Portugal team podiumFrom left to right: Steven Cozza, Tyler Farrar, Dan Martin and DS Johnny Weltz accepting the award for top team after the opening prologue.

I tell you I could write a book with all the stories I am taking home from this race. From day one, I swear I felt I was in a moto grand prix race competing against Valentino Rossi and Stoner. I got to say that the Portuguese fly in Portugal. I’ve never gone so fast on a bike, let alone for 11 days. I think that it is a must to do this race, and any race like it to step up to the next level.

As a team we stepped up to the plate each and every stage giving it everything we had. We hung tough together. Because of all of our great team work, we not only all finished this savage race, but Tyler placed in the top ten on six stages and Dan had three top ten finishes on the mountain days. Tyler and I were top ten in the prologue and I finished up 7th in yesterday’s final time trial. It was one of the hilliest time trials I have ever done. Dan and I pre-road the 31 k hard, technical course in the morning. I was pretty afraid of the course after riding it but Dan was pretty happy because of all the climbing. He rode an amazing race and finished 10th overall, just barely loosing the Best Young Rider’s jersey by 11 seconds.

With this race down, some of us head off to the Tour of Ireland while the rest of us will race US Pro this weekend back home.

Thanks for reading, Steven