Colombia week two

The other day I returned from Colombia [now with the correct spelling, thanks John] and have enjoyed the last few sunny days just lazing around the house. This is a post from the second week of the tour which turned out much better than the first

From Colombia

After the rough start to the tour with everyone feeling a little sick and mishaps in the opening team time trial, the team was feeling better and some results came in. My rest day was indeed not a day of rest but a full day of work changing cables and chains. The bikes are time consuming just to change a cable as they have internal routing but also there are cable stops that have to be removed to feed the cable sleeve through. On Victor's bike the cable stop for the brake had a burred screw which takes a tiny 2mm allen key. So what I told William to do was drill out the screw, remove the stopper and run a continuous cable from the lever to the calliper. It worked but it just took extra time. Other than all that, we had to change a few tyres which we have a good sponsor there in Vittoria and they have supplied the team with a decent amount of tubulars which is a good thing as you use alot. During the tour we went through something like 30 tubs and the flats average was about 2 per day, which is not bad considering the road conditions on certian stages and that some days were wet.

From Colombia

After the rest day there was the ITT which we were hoping to win with Oscar but it didn't turn out that way. Victor and Paco also put in quick times but it just wasn't enough. The earlier part of the week not alot happened, a stage went through Geurilla territory and then there was a landslide that closed the road and stopped the race for two hours, that was a long day. The guys also did have to contend a very tough mountain top finish where it was 18% in some parts and riders were being pushed along by the spectators, it was a great atmosphere.

From Colombia

What happens when the race just stops for 2 hours.

With the tour coming to an end Rudy was keen for a stage win, but time was running out. Stage 12 there was a incident with Velasco. He had a flat, it was a routine change, Chepe bought back to the convoy as far as we could [more on that in a minute], and within 30 seconds he was on the deck and changing bikes. He finished the day but was disqualified for pacing and was not allowed to start the next day, dissapointing. But that day was sweetened by the stage win from Victor, in a final break of four Chepe and I followed Victor from when the break formed at about 50km to go, and by the end he was seconds ahead of the peloton but put in a huge show of strength up the final climb to the finish. It was nerve racking in the car as we were unsure if he would make it or be caught, then the race radio shouts "VICTOR HUGO PENA", the team got its victory.

Then the next day was the unexpected victory, Chady breaks away with 80km to go and solo's to the line. Chepe and I were there again in the second car to see it happen, Chady with time up his sleeve punching his fist in the air, giving the famous Rock Racing salute with 1km to go and then throwing the two arms in the air as he crosses the line. We missed the team car deviation in all the excitment and drove the across the line instead where Chady was mobbed by fans and reporters. two in a row and the team team was going for number three.

From Colombia

The crucial mountian time trial on the final day. It was a day of this one or that one as far as bikes go, normal bike or TT bike, normal wheels or disc wheel. Guti was out early and gave the info of the conditions. Paco set out on the TT bike and set the best time, I was on course with Victor who was on his normal bike with clip-ons and a disc and had also set a new best time. Then Oscar, who decided to change bikes just before his start also came in with a new best time, but Rujano couldn't expect that winning the tour by 5 minutes was enough as he went on to take the stage. Oscar finished third.

So that was the tour over and it was time to pack everything up which I mostly did on my own and some help from Willy, packing all the wheels and materials to take back to Belgium and then the 8 race bikes, 8 TT bikes and 3 spare bikes. In the end we had 6 bike cartons, 6 bike bags, 2 cooler boxes, 1 bag of spare parts, my tool box and all our suit cases to check in, good thing we didn't pay the excess weight.

The race was good organisation and only one crappy hotel, but for the rules, if you're going to follow UCI rules follow them all. You cant have a vehicle over 1.6 meters high in the convoy and yet they disqualify your rider for coming back behind cars after a fall or a flat. And they have way too many cars in the convoy that travel on the left, so team cars can't get through quick enough to get to their riders in the peloton. And telling us no feeding with 20km to go on a hot mountain top finish, have some sense. Its strange to see the different rules race officials apply at races where I travel.

With everything ready to go, Monday was a day to be a tourist. After a good sleep in and some brunch at the donut shop [a toasted sandwich] we headed up to the mountain that sits on Bogota's city edge. At almost 3000m [2980m right Chady?] you could look down on the whole city. On the way back we decided to walk back to the hotel, Rudy and Willy were a little ahead of us when some guy on a moto tried to snatch Rudy's blackberry straight out of his hand. Like the girl grabbing the camera from the car, their not afraid to snatch it right in front of you. Myself, chady and Robert weren't far behind so the guy rode off. Then Robert decided to arm himself with a stick that had a nail petruding from it [good photo on Chady's facebook page].
So if you come to Colombia, leave your flashy stuff in the hotel or take a stick.

