A new start

Finally on a computer that works for more than a minute or two without crashing, all the buttons are working, and the screen is clear. It’s a far cry from a new bike, but almost as exciting for me as a new pair of cycling shoes, or something small on a bike like a new like new set of wheels. After having hand-me downs, recycled and second hand computers forever, this is a bit of a shock for the system. Not being the type of person to spend cash on anything but bikes, and related bike equipment, it’s a nice change. The end result is almost the same though, it’s nice and fast, clean, no scratches or dings yet, and everything seems to be working well. No buyers remorse setting in, so the buy was necessary and needed. Lets see if it can be like a new bike, where the first few races on it are your best, and you just feel great when you get on it every day. Of course, the first crash, is the last thing that I am thinking about, so I won’t dwell on the crashing side of things, and ‘let the good times roll’ until that time.


Just about to look inside the box, almost like Christmas.

So I there is nothing much to report in the last couple of weeks, a couple more races around a Church (criteriums). A couple more wins for the team, one in the south of Holland and one today here in Germany. A win for Linda, and a second place for Tanja, plus they took almost every sprint premium between them for total of about 25 prizes.


The girls happy after the win.


The Podium.

Besides the cash, we walked away with four huge salami’s, and the biggest, cured and smoked ham that you could carry. The ham is wicked, we pigged out on our winnings when we got home, it was so delicious. The ham was very famous, from a secret location in the Black Forest, deep in the south of Germany. It looked like it had been dry smoked for days, just opening the pack, the outside of the ham was almost black from the smoke. Cutting into it, released the smokey flavour, I was dribbling by this stage, quite profusely. Upon the first morsel touching my mouth, I was speechless (not from the mouth full of ham), but the flavour was like nothing I have tasted before, (my mouth is still watering just thinking about it). I will make a point of finding the smokehouse, as if this is an example of their goods, I think I need to see what else they make.


The Black, Black Forest Ham, yummy.

Sauerland, Germany is the area we are staying for a few days, a little bit of riding, and a two-day race to contend with. Driving in here, we passed many forest trails, some steep hills (which is nice after been in Holland for the last few weeks), and a few cool looking lakes. Looking a little bit like Rotorua, and the surrounding lakes, I was kicking myself for not bringing my MTB, but it’s only a two hour drive, so I will be back I think. I have scored a nice little cyclocross for a spin around the forest, so I can take the GPS and do some mapping for later. So will let you know how the riding is later. But expect to see a few catch ups with the photo pages, and maybe the articles, if I get the time.

Update, sort of.

My computer finally died last week, it was like loosing an old friend. I fought hard for the last three weeks trying to keep it alive, and everyday it brought new challenges. I turned it on dailey to see if there was any change, some times there was a glimmer of hope as the start screen blinked on, a small apple, a flicking clock (sorry PC owners, it's a Mac) and then the password option. I was in, it was having good day, five minutes of email, a quick surf and then, death. I tried every fix in the book, hitting, kicking, swearing, even slamming the top down in disgust, don't worry, it was used to it as it had been dropped many times. Some soothing words, and rubbing it's underbelly sometimes worked, spot on the table here, a bench there, there was no real pattern to it's erratic behavior. But a few mins a day is all I needed, the new laptop I was waiting for was about to be released. I just need to hang on for another week or two. It was almost as bad as taking my bike off me for week or two, I was going crazy.

With my hand still pretty swollen from the hit it took in Gracia, I decided to miss the Tour D'Aulde, a 10 day stage race in France, and rest. I was still working on a few small races in Holland, and Belgium with the other team members, so it was not quite a break. The hand was coming along well, it's amazing the pain you can endure when there is around 16 new carbon wheels, to glue some tires on to. Brings back memories to last years start (find it in the archives), but the team was taking six of the girls to race. Including Amber, last years winner, we had five others and they needed wheels. A few days later, the truck was packed, ready for action, full of TT bikes, race and spare, plus everything the boys would need for 10 days of racing. Things got pretty crazy down there, with a half of the team dropping out, Mirjam (on going dodgey leg thing, tell ya later), Sandra (crashed out, hospital, sweet now), Loes (broken collar bone). We still managed to control the race and take out the Team TT, a couple of stages, held on to the yellow jersey for most of the week, and the young riders jersey, Amber won the whole thing, with Susanne taking a stage and 2nd overall, so thing were pretty good.

