hey there,

tough wee stage here today, and this time it started how 90% of pro races typically start.. full gas.. with the race going uphill for 9km from the start it was always going to make the legs scream just a bit… and they did!

i don’t think the break went away till after about 30kms.. your probably reading this asking, why wouldn’t i know when it went away? simple really! im not in top form, far from it so all i was looking for was the wheel in front of me due to the speed we were going and the top of the dirty climb.. this is how we normally race in europe, and as hard as it is i actually prefer it. im a rider that needs to go hard and suffer before my legs actually come good. today the legs were great and its given me great confidence that my form is tracking along a good upward curve.

at times during the tour I’ve had to remind myself that im here on only basic training. im fit, but im nowhere near the level i was last year. the reason I’ve done this is to allow the racing to lift me up a level without too much stress.. all looking towards being in top shape for the classics which start mid march. so far during the race i thought maybe i should have come here with a heap of intervals under my belt, but thats only my ego talking! so today for me answered any self doubt that had been floating around in my mind cause i felt really strong..

it was hard today and pretty hot. up and down all day with a nasty climb with 20kms to go.. the teams with the climbers really hit the bottom of the climb hard. they went full gas to try and unload some of the sprinters before tomorrows uphill finish. i decided to just ease myself into the climb, and not go so far into the red that i would blow a fuse…. it turned out to be a good choice. i felt super on the climb and was within myself and at the top there was massive splits in the peleton.. there was only 40 guys at the top, and i was in there along with 5 other teammates.. so we had 6 there, which was pretty impressive and shows the teams strength…

coming into the finish we did the lead out to the best we could.. its always hard not having a lead out train like i have had in the past but we just about got benatti up for the win.. he finished 2nd today which was great to see. i felt as if i didn’t have that real top end power that i would normally have but like I’ve said before it will come when i train that system.. still it was a good day for the team, and personally a good day for thy head!

tomorrow is the day we have all been waiting for. last year we had 2 laps up wilunga hill, and finished in wilunga at the foot of the climb. tomorrow we have 2 laps up the climb, but we finish on top which is going to decide who could win this race.. still the sprinters have the advantage right now, and have time bonuses up their sleeve so that means the pace up the climb the first time is going to be hot… it has to be to get rid of the sprinters. my goal is to survive the first time up there, then put my teammates into position to win this race.. it will be an exciting day out and the atmosphere is going to be unreal.. it was last year, and now with it finishing on top its going to be even bigger..

so tune in tomorrow night with what i hope is great news.. its going to be a hard day, but i reckon our guys have the legs to win tomorrow, and maybe win the race..

thanks for reading, and to those here in adelaide a big thanks for all the support!

ciao
roly