There is nothing worse than delayed travel that just keeps getting more delayed.  I’ve experienced my fair share, and if you have ever flown once or twice, I am sure you have as well.  It is really hard for me to imagine a time –back in the 50’s or 60’s- when travel was actually considered a luxury.  I know it doesn’t make sense to complain when you really can’t come up with a better solution, so in the end it is what it is.

My latest trip overseas had me arriving thirty hours later than expected. Wait, it gets better. After the trip that seemed like it would never end finally did, I found myself at the lost baggage desk to only hear my troubles would continue.   My bags were still back in the States.  All they could tell me is that the bags would  “possibly” be delivered the following evening.  The only problem there is that I was departing on a different airline, from a different airport to an island in the middle of the Mediterranean that morning.  I am going to be on the road for two weeks, my bags can’t just sit here at the airport or on the sidewalk in front of my building.  With no one to call, or even cell service to make a call, I begin to panic.

The only solution I could come up with is maybe Jose, my taxi driver, who is waiting outside of customs for me could take them.  I hate to ever burden anyone with my troubles, and I knew it was a long shot, but worth the try.  I dig out his number from my phone and hand it over to the agent at the desk.  A few seconds of Spanish later, and the agent is jotting down Jose’s address and information.  “No problemo,” is all I get and I am sent off with my baggage locater number.

Sure, I still don’t have my bags, but the fact that Jose is willing to look after me to such an extent and deal with this hassle is just a small taste of the Spanish culture.  Once you are here and have established yourself as a decent person, you are family.  I am embarrassed to say I could count the words Jose and I have exchanged over the years on one hand.  His English is as bad as my Spanish, and that is not a good combination!  Yet, here he is, going out of his way to help me out.  This kindness is something I find rare, and it is one of the reason I call Girona my 2^nd home.

I am very glad to have the Volta Catalunya behind me now.  What a rough week, from hard times in the race to uncomfortable times out of the race.  I am just happy to be at home with Courtney.  It is has been over a month since I last slept in my own bed or was even able to prepare my own meals and just function as a normal person.  I am sure I will reap some benefits down the road from all of the racing this month, but for now I am just looking to relax!

Spring has arrived here in Spain.  The winds, coming from the south, are blowing stronger each day and bringing with them warmer temperatures.  A very welcomed change from the harsh winter we have endured.  After a few days on the couch, with long mornings of enjoying coffee, I should be back in working order.  Just in time for what might be the hardest week of racing of the year in the Basque Country.  The Vuelta al Pais Vasco is a race that strikes fear into every cyclist and whenever it is spoken of one word always comes to mind, “Ouch!”  The endless climbing will surely be great prep for the Ardennes and the Giro, but it will come with its fair share of suffering.  But I will have plenty of time next week to worry about all of this, for now it is all about enjoying life at home.

It is a strange feeling to be racing so close to home, but one I really like.  This year’s Volta Catalunya, like the past two editions I have competed in, started just down the coast from Girona in Lloret de Mar.  A very familiar prologue kicked things off, and the following day we started on the outskirts of Girona itself, in Salt.  I really feel spoiled to have a ProTour race that passes through Girona, as well as the US national championships taking place in my home in Greenville.  It is a taste of what it is like to be Belgian, for instants, and being able to race the Tour of Flanders, or many of the other big races near your home.  You know every corner, every hill and every pothole.  And you have that little bit of extra motivation to perform well.

I spent most of the first stage thinking about all of the training and suffering I had done on these exact roads to prepare my body for these races.  I also couldn’t help but notice how much easier we glide over the hills in the race compared to when I am training by myself.  I am always amazed at how fast the bunch can get moving when it wants to.

HTC-Columbia has already had a very successful Volta Catalunya.  The prologue went very well, and Mark Cavendish has made it very clear that he is back from some early season setbacks with a great win into Banyoles.  Within just a few short weeks of proper training and racing he is back to winning and showing why he is the fastest man on two wheels.

Now we head into the mountains, direction Andorra.  The next three days will be very difficult I feel.  There might not be a mountain top finish to any of the stages, but the roads will be constantly tilting up and down.  And if the previous races this year are any indication, we should see some epic race days ahead.

After finishing up the Volta ao Algarve with a fairly strong ride in the final time trail I am ready for what lies ahead. Spring has made its first appearance here in Girona, and my pale skin saw the sun for the first time this week. There is nothing quite like those first few warm days on the bike after a long a miserable winter. Those are the days when the hardest part is forcing yourself to turn your bike back towards home.

