. Even in the first few months of this year, I had
turned the pedals in Spain, Australia, the Philippines and Brazil. For me, this
is fantastic because it means I get to see some of the lesser-visited places on
Earth but on the downside, it also means a LOT of transit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As
well as fending off thrombosis and water retention, crossing so many time zones
so frequently also means a constant battle with jet lag. Sleeping patterns and
circadian rhythms go out the window and don't get me started on what it does to
other bodily functions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">To
give you an idea, a few weeks ago, I left Spain and went three hours ahead for
the Tour d'Azerbaijan. After a week there, I went back to Spain for one night
before moving nine hours behind for the Amgen Tour of California. Then I had
another overnight in Spain before gaining an hour at the Tour of Estonia. One
hour may not be much, but when Spain exists in a time zone of its own, a few
hours behind the rest of Europe, one hour can make a big difference! After
Estonia, I had three more nights back in Spain before gaining seven hours
flying to where I am currently laying wide awake in bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Last
three weeks:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Spain→Azerbaijan
= gain three hours</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Azerbaijan→Spain
= lose three hours</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Spain→California
= lose nine hours</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">California→Spain
= gain nine hours</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Spain→Estonia
= gain one hour</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Estonia→Spain
= lose one hour</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Spain→Korea
= gain seven hours</span></li>
</ul>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I'm
actually writing this blog at 2:30 am in Korea, two days before the Tour de
Korea starts. I have to admit, I’m pretty angry at my Spanish teammate, David
Lozano, because he is somehow fast asleep, comfortably snoring in his bed at a
respectable time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My
Fitbit says that last week my average sleep was 5hrs 4mins per night. Not ideal
when you consider that I am supposed to be racing and recovering.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">They
say that for every one hour of time difference, you need one day for your body
to adjust. When we travel to a race, we usually get one day to adjust...
period. It doesn’t matter if it is nine hours difference or three. There are
things that you can do to make it easier. One way is to fight off sleep during
a flight, so I have a better chance of sleeping later. Another is degrading
myself and drinking decaf, so it doesn't keep me awake. But I am only human!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Some
teammates (an Irish one in particular) seem to be immune to jet lag. We call
him the King of Sleep. No matter where he is, how much travel he has done or
how much sleep he has had the day before, Stephen Clancy can fall asleep within
minutes of closing his eyes. Not only this, but he can wake up 12 hours later,
oblivious to the fact that I have been staring at him enviously for the last
four hours from my bed on the other side of the room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
try everything... Counting sheep, reading the race book, listening to classical
music or even early Coldplay, but nothing works, and it always ends up the
same: playing Crushing Candy until I run out of lives and then just laying
there twiddling my thumbs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Getting
three hours of sleep the night before a stage race is not ideal. To be honest,
it's pretty annoying, but sometimes it's just unavoidable. After a couple of
stages, the physical tiredness usually nulls the jet lag, yet the tiredness is
probably enhanced by the jet lag itself. It's a vicious circle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
know that time travel isn't possible (yet?) but I'm pretty sure that I have
mastered it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-85432876300247487952016-06-02T11:48:00.000-04:002017-04-11T11:51:19.481-04:00Amgen Tour of California - Character Building . . .<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
post was originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club & can be found
<a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/179055175-amgen-tour-of-california-character-building" target="_blank">here</a>...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On
paper, the Amgen Tour of California was not a race that suited me. Touted as
the 'hardest edition ever', almost every stage had a large amount of climbing
and, well, gravity is no friend of mine. In reality, the Tour of California was
definitely not a race for me. Consequently, my job for the week was to support
the team's sprinters and GC rider as best I could, fetching bottles and moving
them around the bunch if needed. And of course, survive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fortunately,
I did not suffer alone. With only two stages that ended in a bunch gallop, many
sprinters also had to suffer. The problem for them was that those sprint stages
were at opposite ends of the tour: the first and last stages. Separated by six
stages of unpleasantness that had to be endured just to get another opportunity
to do what they do best.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
Stage 1, our sprinter had a fantastic finish and managed to beat some of the
world's best to take fifth place. Spirits were high on the bus afterward, and
there was already talk of 'next time'. However, 'next time' was a long way
away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For
the next six stages, I was not much use in the mountains and, to be honest, it
was as much a mental battle as a physical one. When you are not having any
impact on the race and unable to support your teammates, you begin to question
the point of going through such an ordeal to get the end. Each day, I found my
way to grupetto and was happy just to get to the finish line, each time a day
closer to that final flat stage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By
the time the final stage came around, the field has at least 20 riders fewer
than the Stage 1, but our sprinters (and me) had suffered through the week and
were ready to take their chances on Stage 8. The previous seven stages had
taken their toll. We were tired, very tired, but no one wanted their efforts to
be in vain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
final stage finished with three laps of a 3-km street circuit, and it was going
to be fast. The goal was to make sure our sprinters had good position coming
into the final laps to give them the best chance contesting the finale. Mark
Cavendish’s (who also suffered through the tour to get to this stage) Dimension
Data team were controlling the front with six km to go when a crash on a corner
split the field. Unfortunately, our sprinters were caught up in the incident
and never regained position to fight for the finish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
the end, Cavendish took the win, redeeming his week of suffering, while many
others, including our sprinters, were left to question the purpose of the last
seven days. I crossed the line tired, relieved and surprised that I made it to
the end. If it is true when they say that suffering builds character, then my
character is definitely maxed-out at the moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-87566147232158334422016-05-15T11:44:00.000-04:002017-04-11T11:48:11.873-04:00Yeah... Nah.<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
post was originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club & can be found
<a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/169195847-yeah-nah" target="_blank">here</a>...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A
long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, back when I first started competing
in triathlons, I had the crazy ambition of completing an Ironman distance
triathlon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's
a 3.8-kilometer swim, 180-km ride, followed by a marathon, or 42.2-km run. It
is the Tour de France of triathlons and can't be taken lightly. I was working
my way up to it and had completed a half-Ironman distance triathlon when I had
the opportunity to watch a friend race the full distance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From
the sidelines, an Ironman looks pretty straightforward. Competitors seem to
carry on at their own pace for hours on end. Watching the race fuelled my ambition
to complete one myself. My friend finished in a respectable time, and I decided
to go into the recovery tent to congratulate him. That's when things changed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inside
the tent, it was like a makeshift war zone hospital. Competitors were in
wheelchairs with drips, passed out on stretcher beds and laid out on the ground
screaming with cramps. More people staggered in and collapsed, dazed and
confused after crossing the finish line. It was shocking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After
seeing this, I realised how difficult completing an Ironman can be. It changed
my mind on finishing one. Don't get me wrong; I still wanted to do one . . .
but not yet. Or, as we so eloquently put it in Australia, 'Yeah . . . Nah'.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just
over two years ago, Team Novo Nordisk received news that we would be competing
in our first ever Tour of California, arguably America’s biggest cycling race.
Everyone on the team was excited and everyone wanted to race, including me. For
the team, the race would be our Tour de France for the year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking
at the stage profiles and the other teams competing, we knew it was going to be
tough. But we were excited. Oblivious and excited.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
had a trainer working with the team who was very familiar with the race. He sat
each of us down to talk about the race. His opening words were, 'This will be
the hardest race you have ever done.' For me, my desire to do the race became,
'Yeah... Nah'.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
the end, I was reserve for the Tour of California and fortunately, we didn't
have any issues and I didn't have to race. In 2015, the same thing happened.
This year, I found myself on the reserve list for the third time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Up
to about a week ago, I was racing at the Tour d'Azerbaijan and then had a
three-week break until my next race. Meanwhile, my teammates would be competing
in the Tour of California, touted as the 'hardest edition ever' with one of the
strongest start lists ever. I was blissfully unaware. 'Yeah . . . Nah'.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then
I received an email telling me one of our riders was injured and I was getting
the call up to race. I had to fly from Azerbaijan, via Barcelona to grab a few
things, then on to California. Yesterday I looked at the stage profiles. 'Yeah
. . . Nah'.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now,
I am currently in California preparing for the race that starts in a few days.
I'm excited, but unfortunately, not oblivious.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-86086423194480212782016-05-04T10:22:00.000-04:002017-04-11T10:23:25.477-04:00Waiting<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This post was
originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club & can be found <a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/162604231-waiting" target="_blank">here</a>...<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">European
cyclists are so lucky and most don’t even know it. They take it for granted. In
fact, I would wager that they don’t even think about it -- They live in the
epicentre of bike racing, and this has many, many benefits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For starters,
it is a place where cycling is (generally) accepted as a sport and bikes are
(generally) given respect and room on the road. Fans get to stand on the side
of the road and watch big names go past in races. People can travel to other
countries with relative ease and ride some of the most infamous and legendary
areas. Finally, the pathways for cyclists to compete and progress to the
professional ranks are greater and more defined.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When you look
at it through the lens of professional cycling, the benefits get even bigger.
