Tirreno - Adriatico 2009

I know it's got nothing to do with the France ride this summer, but this year's Tirreno - Adriatico race has its penultimate stage going through 'our' village in Sant'Angelo in Pontano before heading off into the Monti Sibillini over the climb of Sasso Tetto. 13.2 km, average 7.3%, maximum 12%? How does that compare to the French climbs? We've just decided that we won't fly out (we're back again in June), so here's hoping it's on Eurosport on the day, and that I've got enough holiday time left over. Please-oh-please-oh-please!

Whereabouts

I can confirm that on 6th July 2007, Michael Rasmussen really was in London. And clearly, so was I.

ASPTT Aix-en-Provence

On Stage 6 of the ride from Carombe, over the Ventoux and down to Marseille, we'll be riding past some of my old 'stomping' - that Yatesism again - ground from 1987/88 when I was a member of the ASPTT Aix-en-Provence.

I think it's an ideal opportunity to get in touch with Régis Roqueta - still the DS of the team - and see if we can't all meet up for a group hug. I'm really keen to see if any of my fellow Cat 3/4 riders are still around - Gerard Dosetto, Jean Barbero, Bruno Cargnelutti, Alain St Martin and the Egio brothers.

Above is a pic of me (second from the right, blue Pinarello Treviso, trying so hard to look like a pro), Alain with a very friendly arm around me, James Schlultz (an American student doing a similar thing to me - he's the man-bear in the Rudy Projects in the middle) and the Egios outside Avignon's city walls before the start of the Bi-Énergie Two-Day race in 1988. Like most of my races there I have very little idea of the result, just vague memories of chewing on my handlebar stem for a few unpleasant hours. The standard in France really took me by surprise.

The club seems to also have an additional site here too, so with luck I'll be able to get in touch.

When it's too cold to go outside ...

I took the liberty of videoing myself doing some turbo training last night. It was a light session, saving myself for Sunday's Puncheur sportif.

Yes, These People Are Athletes

Here's some of the line-up for the ride, although we're yet to all get together due to our intense training commitments and the fact we don't all live in Tunbridge Wells. This photo looks like it was taken in HM Prison Slade. From left to right:

Pete Lester, Paul Barrington-King, Mike James and Trevor Crysell.

Paul and Mike actually look like they are conjoined twins. That'll be interesting on a bike.

They say the camera adds ten pounds ... so was there a whole phalanx of paparazzi there when this snap was taken? Time to get training lads!

(Apologies, naturally, for weight jibes: I'm sure we'll all be affûtés comme des pros by July.)