From Colombia

Apart from that, the whole Colombian culture was interesting. It was not third world as many people think, most people have a house/building to live in, and cars and all. I've seen many worse places for living/hotels/schooling conditions, such as China and Serbia. All the school children lining the race course were all wearing school uniforms. And people don't just come around kidnapping you for no reason, the Colombian mafia only deal with those in their business, stay out of their business and you'll be ok. Just don't wear/take anything flashy cos the petty thieves will steal the shirt off your back.

There's a few more races there later in the year, so maybe I get to go back, which would be good because the coffee is great.

Keep riding
Funky

Mid race update from Columbia.

Well its end of week one in Columbia and I have managed to steal a computer from Chepe [second DS], so here's a quick update before he wants it back [thou he's proberly at the bar].
Im here at the 59th Vuelta Pilsen a Columbia, a two week tour with 15 stages and some going into the clouds at around 3500m. Im here with the Rock Racing team and tomorrow is a much needed rest day, but not so much for me.

The team arrived in Columbia a week early for training and to get used to the altitude but I arrived a day before the tours start which was last Saturday and began with a team time trial prologue. It didn't really go our way has Kemps was sick, Velasco's saddle moved, the pace was too much for Sergey and then shit really hit the fan when Mancebo jammed his chain after hitting a bump on the road. I first thought it had jumped off the front ring so that would be a quick fix but it was stuck between the 11 cog and the frame. I got it out just as Chepe grabbed the spare off the roof, but time was lost as Mancebo was the 6th man and the time was from him. Not a good day.
Stage 1 was a wet day but only a distance of 85kms so it went ok for the team. The second stage had only some small climbs so not a great deal went on, but we did lose Sergey this day after been disqualified for a small push. But stage 3 had a few drama's, first losing Kemps [he never really came good after been sick], then further on Chepe and I were coming back to the peloton [after Kemps got in the car] when we found Guti sitting on the side of the road with a broken derailleur hanger. It was lucky we had Kemps' bike on the roof, a tad small for Guti but it would do until further up the road where I replaced his hanger and he could continue on his own bike. At this stage the first car of Rudy had over heated and we had to change cars. Things were on the up as a break was 9 minutes up the road in stage 4 and we had Cesar Grajales in it, but he was a bit out numbered with some teams having 2 or 3 riders there [i think he finished 6th and took the green jersey]. The 5th stage was another flat day and we were keen for another break but the leader of the tour was out the back and the two GC teams were driving the pace so high no break was possible [146kms with an average of 50km/h]. Then today was a tough one with 40kms of climbing to be done. There was a break gone but the team had Velasco and Chady in it. The day was looking good as Velasco was setting pace for Chady to keep some in reserve for the win. That was until Jose Rujano [3rd place GC Giro rider] broke from the peloton and made up 4mins on the climb and flew past the break like they were standing still. Oscar also made up ground on the climb, caught Chady on the decent and finished 3rd for the stage.

So its rest day for the riders tomorrow but I have a bunch of work to be done like change cables and chains plus ready the TT bikes as Sunday is a time trial. I have my Columbian helper William to get things done thou. He doesn't speak any english so it has being an interesting week of communication, but Im used to that now and have slowly trained him into my way of working as each day goes on. He has being doing the first car has he knows the climbs and that is important for Rudy. So I have had a change of pace and do the second car with Chepe who is a good guy, bit of a player but a funny mexican guy.

So far Columbia has being good, it can be frustrating at times working with new people but you find your groove and do what works. My mornings have been mostly around a 5:30-6am wake up and about a 7pm finish, so not too bad. The hotels are reasonable with one having no water in the morning [thou the whole town was out] and one having no hot water, but it has been humid here and around 25 degrees so a cold shower is refreshing after sweating all day. The food has been a little basic and a tad repeaditive, but Im used to that now and makes it great to go home to a good home cooked meal from Linds.
Well it's now well after 11pm and its time to get ready for bed. My room mate Robert has passed out already [photo to come] and I have had Victor in here hiding from something since before dinner, along with other riders popping in and out. Rudy also just stopped in to ask me how many disc wheels we have, so hopefully the door now can be shut and I can sleep. Im currently in Medellin, a big city that looks and sounds lively, maybe tomorrow I can have a little look around. Oh, and Columbia is not as bad as what people make out to be, very much worth a visit and I'm glad I got to experince it, so far. Thou you have to keep a close eye on your belongings sometimes. I always keep a eye on the bikes at every race but here, at a stage start the car door was open, I turned away for a second and there was a girl reaching in to grab Chady's camera out of the seat pocket, Chepe caught her with it in her hand but she put back and then had to convince us she didn't take anything, which she didn't. Other than that its being great here and I'll tell you the rest when I return home.