For starters, the European riders don’t have to spend huge amounts of time away
from home. The longest they are away is essentially the length of the race and
then it is a relatively short flight to get back home. They can stay with their
family and get to train from home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For
Australians like me, the logistics of racing in Europe are far more
complicated. For starters, it’s a heck of a long way away. It takes around two
days of travel to get to Europe and a few more days on top of that until the
body and brain start to feel normal from the time difference. For those who are
trying to carve their path through smaller continental or amateur teams, the
cost of the flight alone is enough to put a sizeable dent in your savings. Add
onto that the ridiculous price of an Australian international license &
insurance (up to AU$4000), and this world is already out of reach for most.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once (or if)
you make it to Europe, there are the logistics of finding and organizing
accommodations in a country where you probably don’t speak the language. Many
go with the cheaper option of staying in a team house and sleep on a couch in a
room with six other guys. Others find refuge in known pro-cyclist hangouts such
as Lucca, Andorra or Southern Spain where the weather is slightly warmer. In
these places, they have the benefit of training with other pros and can usually
live in an English bubble, so there is less need to be fluent in the local
language.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For myself, I
live in Girona, in Northern Spain. There are a lot of other pro cyclists here,
so I am never short of a training partner. I can get away with only knowing a
few basic sentences of Spanish and sometimes forget that I’m in a non-English
speaking country. Despite these ‘benefits’ of Girona, like the other riders
from Australia here, I can’t escape the fact that I am on the other side of the
planet from my home, family and friends. From what I have seen, there are two
ways to approach this predicament…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Option 1: Set
up a home away from home. Many pros make Girona their ‘home’ with all of the
comforts that they would have back in Australia… an apartment, a car, and any
other luxuries they may desire. This option has many benefits: They have a
familiar and comfortable place to return to between races and can live a fairly
relaxed life. They are more likely to try to learn the local language and
customs because their living situation seems a bit more long-term. After living
out of a suitcase at races, it is a relief to come ‘home’ and feel like you
have unpacked rather than just relocated your suitcase.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Setting up a
home away from home can also have its negatives. Unfortunately, professional
cycling is a very uncertain career choice where you get almost no job security.
This means it could all come to an end at any time and then you are stuck with
a heap of stuff you can’t take with you. At the end of the day, for an
Australian living in Europe, it’s all temporary. Setting up a home can also
mean that you end up missing Australia even more as there isn’t a light at the
end or a ‘return date’. This can also make it harder to stay focused on your
training and easier to lose motivation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Option 2: The
alternative is what I choose to do and that is to treat the entire time in
Europe as one big training camp. It is just one big trip away from home rather
than a heap of smaller trips.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The benefits
of doing it this way are that I don’t accumulate a lot of stuff. I generally
make do with what I have. It’s easier to justify and deal with being away from
home for so long because I know it’s only temporary, and I know my ‘return
date’. Being on one big training camp also makes it easier to stay focused and
remember what I am here for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, this
also has several cons. In three years, I haven’t made any real effort to learn
Spanish or involve myself in the culture or local events. I also feel like I
live half of the year out of a suitcase going from race to race, hotel to
hotel. By the end of the racing season, I quite often forget about what clothes
and belongings I have back in Australia. The worst part of being on one big
training camp is that I always feel like I am sitting around waiting. I am just
trying to kill time before I have to go to the next thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Waiting for
the next race. Waiting for the next training session. Waiting for the next
flight. Waiting for the next hotel. Waiting to go home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-18511962430675153902016-04-25T10:10:00.000-04:002017-04-11T10:10:53.318-04:00Volta do Rio Grande do Sul<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post was originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club
& can be found <a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/154127687-volta-do-rio-grande-do-sul" target="_blank">here</a>...</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heading into the Volta Ciclistica do Rio Grande do Sul was a
total mystery. We had little information about the race other than how many
days it lasted and we stepped onto the plane blindly. The one thing we knew was
the weather, which decided to do a 180ᵒ turn after our first two days there.
James Glasspool had done the race in 2015 so almost every sentence he said was,
‘Last year, we….’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The day before the race was insanely hot and humid. After
arriving from Europe, this was a bit of a shock to the system. We set out for a
couple of hours on the bike to stretch the legs and try to shake some of the
jet lag, however, it did not all go according to plan. Without any phone
reception or maps, we managed to find ourselves on a section of gravel road.
When in a new country, this is generally not an uncommon occurrence. We
normally navigate our way back to the hotel and enjoy the gravel roads as they
are something different. Joonas Henttala was particularly happy as a recent
cyclocross bike purchase made him feel like he knew what he was doing. This
time however, the gravel got the better of us and after sweating it out while
fixing two punctures, we looked like someone had thrown a bucket of water on
us. One rider from an Argentinean team had decided to ride with us because he
did not know the area and I’m pretty sure he had some huge regrets about that
decision.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we received the race bible, we were still not much
wiser about the race as the scale on the race profiles were incomprehensible.
According to the race book, the first stage appeared to have two climbs at the
end of the race. However, in reality, it was basically 1 climb of almost 30km!!
This, coupled with the hot temperatures and crazy humidity, meant that most of
the peloton suffered with cramps and there were some big time gaps throughout
the bunch. Andrea Peron suffered badly and I ended up pushing him for the final
20km. At least he owes me one now!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a relatively flat Stage 2, the climbers were keen to
show their form on Stage 3, where the race finished with the same final climb
as Day 1. At least this time we knew what we were in for! However, five minutes
before the start of the stage, there were rumors the stage was going to be
cancelled due to a festival that was making it impossible to close the roads.
Instead, we were told that we would be doing an exact repeat of the previous
day’s stage! Since the race signage had headed out in the direction of the
original stage, we raced without any distance, sprint or KOM markers! Unlike
the climbers, I was pretty happy with the decision.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After Stage 4, we changed hotels and moved into something
that many of us had not experienced before -- all six of the riders sleeping in
one room! They managed to squeeze six single beds into one room with about 30cm
between each one. That night it felt like the set of the Brady Bunch, but I’ll
have to admit, it was probably the best team conversation we had put together
in a while. Sadly, all team bonding went out the window the next morning when
it was a race to get to the bathroom first!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before the final stage, a strange mist had set in and visibility
was at around 50m. The race looped around for 40km before descending a long
climb, turning around and coming back up for the finish. As we approached the
start of the descent, the race was suddenly stopped and pushed to the side of
the road. The commissaires told us the descent was to be neutralized and we
went down the 20km at around 20kph the entire way. By the time we reached the
bottom, my arms were cramping from squeezing the brakes the whole time! With
the change to Stage 3 and the neutralization in Stage 5, this meant that we did
not have to descend down a mountain the entire race!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When a tour finishes, usually the riders go their separate
ways as they take different flights back home. Since we were all heading back
to Europe, we found ourselves waiting around together for the same flight the
following evening, which meant we had about eight hours to kill. Some guys like
to sleep for as long as possible. Some guys will head out to the local shops
and usually buy shoes or electronic goods that they don’t need. We decided to
walk the streets and head to the only place we could find that was open… a
Carrefour Supermarket. Exciting stuff!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-55750959916831472312016-04-20T09:58:00.000-04:002017-04-11T10:05:09.540-04:00My Back Pages...<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post was originally posted for Conquista Cycling Club
& can be found <a href="https://conquista.cc/blogs/chris-williams-of-team-novo-nordisk/155743687-my-back-pages" target="_blank">here</a>...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I grew up in rural Australia where a bike serves no real
purpose other than getting to school and back. As a kid, I rode my BMX around
town and preferred playing team sports such as soccer (aka football), cricket
and rugby. I had no idea what the Tour de France was, and for me, the most
important feature of a bicycle was not how aero or light it was, but if it had
stunt pegs on the back so I could ‘double’ my friends. After high school, I let
myself go. I was overweight and had taken up the bad habit of smoking. I
relocated to the city to study and moved into a shared house, which included a
triathlete. One Saturday, we were sitting on the couch watching a triathlon on
television when my girlfriend made a remark about a triathlete's physique as he
ran out of the water. Being slightly offended and highly competitive, I made a
bold claim and said 'I could do that.' It was quickly met with laughter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess it was out of spite, but I quit smoking, sold my
car, purchased a road bike and within three months I did my first triathlon.
