Very big day here in Spain. It was super hot and we covered close to 4000m vertical meters of climbing today. We started in calpe and rode up the coast at full speed. Over small climbs, up and downs and lots of corners…. In the first hr we averaged 45km/hr…. It was very hard and the peleton was in pieces!

I felt good. I was struggling at times but was within myself which was good…. But the pace was really on.

The break went after about 30mins of madness and euskatel controlled the peleton… They rode immediately due to some riders in the break being high on the GC. So we never really rode easy….

Today I was really strong, and did some great work for the team. I wasn’t in the gruppetto today, I was right at the front when that was called, so I got over the really steep climb with the main group…. Not for any reason other than to help our gc boys… I took teejay to the front, then ventured back and got the final bidons for the boys. Now this is where it really hurt! The pace was on in the 2nd last climb with the remaining 80 guys in single file.. I did a full gas effort to take the bidons to the guys, at one point I looked up asking myself if I could even get to the guys…. I did finally after a mad sprint, and the boys were very grateful.. Then that was me dine. I exploded! Then rode easy to the finish happy with the job I did…

We then were straight in the bus and into a 4 hr transfer to our hotel here in sitges. It was painful this trip and stiffness is a word the first describes the feeling on arrival.. We are in a mint hotel though, a 5 star so all the boys are happy… However we just got told it’s the gay hotspot in Spain and at breaky this am we seen why! Lol. We were too scared to look up! Ferral! Nothing against them though, each to their own, it was weird!

Today we have arrest day and its come at the right time… The peleton is really tired, myself included…. Today we have a wee stroll, then a long massage in order to recover the body… I’ll do a 25min temp effort today though just to keep the body ticking.. It’s unreal thinking that and you all must think I’m crazy… But in the tour last year I just rode and man did I suffer the next day..

I’ll update after stage 10 with what I hope is a good report.. The next few days presents some nice opportunities and I hope to make the most of them… Time will tell!

Hope your all enjoying the reports.. I like writing them and keeping you all informed.

Talk soon, ciao ciao

Today was a very hard day in the office.

It started off calmly with the peleton paying it’s respect to the team sky soingeur who passed away yesterday…. Pretty sad day for that team, they all pulled out but were present at the start of the stage…

The peleton started off with 20kms of easy riding and then it was on like donkey kong! A 10km slight uphill to start fired things up before a massive crash in the peleton caused huge havoc… I come down here too…. I went straight over the handle bars and down into a rocky ditch… It was at slow speed and I got hit from behind hard. I really was scared though, thinking only of my knee, but I came away from it with little skin off so I was happy…. Don’t know what caused it, but it happened at the front of the bunch and many come down…

From here it was on. The peleton chilled for a bit here as many were a but shaken but as soon as we hit the first climb of the day the attacks started. I felt really bad after my crash, I had to change my bike and I just was on the red for a long time as the parcours never allowed for any rest. Many thoughts were running through my head here I can tell you that, but as you do, I carried on and things came better…..

The race blew apart on the 2nd last climb and I rode in with the gruppetto… It wasn’t easy though and we had to ride hard to make the time cut as a super steep climb to the finish was on everyones mind…

This climb was unreal.. Gradients like I’ve never seen before. A lot had 27s, some had 29s, and the guys in the front had compacts on… Like I said, unreal!

It was over 6 hrs on the bike today in the first really hard day of this years tour… Tomorrow is harder again so it will be interesting to see what happens…

I was really happy with my feelings in the last half of the race. I got better and that’s a good sign… This weekend isn’t for me though, although I’ll still sniff around tomorrow in case of those legs you dream about decide to poke me! Otherwise it will be conserve again, readying myself for what lies ahead…

Today was a reals mental test though and a lot are very tired….. All good if you ask me!

Will update tomorrow from hot sweaty espana! Happy that all my family and friends are ok in chch… Looks like something out of a holywood movie if you ask me…. What is the world coming too! Moses had to have a cold bottle cause of no power, poor buggar. Still slept like a Trojan though so all good lol…

Ciao my friends.
Roly

The break of 4 was gone in about 10s today, I kid you not! Everyone knew it was going to be a sprint and with 2 very heavy days coming the peleton was moving very slow for the first 50kms…… I don’t know whether I like this or not, cause as soon as you do ride hard it hurts!

