VeloVeritas

Grant Thomas – British Legend (1)

Good words for riders from Viktor? They’re thin on the ground… Niko Eeckhout, Guy Smet, Hamish Haynes, Jack Bauer and maybe Jens Keukeleire get grudging acknowledgement. But there has to be someone he idolised, surely?

Team Raleigh’s Dan Fleeman has set the interview up for us, we’re sitting in the “Hotel Anonymous” in Walsall. A dapper, trim figure in blazer and slacks bounds up the stairs; it takes a moment to register – it’s our man, Grant Thomas.

Back in the Game! (0)

So, I’m recovering well – so well in fact that I came my closest to date to winning here in Belgium last Sunday, finally ending up in 3rd place, but so close to taking the win.

The race was in Sint Kornelis Horebeke, which is a town close to my base here in Oudenaarde, and is the home town of one of the team’s main sponsors, so it was an important one to do well in.

It was a good field but I was ‘on it’ from the start (really thought it was going to be my day!).

Getting Back on Track (0)

As the season rolls on the races are coming thick and fast. May was always going to be an important month with the Belgium Cup (Beker Van Belgie/Coupe de Belgique) series taking center stage.

As reported in the last blog post I had been to see the doctor after feeling very low for a couple of weeks. Of course it was not going to turn around overnight but I was hoping that it wouldn’t take long before I was feeling back to normal.

I continued to keep things easy in training and low and behold on the day of my first cup race of the season in Kampenhout the body didnt feel half bad…

Dan Does the Sam (1)

Thursday 11:00 pm and the Giro is just a memory. Reality, work, bills and the Transit; tomorrow, Dan Fleeman is coming up for the Sam Robinson – best grab some sleep. Friday 07:00 am – where am I?

There’s no wi-fi in the house, need to go to McDonald’s for the free connection but I’ll be strong – no sausage, egg and cheese bagels. Maybe just one?

Giro d’Italia – Day Seven, Thoughts on That Break (0)

We miss the turn for Rimini airport, the signage is dire, we’re late already, off at Rimini Nord, through the tolls, U turn and back down the other side of the autostrada, there it is, dump the car, limp to the terminal.

‘You’re baggage is overweight sir,’ abandon my shorts, T-shirts, carry my sweat shirt and jacket – still over, even though I can tell the bag weighs nothing like the 13 kilos they say it does.

Eventually, they relent and I’m through, I come through security looking like Harold Steptoe just finished his round…

Giro d’Italia – Day Six, Simply Surreal (0)

We made sure we were in plenty time for the stage start today – our mission was to get pics of Diquigiovanni’s Cameron Wurf for Jered at Pez, but Cam didn’t arrive at the sign on before our appointed time of bolting.

We did get some pics of the lovelies that accompany the race – I’m not sure what they do, but who cares ?

Last night was a little bit of a culinary disaster; we had our hearts set on pasta but ended up with pizza – again…

Giro d’Italia – Day Five, Tyler Again (0)

The Italians are like any other race, there’s nice folks and not so nice folks – but in the main they’re friendly and helpful.

Until, that is, you stick them behind the wheel of a car – any car will do, doesn’t have to be an Audi or a Jag, a clapped out Fiat is fine for acting like a juvenile, aggressive, ignorant, petulant twat.

Stop at the lights and if you haven’t pulled a wheely within 2/1000 second of the lights going green, the guy behind will have an epi…

United Nations of Awesome (0)

Boombah! Or, as we like to pretend that the Italians say, Opahhh!

So the last post I put through (earlier today) was 16km from the finish, and included a series of “hopefullys” all of which came to pass, meaning we won today! A great result for the team, and a super performance by the team.

We knew that the finish was a little tricky, so got as much info back to the big bosses on the road as we could, meaning that the boys could plan their attack well.

Double Figures (0)

We’re now deep into the Giro, Day 10 in fact, and the cracks are starting to show! Firstly, there was a horrific incident of five of the team’s staff getting on the wrong side of some VERY raw, yet delicious steak, which fortunately didn’t lead to a team-wide outbreak of GIT problems. Thank goodness for Universal Precautions!

Secondly (and as ever, less importantly) the riders are now in the hurt basket pretty much permanently.

Giro d’Italia – Day Four, Nae Middle (1)

Ciao, amici!

I was saying to Martin that I’m a bit worried, I’ve been wakening up feeling great – always a bad sign.

The trouble with my usual Giro partner in crime, Dave being back in Scotia and suffering from Giro withdrawal symptoms (he’s coming to le Tour, though) is that everything we write and photograph is subject to close scrutiny…

Giro d’Italia – Day Three, Riders in the Mist (1)

When I read folks saying that the Giro is better than the Tour, I have to shake my head.

Better, how?

The scenery in Italy can be stunning, sure – but like yesterday, it can be ghastly, too.

The Tour is exactly the same, for every Riviera, there’s a retail park…

Giro d’Italia – Day Two, Strada Bianchi (0)

Once you have your creds, you feel better, despite the fact that Gord Cameron has sussed them out for you a week ago, it’s still a relief to hang that pink lanyard round your neck and stick those big lumps of sticky back plastic on the wind screen.

The Giro and the Tour are so different; creds at the Tour is a big, officious production but at the Giro, it’s so much more laid back – and the guy on the PC likes us, so we get free Giro laptop cases.

It was a red letter day, today; we met Richard Pestes – your actual Pez – for the first time, along with the wife and children…

Giro d’Italia – Day One, Arrivo! (0)

Come sta ?

Viareggio on the west coast of Italy, 06:30 Saturday May 15 and VeloVeritas is on the Giro – well, not quite, we have our credentials to collect from the Gazzetta camper van, this morning at the stage start in Carrara.

The trip down wasn’t too bad, Edinburgh to Luton, then Luton to Pisa – there was an hour’s delay at Luton, but we were on Easyjet, so no one gets too stressed.

Albeit there was a nasty moment at the security check in Luton – “the transparent plastic bag you have your toiletries in is too big, sir’ said the official…

4hr Race”¦ 4sec Difference (0)

Yesterday was the Teams Time Trial (TTT) a 33km shot through northern Italy where teams departed five minutes apart and raced the clock up the road. The order of starting was based on the overall standing of the best three riders from each team, with the slowest team going first, and the team of the race leader going last (regardless of how their team was faring).

My job for the day was to check the time splits of our boys relative to the teams who had ridden before them. There was only one official time split provided by the race, and we wanted to make sure our boys got as much info as possible. I thus had to drive up the road behind one of the earlier teams and then start the clock.

Joe Parkin’s “Come and Gone” (0)

Joe Parkin’s “Come and Gone” chronicles the rebirth of pro bike racing in America, it’s his sequel to the highly praised memoir, “A Dog in a Hat”.

Boulder, CO, USA, May 12, 2010… After a grueling five-year education in European bike racing, Joe describes his return from Belgium, his struggles with the nascent American bike racing scene, and the birth of mountain bike racing.

After those years of racing in Belgium, Joe Parkin said goodbye to Flanders knowing he might never go back, and he never did.