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colorado calling danny boy, part two...

The race starts proper at 21:10 UK time. There is apprehension in the camp; the first day is always hard and our youngsters are up against some world tour riders and others that have just come off the back of the Utah race. Today it's three 33 km loops from Aspen back to Aspen. They are rather hoping that a break goes on the first loop, on the climb to Snowmass to calm things down a bit. I have a feeling that they won't get their wish.

What the guys are fearful of is whether they have acclimatised. The first four days were horrible: nosebleeds, headaches, and as Kristian says it's like breathing through a straw. They all feel better now, but you never know until that first climb. All just want to survive and get through today. Right now, post breakfast, they all sit on phones trying to kill time and not think about what lies ahead. If they did, Elliot tells me that they will over-analyse and that's not good for the head. So much is in the head. It will be a grim three hours.

I learned that a chain consumes 9 watts of power. Kristian has one that consumes 5. He sends his chains back here to a specialist who coats them in a special wax. When applied, it looks like the chain came out of the freezer. They all are on 25mm tubs, and are all riding 11-27 cassettes. The young New Zealander though, has a 52/36 chainring set. All will be on Bora wheelsets with rim depths that will vary depending on taste.

Going into breakfast, I held the door open for a United Healthcare rider. He looked at my black RCJ t-shirt in disdain. No smile and no thank you.

One thing I will say about the Americans, they sure do things properly. Fabulous organisation and we have a superb fleet of vehicles at our disposal. Everything is running like clockwork and the organisers are all very pleasant and friendly. One guy came by the truck yesterday and implored us to make sure that we did not leave rubbish outside the van. There are bears around here and we were advised that they will rip open anything. RCJ is now waste management compliant!

So it's a beautiful day here; the sun is out and it's a fresh morning. We just need to pray that we can survive the day.

monday 18 august 2014

colorado calling danny boy. come in...

the fine fellows that form the rapha condor jlt cycling team are currently in colorado usa for this week's usa pro tour challenge, competing against world tour teams such as garmin sharp, bmc, cannondale, tinkoff saxo and all the other usual suspects. it's their opportunity to show what strength and depth a uk domestic team can offer against the top tier of the sport.

senior partner at sponsors jlt and former president of the rapha condor club (sadly ending with the withdrawal of title sponsor rapha at the end of this season), charlie pearch, is spending the week as an integral part of the team. he kindly offered to send notes from the inside, when time and opportunity permit. his first missive from abroad arrived today, so there is surely no more apposite time to air his views of the team's adventures across the pond.

hopefully there will be more as the week progresses.

"34,000 feet at 894 kph approaching Denver which is 90 minutes away and Caravan of Love is in my head. The Isley Bros words "Are you ready..." and "from the highest mountain..." resonate. My heart skips; I am alive, excited. IÕve followed my football team all over Europe, Milan, Rome, Porto, Bremmen, Stuttgart, Paris, Munich (ah what a night that was), Istanbul, but never have I done anything quite like this. A week, a ten hour flight and a small fortune to get here, just to follow a small British cycling team that realistically has little chance of doing anything. In football parlance it's Crewe Alexandra vs Manchester United. So now the Isley's sing "Stand up, Stand up..." words resonate deeper. "Are you ready, are you ready". The music stirs up hope. One never knows, maybe one of the youngsters will take a liking to a blue jersey.

"I'm wondering if John would like what's coursing my head right now? He's a music aficionado, but I am not sure about the Isley Brothers. Herety's an amazing man, so loved by all those that have ever ridden for him. Ok maybe there's an odd exception, but take the likes of an old King of Scotland, Jimmy McCallum, who told me two days ago of his respect and love of John, and that he was even planning on leading out our sprinter at the Nocturne. That says a lot. John Herety is British Cycling through and through, one of those northern diamonds. A man who tells it straight; he's the best. Ok, he's demanding, but he cares. He's a perfectionist, he's focused, but ultimately he's just bloody good and I can't wait to see him tomorrow.

"The thing is I know with 100% certainty that every British DS will be tuning into Colorado, and will be a tad jealous of our wildcard entry. And I am certain that they, deep down, will be rooting for the Men in Black, who this week will actually be representing British Cycling over here.

"So as we start our descent into the city that is a mile high, I figure that this will not be a long descent! The first officer just told us it's 31 degrees (88F) and thatÕs at 6pm. The race, which starts on Monday, is at altitudes considerably higher. Imagine, just imagine what the lads will be thinking when they sit on their top tubes at the start of the race on Monday."

sunday 17 august 2014