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Find out more about Chef Sean at this NY Times article from 2009, or his restaurant’s website: www.elracodurus.com

More photos from the Tour de France:

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More photos of the mobile kitchen:

While the riders suffer through rain-soaked training rides, the mechanics stay dry; but are still hard at work getting the last of the bikes built for the season.

One of our perceptive Argyle fans posed a question regarding our new wheel sponsor Mavic:

I’m so glad the season has started. It was good to see so many attacks by the Garmin boys at the TDU.
I have a wheel question. For a lot of the races you’ll probably be using the Mavic Carbone Ultimate or something. What wheel or wheels will the boys be using for mountain stages this year and for training?

Thanks,
Nathan B.

We got our man who is all things equipment Will Frischkorn on the horn right away to get the details. “For climbing the guys will have a choice of three wheelsets — the Carbon Cosmic Ultimate, the R-Sys Ultimate or when the conditions are wet, the R-Sys Premium with its metal rim.” As well, Will went into detail about all the team’s various wheels and their uses.

Time Trial
Comete rear disc
IO five-spoke front

Climbing:
Carbon Cosmic Ultimate
R-Sys Ultimate
R-Sys Premium

Flats:
Carbon Cosmic SLR

Training:
Cosmic Elite

WF: How was the winter for you?
DM: Great. Far more relaxed than usual, lots of riding with Michael Barry. I’m healthy and happy.

WF: How’s the form?
DM: It’s hard to tell at this point; at the first races sometimes you feel good, but then suffer like a bastard. Sometimes you feel terrible and yey you are flying! I’m not going to announce where I am right now as even I don’t really know.

WF: How are the now goodies?
DM: Great. I’m loving the new glasses. Transitions is a fantastic new sponsor to compliment Garmin. Exciting stuff!

WF: How about the new crew of guys?
DM: They’re a quiet bunch of new guys. Probably good with so many loud guys already! I’m looking forward to getting the Aussies up and meeting the new kids.

WF: Where are you starting out?
DM: Like last year, Algarve. After that up to Het Volk, a new addition to the calendar, along with many of the northern classics. It’s exciting – I feel a bit like a neo-pro again doing those.

WF: Do you have any early season targets?
DM: Honestly, to be going well from Algarve on with no particular peak in mind. I’d like to be pretty good in all; some for myself, others for the team.

WF: How ya liking Calpe?
DM: I used to train here a lot in the old days with Cofidis, only now we’re in a much nicer hotel with a much better team. Needless to say it’s much more enjoyable.

WF: What’s the training been like, pretty easy to start?
DM: The training has been surprisingly hard, we jumped right in feet first. It’s only day four and I’m quite tired already. Hopefully I’ll recover after the easy day and be ready to hit it hard tomorrow.

It’s been a busy camp from the first minute but the entire crew here in Calpe has settled in well, enjoying the amazing setup we have to kick-off 2010. A hotel that has truly catered to our needs and set us up with a huge inside space for much of the sorting and storage that has to take place in the first few days of camp has made life very easy. When a hotel becomes your home for two weeks, having somewhere comfortable makes all the difference in the world. We’re right on the beach and waking up and eating as the sun rises over the water isn’t a bad way to start each morning.

In the first two days each rider went through a full round of baseline testing. From the standard progressive VO2 max test with blood lactate samples, to some innovative things we’re playing with to determine muscle glycogen loads, allergies, free-radical levels, and more. All the guys were checked on their bikes using the Retul system, and had the opportunity to spend some time playing with the new gear. The team has put a real focus on our sports science program this season, even more than in the past, and the entire group has been here for the start of camp. There are some amazing ideas coming out of these guys and keep your eyes and ears peeled over the coming season.

Training has been a slow ramp in, with the first two days a couple hours of cruising, adapting to any little bike changes, and then getting in all of the testing. The third day was a double session, two and a half morning and evening with a bit more intensity and strength work in each session, before yesterday’s long endurance day in the inland hills. Last night we were joined by the European Transitions team and go a full run through on thei technology and product line. Needless to say, there were some focused eyes in the room and getting to test the Transitions SolFX lenses today confirmed that they are yet another amazing technological trick we have up our sleeve this season.

More to come in a few – lots happening here!

How did your last couple of races go, especially since they weren’t originally on your schedule?

Missouri was fantastic, and looking back was what I’ll remember as my last real race. To wrap up with a win for Z, and some serious suffering for the rest of us, was a real highlight. I’ve always loved the days where in attempt to protect a teammate you dig way deeper than you ever thought possible.

Paris-Tours, Piedmont and Lombardia were all good fun and having already jumped into my new role headfirst I can say that focus on the races wasn’t quite 100 percent. Or even close! But to go, give what was in a quickly untrained body, and have a few last go’s with the guys was a blast!

What was the last race like for you emotionally?

Lombardia was my final, and it was somewhat hard to believe. At the same time, wrapping up racing was something I was ready to have in the books. I’d been on 4 planes having meetings with a sponsor the day prior, and was already spent on the start line. A few photos from the tail of a fast moving pack, a Moto GP-like bit of road to rail, enjoying the feel of a fast moving peloton on a closed road one last time, and an early departure for coffee and lunch in Como was hard to complain about!