After a couple of years battling away in triathlons, I began to realise that I
actually hated running and was not a natural swimmer. I was frustrated that I
couldn’t be as competitive as I wanted to be, so I decided to try my luck at
cycling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At 21 years of age, I was a relative latecomer to the sport
of cycling. I didn’t know any cyclists and knew very little about the sport, so
I really threw myself into the deep end. The learning curve was steep, and I
have several embarrassing stories of doing things the ‘wrong’ way, like when I
purchased and rode around in a wind-vest in the middle of summer because I
thought it was a short-sleeved jersey. But I’ll save those stories for another
time…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started at the bottom, riding and racing with my local
club team before getting the opportunity to race in National Series events. I
was progressing and racing for a domestic team in 2009 when I was diagnosed
with type 1 diabetes while at a National Series race. I was told that endurance
sport and diabetes was a very difficult combination and that I would need to stop
for a while. I was devastated and in my mind, I had already sold my bike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fortunately, I had some good friends who were not going to
let me mope around and I was back on my bike within two days. Riding and racing
with type 1 diabetes was another steep learning curve, and it was a few weeks
before I took to the start line again. At the end of 2010, a friend of mine
managed to put a good word in for me and I was able to race my first UCI race
in China for a Continental Team. I trained my butt off for the race and came
away with a good result and received a contract offer for the following year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year marks my fourth year racing with Team Novo
Nordisk, a Professional Continental team comprised entirely of athletes with
type 1 diabetes. During the season, I’m based in Girona, Spain and race around
Europe, Asia & the Americas. Although racing and competing is my job, I
genuinely love being active and outdoors. My favourite training ride is one
where I can forget about heart rate and power zones and just go and explore the
world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At 34 years old, I’m truly the oldest guy on the team. In fact, I’m
older than the team doctor and even the team’s CEO! I like to think that this
gives me a slightly different viewpoint on life and racing, and hopefully I can
share some of these ‘behind the scenes’ stories.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-62107514412127594402015-08-03T11:10:00.001-04:002017-04-11T10:12:22.917-04:00Arrivederci Roma<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.701961); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I've studied it at school. I've read books about it. I've seen countless movies about it. So going to Rome is one of those things that is on most people's bucket list. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are so many icons of Roman history like the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the catacombs and the list goes on. However, ever since I was a kid watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and learning about where they got their crazy names from, I've always wanted to see the Sistine Chapel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's one of those mythical places that you are told deserves so much awe and admiration for so many reasons so you build quite high expectations for it in your mind. Before I went to Rome, I imagined a huge, grand building that just had to be the centre of the Vatican City. I was wrong. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Sistine Chapel is located within the Vatican Museum. All the website articles suggested that you purchase tickets online to avoid the long queues and boy I'm glad I did. The line to purchase tickets at the office literally went around the block with people lining up for hours. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We arrived 15mins before suggested and waited across the road for our 'guide'. Despite booking online to avoid the queues, it turns out that you are basically paying to go in another, shorter line. The guides enable you to jump ahead and go to the front where they get you into the museum and then basically leave you to yourself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was expecting inside to be different to the ridiculous queues outside. It turns out, inside is just as bad. The sheer number of people that are given entry is insane. Instead of being able to wonder around the museum to explore and look at the various displays, you are shuffled through amidst a sea of tourists & selfie sticks. If you are lucky, you might get a quick glimpse or photo of the things you want to see. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After half an hour, I was sick of people. People pushing me in the back. People standing on the back of my heals. People cutting in front of me. It got to the point where I started to skip displays just to get ahead and away from people. The only problem is, the people never end!! So you end up missing things that you want to see out of frustration only to get more frustrated when you get stuck behind the next lot of people. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I saw a lot of things. I also missed out on seeing a lot of things. When I finally got to the thing that I really wanted to see, the Sistine Chapel, it was standing room only. Literally. The chapel is a lot smaller than I anticipated and it was absolutely filled with people all with their heads tilted up to the ceiling. No photos are allowed and talking is not permitted and because it was the middle of summer, it smelled like a high school locker room, without the deodorant. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite seeing some absolutely amazing things, the Vatican Museum and to be honest, Rome in general, has waaaaaay too many tourists. I guess I'm in no position to complain, seeing how I'm one as well, but if you are planning on visiting Rome, try to do it in the quiet season. At least that way you will have a chance to appreciate what you see. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I may have checked Rome off my bucket list but I didn't get to enjoy it. </span></div>
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Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-73285526860894301352015-07-02T11:34:00.001-04:002015-07-02T11:55:31.631-04:00Responsible Service<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Thanks to Australia's drinking culture and responsible service of alcohol laws, the closest thing you can get is 7-Eleven's Slurpee Bring Your Own Cup Day. Beer taps remain safely behind the bar under the guard of the bartender. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not in Spain though!!! In the old town of Girona, near the bottom of the cathedral is a place called 'Doll - Cervesaria Moderna & Restaurant'. Inside there are beer taps all around the restaurant and 3 TV screens above them. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSeSLRSbWDjpOo1p746zkoRgNbMQ8ibO6gsfwsS1P8DLQp1YyobdAT9RueJZlDW-ogqnIZkh5pysK05llZpUsavban8nnaExElQVWRG62BQSe7xOgJcDSLC2a_y7kBDvCvm-S0aiAl7hkm/s640/blogger-image--307060715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSeSLRSbWDjpOo1p746zkoRgNbMQ8ibO6gsfwsS1P8DLQp1YyobdAT9RueJZlDW-ogqnIZkh5pysK05llZpUsavban8nnaExElQVWRG62BQSe7xOgJcDSLC2a_y7kBDvCvm-S0aiAl7hkm/s640/blogger-image--307060715.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You get a card and load it up with credit. €5 (AU$7.28) will get you 1L of beer. You place your card on the reader next to the beer tap & your name comes up on the screen with how much beer credit you have remaining. Then simply get yourself a glass and pour to your hearts content. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take your card with you and come back whenever you want. Brilliant. </span></div>
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Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-20782170098288748622015-06-15T22:53:00.001-04:002015-06-16T23:53:44.061-04:00Race formula.<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">When you watch a bike race from the side of the road, you generally see about 30 seconds of the race as it blasts by and that's it. Even when you watch a race in television, most of the time they will only show the final kilometres and you do not get to see how the race formed in the early stages. It's a shame because the opening kilometres of a race can be the most exciting. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1rtzZBOcQQMLs3p_G1o5mur7pk41TXDceLifmS9PTTYim5dMx5U7sfZ8cgLwKtTFqdOdbFAjAmz2FmSfQ7VC8c2jDqtaPwUC-Tyteuq-8WT0UIpvCIxAdrS95hz1FR8eCty8ymBeJcV2/s640/blogger-image-843752237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1rtzZBOcQQMLs3p_G1o5mur7pk41TXDceLifmS9PTTYim5dMx5U7sfZ8cgLwKtTFqdOdbFAjAmz2FmSfQ7VC8c2jDqtaPwUC-Tyteuq-8WT0UIpvCIxAdrS95hz1FR8eCty8ymBeJcV2/s640/blogger-image-843752237.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A bike race will generally follow a particular formula... A small break of enthusiastic riders will be allowed to ride away... The peloton takes it easy while the gap grows... The race leader's team or the team with stage victory aspirations take control to chase the break down in time for a sprint finish or the key moment in the finale. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That sounds pretty simple but in actual fact, the opening kilometres of a race can be a challenge for everyone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If there is a team that is the favourite to win, the others will look to them to control the race and do the bulk of the work. Consequently, the favourite team does not want to let too many riders get away in the break or the job of bringing it back may be too hard. Also, if there are other teams that are contenders for the race win or close in the overall result, they don't want them to be in the break either or that team gets a free ticket to do no work during the stage. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For teams that don't have a rider that can contest the final, they want to have a rider in the breakaway and will often do everything they can to achieve this. This way, they at least get the chance to win and also get some TV time for the sponsors. