Hi there,

Well stage 1 here in utah has been completed! I think for all the riders there will be a sense of relief that we wont have a 7km climb up to 1900m that will have to be completed 3x tomorrow, like we did today! It was a heavy, and very warm day.. up the climb each time it was 40 degrees, and with less air being at altitude it was rather hot!

I definitely feel like im going well. i feel strong and today i was really strong.. i wasnt quite in the front group,we were close, but when we got within 20s of the main group all the support cars stopped and so did our group. which was a bit disappointing, due to their being a strong group of 5 off the front of the bunch gunning it, which we only found out later contained the major players in this years tour of utah.. if we had of made contact, we could have helped with the chase, but never mind….. i guess this is where race radios are important, tactic wise, without them you really have no idea what is going on… but isnt that the beauty of cycling also?

Teejay didnt quite have it today, he still is in the same place on gc, but didnt quite have the air needed in the old lungs at the top of the climb to go with the front guys, but he was close… the race is far from over though, so we will still be trying to help him in any way possible in order to move up the GC.

My day was a good one.. the climb was bloody hard though, and the colombians only made it harder.. man are these guys good or what, cant believe they arent all in pro tour teams, sevilla was strong too, actually amazingly strong.. i still played the cautious card trying not to go too much over the red just yet cause i dont really know how the body is up here.. all i know is that my heart rate is honestly 15-20 beats higher than normal, and im seeing it beating higher than ive ever seen, possibly higher than even on the track.. so for me, id rather be sure my body is ready than blow the engine up! the time will come though when the numbers adjust and i am able to really have a go, but for now im happy in this wee experiment.

i was slightly pissed off before the race even started though, sevilla, who has been in many ongoing doping investigations, and still in one now got the ‘famous rider call up’ to be first in line at the start.. i mean come on people! why! i think half the peleton just about laughed, but i dont think he deserves that kind of call up… sure if he was a star, and never been involved in any investigation then fair enough.. he has accomplished some huge feats in his career but under a cloud…. but whatever! he was lining up with some greats of the sport and it just annoyed me a little, but thats just my opinion!

tomorrow looks to be a good day for us.. again the altitude will play a role as we are basically at 1500-1800m all day long, but it looks a good finish for our team. I think if i have the legs i had today it could also be a good stage for me. so lets just play this one by ear!

Im still really enjoying the states.. its amazing really. the people around the race are so passionate, i even got the chills hearing the national anthem being sung by a certain good looking woman! but it was just hearing it out loud, right in front of us all that i think sent a buzz right throughout the field..

righto, ive spoken enough. ranted a little, now its a big of relax time, then hopefully a great nights sleep so im ready to fight tomorrow!

thanks for reading and thanks for all the support.. you guys rock!

roly

Hi guys,

Im writing this with a huge smile on my face cause the race has begun, and despite my result i felt great! not that it was bad, but it wasnt exactly super either. i felt i just struggled to really push myself, a little scared maybe cause we were at 2200m today, which to those of you who dont really understand altitude (myself included) means exercising through a straw! there is less air up here meaning you have to work harder.. for example my warm up was short, cause as soon as i started rolling my heart rate was already 130 odd beats, when typically while first starting a warm up it would be 100 odd..

Im only thinking of the huge benefits ill be getting long term here, but today i was actually producing some good power, and whilst the heart rate was the highest ive ever seen it, i was actually in control.. so its a good sign. im going to be at altitude for 4 weeks in total, then come down for canada where ill really be in top form, then home to nz, then the tour of beijing i should have even more capacity to breath whether we are going UP, down, or around no matter what the intensity cause they say the real benefits come up to 3 weeks post altitude.. But it is all new to me.. some people respond well, some dont.. guess you could say im my own experiment in the making, but im pretty sure its gonna pay huge dividends later.

we had a really tough course. i mean, 2.2kms or something sounds pretty easy but 2kms was up this climb. It was not a course for me, but i just made the best of the situation i possibly could..
i was possibly one of the only ones on a tt bike. due to the difficulty of the climb alot chose standard bikes, but im looking forward,and i wanted to test it, and myself in the position as there is a good time trial coming later in the event.. plus more time trials in colorado, and beijing too so for me its all about looking to the future!