The sprint sounds all very well, and it probably looks easy. This is how it is…. The race starts to really ramp up from 60km out. The guys riding tempo now up it a level and the peleton has gone from a group to a single line… Then it starts swarming, guys taking risks to bring their leaders to the front out of trouble…. Sprinters teams all surf the wave keeping their sprinter near the front.. Then you have to negotiate the course, the corners the roundabouts knowing 100 guys all want to do the same thing.. It’s carnage. It’s nervous, even bloody scary…. Just coming back from a serious crash makes it even more nerve wracking. Then it really starts, the lead out trains are now full gas trying all stay together. All to deliver their sprinter to the line in the fastest way possible.. It’s crazy, but when you pull it off it’s a special feeling.

Today we had it perfect up until the 2nd last roundabout. Here I was knocked off the wheel and at 60km/hr it’s hard to get back there. The boys carried on like normal, I had to settle 10 back with both gossy and cav on my wheel. I launched with 800m to go, just to move the last 2 up level with the lampre train… Gossy jumped then cav…. He was fully boxed in though so never got a run, gutted….. He finished 2nd.

It’s so important to stay together, but it’s bloody hard to pull it off. Had I not been knocked off the wheel, we would have been position 3 and would have had control of the sprint….. It takes big balls to stay there though, something I’m still learning, but it will happen.

Still tonight at dinner we laughed. Had a wine, and today is now history. The next 2 days are very hard and will really damage the peleton… I personally am looking forward to them, I am better the harder it is.

So tomorrow we have 190kms. Hard climb close to finish. I wouldn’t mind going up the road if the right break goes. We will see.

Will write more tomorrow….

Ciao ciao

I feel really good although the results don’t show it! My legs are ready as I’ve said a few times already, Im just not ready to risk my body when I have only just come back from a crash.

Thor won today.. Was really happy to hear that.. He is a good mate and today we had a good laugh about the few too many beers he consumed last night! The carbs obviously helped the big Viking…… Super good guy, and strong as an ox!

It was so dangerous before the final climb… I ummmmed and arrrrred about whether to have a crack or not. Half of me said yes! Half said no! In hindsight I think I made the right choice…. These pins cant outsprint the Viking, and as I’ve also said before, I’m not here for a stage placing! I’m here to win a stage, and to deliver cav to the line first!

Tomorrow we have another sprint day. Then Saturday and Sunday are going to be super hard. Back to back will really take it’s toll on the riders and that’s what I need. Whether I’m up for a crack these 2 days remains to be seen, but every hard day just tires everyone out more so for me it’s a good thing. I just got to pray that I keep improving so I’m ready to go!

In a grand tour energy saving is everything.. You may get one crack at a stage win… You have to put all your eggs in one basket so on this day you have the full energy reserves needed to win…. I’ll be ready when I need to be!

Will update tomorrow…

Hope your all enjoying the updates. Thanks for reading..

Ciao
Roly

Today’s stage felt longer than it was but it was nice to finally get some flat….ish roads for a change.

There’s not a lot to report about today with the break going early allowing the bunch to really cruise and enjoy a 5hr ‘recovery ride’ in spains nice weather. It’s always nice to be able to talk, rather than sucking up any available air like in the last few days!

The finish was chaos though. Big long straight roads allowing riders to come to the front often and trying to control it is a big ask.. The wind was blowing too which just put everyone on red alert for any side winds….We started the day less one rider as Bernie stopped the race yesterday. Its a big loss for us as he really is our leader on the road. However we still did the best we could to try set cav up for the win. We had some bad luck with 3kms to go today when gossy punctured so that was him gone. We ended up all being in the front too early and I did my pull at 3km to go….. Bummer. Cav was left alone and he hit out from a long way out due to his position heading into the final meters….. He got passed just shy of the line.. Oh well! Even the worlds fastest get beaten. That’s cycling for you…. The team was super though, very strong so that’s a big plus….

