'Dale

Stop trying to calm the storm. The storm will pass. Calm yourself. - Zen proverb

Another day in the Pyrenees today including 8.7% for 11 kms up the Col Hourcère. Will Sepp have enough legs in week 3 where fatigue really rises? Will have to see. It’s his only threat to the unlikely dream is winning a Grand Tour. Other teams will like Ineos and FDJ and the Steppers will now aim for stage glory. UAE and Movistar will keep on keeping on for that podium spot. Intriguing.

One of those mornings with amazing cloudscapes.🤍

Recommendation for tomorrow: Work From Home 😈 Or worst case, peel off after lunchtime for that “off-site meeting”.

So cool that I can throw my leg over my saddle in my garage and roll out for 10-15 mins to this magnificent view…

Speedwork on Slent Rd (somewhere between Malmesbury, Wellington and Durbanville) 🧭

“It’s the first time that I didn’t get caught by someone in the TT…” - Sepp Kuss. 😆 56 km/h by Ganna - bliksem, that’s propper watts. That was a proper CDA duel between the rainbow jersey and the hour record holder. 16 seconds is the time it takes to remotely open my garage door. The seatstay on this Colnago; haven’t noticed that design before. The technological advancements the last few years, geez.

Legend

Hillz For Breakfast

The Bumblebees just won the sprint at Tour of Britain as if they’re taking a lollipop from a 3 year old. A domestique is wearing the GC leader’s jersey at the Vuelta. They are going for the 3rd Grand Tour win this year and have won back-to-back maillot jaunes. Roglič have won 3 consecutive Vueltas and they are not too bad at the Classics either. Sheer dominance.

On the days you only have 30, you give 30. On the days you have 80, you give 80. That means you gave 100%. You’re not a robot, you’re human. Now, go ride your bike, Sweetie. 💋

Sepp Kuss - The first American to wear a GC jersey in about a decade. Certainly makes for an intriguing tactical battle. Will the Bumblebees defend today on what will be another lumpy day. The race starts on the most southern point of the 2023 edition. And it ends with 9.5% garden in the final kilometre. Ayuoso wanted a stage win on his mother's birthday yesterday and could not achieve this tribute. Regardless he is riding well and right up there with the Belgian and Slovenian superstars. Geraint Thomas crashed heavily into a stone wall and seems to be in trouble. He says that “I feel like 37 every single day…”. Maybe Bernal and Castroviejo will be freed up already to try and go for stage hunting. Rumours of Remco on a Pinarello is still going strong with lots of trade secrets being speculated.

Ja nee 🫥

Top Ganna averaged 8 5 7 watts for the final kilometre when he freelanced in the finalè a few days ago. Thymen Arensman lost a tooth and expressed relief that “nothing is broken and that my helmet saved my life…”. There was great concern yesterday as he was stretchered off into the ambulance yesterday after an eina crash. Groupama-FDJ will fight to the end to retain the red jersey today and retain it for as long as possible. Geraint Thomas is struggling in the GC after crashing and losing time. He tweeted yesterday “Come to the Vuelta, they said. It will be chilled, they said…”

The day for the break? Or will Primoz do his customary seated power punch up the wall of Catî and take a stage win? 3, 600 metres of vert. It will likely be hot under the Spanish sun around Alicante. Xorret de Catî will definitely warm me up, hey - 3.9 kms averaging at 11,4% with 22% max.

Spring - it’s official. How time flies!

I want Sepp Kuss’s core strength 🙃 The red jersey was born in 2003. Just saying. Lots of illness around the peloton. Tummy goggas too. Jonas suffered too. Jay Vine, that Zwifter Aussie, had an eina crash and abandoned. Tough time for the UAE talent after returning from injury too.

Today. That'll warm me up!

“I want to be useful to the team. I want to end up finishing the Vuelta and make a difference. My heart and lungs are back to the my previous best level. My musculature are still getting there. If you look in detail, you can see that my left leg is slightly smaller than my right leg. I will have to do more work on the bike, and in the gym too.” ~ Egan Bernal Respect to this Colombian for his resilience *** Top Ganna expressed that his GC leader allowed him the freedom to compete in a small bunch sprint after passing the 3 km mark. Clever tactics in a race where there is not many sprint trains. Primoz is still mending after a crash. The Killer Bees are masterful at pacing and strategising over 3 weeks. Remco needs the time advantage. Dunbar crashed out. I imagine that the GC podium is between UAE, Jumbo (two spots likely), Bora and Wolfpack.

The healthy person has many wishes; the ill person only has one.

Durbanville Hillz

Another life honoured. That was some gritty racing. Beautiful words by Andreas Kron.

Ja nee, ek verstaan. Not easy. Better race event management today as the storm persists. GC classification to be taken from 9 kms out before the town circuit. Earlier it was 3 kms from the finish. Blown over fences at the finish, lots of standing water on the course, 15 punctures on a descent earlier on in the course, including Geraint Thomas and the Belgian jersey. After a heatwave of several weeks, it is not just rainy, but also cold. This morning I went out in 5 degrees. Tomorrow will be a max of 28, followed by max 30 on Tuesday. Yoh!

Her Cannondale Scalpel LAB 71. I want one. Pic: Cannondale Factory Racing

That meant a lot to Mona - I love it when a Scalpel takes top spot. First at Elite level in the XC. At. Last. Sublime form for the MTB Marathon Rainbow jersey wearer.