Jack Bauer had a great ride, he looks to be in good shape and reckon he will be up for a top result here.. also young george bennett too (who i still havent forgiven for attacking me up takaka in nelson tour whilst 1- taking a drink, and 2- hands off bars, zipping up my top!). we had a laugh about it the other day haha, but he had a great ride too for a young fella and will be good here having been living at altitude for sometime now..

Its always good seeing kiwis at any race.. here we have the pureblack guys, who have had a pretty good kick off year here in the states and guddy and chaddy both had good rides. we also have the ever friendly Jeremy Vennell, and paddy bevin both riding for Bissell too so its been great seeing familiar faces and catching up with the boys.. now i dont think ive missed any other kiwis, well i hope not anyway! Dale the hitter Parker is here too, he aint a kiwi, he is an aussie but i reckon we can just about claim him just with how he is! super cool dude and a super talent so watch this kid fly through his career!

now i have been talking about the future alot but i do have some goals here providing i adapt ok with the altitude.. i want a good time trial later in the race.. its a good course for me, and i will really give that some priority. there are some stages too where i can ride well, but the body will give me the green light, and when it does ill take it! we have a cool team here.. young super talent teejay is our leader and had a good ride today just missing the win by 6s or so he is in great form coming off the tour de france.. we have two young riders here, who are testing with our team.. the rest just a great bunch of guys and we are having fun so all is well..

thanks for reading and ill post each day from my hotel suite here at the sheraton.. the states is great for the massiveness of everything! compared to europe we all feel like kings!

ciao
roly

Hi guys,

Just a quick update on how things are progressing over here in europe, and also the race i just did, san sebastian.

Really got stuck into some good training post belg, then headed to san sebastian.. holy cow it is totally amazing there, beautiful beaches, cool wee city, and if the weather is good thats where i would be going on holiday. BUT i was working. i was pretty good there, felt strong but just didnt quite get over the jazkibel. its not a overly hard climb, being 7kms long, but after 160kms in the legs, plus tdf stars its takes its toll. i got right to the top, literally metres from the top and just couldnt quite hold on.. but i still come away from there happy, knowing im on the right track moving forward. julz got over but not sure how he ended up, he is going well though no doubt coming off the tour.

since then ive really been focused. i want results in this next period and thats what im going to get.. however, the two next races which are tour of utah, and colorado are at high altitude so although i feel rather good right now, and training has really been going well i have to wait to see how the body responds first.. probably utah will be more about getting used to less air, trying to just ride, rather than slaughter myself into a deep dark hole, then by colorado i should be real good.. after that i have the two one day pro tour races in canada which is going to be where i want to be at my best. and after 4 weeks at altitude it will be a great chance to give it a real crack..

apart from that not to much else going on.. weather is amazing here in spain and i leave saturday for the states where i hear its also very hot so it will be a great trip.

I had a double session day yesterday, with some really intensive efforts and 4hrs today.. lets just say this bed im lying on feels good, now for a wee sleep then off for a massage..

ill update as the races come and go.. so stay tuned…

thanks for reading,
roly

Hi guys,

Well werent we all treated to an amazing tour de france.. from the start to the finish everyone was on the edge of their seats. thats how cycling is meant to be isnt it! from the flat wet stages, with crashes and terrible weather, to the amazing mountains, it was an awesome race to watch.

The best man won this year. From the start he looked great, and his team were superb in keeping him out of trouble and in the right place at the right time. You seen HTC on the front of the peleton alot, but what you probably didnt see was team BMC also on the front, just back from HTC in the wind, doing just as much as HTC were doing, only not directly in front of the peleton. This was purely to keep Cadel in a good position to avoid any possible set backs.