In Holland we were racing a few smaller races, these we took out a few firsts and seconds, and had some good racing with the rest of the gang. Thing are looking good for the next few months, so hope we can continue with the good sucesses, and get our injured girls back on the road asap.

I just ordered my new laptop, one of the new Macbooks, so this should be here in a week or so. So then I can get a few of the stories and pics posted from the last few weeks, and catch up on some email and stuff. It's amazing that as much as you think you can leave the internet alone for a while, you are addicted to it, face up to it, I certainly have. Hey I even bought and started reading a book, that's got to be the first for me for many years. We take for granted the amount of information available through our screens, and it's amazing how addicted you get to finding anything you want in a matter of minutes. I miss it.

So come back in a week or so, I should have some good stuff for you. Off to Germany for a couple of races with Tanja and Linda this week, and a bit of riding there as well, yeha.

Random shot #3

Sometimes the coolest shots are right under your feet.

Tour of Gracia, part three.

By the end of the second stage, I had worked into the night, finishing around midnight, with my hand the size of a small melon, it was heavy going. The other mechanics in the car park, were helping where they could. It’s funny sometimes as we race hard against each other during the day, we hang out late into the night in the car park, working side by side, like life long friends. We all share the same problems with riders and other staff members, sharing problems and tools where needed, and just keeping each other sane till racing starts the next day.



Just before I dragged my sorry ass to bed for the night, it was feeling like rain, acid rain from what the pollution looked like that night. And what a prediction, on the worst day of the tour, an 80km race at 10am and a time trail later in the afternoon, rain all day, what more could you ask for. With all five riders still in the race, I had my work cut out for me. With a 6am start, my shoes were wet within the hour, I missed breakfast again, and the plans of the girls riding to the start were changed once again. When we finally begun the rain was coming down thick and fast, this was going to be a very dangerous race this morning, with the roads covered in diesel and oil, the girls would have to be on there best behaviour. Once we were under way, the first crash of the day was before us, luckily none of the gang was down, but it looked pretty messy, bikes and riders sliding down the road like they were on ice. But soon after we had another puncture, fixed and underway we were still racing hard for 36 secs for the top place. During the race we had crossed the border to Poland, and the Czech Republic looked like paradise compared to this. The roads got a little bit worse, the houses got a little bit more dilapidated, but funnily enough, the people seemed to be smiling more. But it was not to be today, we got everyone home safe, all the bikes were covered in shit, the car was covered in oily shit, the girls were covered on the same. So off to the next stage we go.


Don't ya just love starting in the rain.

Crossing the border into Poland during the stage, the fastest crossing of any border this week.

In a small town, which from the look of things was famous for it’s smog level. With two days in temperatures around 25’c, the temperature had dropped to 5’c, and it was about midday. Seems like everyone in the high-rise slums around the start, burnt coal to stay warm. It was hard to pick what the smell was to start with, kind of a mix between, burning old rubbish, cheap coal, bad body odour and wet washing, but I managed to pick all the ingredients up with in the hour. The girls got a room at a cheap nasty hotel, to get a little bit warm and clean before the TT started. I was a mass of warm-up bikes, trainers, TT bikes, disc wheels, trying to co-ordinate the gang, in heavy rain and freezing wind. We had one girl off first, Vera, then a small gap of 15mins, then Sandra, Tanja and Linda, all with only two mins between them. Normally the organisers would split the team a little bit more apart, so we can get organised between girls, making my life a little bit easier. But this is Poland, and for some reason, this country doesn’t like me. I have supported it for years with my Polish Vodka addiction, I have probably kept a small village alive for years for the amount I have spent on the stuff, give me a break (excuse the pun again).


Tanja getting ready to race, 1 min to go.

Well things got started on the TT, with no help from my fantastic new director, I got Vera underway, while getting the three others warming up, changing a few of the girls set-ups and preferences, getting bikes prepared, trying to keep the girls warm, dry and motivated. I was running around like an idiot, but in perfect control, making all the changes and managing to get everyone warmed up, and on their TT bikes down the ramp and away. All the while keeping the eyes on the back of my head, on the truck, bikes and all of the equipment scattered around the place from any of the locals. What a day, with a very sore and almost useless hand to boot, oh and the wet shoes, and now pants and shirt as well.


