Road tripping on my way to world championships

Tour du Limousin completed. This was phase one of my world championships build up. I’ve had a good break post Tour, although to be honest, it didn’t feel like a break. It felt more like a rehabilitation program. I was man down for two weeks. In fact three really, as before Limousin I still hadn’t been able to pedal in anger. More pedaling with gentle ‘please don’t hurt me’ strokes. I was a hoax, ashamed to be called a pro cyclist. But with Adrie’s help and JV’s world champs vision I was able to pull myself together enough to start Limousin.

Now Tea Bag (above left) and I are in the camper on a 600 km road trip back to Girona, hence the photo with our packed dinners. We have been having our usual philosophical discussions and nonsense diatribes. While it was still daylight, we were even enjoying the wonderful scenery, not hesitating to point out a particularly pretty valley or random medieval castle to each other. As ever, our conversation ended up back on restaurant terraces, something both he and I share a particularly strong affinity for. I’ve been rattling me brains to think of a good one in Girona to take him to before we set off to Ireland. I have another day or so to come to that decision.

As for Limousin, I finished in a much better state than I started. It’s a very hard race. The roads are small (smaller even than the Limousin canine cycling fan right) and so incredibly dead. Felt like I was dragging a car tyre the whole time. I suffered more than usual, but in a good way, a fresh heart-breaking-out-of-my-chest sort of way. Yesterday I spent the first two hours convinced I was going to explode. Today was better though. I felt more in control and just sat up in the last 2 km as it got a bit hectic. I have a few days to recover before heading off to Ireland where I’ll be no doubt better.

Spare a thought for my bonkers girlfriend Nicole who has set off to Mont Ventoux today. Her and her dad are going to ride the three sides of the giant in one day. Kathy, our trusty website guru, planted this seed of thought in her head a few months ago. I knew as soon as I heard Kathy say she’d done it that Nicole would rise to the challenge. There’s no way I can ever say to Nicole that she doesn’t know what suffering is…