Ill be the first pro to say it. The sport of cycling has now changed. It is cleaner. You can see it with the groups coming to the finish closer, and more together on the mountain stages. I hope it stays this way, cause it really does make the race a true race. A race like the tour de france shouldnt be won by whoever has the best doctor, its a race won by whoever has dedicated themselves for the entire year, from training to nutrition, to recovery and focus. Cadel won the race in the time trial this year, going close to winning the actual time trial itself which to me says his recovery is by far better than anyone elses.

I was really happy to see HTC have such a successful tour. To see Cav win the green jersey is great for him, but just as important for all the team and staff who all put in super long hours either on the front, or off the back for Cav.. Also behind the scenes, the staff from mechanics to masseuses, the bus driver, the owner of the team etc. the list goes on really.. HTC is my own team and seeing them doing the business was on one hand great, but on the other hand a touch disappointing as i wasnt there. I am good enough no doubt, but my season to date has not gone to plan hence why i wasnt in the tdf squad.. The season is long though as ive stated many times, and i am getting to where i need to be form wise to do what i want. so heres hoping.

Now what about Vockler. Man he is a fighter. That was great to see.. Its funny to think that he is probably disappointed right now not winning the tour de france, even though he went there with the hope of a possible stage win, but he also just about won the race.. I think he made one crucial error which would have cost him a podium spot.. The one stage where he tried to ride above his limit, i think it was the stage to alpe du huez. Its all about knowing your limits, he went well over it trying to follow the attack of either schleck or contador and blew up… forcing him back to the main group.. then as a result of going so far over the red, he was then dropped from that group. this is where he lost a podium spot. you live and learn though, and im sure he has taken alot away from this years tour de france.

Right as for me. Ive not long unpacked my suitcase from my trip to belgium. But now its time to re pack again and head to san sebastian.. I had a great time in belgium, 2 good races of very intense racing which was much needed. i was good, nothing super, but most importantly i got the racing i needed heading into the last part of the year.. so tomorrow i head to san sebastian to race against the tour de france boys, so we will see how that goes… I feel good, strong and im very motivated to do a good race..

Belgium is a great country. I actually love it up there. their passion for cycling is amazing and you get a massage, a very good one for 8 euro. haha. can you believe that.. they just love it. The only problem with belgium is the weather. But apart from that its an amazing cycling country and i just wish New Zealand would follow suit.. Who knows what will happen post rugby world cup though, you may even see carter at the next olympics lining up on the boards..

Looking toward the future i am going to have a wee tie in with the ALL Blacks as i am now starting to work with their head sports psychologist, Gilbert Enoka. Im really excited about this, and he will play a very important role with me heading towards next year… And as for next year, i cant tell you everything just yet… But its going to be great, and im really excited moving forward.

My goal from now to the end of the season is to have the arms in the air wearing the national colours. I want a win. I want results. I feel great right now, and this saturday in san sebastian will be a good test.. Im not expecting a miracle although the dream result would be arriving at the finish with a bunch of skinny climbers so i can sprint them all in for the win. haha.. I have some small goals which all lead to bigger goals as the season winds up..

Thanks for reading and again, i really appreciate the support. you guys are my rock and i will repay you in gold one day i hope

roly

Hi there,

Just thought id update you all with what the rest of my season is looking like.. Its going to be a busy period, alot of travel too, but im really excited about everything and want to finish the season with something to be proud of..

I am heading to belgium tomorrow with Sam Bewely to race 2 pro kermesses. We are staying with our mate, Marc Ryan so its going to be great to catch up again.. The kermesses will be important for me for a number of reasons, but mainly due to the intensity this style of racing brings.. My form is pretty bloody good, im super motivated and im going to race hard both days up there.. I want to come away with an intense block of racing and training under my belt so that i am ready to battle the tour riders in my first race back, San Sebastian.. Below is my race program for the rest of the season.

