Bang! I have popped out of a bowl of Arabian Rice in Abu Dhabi today to bring you a special Desert DRRU. WTF I hear you mumble… Yes, this is why the DRRU is mega time zone fucked up late today… From the deep burn of Indonesian road racing to the even hotter roasting of the UAE approaching full summer (we’re into the 40’s here), its time for a few weeks off the bike and to make the DN CFO happy before the North Hemisphere summer kicks off (Hint hint). Lets start with my luscious view from Desert HQ:

x

The DN Private jet getting fuelled up on the apron

You think that’s freaky, fuck that – I had to Iron a shirt and put on a suit this morning… Took me half an hour to work out how to do those things. AND, I have to listen to people all day long… Know how hard that is?!

On to a much nicer view, results are finally out from the Batam 6 Bridges race on the weekend. I was suffering from tunnel vision, epic cramp and my heart coming out my mouth, so didn’t really know where I had ended up in the frenzied uphill sprint to the line, so was surprised to see my name occupying the last slot in the top 10 when results hit the net today:

x

Was almost not on this page at ALL… Big save

Its not often I would get excited about a top 10, we’re really after a podium here, but given the chase, the heat and the overall suffer factor I am just a little bit stoked about this one. The thanks and praise really does need to go to the boys though, for their hard work, sacrifice and just the culture that we have built up recently. This is my best road racing result in a LONG time, if not ever? Based on the course and the field quality I would say its up there as one of the better ones for sure. Clearly a shout out to Cyclingtraining is also in order! The hard work paying off here (that’s as close as I am going to admit that my Powermeter is becoming mildly addictive).

Whilst I struggled to keep my head about me at the finish on Saturday, it could have been a LOT worse. We’ve all seen and heard (very first hand) of people celebrating early and losing a win… But, how about celebrating a win a whole fucking lap before the actual finish?

I love the look on the face at the end… The realisation that you have won your teams COTY award whilst having a blow out witnessed by millions a priceless moment. Yes, you ride a Jamis and showed Sagan and Cav a clean pair of heels, somehow that little cycling gem didn’t quite click and shine through the finish line fever. Awkward.

I did worry on the weekend as I was chasing back on if I wasn’t aero enough. I don’t ride an Aero bike (although the Evo is so stylishly svelte and slippery you don’t really need one), I don’t have one of those horrific aero helmets that help make you resemble a penis on a bike and to top it off, my face isn’t that aero. BUT, hold the beard – its now been proved by science that the beard is all ok on the aero front (yes, I am the 5868th internet site to repost this, but given I actually have a beard its allowable):

So, a relief… those with beards can keep them and those that want to grow one can now do so legitimately. Sound the trumpets etc.

Quick Dirty Giro update – Cadel has gotten busy having his bad days, I suspect he has a few more in him to come as well… Doesn’t help having skinny fuckers lined up behind you waiting to eat your carcass and 2nd place when you fall over. Uranatang’s grip on pink looks shaky to me to be honest, he’s going to have to use all that mullet power and hope his team can hold together, but I think this last week in Italy is going to be SUPER hard. Stage 16 tomorrow is a killer, not to mention the uphill TT and the Zoncolan to come on the penultimate day. Its about as far away as you can get from a happy ending:

x

Its going to end in TEARS for someone here…

Yes, full on… that last climb almost as creepy as Super Sagan fingering our Zebra… No, true story, actually happened. Even stole his bike in the process:

x

Who’s the daddy now?

And on that eye watering note, I shall get back to remember how to do this thing they call W.O.R.K. I feel unclean.

Related Posts

One Response

  1. Tony Tapsall

    Sorry to hear about the work!

    Congrats on the result, excellent outcome considering your day!

    One stage of the giro to stay up and watch must be tonight…..

    Enjoy the desert….

    Sent from my iPad

    >

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.