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM92X-fbmKVhkrK08ouqyzfkRkurY7rjrIA2IKiBTjeJ-KLIGFpBSYRw7-DvYONff5Gpf9BX_M-8ISnUpAwdY4R7kyOeIw0Tl5lD8VL4Gpu9ryBb5eibD-goOK5O3BcCgpM9b57ZgX_90y/s640/blogger-image-630929890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM92X-fbmKVhkrK08ouqyzfkRkurY7rjrIA2IKiBTjeJ-KLIGFpBSYRw7-DvYONff5Gpf9BX_M-8ISnUpAwdY4R7kyOeIw0Tl5lD8VL4Gpu9ryBb5eibD-goOK5O3BcCgpM9b57ZgX_90y/s640/blogger-image-630929890.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So they opening kilometres can be hectic as constant attacks keep the average speed over 50kph and teams chase each other up and down the road. Small breaks will splinter off the front and the teams responsible for bringing it back will try to block the road and prevent any other riders bridging across. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The teams that don't want to miss the break will sneak through and launch themselves off the front in an effort to make it across. This will cause more riders to do the same and eventually the break gets too big so the stronger teams chase it back and it starts all over again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This can happen over and over before the break forms. Sometimes it can happen in the first kilometre and sometimes it can take the entire race! In Asia, many teams seem to have an almost kamikaze mentality towards getting I the break and they don't care for the traditional formula for a race so the attacking often lasts for what seems an eternity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the break has formed though, and the attacks have stopped, the bunch has a bit of a break or 'pisso'. It is usually signalled by the favourite team or the race leader pulling over for a nature break in front of the peloton. (Well, not literally) Traditionally, it is ungentlemanly to attack while the yellow jersey has stopped so the speed drops to a walking pace while the gap to the break grows. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietgYpt6ZwCXXhZH_bMKrLINctOXMpsZp8MCE3umRP2G31J4MD-H9lYjJpab7U76nKV-7EOm8i_Naf2tHecL2O86m8blOiuH2iHlHr6GOv3dRwvBBNMROOnSliYnBA2D9hiNLQmJlw-MZG/s640/blogger-image--1967575541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietgYpt6ZwCXXhZH_bMKrLINctOXMpsZp8MCE3umRP2G31J4MD-H9lYjJpab7U76nKV-7EOm8i_Naf2tHecL2O86m8blOiuH2iHlHr6GOv3dRwvBBNMROOnSliYnBA2D9hiNLQmJlw-MZG/s640/blogger-image--1967575541.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The team responsible for bringing back the break watch the time gap grow and make sure that it doesn't blow out too much. As an indicator, the peloton can usually bring back around 1min of time every 10km but the bigger the time gap, the harder it is. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the gap reaches a suitable amount, the 'workers' go to the front to set the pace. This may be the responsibility of a single team or if there are several teams with a vested interest in the finale, they may send a rider each to the front to share the workload. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The middle of the race then becomes boring as the peloton slowly chips away at the time gap. If they go too slowly, they risk not catching the break and missing an opportunity for a stage win or losing the overall lead. If they go too quickly, the break will come back a long way from the finish which will inspire others to try their luck at escaping again. A lot of times, when the time gap reaches around 3mins, the peloton will just slow to the same speed as the break and keep it the gap the same until around 30km to go. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The TV broadcasts normally pick things up around now and this is what most people see. They often cheer for the breakaway to win but in the end, they are just delaying the inevitable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The break gives everything that they have left (or have been holding back) in a final effort to beat the peloton to the line. Meanwhile, the peloton goes full gas as they work to bring the break back. Teams fight for position near the front of the bunch to best position their selected riders for the finish while at the same time trying to save energy and not do any work themselves. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Rt-YZJvcZxwFCAynWmGJCl4-frDNXhDwYBCRaqhElmoXNF616tp21Wg0OX5nKMOR3jQOGREW5QiXsxp5Rd6ilu2qPNq7ejCAs_twgr2I1cPRpejKa_bym_ij8r9pvdHNnOof8QRgrLhu/s640/blogger-image--720711155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Rt-YZJvcZxwFCAynWmGJCl4-frDNXhDwYBCRaqhElmoXNF616tp21Wg0OX5nKMOR3jQOGREW5QiXsxp5Rd6ilu2qPNq7ejCAs_twgr2I1cPRpejKa_bym_ij8r9pvdHNnOof8QRgrLhu/s640/blogger-image--720711155.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If there is wind present, the race gets even more chaotic as position becomes even more important and the bunch can potentially break apart as riders struggle towards the back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the final kilometres, the break is usually brought back and the strong teams move to the front. Others are left to scrap for the back of their wheels as one lone rider cannot compete with a train of 6-8 riders from one team. There is pushing and shoving and teams yell instructions to each other. If you are someone that is nervous in a situation like this, even a slight touch of the brakes can mean you lose 10-15 positions. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2kHdaWM6e52oP7GbDsfxK_CY5nPojLQUg3Q7cmNlao9HZ-WWzfsgY10X07JekA-HCshvwfQWz_mrRANZbdwOqt0S5cR7bql29dQRwNxQt4brJcDgvvuDROQyeDfn7qVsPi9U9zQSu7VC/s640/blogger-image--430136101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2kHdaWM6e52oP7GbDsfxK_CY5nPojLQUg3Q7cmNlao9HZ-WWzfsgY10X07JekA-HCshvwfQWz_mrRANZbdwOqt0S5cR7bql29dQRwNxQt4brJcDgvvuDROQyeDfn7qVsPi9U9zQSu7VC/s640/blogger-image--430136101.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add round-abouts, traffic island and high speed turns to the mix <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">the potential for a crash is very high. </span>At the end of the day, the best chance of victory goes to those that a brave (or stupid) enough to ride in the chaos at the front of the peloton. They say that it is just part of the sport and if you are not prepared to crash, then you cannot contest the finish. </span></div>
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Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-53377850386809906072015-05-19T09:33:00.001-04:002015-05-19T14:07:11.963-04:00Ode to Staff...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I love a good game of 'Would You Rather?'. If you don't know what that is, just take a look here... www.rrrather.com </span>Someone recently put this question to me... At a bike race, would you rather be a soigneur or a mechanic? That's a tough question because to me, they are both pretty unattractive propositions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Soigneur...</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The soigneur's role is to basically have everything ready for the riders. Their day begins when they wake up early to prepare the breakfast table for the riders. This means they have to head down, reserve a table and put out all of the 'special' food items that riders may need such as protein, different types of milk, cereals and spreads. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then the soigneur heads off to prepare water bottles, race food for the days stage and lunches for the riders for after the stage is done. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After breakfast, they pack everything back up and gather everyone's luggage and pack it into the van before heading to the start line. Here they are ready with anything that the riders might need for the race including creams, oils and extra food. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the stage has started, the soigneurs head to the feed zone and wait to hand out feed bags when the race goes past. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then it is a race against the clock as they have to get to the next hotel to check in and put all the luggage in the correct rooms. They wait for the riders to arrive and give them their room keys, wifi passwords and massage schedules. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The soigneurs have to give every rider a massage before dinner where they again have to reserve a table and put out any special food items. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then it's off to bed to be ready to do it all again the next day...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The mechanic...</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mechanic's job begins on the day before the tour starts where they have to unpack and build every rider's bike as well as several spare bikes. They may have to do repairs and also spend some time checking wheels and tires and possibly gluing new tires on. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwj3jzBfwddzJUQWdw4BLarvHCa9Rwq2UA8cyvrKsN9qvTkPNLHSr7DW3TflPS0fsNLF90MMTTEJH6S_BtEaiUN6A8HceJpOx9up814sQpUXbvcyxigbK3yliM8ebUeBlhKb5Ndf_pYID/s640/blogger-image--1003280209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwj3jzBfwddzJUQWdw4BLarvHCa9Rwq2UA8cyvrKsN9qvTkPNLHSr7DW3TflPS0fsNLF90MMTTEJH6S_BtEaiUN6A8HceJpOx9up814sQpUXbvcyxigbK3yliM8ebUeBlhKb5Ndf_pYID/s400/blogger-image--1003280209.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mechanics are also responsible for the team vehicles so they need to make sure that they are clean inside and out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On race day, the mechanics make sure that the bikes are ready to go at the hotel lobby and that the team cars are loaded up with anything that they may need during the day. Riders can be very particular about their bikes so they may have to adjust things by fractions of a millimetre just so that it 'feels right'. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the race, the mechanic's day can be either quiet or hectic, depending on whether there are any mechanical problems. If there is, they need to be at the ready with spare bikes or wheels and prepared to hang out of the car window at 100kph holding on to the rider to fix the problem.