San Sebastian
Tour of Utah
Tour of Colorado
GP Montreal
GP Quebec
Koolskamp
Tour of China.

Its a great block of racing and there will be many possibilities for a result so this is what im shooting for.. After the race in Belgium, KoolsKamp, i am heading home to New Zealand for 2 weeks then on to China from there.. This will be my last race with HTC for the year.

Right, on to the TDF. Today you seen the old Alberto Contador back in action.. And what was only a Cat 2 climb, turned into a very good day for him.. Yes evans got away, but not on the climb, in fact Evans to me never looked comfy.. You seen Andy Schleck also get dropped going uphill, and lost even more time on the descent. Its not a real race though having a wet descent like that, but everyone had the same conditions so nobody can really complain..

Tomorrow your going to see more fireworks and i think you will see Contador attack again on the final climb.. As Lance once said, ‘every second counts’. In Albertos case this is very true.. The real test will be the following two days. This is where he will either win the tour for a 4th time, or he wont.. I dont think he can rely on the Time Trial, not against Evans anyway.. So its going to be a great next few days.

As for Vockler.. As much as people dislike the guy, he has ‘played’ the top contenders well. I think every interview has been an act, and lets just say, only he knows how good his legs are, and they are bloody good! He will be ok tomorrow i think, but the next day is going to be super hard for him.. But you never know… The tour is different this year, which is at times frustratingly boring, but at the same time its great!

The green jersey is firm on Cavs shoulders at the mo and tomorrow comes one sprint that he will go full gas for.. He might aswell, even though there is a cat 3 climb 20 odd kms before it, for him this should be treated like a finish so i expect good old Lars Bak, Danny Pate and Teejay controlling the peleton so he gets those vital points.. I reckon gilbert is out of that race now, with his only threat being Rojas from Movistar.. He is a good sprinter, and a good climber so its going to go down to the wire..

As for stage winners over the next few stages im picking Dave Millar for one of them, probably tomorrow, unless he is going to bank on being good in the time trial. He has had a relatively quiet tour so far, so he will have a crack somewhere for sure.. Contador has to win solo somewhere, and i hope he does to be honest.. Regardless of everything, he is a champion and will run a muck for sure!

Right enough from me.. Just got to pack for belgium now then up up and away…. again! Its going to be a full on month, but im really excited and looking forward to my first real test at san sebastian on 30th of july.. ill be ready!

Thanks for reading and cheers for the support..

ciao ciao
roly

Hey guys,

Ok so the tour de france is now over the half way mark… for many this will be a real motivating factor.. For the GC boys, its really only day 1.. Sounds a bit crazy thinking like this, and although there has been some hard days with testing finishes, the tour de frances real stages have only just begun!

Heres my thoughts on the race so far, and my picks for the overall crowns heading towards paris..

Cav has showed 3 times now that he is the fastest sprinter in the world.. Not only that, but one of the best riders in the world.. why? not for his flat stage efforts, but the effort where he come from nowhere up the climb to win his first stage.. that to me was unreal, and showed that he is capable of more than just winning flat stages.. You then seen how fast he is when he has his team all around him.. When HTC nail it, he is unstoppable… Its pretty cool to see my team pull it off, even sitting here at home wishing i was there, im still on the edge of my seat as you all are cheering the boys on..

I was really happy to see Greipel win the other day.. He is a super nice guy, and he timed that particular sprint to perfection.. This win for him will mean everything, so it was great to see the big gorilla nail it…

Youve seen a pretty impressive philip gilbert in action doing basically everything over the first half of the race.. He has now lost the green jersey to Cav but this competition is only going to get hotter… There is really only 2 more pure sprint days left.. Cav knows the importance of these 2 days, as does HTC so these days to them will be like a small world championship.. But then after seeing cav’s efforts up that climb, maybe there will be more opportunities later? Gilbert knows that he is only going to pick up scrappy points in the 2 flat stages so he will have to go on the attack.. And whos saying that someone like evans cant win the green? with so many hard days to come, these GC contenders will be picking up bulk points so to me the race is wide open.. Of course im hoping Cav nails it… its pretty exciting for all of us who are watching anyway…

The KOM really is anyones… At the moment you have the brave johnny hoogerland in the jersey but that will change for sure. He isnt a pure climber, and although everyone watching would like to see him win it due to what he went through 3 stages ago, i doubt very much that he will.. with the big climbs coming its basically anyones for the taking..

