Location:
Catalunya, Spain

Overview:
Lucas Euser is riding the 2008 Volta a Catalunya this week with his Garmin Edge 705 and recording all the stages - except the opening time trial - for all you data hungry fans out there.

Stage 3 is the hardest of this year’s 2008 Volta a Catalunya. It includes three solid climbs. From the start in Banyoles (220 m), the stage heads west, slightly north and mostly uphill. Just after Olot and 30 km into the course, the first climb is the category 1 Alt de Coubet (1031 m). The grades of this challenging 9.9 km climb range from 5.5-12%. There’s a short descent to Ripoll (740 m) before the course climbs again up the category 1 Alt de Castellar de N’Hug (1470 m). This second climb is just over 10 km long and ranges in grade from 4.5-8%. After another short descent through La Pobla de Lillet (940 m), the course heads uphill for the final two-part category 2 climb that includes Alt del Pedraforca (1310 m) and Alt de la Josa del Cadi (1620 m). This final section includes almost 14 km of climbing with grades that range from 5-9%. The course climbs just a little more before a fast descent to the finish in Urgell.

Difficulty: Difficult

Distance: 118.65 miles.

Total Elevation Gain: 13,712 ft.

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The Argyle Armada rode a safe, smart race in what turned out to be a crashed-filled, rainy, hilly, hard stage. Though David Millar attempted another fine escape (above), he was soon reeled in by the hard charging peloton. Christian Vande Velde, David Millar and Ryder Hesjedal all finished in the first main group that included race leader Visconti. As a result, all three maintained their overall time gaps and further improved their GC positions.

The next two flat stages should allow the sprinters to put on a show before the Giro hits the mountains for real on Saturday.

Slipstream Results Stage 11
1. Alessandro Bertolini 5:44′22″

18. Christian Vande Velde +3′53″
56. David Millar +3′53″
57. Ryder Hesjedal +3′53″
128. Julian Dean +21′54″
132. Chris Sutton +21′54″
161. Pat McCarty +21′54″
162. Danny Pate +21′54″

Slipstream GC
1. Giovanni Visconti 49:00′17″

16. Christian Vande Velde +9′46″
59. Ryder Hesjedal +32′28″
77. David Millar +44′53″
153. Julian Dean +1:39′35″
158. Pat McCarty +1:47′37″
162. Danny Pate +1:50′42″
166. Chris Sutton +2:00′45″

Velonews.com talks to Timmy Duggan and Dave Zabriskie about their recent injuries and their hopes for recovery and their return to racing.

Said Duggan: “I can exercise, but super easy. Any exercise, or even drinking alcohol, could cause more bleeding, because it raises your blood pressure, which could cause the clot to bleed out more. It’s hard because I have all this anger built up and I can’t train it out of my body.”

Race report from DS Johnny Weltz

Since Thor had the chance to stay in the leader’s jersey for another day, and with only a few other sprinters in the race, the race stayed pretty controlled for the whole day. There was one long breakaway that had a very small chance of surviving. Though they took the day’s mountain points with Lucas Euser hot on their heels out of the peloton.

So for now, we are resting up for tomorrow’s stage, the hardest in the race.

Slipstream stage 2 results
1. Thor Hushovd 4:07′35″

49. Lucas Euser mt
56. Tom Danielson mt
86. Christophe Laurent mt
100. Dan Martin mt
113. Tom Peterson +17″
116. Blake Caldwell +17″
140. Trent Lowe +17″
150. Jason Donald +38″

Slipstream GC
1. Thor Hushovd 4:12′02″

40. Christophe Laurent +26″
46. Dan Martin +27″
90. Tom Danielson +35″
121. Tom Peterson +46″
125. Lucas Euser +48″
129. Trent Lowe +49″
146. Jason Donald +1′10″
149. Blake Caldwell +1′17″

The varying terrain - not to mention the rain and crosswinds - of today’s individual time trial proved to be far more challenging than expected. The course included the Monte de Colbordolo (4.6 km long with 6.3% grade) and an uphill finish in Urbino on a cobbled hill with a 6% grade.