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEfc2I3RbxGPJOrkgDnetZIRAMErNCHXvBrKt1ghB4EJtimE8RauvZR4hn_RTdPJRnMPvHbJYKc86vM5_o14OaOc3euWL-JLhMB991rSFX0VCMM2lFnTLG7pCEq1Bbc3iwE5vhmDd1M58/s640/blogger-image-404592209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEfc2I3RbxGPJOrkgDnetZIRAMErNCHXvBrKt1ghB4EJtimE8RauvZR4hn_RTdPJRnMPvHbJYKc86vM5_o14OaOc3euWL-JLhMB991rSFX0VCMM2lFnTLG7pCEq1Bbc3iwE5vhmDd1M58/s400/blogger-image-404592209.jpg" width="220" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the stage, the mechanics need to wash/clean/repair all of the bikes and prepare the vehicles again. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOIShsvpr5bFwIWF6SRVqbfVJXKj-hQ9ZUX7jdhWf07v-m8fe-Z92IMK8Z-3UszO2S95tbSSFxDS91X9WZJos2DCsxN_AF74_uQyJlvXxfPnspjkScR3jkWJClxXsIFelAYXotFZlQlxU/s640/blogger-image--765800452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOIShsvpr5bFwIWF6SRVqbfVJXKj-hQ9ZUX7jdhWf07v-m8fe-Z92IMK8Z-3UszO2S95tbSSFxDS91X9WZJos2DCsxN_AF74_uQyJlvXxfPnspjkScR3jkWJClxXsIFelAYXotFZlQlxU/s400/blogger-image--765800452.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the end of the race, all of the bikes and equipment need to be broken down and packed into bike bags for transport. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On top of all this, most of the time, the mechanics and soigneurs usually have to drive the team cars and buses hundreds of km's to and from races!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjbA5oMe6q-Z8eGQL0L0KNoR3YjLSrrkxvnxr2MNrC-Aesxp7Q7IO-_gNvA7rnSkjLtE8ekQR6tzwc_5ugufkNV_eZxSsSW-K2t0iW9m5OhTWbfMzDXhyphenhyphen1bQp62Tp27UyZpASEiTOnI1l/s640/blogger-image-950655336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjbA5oMe6q-Z8eGQL0L0KNoR3YjLSrrkxvnxr2MNrC-Aesxp7Q7IO-_gNvA7rnSkjLtE8ekQR6tzwc_5ugufkNV_eZxSsSW-K2t0iW9m5OhTWbfMzDXhyphenhyphen1bQp62Tp27UyZpASEiTOnI1l/s400/blogger-image-950655336.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So to answer the question, 'At a bike race, would you rather be a soigneur or a mechanic?' I would have to say soigneur. I hate packing and unpacking my bike and could not think of anything worse then having to do it several times.</span></div>
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Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-21383597484841437452015-04-09T17:36:00.000-04:002015-04-09T17:36:01.541-04:00Milano-Sanremo<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The longest ride I have ever done was 278km. It was a number
of years ago when a couple of friends and I decided it would be a good idea to
ride from Brisbane up to the Sunshine Coast, watch a rowing race and then ride
back the long way with some guys from the race over some climbs. It took all
day and we stopped several times for food and drinks. Afterwards, I was
destroyed for almost 5 days. The hot temperatures took their toll on us and
since then, I have never attempted anything like it. Until….<br />
<br />
A few weeks ago, I discovered that I would be racing the Milano-Sanremo. For
those that don’t know what it is, it is the World’s longest one day race,
covering 298km in Italy, from Milan to the coast and south to Sanremo. <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The first edition was run in 1907 and now
‘La Primavera’ as it is known in Italian, is part of the World Tour race
calendar.</span> It is the first Spring Classic and one of ‘<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The Five Monuments of Cycling’, which are
generally considered to be the oldest and most-prestigious one-day events on
the calendar. So in other words, the race is a pretty big deal for us!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwFZWAMqt1kps8XbmNFcx9Zs90_weWvSfgZvvLG4X5X1hDq8e2epBgyEHEG9p2MxUHO7_dg3PuQQDQLawJKCo71q0pj9yCXU6Lr23gbgK1-V-QZrgSNPB9mRERbhD1XI67uSMo1lS73JR/s1600/msr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwFZWAMqt1kps8XbmNFcx9Zs90_weWvSfgZvvLG4X5X1hDq8e2epBgyEHEG9p2MxUHO7_dg3PuQQDQLawJKCo71q0pj9yCXU6Lr23gbgK1-V-QZrgSNPB9mRERbhD1XI67uSMo1lS73JR/s1600/msr.jpg" height="252" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have watched
several editions of the Milano-Sanremo on television. With very few climbs, it
is the sheer distance of the race that makes it hard and it is considered to be
a sprinters’ race. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever consider that I could
one day line up on the start line, so it was a real honor to race.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WtIceU8i_GU2BikcYmAyJMxHO3wgWyb1osh8oS_15DWH4BqgotZCvND-IiHfmfD-dcyA9Bc_3etb3-oPwgGmG7LXJh97N-nVCo6k4T8j0cO9elTw-CCSPpc3yiT9KN6cdV9T47fI4CCk/s1600/IMG_9653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WtIceU8i_GU2BikcYmAyJMxHO3wgWyb1osh8oS_15DWH4BqgotZCvND-IiHfmfD-dcyA9Bc_3etb3-oPwgGmG7LXJh97N-nVCo6k4T8j0cO9elTw-CCSPpc3yiT9KN6cdV9T47fI4CCk/s1600/IMG_9653.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For Team Novo
Nordisk, being invited to race Milano-Sanremo is also a huge opportunity. It is
our first World Tour race and although winning is a very difficult task, we can
still put in a good performance to show that we deserve our position in the
peloton. As a result, going in the early break away is not only ideal, it is
MANDATORY. Riders in the early break are given TV time and the commentators
draw every one’s attention to the team. So for us, it was our number one goal.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiuSCIvsx-FFPhnLNhzukpK3xS1coNvtD53-inPL86_S4TXew-H-tGKWuw0HSDAilryYaEKnIdaUuuBsb0-1T_JXVeSJLPxuAxqyIHMgjHUi2xZlbqe__golU78BkSz2fBQ_AL-U8bUTp/s1600/milano+sanremo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiuSCIvsx-FFPhnLNhzukpK3xS1coNvtD53-inPL86_S4TXew-H-tGKWuw0HSDAilryYaEKnIdaUuuBsb0-1T_JXVeSJLPxuAxqyIHMgjHUi2xZlbqe__golU78BkSz2fBQ_AL-U8bUTp/s1600/milano+sanremo.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the 8km of
neutral before the proper start of the race, we all pushed our way to the front.
I have a feeling some of the other teams were a little upset that we were all
there but well, too bad. Because the race is so long, the bigger teams
generally don’t mind letting the break go early as they have plenty of time to
reel it in. Consequently, it could be the first attempt that stays away so it’s
important to be there, ready to go!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzvMlC5IMVyDvE6Q4RZ37Dlg3ETa_YN6uDFTxKhGp_iMVLe5spYhA-Va9cs2dLKVFuJ4X-hzrCNGDdRz4wCYnmN8A0D5Sh7ZqnKX3JVy6Aow3S6NP48LnFzMOLz9WeZFohk4md4Ug3BqQ/s1600/milano+sanremo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzvMlC5IMVyDvE6Q4RZ37Dlg3ETa_YN6uDFTxKhGp_iMVLe5spYhA-Va9cs2dLKVFuJ4X-hzrCNGDdRz4wCYnmN8A0D5Sh7ZqnKX3JVy6Aow3S6NP48LnFzMOLz9WeZFohk4md4Ug3BqQ/s1600/milano+sanremo2.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year, it
took 3 attempts for the break to stick. I was in the 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> attempt and
to be honest, I was kind of relieved that it didn’t stay away because it would
be a tough day in the saddle. Fortunately, our Italian rider, Andrea Peron made
the break after just 12km of racing and he was happy to feature in his home
country. Unfortunately, this was the same time that the rain started coming
down and the temperature dropped.<br />
<br />
As the race is a World Tour event, we are able to use race radios. However, World
Tour events also mean than non-world tour team cars must go to the back of the
convoy. This, combined with the weather, meant that our team car could not hear
our call for rain jackets. I was freezing. I could barely feel my hands so I
wasn’t even sure if I was pushing the radio button at all but I had to make my
way through the convoy to the back of the cars to get a jacket. The cold and
rain made it an epic race, but also made for a long and uncomfortable day in
the office.<br />
</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eEQAEw2Ch6AXha5Bxdt1rcB5u8-9qQY74lkn_DkVx2H4wtQs6nlhDOSKpFzac4KzbDVsALaMzZi13eUEwaLTbDMBl8wLHyrodgAuIuRYCU57yJccZP0RILQaFpvrzCVvOEuyyOV72Dhz/s1600/IMG_9675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eEQAEw2Ch6AXha5Bxdt1rcB5u8-9qQY74lkn_DkVx2H4wtQs6nlhDOSKpFzac4KzbDVsALaMzZi13eUEwaLTbDMBl8wLHyrodgAuIuRYCU57yJccZP0RILQaFpvrzCVvOEuyyOV72Dhz/s1600/IMG_9675.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
With a race that lasts for 7hrs, people are bound to need to go to the bathroom
at some point. Large groups pull over for a nature break and you would expect
the front of the race to slow down but it doesn’t. Instead, it seems to go
faster. After stopping, you would have to ride through the cars for what seemed
like an eternity just to get back to the bunch as they hurtled along the coast
at +50kph.<br />
<br />
After almost 5.5hrs and 230km, we started to hit the small climbs along the
coast towards the final climbs of the Cipressa and Poggio. Each one felt harder
and harder as the legs started to fade. Finally, after 250km, my legs had
enough and I lost contact with the bunch. As the cars made their way past me,
it suddenly dawned on me… We were in a point to point race and we had already
passed the final feed zone, so I still had to ride to the finish!<br />
</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVi95rGzHoSzGHFcZcQu0qim8KwOEVEqNy78UQzTzQAZ7dQqqYD06TN84QYhpSPBgdmQQoM8ERG368aT7OCvNxmjOsGZwVaax2kRAcXmtUbRfmM8jlZUGY1W1EmkaV1gw6LOBFHflW_5P/s1600/IMG_9655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVi95rGzHoSzGHFcZcQu0qim8KwOEVEqNy78UQzTzQAZ7dQqqYD06TN84QYhpSPBgdmQQoM8ERG368aT7OCvNxmjOsGZwVaax2kRAcXmtUbRfmM8jlZUGY1W1EmkaV1gw6LOBFHflW_5P/s1600/IMG_9655.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Luckily, I dropped with a couple of other riders and they knew of a shortcut
along a bike path that took out the final climbs. Despite this, I still managed
to clock up 290km when I got to the finish in Sanremo, setting a new record for
my longest ride, albeit a little bit faster than any other with an average
speed of 40.6kph, even with the trundle to the finish.<br />
<br />
The race was eventually won by John Degenkolb in a sprint. The finish almost
looks like slow-motion as riders give everything they have left in the tank after
such a long race. Impressively, several riders went directly to the airport after
the race to catch a flight for the start of Volta Catalunya the next day. Even
more impressive, is the fact that the winner of Stage 1 in Volta Catalunya had
raced the 300km of Milano-Sanremo the day before and place 22<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup>!!