I felt good again…. Really feeling powerful which is good… Tomorrow we have a short day of 150kms with a nasty 4k climb right at the finish…. Will be interesting to see what happens here! Would love to be up there but we will just see how the body is.

I’m just back from the dentist again.. Bloody teeth! Hopefully all sorted now though.

Teams spirit is still high… I hope it’s hard tomorrow, I actually feel better when it’s like that. Weird I know, I haven’t lost the plot, it’s just more of a race when it’s like that.

Will update tomorrow from Spain….

Ciao for now

I could have forced it yesterday, but that would have only done damage to a body that wasnt ready. Now it is ready, well close to it anyway, ive now just got to wait for the right day, right moment and ive really got to make the most out of it.

Alot here are really struggling. So far the Vuelta has been hard, hot and alot of climbing. I really think the peleton will find its pecking order in the next few days and then the breakaways will get a chance to shine. I just hope that i am good enough these days to get into the right move and take it all the way to the line.. what a dream that would be.

Today was up and down all day. We had a climb not long after the start which made the peleton rather nervous.. Lucky for us the break as gone by then and lotto controlled the tempo on the climb. It never really let up from here with no descent (gutted!) and a sticky road just made life uneasy at times for everyone.. the finish was up a really steep hill and we had 2 guys in the top 6 so that was great for the team. Young Teejay put in a stellar ride for his first grand tour, and being a neo pro he is super happy with how he is going so far..
i found my group on the last 11km climb of the day and just road in.. again i could have pushed it but a top 20 isnt what im here for so i decided to let the legs enjoy the ride, and save as much energy as possible..

tomorrow we have a sprint day.. well on paper it looks like that but ill believe it when i see it.. I dont think we have ridden much flat at all so far even though the booklet says we should have! Maybe the organisers should drive the course first to see whats in store for us poor buggars!

will update tomorrow with what im hoping is a successful day for us.. we will aim to deliver cav to the line first… He has been pretty crook the last few days though, think julz copped some spew from cav today.. poor old julz! like he doesnt have enough on his plate! lol

talk soon,
ciao for now
roly

Of course the break never went on the climb so it was full gas on the descent and over a few undulations till it did go. You could hear the sigh if relief from nz I reckon!

We rolled along for a long time after this letting the group come back and everyone recharge till the final climb where the auto bus was called directly, and I took my seat! The auto bus is also known as the gruppetto in cycling, it’s when a bunch of riders all just ride to the finish, some to save energy, some cause they have no choice and some are even on the rivet just staying here! I was more the first two today…. After yesterday I was tired and to force it this early in the race would not be healthy for this mans soul!

Our gc riders did a good job finishing right up there so all good. I got to the finish happy but tired. It was only 157kms but it took us 4.5hrs. So 36km/hr average! Got to love this race!

Tomorrow we have a similar day. It’s 183kms with a climb at the finish. For me it will be similar to today. I wont be forcing anything. My body aint ready, but soon enough it will be. Cause of the heat there is already a lot in the box….. It’s no place to be trust me! I think the heat will zap everybody in this tour, it’s bloody incredible.

The team is still all laughs at the dinner table which us great for everyones morale. Breaky is a touch quieter though! Lol

Will update tomorrow. Cheers for all the messages. Love reading them and I really appreciate it..

Ciao my friends,
Roly

173kms was on the cards today and naturally seeing we had the leaders jersey our team had to control the race. We also wanted to get our sprinter mark cavendish up for the win so we we were committed from the get go.

Two of our guys started riding after the break went……much to the disgust of the peleton who were all really enjoying rolling along at snails pace! Actually it disgusted me too, along with half of our team cause it was quite nice just relaxing in the Spanish heat..

The day was hard. I knew it would be though as I raced ruta del sol at the start of the year in this area and that was not an easy race! Add in there some climbs which aren’t actually climbs (don’t ask me how that works) and a crash by two of my teammates on a dusty corner, meant for a hard day in the office. I was 1 meter from crashing also but I held it up…. I was thanking the lord here!

