Hi all,

Well I’m back again, as per the norm for the last couple months a little over due.  Life has thrown up a lot of interesting new challenges for me lately, I have dealt with some of these well and some not so well.   Beijing came and went that quick that now it doesn’t even feel like it actually happened, as it was only within days of it that I was getting swamped by kids after autographs at a post tour crit, before finding myself strung out in the gutter getting buffeted by cross winds in Belgium almost all in the same breath.

The seven days I spent in the so called “Olympic bubble” were pretty cool, and I really enjoyed the New Zealand company again after already 6months in Europe this year.  The race was a different story, and the best description I can think of is ‘silent murder’.  As the peloton battled it out up the 12km climb 7 times with virtually no noise except for the huffing and puffing of the other riders, as the determined Chinese security managed to keep all but 13 spectators off the the course, including my parents who had made the journey to try and see their son compete at the Olympics.  Well, not to be.

Though after returning to my European base here in Albi my parents did get to see me race, well sort of as I lined up in a post tour criterium in Quillan along with the Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre. It was a good night out for all, to get so close to the riders they saw battling it out in this years tour.

Tour of Benelux was up next for me, and after a solid opening prologue things were looking good for me.  Though with one moment of bad placing before a cross wind section I was unaware of, my GC hopes were over.  I battled on through the race looking for breakaway opportunities though not to any avail as the sprinter’s teams kept a good wrap on things all week.

So back home to Albi finally to get some well needed recovery in, and boy has the body appreciated it.  While the body has been getting some rest, my head has been spinning a little as it is that time of year, contract time!  A done deal for some but a real headache for a lot of others, and this year in particular.  As sponsors are coming and going in and out of the sport like its a chess game, there is a  feeling of uncertainty hanging over a lot of riders and teams heads at the moment.  So talk is rampant, but the aim is still to keep the mind on the job of turning the pedals as best I can.   Tour of Poland is my next call of duty, so I will be putting all efforts into turning the pedals with real conviction during my time there.

After these words I will be back on soon to give you all a little visual image of my past months adventures.

Thanks for reading

Tim