Watching Dan Martin throw down in the last 60k on the TV was far better than struggling around the back of the lake!

What are you going to miss most?

The feeling of being completely and utterly spent. Exhausted. Empty. There’s something remarkably satisfying about being so fully destroyed that in normal human endeavours one doesn’t experience very often. At the same time, the suffering required to get there will not be missed in the least!

What are you NOT going to miss at all?

That suffering. The bad race meals. The long days in the rain. The long days in the baking summer heat. And eating until it hurts, only to eat a bit more, and regarding food as fuel and little else.

What is your new role?

I’m coming aboard on a few fronts. First is to help manage our relationships with the fantastic companies that support Slipstream Sports and to help maximize returns on both sides. I’m out to make sure that we’re on the best equipment possible and take advantage of every little bit of technology available to us.

I’ll also be working to help build our European sales program and help our fans over here have better access to the same great gear that all of our riders do every day.

When/how did the idea of you staying with the team in this new role come about?

In the middle of the season, after a few conversations with JV, I began thinking hard about what was next for me. While I love riding, racing, and that life, I was ready for a change as well. I spent a few months trying to get my thoughts clear and be sure that I was ready to make this leap. With cycling as the primary focus in my life prior to this change, it was not an easy decision by any means. Once I was clear in my own head about that and knew I was ready for the next chapter, we refined the possible role to something that really excites and motivates me, and where I can help the Slipstream brand continue to grow into the future.

Today was to be a long day with a mountain pass in the middle up to 2000 meters. A course that was made for a breakaway, intended to go in the beginning. So it did and Will Frischkorn got away with his buddy from last year’s Tour de France, Samuel Dumoulin, along with two other guys.

They built up a gap to five-and-a-half minutes. At the top of the mountain the field started a stronger chase. But at the first tunnel on the descent there was a big crash which involved Ryder Hesjedal, Martijn Maaskant and Christian Vande Velde. It held up the chase for a bit but it came back together and the hard chase continued .

With nine kilometers to go it was over. Then Ryder attacked wisely in a roundabout and took a lot people by surprise but it didn’t last. So it ended in a bunch sprint with Chris Sutton in 14th spot.

Team Garmin-Slipstream, stage 3 results
1. Mark Cavendish 4h39.27
26. Chris Sutton
23. Ryder Hesjedal
56. Tom Danielson
101. Martijn Maaskant +0.30
103. Cameron Meyer
105. Huub Duyn +0.43
137. Christian Vande Velde +0.59
148. Will Frischkorn +3.44

Team Garmin-Slipstream, GC results
1. Fabian Cancellara 8h25.39
21. Ryder Hesjedal +0.45
33. Tom Danielson +0.51
59. Cameron Meyer +1.17
100. Huub Duyn +8:18
102. Chris Sutton +11.01
131. Martijn Maaskant +15.44
141. Christian Vande Velde +16.02
153. Will Frischkorn +18.35

Can you say, “Tyler Fahr-ahr-ahr-ahh?”

Even though the weather was very cooperative and un-Classic like for the 107th edition of Paris-Roubaix, the parcours, fast racing and bad luck made up for that aspect in making the race tough for Team Garmin-Slipstream. The team’s leader Martijn Maaskant had an untimely crash and puncture, making him have to chase for much of the race. As well five of the Argyle Armada came out of the race with many scrapes and bruises from multiple crashes. According to team doctor Prentice Steffen, none were serious.

Early in the race things looked up for the team as Steven Cozza was in a significant early move of eleven riders. “It was fun racing in the front,” said Cozza. “I was fortunate enough to jump to the break in a cross-wind section and just had a blast racing over the cobbles. I was like a kid in a candy shop today! The rest of my team raced super trying for the moves the first hour and racing so strong for Martijn after his flats and crashes I already look forward to getting revenge in this race next year!We all know a win is possible its just a matter of luck going our way.”

Director’s report from Johnny Weltz

Today was the big day we had worked so hard for — staying in a super-nice hotel, new bikes that the mechanics has worked on for weeks, nice weather… With the last two weeks’ results and the riders overall improvement, we had good reason to be optimistic!

It started out very fast and one break after the other went and our guys were always there. At 42km a group of eleven riders took off and we had Cozza in — they gained up to 3 min before the first section of cobbles which was a good situation! All our guys were in the front group over the cobbled sections, until the last one right before Arenberg! Then the ‘hell’ broke lose… Martijn had a flat rear wheel and Hans crashed.

Martijn got a new wheel from our mechanics on the road but the bunch was already split in two. Huub , Friedman and Will did a hell of a job to get him back to the front group. Martijn hit the Arenberg an the end of the caravan and smashed up towards the front. But then a new crash blocked the road completely. Even though he came out in the third group Brad and CJ waited for him to bring him all the way up to the front. We where back in the game again!

But it didn’t last, and there was a price to pay. Martijn had spent too much energy and couldn’t follow the top guys. That was a big blow but that’s why this race is so epic!!!! We got most of our guys to Roubaix and Brad had a really strong finish and was 25th on the day. On the whole we had a really strong team performance without the pay-off . Martijn was really depressed, but after a reflection on the whole situation he is ready to get back on the hunt for a race he know he can win in the future!

Martijn Maaskant works his way to the front of the group

Martijn Maaskant tells his story to a TV reporter