Kudos.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-61228751690502174662015-03-10T04:11:00.003-04:002015-03-10T10:17:03.600-04:00Strade Bianche & beyond...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My preparation for the 2015 season did not go exactly
according to plan. After years of doing very little stretching, my body decided
that it wouldn’t stand for it anymore and muscle tightness and imbalances accumulated
into knee pain whenever I pedaled the bike. Consequently, I had to wind back
the training and take it easy a couple of weeks before my first race of the
season, The Dubai Tour. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissZmjLBFxiguo6qgFm_l5BT_nU7FusvyZq4w0hEy-R3AnyiI6yXtYVAkpz9PINX1DAcVsr6WPoI76u3To2p1bvgQ9DFaAIv4aJUgS6bnBT68m9Unp9GlFIrFkScaYmVogHTQ3sV_hAqHc/s1600/IMG_9098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissZmjLBFxiguo6qgFm_l5BT_nU7FusvyZq4w0hEy-R3AnyiI6yXtYVAkpz9PINX1DAcVsr6WPoI76u3To2p1bvgQ9DFaAIv4aJUgS6bnBT68m9Unp9GlFIrFkScaYmVogHTQ3sV_hAqHc/s1600/IMG_9098.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the race, I was told that I wouldn’t be doing any
damage to my knee but it was going to hurt and I’d just have to push through
it. It was pretty obvious that I was under-prepared and by the end of the last
day, my knee was quite tender. I returned to Spain and again hand to wind back
the training to sort the knee out. On my race schedule, my name was down for
Strade Bianche so I had only 3 weeks to prepare. To be honest, I was pretty
worried that my next race was going to be one renowned for its difficulty but
fortunately, I was able to another race a week before it to test the legs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After what seemed like endless hours of stretching and
strengthening, I was finally able to ride without pain again just a few days
before the GP Lugano in Switzerland. I knew that I was lacking the intensity
and hours that I needed for racing but I was hoping to do what I could for the
team and test the legs before Strade Bianche. The problem with one-day races is
that there is no opportunity to just sit in and take it easy until the end.
Everybody knows that there is not going to be another opportunity the next day
so it is hard racing from start to finish. Every rider leaves everything they
have out on the road. As a result, most one-day races end with only a fraction
of the peloton crossing the line together while the rest of the field is either
back in the bus or in fragments behind them. The race did not go well for me,
putting even more doubt in my mind for Strade Bianche but I returned again to
Spain and did a couple of long, hard training rides to get some intensity in
the legs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most teams and riders like to do a bit of reconnaissance of
the course before the race begins and with a race like Strade Bianche and its 45km
of dirt roads, it’s good to know what’s coming. Unfortunately, due to the
location, I was only able to arrive the evening before the race so it wasn’t
ideal but I figured it was probably better that I didn’t know how difficult it
was going to be!Our bikes were prepared with wider tires for the gravel roads
and slightly lower pressures. I was told that most of the sectors were like
compacted dirt so I didn’t want to run anything too low and after all, there is
still 155km of tarmac to ride! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJw5fV2D1NAtqeKiwULPj3CaFPcL_lUih0RDyr2v4_rVpGkC9iofieCSuiYAHz02vNcevtoCRUohn45297mA_bQhCmrrYWyr6HO3CeO5NwtR4A0h9YU28fO_uy964LLb9kyNB8d4tzczj/s1600/Strade+Bianch+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJw5fV2D1NAtqeKiwULPj3CaFPcL_lUih0RDyr2v4_rVpGkC9iofieCSuiYAHz02vNcevtoCRUohn45297mA_bQhCmrrYWyr6HO3CeO5NwtR4A0h9YU28fO_uy964LLb9kyNB8d4tzczj/s1600/Strade+Bianch+2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the days leading up to the race, there had been some strong
winds across most of southern Europe and on the morning of the race they were beginning
to pick up. As we rolled out, it was blowing a gale, adding another difficulty
factor to the race. The first two dirt sectors were not too difficult. The compacted
dirt meant that your wheels weren’t sliding around and you could ride the
crosswinds relatively easily. The most annoying thing was the amount of dust.
Unless you were at the front of the peloton, you were riding through a constant
dust storm and at the end of each section your mouth was dry and lined with mud
and your bike got noisier. The race stretched out as it basically fell into two
lines on the smoother car tracks and you had very little opportunity to
overtake the rider in front of you.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiw13LR4Qj5UeQ8QNZ7X8D90reJyvDPSpPriuGBeluleY56yVsXRrlxIwNX-7zZpmcJM4elimDiITS3ZHZLYKpBQe88SkIkiD7vfAW5Z0fDA1wNPxWdbX0SzUUPwO-wZP2Kp2etYxkXyjf/s1600/Strade+Bianch+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiw13LR4Qj5UeQ8QNZ7X8D90reJyvDPSpPriuGBeluleY56yVsXRrlxIwNX-7zZpmcJM4elimDiITS3ZHZLYKpBQe88SkIkiD7vfAW5Z0fDA1wNPxWdbX0SzUUPwO-wZP2Kp2etYxkXyjf/s1600/Strade+Bianch+4.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we hit the 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> sector, things changed. It
wasn’t the compacted dirt like the first two but it was deep gravel.
Immediately, two Orica riders hit the ground and caused a small gap in the
bunch as they struggled to untangle their bikes. The strong crosswinds were
pushing riders to the edge of the road and many struggled to hold their front
wheel in a straight line in the gravel whilst leaning into the wind. Littered
along the side of the road were riders either picking themselves up off the
ground or holding their punctured wheels in the air waiting for their team cars
that were also held up behind the chaos.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Team Novo Nordisk was not immune to the punctures and in the
space of about 5km, we suffered 5 punctures. I came around a corner to find a
team mate waiting on the side of the road. With his legs being better than
mine, I stopped and gave him a wheel and pushed him on his way. After what
seemed like an eternity, the team car finally arrived and I got going again.
