Stage 3 Happenings

Today's stage was plenty difficult with 3 climbs over the 130km. Everything ended status quo, and I felt strong, but it began with a little drama. I punctured just before the first climb started, and the break was still not gone. That meant the race was on, and my chase was on, full gas! I picked my way through the carnage trying to stay calm and not panic because I knew unless something crazy/different than usual happened, the race would come back together once the break was gone. By the top, I was back to about the first or second chase group, which thankfully contained Jens and Oliver, so after the descent the group began rotating and chased back on with relative ease. After that slightly unsettling event, the rest of the day was fairly normal. It was quite windy and hot today, so drinking was vital, but the stress of the day was fairly minimal. Tomorrow will be a long, hot, and windy one, so hopefully we can avoid major crosswinds and only have to fight dehydration. Then the fireworks will begin on Saturday!