Adios
Funky

P.S. thanks for the lap top Chepe.

FBD Insurance RAS

Well I guess its time for another post. Hopefully in a couple of months I will be able to post from the races as I intend to buy a lap top so I can give reports while at the race instead of writing it all when I return home.

Thanks to the people that take the time to leave comments and send me mail. And Hayden, your more than welcome. I will be in China the last two weeks of July returning home some time around the 3rd August, but send me a mail to let me know your plans.

So my last race was the RAS in Ireland with Team Cinelli. I was not planing on doing this race as I would be home two days before going to Columbia and it seemed it would be just too much. But they needed me and I needed the cash. Thou there was a short straw to doing it, and that was of course the drive. I was not the only one thou as Gil and Stefan also had to do it while the riders flew. Three drivers and two vehicles, atleast we could sleep in shifts.
I was at the team house [or the pig pen as I see it, dont get me started.] to pack the truck mid afternoon as we were leaving at 11pm to catch our first ferry in Calais at 2am. Its a short crossing of an hour and a half, just enough time for a quick kip on a lounge if your quick to get one. Once off at Dover we would drive through the wee hours of the morning in aim to beat the mad traffic rush around London and catch the next ferry in Holyhead around 2pm. This crossing is 3 hours so its more than just kip time. I managed to find a vacant lounge chair and get 1 hour of shut eye. Then we were off in Dublin fighting the 5 o'clock rush hour traffic to our hotel for a much needed decent meal and bed.

The next day the 5 riders arrived and the bikes were prepared for a training session, although the weather was typical Ireland, grey and wet. Sven and Nicholas managed to pick a dry spell and go for a quick spin.



Our tour started well with Nick getting up there in the uphill sprint for third and claiming the white jersey. The days racing was wet and cold and it would stay that way until the last day. Stage 2 we lost Logan to a knee problem he was having, so the team was now of four. Stage 3 was quite for us also but the guys were finishing up there in the top 20 and Bert was in 7th on GC.



Stage 3 was also the day Gil put a rider into the fence, funny. We were going through the convoy to do a wheel change for Sven. As it happens, we see him and he see's us, so we quickly slip into the convoy to stop. Gil pulls the car slowly to the left just in front of Sven when we hear this AAHHHH!. Just as I was about to open the door a rider goes thumping along the car, scrapes a thorn bush and parks himself up against a rock fence, then abuses Gil. I know these guys drive on the left, but you dont ride through the convoy on the left cos that what happens. Anyway, he rode on, we apologised and everyone was happy. The last thing we want is a angry Irishmen. Stage 4 was better with Nick taking an impressive stage win on another uphill finish. Bert was also moving up on GC and did alot of work to get Nick into a good position for the win. This guy is a machine.

Stage 5 there was a break up the road, in the closing kilometers it was a 1:30 time gap, Bert goes on the front and within 3k the gap is like down to 30seconds. This set Nick up for stage win number two.


Nick (light blue jersey) following Bert (tall lanky guy) as they motor to the front.


Nick with the second stage win. The stage winner gets the light blue jersey for the next day.

Stage 6 saw Nick on the podium for another 3rd. Its great getting results but for me it means working late. With Nick placing he had doping control, so Stefan would go back to the hotel with the other riders while Gil stays with Nick and I stay with the car [to watch the bikes on the roof]. Then when we finally arrive at the hotel and as I was the only mechanic, I would have to run around and connect water and electricity before I could start washing bikes. But by this stage we were down to 3 riders, Bert suddenly had to withdrawl from the race and be home for personal reasons. But the guys battled on to the end and we left with some great results thanks to great teamwork.

Then it was time for the all night drive home after the final stage. After dropping off the riders at their hotel and some more of the same dinner, our ferry out of Dublin was at 9pm. This time we booked a cabin and slept a good part of the 3 hour crossing in a decent bed followed by a quick wake up shower. Then from midnight it was non stop all through the night. I drove all the way across England while Gil and Stefan swapped the driving, then I got to sleep once off at Calais sleeping all the way back to Booischot. The back seat of the truck makes not a bad sleeper.

For me it was a good tour and I'm glad I got to do it. The hotels were great, the food was great [although a bit repedative, I got tired of english breakfast everyday] and our longest transfer was 45kms with most of the hotels not far from the finish each day. I had 5 flats but only got out of the car once thanks to the neutral service. But we did cop a fine for some out the window brake adjustments [pushing] early in the race when Peter was in a small crash.

So my trip to Columbia thankfully was put back a week, so I have had some rest the past week to spend some time at home (with Lindsay, who also had a long weekend this weekend, and the most perfect weather ever!), but I leave for Columbia tomorrow so I'll write when I'm back.

Ride safe
Funky