I feel my fitness is heading in the right direction now. After a rough start to the racing season, with two crashes, too many flat tires to count and the horrendous weather, I can say that the bad luck is behind me. Now I can look forward to performing well in Paris-Nice. I will spend this week in Girona working on some longer distances as there are many stages over 200 kilometers in Paris-Nice, and then next week I will head up to Nice with Courtney to meet up with some family and recon the last couple of stages. I can’t wait to see how it all goes. Much of my time lately has been spent daydreaming about wearing the white jersey after the prologue!

Life has been great here in Girona.  Sunny skies and a quite, tourist-free, town have made the time here very enjoyable.  Courtney arrived this past weekend, and we have had a lot of fun getting to know each other again after our very busy month apart.  We have both quickly adopted our favorite lifestyle, that of the Spanish.  I spend each morning out on the bike.  Usually meeting Michael Barry at the local bar/restaurant here, Boira, then after a quick and extremely tasty zumo de naranja (orange juice) it’s off into the hills.  Each training session has gone better than the last, so I am very happy and confident about where I am beginning the season!

Once my day’s work is complete I spend the afternoon with Courtney.  We have a nice lunch, and then I usually take a small siesta while she knocks out some more of her work and after that we go for a stroll around town to gather food to cook for the night.  Does life get any better than that?

We have a lot to look forward to in the near future.  My first race, Challenge Mallorca, is just around the corner.  I am eager to get to the start line and get some good racing in my legs.  I’ll only be doing the final three stages of the five-day race.  There is no need for me to be parading around the flat streets of Palma for the first two days! The final, very mountainous, three stages are much more suited to my style.  I have never raced in Mallorca before, but with many training camps there in the past I will have a good feel for the roads.  This race should provide the perfect start to the season.  Before all of that fun begins, Courtney and I will probably sneak down to Barcelona for the day.  It is so close and easy to reach by train, so we really are making sure we take advantage of that while we can.

HTC-Columbia’s Mallorca training camp has finally come to a close.  It’s been a great one, but I am very much looking forward to getting settled in my Spanish home for the year, Girona.  Upon arriving in Mallorca the team and staff feared the weather would get the best of us and our training camp wouldn’t include much training at all.  However, the weather just seemed to get better each day.  By the end of the twelve-day camp we had almost sixty hours out on the bikes, plus countless more hours in the gym!  That’s a huge workload, and I am feeling pretty tired at the moment.  But I know I will just get better and better over the next few days and I am confident I have a great base to begin the season with.

The next two weeks will be spent fine-tuning my form in order to be ready for my first race of the year, Challenge Mallorca.  With so many long rides in my legs after this camp, I won’t need to worry about adding volume.  I will just be focused on shorter more intense days, trying to help the body remember what it is like to be racing.

Courtney and I will also be rediscovering the Catalunya region of Spain.  We have both really missed the culture and atmosphere of Europe, and are excited to be back.  It will be great to spend some time together and revisit our favorite spots and dine at some of our favorite restaurants.  There are so many great things to look forward to at the moment.

Well, my winter break here in Greenville has come to an end.  I’ve spent the past couple of days figuring out how to pack up my whole life into one suitcase.  I’ll spend the next six-months or so over in Europe, my longest block yet, and I’ll have to be prepared for everything.  Training camp in Mallorca, Spain, is my first stop.  Two weeks of hard training, on and off the bike, and hopefully a little better weather will help me get ready for the racing season.  Then, it’s time to get settled in Girona, my home for the year.

I am looking forward to getting the year going and figuring out where my fitness is in the first few races.  I feel the winter has treated me well, but it’s hard to say when you’re not racing and don’t have anything to compare with.  I am also really excited to get back to life in Girona.  The life and culture there is about as good as it can get.  Morning coffees overlooking the river at our place, and an evening glass of wine in one of the town squares with Courtney are some of the best parts of life.  It will also be nice to escape the bitter cold that has settled in Greenville, and have some fresh roads to train on.

My final stay in Girona for this year has had its ups and downs to say the least.  It took a little longer to expect to recover from the World Championships.  I would basically pass out around 10PM and I would stay that way for a solid ten hours each night.  I guess my body was just not used to seven hours of racing on the bike.

I did start to come around after four or five days of rest, so I started to get in some good days on the bike.  As soon as I was feeling like my old self, I headed towards the hills and ended up on what was one of my favorite loops.  A really nice climb followed by a gravel descent towards a massive reservoir and up another mountain.  Sounds awesome, right?

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