Pnemonia and a Stage Race

A view I'll be getting used to

Mark Walters and I in the Team Trailer

Will you Make The Leap Sunset

Wassmann Knows who's Boss in Road Gruppo's

Pete had some extra plans for the weekend


After a successful camp and first few races I returned to Boulder to continue my training and prepare for Redlands, or so I had planned. I was a bit weary of the guy coughing next to me on the late flight home that Sunday night, but didn't think much of it. I did start recalling his nasty cough when on Monday afternoon I was shivering in bed, coughing my lungs out. The shivers flipped back and forth from sweats that made me change the sheets several times and I was almost tempted to fill the bathtub with ice. I was in a state for 8 days. Sarah tried her best to stay away, but on day 4 she got it too. It was a great atmosphere in our apartment. I impatiently tried to go for a little ride 6 days into it, I turned around after 5km as I could hardly hold my bike upright as I was coughing so hard. I did manage to start feeling better, little by little, even though I had forgotten what feeling good felt like.

The Redlands stage race classic was coming up quickly and I was having doubts on feeling well enough to race it. I think I managed 3 good rides in after camp and before heading out there again. Great prep. let me tell you. I was feeling better though, and felt confident I could help the team out and use the race to get some speed in my legs and start building up my form again.

I almost turned inside out in the uphill TT first stage, I think there was some 8yr. old riding is bmx bike to a friends house that past me along the sidewalk... Anyways, things got better for me during the race, I felt stronger and stronger and my cough was dissipating. We had our moments as a team, mostly in the stage 3 crit. Josh Thornton finished third and the rest of us helped Dominique gather some Sprint points. Lopinto and I finished 11th and 12th for a bit of coffee money for the weeks to come. I was happy to finish the race, there were about 200 starters and only 70 finished. Differences in early season form, aye?

Back in Boulder now, mixing in some rest and training and getting set for the US Open in Richmond, Virginia. Saturday, April 7th. We'll be getting some TV coverage on NBC sometime in the afternoon. I'm hoping the legs and lungs are working tip-top for this one as it would be a nice race for us,(Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada) do well in.

Thanks for the support.