The break surprised me and really took the race by the scruff of the neck today. I started riding after 40kms and we rode fairly hard all day. I felt strong today but not super, mind you guys were getting dropped with us on the front so that’s always good for the morale

We caught the break with 12kms to go and that was my job done. We didn’t win today but we were close. We were all a bit gutted after pulling all day but like I said it was a very hard day and cav will be back winning in no time!

Tomorrow it’s a shorter day being only 157kms. This worries me! Basically means full gas! We have a 15k climb near the end of the stage too which for sure is going to tickle, but what that means is a nice freewheel to the finish!

Tomorrow youll find a group going to the finish. Here’s hoping our gc guys find their legs and hang in there. I’ll just get through tomorrow the best I can and then we will see…..

It’s great to finally be racing though, I’m loving being here and the team morale is still very high after our great win last night.

Thanks for reading and keep following me! Good things come to those who wait right!!!!!

Ciao!

Well we did it. Last nighthere in seville HTC Columbia smoked around the 13km course in a shade over 14m. 10 s faster than any other team which is a huge winning margin. What a feeling. I’ve won teams pursuits before and that feeling is amazing, but to win in a grand tour is truly something special and not many get to experience that feeling.

I feel super proud right now. Not just with the team but with myself. I mean why not! Just over 10 days ago I was thinking the season was over, really distraught thinking my good form was gone. The next minute I’m riding 60km/hr with 8 guys on my wheel in a grand tour stage win, then standing atop of the podium. What a feeling and what a great way to overcome my disappointment.

It was really nail biting stuff in the bus last night. Especially thinking we had won even before teams had finished. We didn’t consider cervelo a contender and when we heard that they were a sec up at the intermediate split the bus went super silent. It was a weird feeling, and believe me the group prayer started now! There was a massive roar when we knew we had won, it was special.. As soon as wegot off the bike though I said we would go close. I’ve done many efforts like this before and I just knew it was fast. It was smooth, and at times effortless. Which normally means a fast ride. We did it and the feeling on the podium was incredible not to mention the champagne which was consumed back stage!

It finished so late. We didn’t get back to the hotel until 12.30am. Few beers later, plus the recovery shape and it was bed time. Now we are all up and it’s time to do it all over again…

Today we have 170kms on the cards. We are hoping for a sprint to try get cav up for the win. Its hot here, you sweat even before you put the chamois. So the right nutrition and hydration will be key in this 3 week race.

Enough from me. Thanks for reading and a big thanks to all the support vie had re the crash. That’s all history now and more success is coming…… I’ve got that feeling.

Ciao ciao

The Kiwi and his team mates came through the 13 kilometre late night race against the clock through the streets of Seville in Spain ten seconds faster than second placed Liquigas-Doimo on the flat fast course to record his first Grand Tour podium win.

“It was just awesome – the team was awesome and it’s a great start and was fantastic to stand on the top step of the podium with the team,” Roulston said.

Team mate Mark Cavendish was the first HTC-Columbia rider across the line making him the race’s first leader.

Roulston crashed recently in a one day race in Italy putting doubt into his ability to start the seasons last Grand Tour, but he showed overnight he is ready to race and said he expects to improve as the three week event unfolds.

After focusing on getting his race legs back during the first week of the three week tour, Roulston has set his sights on an individual stage win.

“Everything is looking good and I expect to improve every day and should get back to the form I was in when I crashed during the tour.”

“My goals for the race are clear. I want a stage win, that’s in my mind and regardless of how good or bad this first week goes I’ll hold on to that thought. I want to be strong for the team as well as we have Cavendish racing and he is by far the fastest sprinter in the world right now; so getting him a few wins is high on the teams agenda.”

Ends

Results – team time trial
1. HTC-Columbia 14m06s
2. Liquigas, 10 “.
3. Saxo Bank, 12 “.
4. Lampre, 14 “.
5. Garmin, 17 “.
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