Let's get the show on the Road

The training is over and the fun begins. All those days out there peddling away for 6 months so we can go and "enjoy" ourselves in the French Alps - are we MAD?? well maybe BUT its something we'll look back on in years to come and tell stories of our antics out there on the road.....

What's in the Hamster's bag??
Packing - I think I have everything on the list and thought I would capture the stuff on film or the digital equivalent
Here's all the bits and bobs -

Then there's civi clothes -

And all the cycling gear we need too -

And it all goes into this little RED pack and is has weighed in (albeit a non calibrated bathrooom scale) at 6kg.


Our last Sunday ride to Kurnell and battle the poOr weather (not) - well it was cold (well OK, not really) -

Then it was into the park (Centennial Park) for a few extra laps after brekkie at the First Drop (Rick Ponting) Cafe -


Only just over a day to go before it's up up and away headed towards Geneva and our destiny with the hills. And what BIG hills they are too.

Well done all in getting things together, the planned route (thanks dave) we have accomodation for nights 1, 2 (thanks Kev), 3, 4, 5, 6 (thanks BT) and together we'll have a blast and maybe a little pain to get to the top of the climbs.

See you all over there.......

Almost time to go.....

Well the lead up to the departure this year is a litte different the last - the weather's cold and we have actually had rain this year (not that we can complain as the country really needed it) -

Greggie was feeling good and showing some good form (see picture) -


However, he is starting to get symptoms of the flu - I do hope he can kick it in the next week. BT is also on the road to recovery after a short bout of the influenza. I hope they get rid of it cause I dont want to be sitting next to virus bags on the plane all the way to Europe. And we want to be storming up the hills with no excuses of sickness - GO HARD, GO OFTEN.

Due to the weather and work comittments a lot of the training has been happening in the gym on the exercise bike - we'll see how this approach fares in the big mountains - it can work OK for time trialling (30 secs) but the mountains?? we'll wait and see.

Last wekend only 55km was covered with Sunday declared a rest day by Hamsterelli - Dave was on a plane, BT was at the height of his flu and Greg had spent the night out on the town drinking beer (opr maybe it was only ananas??) with his surf clubs mates. So with all the others out of action for various reasons I gave myself the day off. Call it tapering.

We have 1 weekend of riding left so prayer for good weather. The bikes go into the bags on Monday/Tuesday night - next stop Geneva.

Good luck to Dave with experiemtns in the US.

See you all in Geneva real soon. Take care over the next 10 days.

Another Sunday Ride in Sydney

We enter JULY - the countdown our Tour 2007 is down to 32 days.

Well Sunday this week was not wet like last BUT was pretty cold. Even with a lazy 7.30am start (why start earlier if you dont need to - i am sure any start pre-9am on our Tour won't have the full backing of the team - after all it is a HOLIDAY!!) setting off from Dave's with the mercury hardly awake at about 5 degrees was rather chilly (WindStopper - love the stuff :-)).
It was only Dave, BT and me today as Greggie had prior engagements so he bailed on the ride with the boys but was planning on going out ealier closer to home.

Out on the back road from the top of Galstone to Berowra Waters it was Dave who took the sprint today with a throw on the line - he had lead out from a few hundred metres but I left it too late and couldn't come past, well done Dave.

Down the hill across on the ferry and up the other side then along the highway and then after descending into Bobbin Head and crossing the bridge we found the 'roadwork' that closed the road the week before (not that it was really needed due to the rain) - it comes from the Alex F book of racing terrain. Mind you the surface turned out to be rather smooth and was better then the bumpy, blue metal dumped on soft tar surface which was there before - we're hoping for some of that modern HOT MIX, the stuff riders love. Time will tell if the 'makers of roads' delivery a noce smooth cycle loving surface.



The normal stop at the Corner Cafe for a cappuccino and the warm nana blankets provided make the ride up the hill all worthwhile



Taking these blankies off to get back on the bike is no easy feat - getting soft as we get OLD.

Well its only 10km back to Dave's and back into warm gear.

We only have 4 weekends remaining before we head to the airport and jettison to Geneva and start what we hope to be another memorable adventure. Vive le Tour