Amber out on the course, posting the 2nd fastest time of the day.

Amber was the last off, sitting third on GC, I followed her out in the car, with the last two riders following behind. All the girls had a fantastic result, all in the top 20, and Amber getting another 2nd place, putting here back up at number 2. What a day, and it wasn’t over yet. After getting lost again, and sitting at the Czech border again for an half an hour again, we got back to the hotel at dusk, just in time for me to start cleaning the mess up. A few hours organising the truck, cleaning the bikes, and getting ready for the next day, it’s days like these that a bottle of Polish Vodka would come in handy. But being on the pain killers, I thought that was not a good idea. It’s days like these when that fantastic concept of a professional mechanic on a pro team, does not quite make up for the fact that you have been working 18 hours straight, no real food, soaking wet, and earning about 1.20 euro an hour for your troubles, while looking at a swollen hand and another days racing in the morning. You just got to laugh in these situations, because people looking out their windows late at night think you are crazy anyway, you might as well give them more fodder for this thought they have.

Next day dawned with rain, again, a few hours making sure the bikes are all checked, tyres pumped and checked and everything ready to leave directly after the race. I was on time as usual, and the start was close by, thank god. A circuit around the town Orlova, six laps or something, with a nice little climb or two. We keep the race under control, tried a few attacks and reeled a few in. But nothing much happened, Tanja got a 2nd, Amber keep her 2nd place in the GC, and all the girls made it home safely.

Back to the hotel for a quick shower for the girls, a short drive across the border to Poland again (more waiting) and then I dropped the girls at the airport, and started on the drive home. Only 1279km to my own bed, what a week. Now I could see why half the team were not interested in this race, none of the other mechanics talked favourably of it, and our director was not keen on coming down either. After I left the airport, I did not see the team car again, as they were too much in a hurry to wait for me. Travelling the length of Poland that night, I sighed a breath or two of relief, I was buggered, sore and just plain worn out, stressed and upset. It’s times like these when good professional staff, just walk away their trade, never to return again, I knew better.

As the city of Warsaw passed me by, the highway got very empty. I was blessed with a most beautiful sunset, it seemed to be just ahead of me for about three hours. I took about 30 pics, trying to get that perfect shot, the smog seemed to be an advantage finally, giving the sun that perfect radiance. It was as if this part of the world was trying to show me that it had some beauty after all, It was certainly a nice send off. My hand was still big as, the pain had been quenched by some nice painkillers, which kept me awake most of the night, I was home by 9am, beating the team car by about 6 hours, that put a smile on my face as I slumped into bed for a well deserved sleep.



A few more photos on the link to your right.

Tour of Gracia, part two.

I don’t know how long this computer is going to work for today, but at the moment it seems to be having a good day. I have just been looking at the Apple shop for a new laptop, maybe it caught wind that it was about to get replaced. But, at this stage it’s safe, the new model I have been waiting for is about a week away from arrival, so hope this POS can hang out till then. It’s got a mind of it’s own, think that it’s been dropped once too many times.

Oh well where were we. The Tour of Gracia, a five stage tour, in the spectacular Czech Republic. Orlova a town famous for nothing, was our home base for the next few days. I just found a small book they gave us after the tour finished, kind of a travel brochure, with a little bit of history of the city and surrounds. This town been famous in the mid 1800’s for coal, unfortunately they were a little too greedy as most of the town got condemned in the early 1920’s because of all the mining under the town. Lucky they rebuilt the town in the early 1950’s, in the style of British housing estate slums. Six storeys of tiny shoebox houses, but they have not just one of these in the town, seems from the look of the place that’s all there is. About thirty of these beauties still stand, now looking a little antique that gives the town it’s third world charm.


I love these things.