The dust was pretty bad in the bunch but when the team cars are basically rally
racing to get to their fallen riders, it was insane! At times, I could barely
see the road ahead of me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I tried to chase back, the road was constantly blocked by
team cars as they stopped for their riders so the going was slow. Before the
end of the sector, I passed 4 of my team mates on the side of the road waiting
for wheels and every one of them had a ‘this is insane’ look on their face. At
one point, all I could do was laugh.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkbzsDSQGq825FP1Opb75YdqOqVWAiX_cSiDd5YYV3mErlUwASzZYlcDMCCp-JZ5fJzWoN7h7Txg8KXEVzxr9qbnMe-0OwT1NBoBQat9ezufO_ICcgkdzYUfrb-K5qWnQQvP1awgqoMvv/s1600/Strade+Bianch+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkbzsDSQGq825FP1Opb75YdqOqVWAiX_cSiDd5YYV3mErlUwASzZYlcDMCCp-JZ5fJzWoN7h7Txg8KXEVzxr9qbnMe-0OwT1NBoBQat9ezufO_ICcgkdzYUfrb-K5qWnQQvP1awgqoMvv/s1600/Strade+Bianch+9.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we hit the Tarmac, car after car passed me, each with a
couple of riders behind it trying to get back to the bunch. Finally, my team car
arrived with 3 team mates behind it and I jumped on. Unfortunately, it’s
difficult to hold 60kph in 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> position behind a car in crosswinds and
I was left behind. I arrived at the feed zone a few km’s up the road and called
it a day. The 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> dirt sector caused a lot of chaos and cost a lot
of riders their race. The stupid thing is, apparently the final 40km is the
hardest part of the race!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is a photo gallery that sums up the race well... </span><a href="http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/03/strade-bianche-in-photos-2/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/03/strade-bianche-in-photos-2/</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2 weeks, my name is on the long list for Milan Sanremo,
which would be an amazing race to do, but in the meantime I need to earn my
place. I have another 2 one day races this weekend in the Nederlands with Ronde
van Drenthe and Dwars door Drenthe. Fortunately, there are no dirt roads but
cobbles and crosswinds instead! </span></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-34388853371555265652015-02-12T14:14:00.005-05:002015-02-12T14:16:38.775-05:00Two steps forward, one giant step back...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cycling is a sport that is packed full of pressure. Riders
are on limited contracts and there is a bottomless list of other riders waiting
to be given the opportunity to take your place. On top of this, Teams are also
on limited contracts with sponsors so they too are feeling the pressure. As a
result, whether it be real or not, there is a perceived necessity to get
results and be in good form.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The pressure starts in the off-season as riders try to get
into shape and be ready for the start of the season. This means doing lots of
base km’s and watching everything that you eat so that your weight is where it
needs to be. The slightest interruption to a training schedule can make you
feel that you are going backwards and need to make up for it. It would not
surprise me if there is a higher rate of eating disorders amongst cyclist than
teenage school girls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The worst thing that can happen during pre-season
preparation is an injury. Whether it be from a crash or something else, an
injury can make it feel like you have been stopped in your tracks and the
pressure rise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ten days before my first race of the season, I started to
feel some pain in my knee. It worsened to the point where I was unable to pedal
my bike for more than an hour. I was told it was patellofemoral pain,
essentially caused by muscle imbalances and tightness. I had to take some rest
and spend my days doing stretches and strengthening exercises.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37GKOdSlNhqDr7UL-8n-s-swWa2_Noe2yhmQHbNzV1EBuYSHiD2ESAs2zb8GvEGSFYBptlvgZe48PI1VwjbZ7mibwXcH1kvVJPU5gFdj_ukP6o3kcldxo8N7Rh8qJ_IW1AD6yhY7GPbgd/s1600/knee-pain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37GKOdSlNhqDr7UL-8n-s-swWa2_Noe2yhmQHbNzV1EBuYSHiD2ESAs2zb8GvEGSFYBptlvgZe48PI1VwjbZ7mibwXcH1kvVJPU5gFdj_ukP6o3kcldxo8N7Rh8qJ_IW1AD6yhY7GPbgd/s1600/knee-pain.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a week of very little riding, it felt like my
preparation had gone backwards a month. I knew I needed to train. I had a race
coming up in a few days. And it was messing with my racing schedule.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the Dubai Tour, I suffered through each day. I tested
my form but my lack of preparation was obvious. At the end of the tour, my knee
was as sore as ever and I had to start my recovery all over again. I spend
every waking hour stretching and doing strengthening exercises and I’m overly
paranoid about any tingle or feeling in my knee. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To say I am frustrated is an understatement. After 2 ½ weeks,
I am finally back on the bike and doing some proper training. I have a LOT of
catching up to do and need to ignore the desire to do more than I am told so I
don’t end up back where I was a couple of weeks ago.</span></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-64866511235454003402015-01-25T14:59:00.002-05:002015-01-25T14:59:09.188-05:00#Lean<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
After finishing our latest training camp in Altea, in
Southern Spain, my team mate, Scott and I headed back to Barcelona to continue
our preparation for the upcoming season. Scott is from New Zealand so we have
been fortunate enough to be able to train in the warmth of the Southern
Hemisphere while the European riders battled with the cold.<br />
<br />
Part of this preparation is to drop the extra kilograms that may have been put
on during Christmas and the off-season. Some are better at this than others and
Scott has returned from off season at not only his race weight, but probably a
little too lean (which I will explain shortly). Personally, I have a little
work to do but then again, it is a long season ahead.<br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJE3bdZkSMfE5SrrsdOa817RIq4bKfbm1G01ufDsDxgc9TusYM85MlYxj21yz9DHbCSf8ooB0MndSF_aNYVgLx4pHz7at4aN8VBG7MZWH0sMW9QEybXUwXI6Wk9O6YOH13EU8DZuUQUJE6/s1600/fat+cyclist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJE3bdZkSMfE5SrrsdOa817RIq4bKfbm1G01ufDsDxgc9TusYM85MlYxj21yz9DHbCSf8ooB0MndSF_aNYVgLx4pHz7at4aN8VBG7MZWH0sMW9QEybXUwXI6Wk9O6YOH13EU8DZuUQUJE6/s1600/fat+cyclist.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Whilst at training camp in Altea, it was cold, but not too cold. We could still
train quite comfortably and there were even days where we could ride in just
shorts and a jersey. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81donpd4jVf1DwPqM8feSqVGvDLOBGPm_InzZB32PGz_MvdafpStEaayRicmEFNYNtcAqXcL3dSGpoavoDUJpsdNNbbQUNaSA2ywN-ghkIMJj0dEccw_5b7dgBRLWnM8JUWy_6zqNxxu9/s1600/IMG_8531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81donpd4jVf1DwPqM8feSqVGvDLOBGPm_InzZB32PGz_MvdafpStEaayRicmEFNYNtcAqXcL3dSGpoavoDUJpsdNNbbQUNaSA2ywN-ghkIMJj0dEccw_5b7dgBRLWnM8JUWy_6zqNxxu9/s1600/IMG_8531.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last week here in Barcelona has been a little
different. The sun has been hidden behind the clouds and rain has threatened on
several days, so the temperature has been far less than ideal.<br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAClNKPC9maW1ybAvjg7X_K1PLln0dyNYbcJ8dH37__wcTD2YfmuNtWYMeSthqY-AzxS3TNT8-wJ_42uG6SLR9TTw7XG5FPC987GAOGCKR2KYKI-Q0xF0enDpdjI88MAQle8eQTVMLphgL/s1600/IMG_8807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAClNKPC9maW1ybAvjg7X_K1PLln0dyNYbcJ8dH37__wcTD2YfmuNtWYMeSthqY-AzxS3TNT8-wJ_42uG6SLR9TTw7XG5FPC987GAOGCKR2KYKI-Q0xF0enDpdjI88MAQle8eQTVMLphgL/s1600/IMG_8807.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
On our second ride here, I took Scott on what was planned to be a relatively
short, easy loop. The sun was ducking in and out of the clouds and as we
approached the farthest point of the ride, a heavy mist set in and my Garmin
said that the temperature dropped down to 1ᵒC. I was cold, but not that cold so
I didn’t think Scott would be any worse as he was wearing several more layers
than me. We descended down a mountain and pulled up outside a café that looked
closed. <br />
<br />
My hands and feet were numb but other than that, I was okay. Scott was a
totally different story. He pulled up shivering with a look of grimace on his
face and runny nose. He struggled to unclip from his bike and could barely
talk. He was cold. Hypothermic cold. Being lean has many benefits when riding a
bike uphill, but it doesn’t help when you are going downhill in freezing
conditions. We were a long way from the next town and I honestly did not know
what I was going to do. One look at Scott and there was no way that he could
keep riding.<br />
<br />
I had pretty much concluded that I was going to have to hug Scott and share my
body warmth with him. As I reached out to hug him, fortunately, two people
exited the café that I assumed was closed. We rushed inside and I ordered him a
warm drink.<br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysECcck7Ozb_wXFHF3CcJXb7u6CkN41Rxdl07c5XpwtCNcu0KUENYc9jZugpXwyTcs3ppfLX0aKDqlfYHRpcpk8bjqfrldVf5IMYa9uRUmUqHhKQD8poVyS5qkvMSSVmIbJwa3gLdZ-xQ/s1600/IMG_8764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysECcck7Ozb_wXFHF3CcJXb7u6CkN41Rxdl07c5XpwtCNcu0KUENYc9jZugpXwyTcs3ppfLX0aKDqlfYHRpcpk8bjqfrldVf5IMYa9uRUmUqHhKQD8poVyS5qkvMSSVmIbJwa3gLdZ-xQ/s1600/IMG_8764.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
The café owner could see that Scott was in trouble and although she did not speak
English, she made gestures to drink his coffee and warm up. Scott struggled to
move and it was at this point that the lady became his Spanish mother. She
placed two heaters in front of Scott and turned them up high. She then fetched
him a jacket, a blanket, a beanie and a neck warmer and rubbed his back. She
made gestures about calling an ambulance but Scott slowly warmed up and assured
her that he was okay. <br />
<br />
Eventually, we were able to laugh at the situation. The lady asked if I was
okay and I said I was fine, and it was only Scott that was feeling the cold.
