Cozza & Lim, Tour of CaliIn today’s stage 2 at De Panne, my spring campaign came to an end in the blink of an eye.

After about 180 km of easy racing, I went to move up the right side when I got totally tackled by a German rider. Later on, I heard he had his head down and just smashed me from behind. When I was on the ground in pain, all I wanted to do was get up and beat the crap out of him. If it wasn’t for him crying in pain also, I probably would have. Later, at the hospital, I learned he had only sprained his pinky. Man, what a wimp!

I came off a bit worse with a broken collar bone to the left side. The exact same place and break that I got in November. I’m pretty bummed and surely depressed about this. I am not ready to take time off and am in the best form of my life. I just want to punch a hole through the wall. I’m pretty dark right now, so sorry for the downer report.

Tyler and Maggy gave me some advice and told me to keep my head up and that it’s a long season. Then Huub came by and helped me get dressed. This all made me feel better, raising my spirits a little. I love this team because we’re like brothers. Any ways, I’ll be back racing in three weeks. I’m sure of that.

Back to the race. It was probably the easiest, slowest race I’ve ever done. A break of two took off in the beginning so that the rest of the race was controled and crawling. It wasn’t until the three finishing circuits that things took off.

Watching the finish of the race from the hospital TV, it looked as though Mark Cavendish was untouchable. My teamates finished safe and solid today ready to go into tomorrow’s 119 km road stage and the finishing 13 km time trial. I’m hoping the best for them and wish so bad I could be out there in the mix helping out.

I’m determined to come back from this injury stronger then ever.

Thanks for reading, Cozza [pictured above with Allen Lim during the Tour of California.]