Christian Vande Velde (above) had the best time for the team and finished 15th on the stage. His strong finish moved him up two places on GC to 18th overall. Danny Pate put in a strong performance and was the team’s second highest finisher. Not feeling well with a mild fever, Magnus Backstedt didn’t start today.

Slipstream Results Stage 10
1. Marzio Bruseghin 56′41″

15. Christian Vande Velde +1′38″
62. Danny Pate +4′27″
88. Ryder Hesjedal +5′36″
155. David Millar +8′12″
161. Pat McCarty +8′39″
162. Julian Dean +8′51″
173. Chris Sutton +10′44″
DNS Magnus Backstedt

Slipstream GC
1. Giovanni Visconti 43:12′02″

18. Christian Vande Velde +9′46″
69. Ryder Hesjedal +32′28″
94. David Millar +44′53″
157. Julian Dean +1:21′34″
162. Pat McCarty +1:29′36″
167. Danny Pate +1:32′41″
173. Chris Sutton +1:42′44″

Location:
Catalunya, Spain

Overview:
Lucas Euser is riding the 2008 Volta a Catalunya this week with his Garmin Edge 705 and recording all the stages - except the opening time trial - for all you data hungry fans out there.

Stage 2 of the 2008 Volta a Catalunya includes the smaller hills surrounding Girona and Banyoles. Starting just south of Girona in Sevla, Spain and heading south and then east towards the coast, the route’s first climb is the De Santa Pelaia at 375 meters. From there, the ride takes in the ocean views before heading inland for the day’s big climb.

Just outside of Girona, the Dels Angels climb is 480 meters and a regular haunt for the all the riders based there for the season. Lucas attacked the Angels climb, leading the peloton in chasing the day’s breakaway. The final 50 km of the race route is flat to slightly uphill as it heads north to the lakeside finish in Banyoles.

Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult

Distance: 103.33 miles.

Total Elevation Gain: 7,831 ft.

Google Earth:   View on Google Earth

MotionBased:   View on MotionBased

Download Ride Data:   GPS Device   GPX   HST   CRS

Race report from DS Matt White

Unfortunately, Magnus is not well having a mild fever and will not be starting today. There’s no point in pushing him now. It could be detrimental for the weeks to come.

It’s going to be a super hard time trial! 18 km flat and the rest up hill. Only Christian and Ryder will be going for it today. The rest of our boys will be going through the motions. We have a long way and a lot of very big mountains to come!

Back when I was in high school, one of my first employers - a local cafe owner and long-time mentor - showed me the true value of a minute. She sat behind the counter and began working while the second hand passed the top of the clock, and she didn’t stop until it had completed its full rotation. I sat there with the other employees waiting and watching as she cleaned, stacked, restocked, and cleaned some more. As the minute rounded out, we all looked at each other in amazement. One single minute is a negligible amount of time, and yet she had gotten so much done!

A minute seems so minuscle in the big picture, and yet it is the exact thing that allows the big picture to unfold.

Now skip years ahead and apply the same concept to a five-minute prologue on the first day of the 2008 Volta a Catalunya. I’m in Lloret de Mar attempting to ride a bike as fast as I possibly can on a closed 3.7 km technical circuit. Riding a short prologue is an art and is usually meant for large, powerful riders. Yet I’ve come to realize it’s not just all about watts. It’s about appreciating the value of a minute.

You see, my goal was to get through the course as fast as I could while focusing on the finish. But those guys in the top ten are getting through the course as fast as they can while focusing on the present and immediate, thinking about the next turn, the next uphill, the seconds that lead to the minutes that result in the big picture.

There are hundreds of more km’s to race here and numerous opportunities to “make the move” as our famed director Johnny Weltz would say. But in the end we have to realize we all have to make the most out of the opportunities given to us and use every second we can to make our lives more pleasurable.

The race will go on and more lessons will be learned. Check back for more updates and life lessons as the race continues.