Now the GC. Today you seen contador crack.. You seen Kloden crash yet again, through no fault of his own.. You seen Frank Schleck take time back on evans… its really gonna be a great race… Up till now evans has looked the strongest but most of the stages have suited him far more than perhaps the others.. Basso looks to me as being the strongest, and he will get better too.. Contador seems to be struggling, and rightly so with all the pressure thats been on his shoulders re you know what! Andy Schleck looks good, but i dont know if he is as strong as he has been in the past.. But and a big but, its only day 1 in the mountains, and some of the riders will need a few days to adjust to going uphill..

what we do know is that evans sits in the prime spot. even though frank has now overtaken him on the general classification i still believe he is in control.. frank will need atleast a minute or more over him going into the time trial to win this race.. its a long way from now till the time trial though, with several thousand metres of climbing to be done… so who really knows what scenario will paly out from now till then.

So thats my thoughts on this exciting tour to date.. Its funny cause i never really watch much racing when im home.. But im glued to the tv watching this years tour.. its been pretty exciting so far and i think its only going to get better!

will update more later on.. hope everyone is well..

ciao
roly

Hey guys,

Time for a quick update on whats been happening in my world, and ill let you know my thoughts on the tour so far….

Ive been really good since my last race, focused but at the same time knowing my next race with the team is not till san sebastian at the end of july..

So i decided to fly home to nz for a 5 days to see my boy and it was the best decision i could have made.. seeing him at the airport, sprinting up to me was very special.. Moses stayed with me the entire time too, and we both loved every minute of it.. He is into his 2 wheeled bike i got him a while back so much now that its a tad worrying! haha.. he really loves it and it was the first thing he said as we woke up each morning…

Now im back in europe and settled back into the heat straight away.. i was lucky back home with sunny weather, although i think now its turned bad! back home i rode a mtb on the road.. With a really intense block, just knocked the hours back and rode hard with the same type of efforts i would do on the road bike so it was great.. It was actually a really hard block on the mtb, but it was a nice change too.. Its something ill do in the future thats for sure!

Now im back i have a few plans.. i feel the form is really good and so is the weight so now i am going to do a good block here, then head to belgium to do 4 one day pro kermesses to bring me up to the right level.. these are all hard races of typical length and they basically fall right after each other.. so im planning on turning it into a tour keeping the training up throughout which will have me hitting san sebastian in fine form..

Now for the tour! Been a typical week at the tour with crashes, nerves and crazy weather…. I think its been an exciting week from the publics point of view, but im sure the peleton wont be overly happy about it! There is nothing worse for a GC rider to train all year for this one race and then be caught up either in or behind crashes effectively ending their hopes of a win… But thats life, and as the old saying goes, dont put all your eggs into one basket!!! But in saying that cycling is so specific these days you sort of have to… gone are the merckx days where you could do every race hard..

Now cav has got 2 wins, one being a really impressive display of his talent.. the other being a great team display.. he is on a role and will win basically whenever he wants to now.. The green jersey comp is only just getting started and actually so s the race for yellow.. tomorrow you will see who has the early legs in this years tour.. After contadors bad luck so far i wont be suprised if i see him go hard and try and deal a blow to the other riders.. He looks to me a little stressed, doing things out of character where evans is doing everything right.. lets just say tomorrow the tour wont be won, but we will see who is capable of winning the race…

right ill update later with how things are progressing, and another insight on the tour de france..

Hope everyone is well! Go the crusaders in tonights final, heres hoping we can tune in somewhere online!

see you
roly