FOR THE MUM'S

So after a couple of weeks and no blog updates, i have started to cop some flack, particularly from Jude about my lack of enthusiasm for my blogging. Not only that but i have started to realise that some of my readers think i am borderline sucidal after my recent form problems. Well i have two pieces of good news for everyone....1, i am not sucidal and 2, over the past 2 weeks i have finally started to feel like a bike rider again.

For the first time in, probably, 2 months i enjoyed a day out training on Tuesday. Nothing too hard, just 2.5 hours with Tommy and Kate, but i was actually enjoying myself and also looking forward to getting up the next morning to train. It has been a long time since that was the case and i am as happy as anyone. Despite that fact my name has not appeared high up in the majority of the race results, i have finally been able to string sucessive days of intense racing together and recover in order to be a decent contributor to the team. I ran a respectable 6th in a lead up race to B of A, when i was the only Priority Health rider who started. Bank of America saw me get caught behind some crashes and also a number of people who eventually found the pace to hard....leaving me with a number of chases on my hands and eventually, by about the 6th, one too many.....No ones fault but my own, i should have moved foward earlier and i would have had a good result i believe. Tommy and Robbie flew the flag for the team and made us a decent chunk of cash.

The weekend was over and i was on my way back to Michigan to see Kate who had flown in on the thursday night and had a few lonely nights alone until i arrived. Yadah, yadah, yadah I became a happy and fulfilled man again with Kate by my side. It is so nice to have a treat like that when you have been feeling down....like a hot chocolate to someone who has been stuck in a snow storm for 2 months....thats about the best analogy i can come up with.

Then off to Elk Grove Chicago for another big money weekend. Hilton Clarke and the Navigators dominated both the races in an impressive display of power and attacking riding. Hilt's rode awsome to take out both races, one in a break and the other in a sprint....Nav's have made a truck load of cash the past 2 weeks and well deserved....We had a disappointing weekend....Tommy was our designated sprinter for both races but we were unable to deliver him to right place in both races. On Saturday we were forced to chase the break and spend some men....we only had 5 starters....and on Sunday our tactic was to attack the race, but the impressive pace made that a hard task and Tommy was the only pair of fresh legs for the finish....not a receipe for success.....final result....disappointing.

So now i am sitting back at Bobs...this weekend we are back down to Chicago for the US Pro criterium Championships and i am finally starting to feel myself...like i said, i even enjoyed training the last few days. We will have to wait and see how the weekend pans out but hopefully we can lead out 3 US riders to a good result and also find some of the formula we have been chasing for a win.

Plans for next year keep rolling along. I have more options than i thought i would, which while i figured it would be nice is actually a pain in the ass. Sorting through all the stuff and trying to work out what is best for me and my direction but also my sense of loyalty to those who have supported me the past 2 years weighs hevily on my mind. Like i said it is good...but it is also bad.

Oh well....ill see you all on the other side of this weekend. Kate leaves Monday...so you will all understand that she get my attention until then.

Later