She laughed and lifted up her pinkie finger whilst pointing at Scott. She then
flexed her muscles like hulk and pointed at me. I don’t need to speak Spanish
to understand what she was saying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657544250804279119.post-33598600623839095722015-01-17T15:53:00.004-05:002015-01-17T15:53:59.375-05:00Learning the ropes... Again<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been on my to-do list for a
while but a few weeks ago I finally decided to learn how to surf. I know
nothing about surfing and my friends know nothing either, so I was jumping
straight into the deep end. Just like learning to surf, when I first took up
cycling I knew nothing about it and I have noticed several similarities between
my two experiences...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. When I purchased my first road
bike, I basically picked one out of the Trading Post that was within my price
range and went with it. I didn’t know anything about frame sizes and I didn’t
even know how to change the gears. I just figured it had pedals and two wheels
so I couldn’t go wrong. A few weeks later, I discovered that the bike was too
big for me and spent a substantially larger amount on a new one.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did the exact same thing when I purchased a
surfboard. I saw an advertisement for a board very cheap and sent this
message... 'Hi, just wondering if you still have the surfboard for sale? Also,
I'm a total nube at surfing... could I learn on this board???' I received this
reply, ‘Well my Grand Children surf on it so I guess so.’ Based on that alone,
I figured the board would be fine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I went to collect the board and was greeted by an
elderly gentleman named Ray who was dressed in his pyjamas at 4pm. I should
have been suspicious when I could basically pick up the board with only my
thumb and index finger but I just thought that was normal.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9QxsicaXM7Tm6KVDMU7mnCoLC9wep6dL6PXha7IAJj_ZSiElzmrhVZNy5LPq7rKf4Dlg-f-eogiWPRh0WPlsVcfXCNhMlI2scU7BpsrwWyG6EQtJKaBH9lVWNdypa-eNvekR60YRWbEx/s640/blogger-image-435730142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9QxsicaXM7Tm6KVDMU7mnCoLC9wep6dL6PXha7IAJj_ZSiElzmrhVZNy5LPq7rKf4Dlg-f-eogiWPRh0WPlsVcfXCNhMlI2scU7BpsrwWyG6EQtJKaBH9lVWNdypa-eNvekR60YRWbEx/s640/blogger-image-435730142.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After discovering that the board could barely keep me
afloat and that it would be better suited to a 10 year old or Kelly Slater, I
went to a surf shop and spent a substantially larger amount on a much, much
larger board.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2. While learning to ride, I copped
my fair spray of abuse from older, more ‘senior’ riders. Whether it be for not
doing my fair share of the work on the front, forgetting to point out a hole in
the road or just getting in the way. They are always eager to let the ‘newbies’
know </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">about it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It seems that the same rules apply
while surfing. After finally reaching the point where I can stand up on the
board but have no idea how to steer or stop, I stood up after riding a wave to
find an older man pointing his finger in my direction and yelling expletives. I
looked around with a puzzled look and said, ‘Me???’. He made it clear that he
was talking to me. I still have no idea what I did wrong but I assured him that
I was sorry and wouldn’t do it again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After witnessing a few incidents
like this, I can only assume that common surfing nicknames like ‘dude’, ‘bro’
and ‘mate’ have only come into existence from people learning how to surf
trying to address and calm down an angry, more experienced surfer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. I fell off my bike several times
while learning. It was mainly while I was using cleats for the first time but I
embarrassed myself many times in front of complete strangers. Each time, I got
back up and rode away as if nothing ever happened. I can only imagine that I
looked like an uncoordinated fool as I struggled with the pedals.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AwHnrjxdPxsFH_Ai1WZ5WyV-rb-r78AVillHHw1rHVnLgSnFKpJpHewovokedrTnzTxXZDXdAM74ebELzJFlOgdihRqWFXyXBedX_alYRTxyBHrv1tA1IKansCFG9Bt46yEd8WDEsI5W/s640/blogger-image--714915898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AwHnrjxdPxsFH_Ai1WZ5WyV-rb-r78AVillHHw1rHVnLgSnFKpJpHewovokedrTnzTxXZDXdAM74ebELzJFlOgdihRqWFXyXBedX_alYRTxyBHrv1tA1IKansCFG9Bt46yEd8WDEsI5W/s640/blogger-image--714915898.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Likewise, learning to surf is
essentially all about trying not to fall off and look like an idiot for a fair
while. In my first couple of outings, I managed to cut both of my feet on
rocks, dislocate my finger and almost get hit in the face by untamed boards.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. In cycling, despite initially
being uncomfortable on the bike, it is very easy to appear as if you know what
you are doing. If you have all of the right equipment and shave your legs, then
you can look like a pro. Well, at the coffee shop at least.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdeNgVOOqxMLxJZbbeS27yYj98wBUPA2srrJFkt0zVy4gb6QJ1TdI-hCeDgwXuC7OwSqHbTXFKtLfA2TYooAzLR-cyHLy2l8Gk4NS-SRodpoXnSP1iV-LY5Z3erh5R0poGcSzEQuy5pyx/s640/blogger-image-1388757670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdeNgVOOqxMLxJZbbeS27yYj98wBUPA2srrJFkt0zVy4gb6QJ1TdI-hCeDgwXuC7OwSqHbTXFKtLfA2TYooAzLR-cyHLy2l8Gk4NS-SRodpoXnSP1iV-LY5Z3erh5R0poGcSzEQuy5pyx/s640/blogger-image-1388757670.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In surfing, it is even easier to
appear like I know what I'm doing. Simply put on a pair of board shorts, a
rashie throw a board under your arm. As long as you don’t go in the water,
people can only assume that you can surf with the best of them!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Cycling is an expensive sport.
Bikes cost a lot of money and you soon discover that there are different types
of bikes for different needs. And that you need one of every type. There is the
old adage that the number of bikes that you have is always N+1, where N is the
number of bikes that you currently have. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Surfing is no different. To make
learning easy, it’s best to have the longest widest board possible but as you
get better, you may want a shorter board. There is a plethora of different
shapes and sizes of boards available that all claim to do different things. I’m
already on my second one.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. As I rode my bike more and more,
I began searching for a ride that was more ‘epic’ than the last. Longer rides,
bigger climbs, faster descents and better views. I was looking for that perfect
place to go riding.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7TOazzkR0Ra0It8Z2PuKCMgQrn7MglEITAyn7gGej8isE2MFmttrgkT7vAChwPXpvWOOdR9l9bl3i-RGG0fHT6zR187tvao_bl_QE-P26nHp1xAwrhT7UkpP5HdR_1KDfxhgMaG7xOYX/s640/blogger-image-2127348529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7TOazzkR0Ra0It8Z2PuKCMgQrn7MglEITAyn7gGej8isE2MFmttrgkT7vAChwPXpvWOOdR9l9bl3i-RGG0fHT6zR187tvao_bl_QE-P26nHp1xAwrhT7UkpP5HdR_1KDfxhgMaG7xOYX/s640/blogger-image-2127348529.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Surfing is exactly the same as
people search for the location that has perfect waves. For me, that means
looking for a beach that provides small, regular waves that I can learn on. When
I do find somewhere ideal, like cycling, there is usually a mass of other
people doing the same thing and it’s almost impossible to enjoy it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have come a long way on the bike
since those early days when I was learning the ropes. I hope that one day I am
equally as confident on a surf board, however, the lack of waves and a board
here in Spain means that my progress will be limited to when I get back to
Australia!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16734079231026737409noreply@blogger.com6