Monday, March 18, 2013

Catalan Surprises in Stage 1

Today we started the Volta Catalunya. The stage was relatively uneventful. I covered some moves in the beginning and avoided trouble the rest of the day, that was until our entire team missed a critical split on the downhill after the final KOM of the day. A group of 13 riders with several gc contenders went clear and stayed away to the finish. I have no clue how the split happened, but I guess it is a lesson learned that I have to be in even better position than I was. It is hard to predict these things, but it is hard to feel like I lost an opportunity to be there, as well as feeling like I failed the team a bit. I'm not alone in this obviously, but it is a hard pill to swallow. Losing 30 seconds on a stage where we shouldn't is not easy. Hopefully we can remain focused and find motivation to recover our losses in the coming days. It is a long race, so a lot can still happen.

It wasn't all negative surprises today though! Because the race is close to Girona, Lisa was able to make it to the stage with a couple friends. They were a welcome surprise not only once but FIVE times along the road! I'm not sure how it works, but it is always easy to pick someone you know and love out in a crowd. The support is much appreciated, and I look forward to having some more cheering in the next couple stages. Stay tuned for what I hope will be better reports.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

great story telling. five visits is a feat of precision and focus. well done Lisa. good luck Matthew.