Stage #1 started at the local Nuclear power station, one of the main sponsors of the tour. Kind of creepy standing in the car park, 100m from four huge reactors, in a part of the world not famous for it’s safety records. But the race was underway, no fallout was recorded on my gigercounter, thank god. The roads were just the sort of things that a mechanic loves, massive potholes every few meters, and smaller ones every half meter. What a mess, locals were saying it was because of the bad winter, most of us were coming to the conclusion that they just don’t spend any money on anything here, especially the roads. I was sweating from the moment we got going as I knew that no tires in the world can put up with this sort of punishment, and survive. And how right I was, within minutes from the start, we had the first teams been called forward to sort their riders out, about twenty pinch flats later we had our first one. Followed a few minutes later by our second one, that was it for us for the day, but a round about count was about 55 wheel changes from all the teams, this was low considering the roads the girls were riding on. The day was pretty uneventful other than the last few km’s, with a wicked little cobbled climb, up to a nice little village. Amber was in a break with a few other climbers, and managed to sprint for second, only a few seconds from the leader.


And away we go.

Day two saw even worse roads than the previous day, but only one puncture for us, a count of about 36 for the rest of the teams. You kind of feel for some of the other mechanics when you hear their team name called out on the race radio, time after time. I sat there sweating the whole time, wishing I didn’t have to get out of the car again, I sure made up for it later though. About half way into the race the first of three big climbs of the day came. We had Amber, our best rider in GC out the front in a break with five others after the first climb, with the rest of the peloton split into many smaller groups. It’s always great to see the climbers show their stuff finally, and the workers and the not so well prepared, fall off the back.

After the second climb, the leaders had about 6 mins on the next group of 20, here we had two of our girls in, Tanja and Linda. But there was a problem with Tanja’s bike, with a wrapper from some ones bar caught in her derailier. It was too serious to stop, as the group was too far ahead of the main bunch for her to loose here position. We made the decision to clear it while she was riding, hanging out the window, I was in full control, clearing most of the problem in a matter of seconds, but there was just that last little bit causing a problem with any shifting. With the next climb looming, I went in for another shot, with the car moving about 35km, on pothole ridden roads, a driver (a new director for this race, very inexperienced in these matters I must say, and I will leave it there) a bladed spoked wheel looks like a nice shiny disc wheel when you have your face so close to it. I cleared the debris, and was just moving my hand away from the spinning chain and bladed spokes, when, unexpectedly the car lunged sideways, my right hand, which was just extolling the virtues of a safe and clean job, got sucked into the wheel, and spat it out the back of the bike. I sat back in the car and was trying to workout where all the blood was coming from. On closer inspection, a nice big cut on my little finger, almost through to the bone was throbbing, but this was nothing to the pain coming form the rest of the hand. Somehow, my last two fingers got caught in the wheel and bent back with speed at an amazing angle, the force managed to dislocate the knuckle and the first joint of my little finger. Also managed to break a small bone in the hand, and take the tip off my first finger. What a mess, but while the adrenaline was flowing, I popped the dislocation back in (years of close encounters with trees in the forest mountain biking, has hardened me up for this sort of bush repairs) wrapped a bit of insulation tape around the bleeding bits and the race continued.


Tanja leading the bunch, with a clean derailier.

Amber was still out the front with the other four, and as we headed to the finish, we hear (we could not drive up the last climb as there was no room for cars there) she got a third place, excellent. All of the team finished well that day, moving us into the top of the teams classification, and still second overall, so the day was not a complete loss. My hand on the other hand (excuse the pun) was not feeling too hot, but been in the ass end Europe, I decided not to see the hospital, as the probably would have come back with a big blade, saying ‘we take it off now, please’. A few painkillers later things were looking up, and my hand was certainly looking like it was on steroids. This is one of those times when I thank the world that I am left handed, as most work was not at risk, and being the consummate professional I am, the show must go on.


Top of the last climb, and another border.

Computer Meltdown

Well it had to happen as I thought my luck was just too good this year. This is the third day with major problems on my laptop, it smells like something is shorting out bad. It's been crashing hourly, and giving me some wicked looking screens to look at.

So hang tight for a few days until I get it sorted, got a few fixes to try on it yet. Also I start the negotiations for my housemates laptops to borrow tomorrow. A few days off the computer should give my hand a few days to get moving after it's little experiance the other day. More about this later as it's a good part of the Gracia story, and it will give me a chance to get some shots of the x-rays to publish. Yeah still got all 11, opps 10 fingers, and they almost are all moving.

Right, hang tight, back in a few days.

Tour of Gracia, Czech Republic

Lost in Poland.

It’s nice to know that Holland does get a summer, the way most people talk here you would think they have never seen the sun. Doing a little work outside in the sun is fantastic for the soul, and can be good for your tan. But unlike the NZ sun, this one does not burn you, in fact outside all day and you hardly notice any change in colour. With one day back at the team base, I have to unpack, clean bikes, truck, clothes and then pack it all back up again for a five day stage race. 1500km drive to Switzerland and back home, then a 1289km drive to the Czech Republic, for the lovely ‘Gracia O Orlova’. We have five girls racing this tour, sort of the -A team, defiantly not the B team. A second race for our third Director, and a stand in assistant for the week, which should be fun for me. All this in a third world, European country, where the Vodka is cheap and plentiful, and by the look of some street corners, so are the girls. Our team racing is Amber, Tanja, Linda, Vera and Sandra, this time we leave the two stars at home, and take five other stars instead. It’s a race you either love or hate, with shit roads, shit traffic, thieves around every corner, and a corrupt police force, who will let you off anything for a bit of cash.


Some of the up market apartments in Poland.

I had a small drive to the border of Germany for the first day, a bit of a sleep. I left early the next morning to drop a bike off to one of the girls who lives in the area, Luise Keller (Killer), as yet she has not been on the new carbon bikes, as she has been off with a bit of an knee injury. She is in for a bit of a treat I think, finally getting off last seasons bike, and on to some light, fast, comfort. The girls were flying into Poland, not far from the Czech border, so we had to travel the length of the country to get there. I have not been to Poland yet, so was looking forward to seeing a bit of the countryside. Not a minute into the border crossing did they pull me out for a full search, of course a small truck full of cycling gear is a danger to their country, but they were looking for drugs as usual. Every guard or cops dream is to find a cycle teams drugs, but they always forget this is a girls team, they don’t get paid enough to afford any good drugs. Believe me when I say I would be the first one searching for them if there was any in the truck, and buggered if I am going to give them to a bunch of guards dressed in camo, carrying guns. But almost an hour later, the ‘go slow guards’ had finished checking out every nook and cranny they could find. Picking up almost everything they could, saying in their best broken English “for me”, looking for the bribe of course. Yeah sure have that carbon bike, full of dura-ace and spanky carbon wheels. They got a few drink bottles instead, and let me on my merry way. Think because I gave them nothing, they sent me down a road that was not looking like the highway I came off. But I was happy to be on the road again, happy not to be sitting in some room, happy not to be paying cash to leave, and happy to have all my bikes with me. Who said NZ customs was bad, these guys beat them hands down.


By the time I could find a sign to see where I was it was too late, a few km off the track, about 75km the wrong way from what I can figure. Bet the customs guys are killing themselves with laughter now. But I did get a smile on my face when another truck, who was also getting searched, stopped and asked me for directions, he also paid or gave nothing to the guards, and got sent the same way. By the time I found the highway, if you can call it that, I was pretty sick of Poland already. Who would have thought this place could be so bad, the only thing I really know about Poland is how good the Vodka is, ahh Vodka.


Some of the fantastic eastern block buildings.

The place looks really run down, poor and full of very sorry looking people. Some of the small towns I came though when I was lost were downright scary. Felt like I was in one of those movies, you know the ones where they are in the middle of nowhere, and the road is blocked, and you look around to reverse out, and they have blocked your exit as well. God damn it, hope I don’t have to stop for any traffic lights, they might clean my truck out while I am stopped.


On the way to the first stage.


Under the backdrop of another Nuclear disaster.

Back on the sort of highway, things were slow, heading towards Warsaw, the road just got worse, this was going to take for ever. Three hours later and less than 120km, I hit the capital of Poland, looked more like Manurewa (sorry Karlos). But hey, the highway was finished, and I managed to make a bit of speed. By the time I picked up the girls at the airport, I was about 100km from our destination, that means about three hours driving here. We got to the hotel in Orlova, and what a great diamond in the rough, nice rooms nice beds, what more can a weary traveller want. Time to sort a few bikes out for tomorrows stage. 128km of really big potholes, smog and a few score of riders, ready for action.


Getting dropped fom the bunch, and the view from car No:14


All lined up and ready to race.