Hey folks,

I will keep this one brief but try to get the last week across at the same time.

After finishing the Tour of Poland with a top ten and some really promising signs it didn’t take me long to realise I hadn’t raced a tour at this level for almost a year now. So peeling myself off the couch to do anything last week was a big task. It was nice to feel real fatigue from a race but it did last a lot longer than I hoped.

On Sunday I raced the Vattenfall Classic in Germany which I was really motivated for as I thought it could be a good race for me. Though this time my legs didn’t have a lot of juice in them, and I was back to the hotel for an early shower after about 180km.

The next morning we were on the plane to Rotterdam for the start of the Eneco Tour. I got on my tt bike yesterday for the first time in a year and my result showed it too.

Today it didn’t get any better, it got worse to be honest. Belgium has always been renowned to be quite a dangerous place to race and today it sure lived up to that. Even on a dry sunny day there were plenty of pile ups.

I really couldn’t believe it today, while reaching into my pocket for a bar after just dodging a crash, my front wheel dived into a pot hole and turned left sending me head first into the pavement! I don’t often get angry but damn I was pissed when I was scraping myself off the road. Though I do have to feel for my team mate Yoann Offredo who was here just to prepare for the Vuelta Espange and was taken down in the bunch and busted a collarbone.

Below is a link to how not to sprint.

Well time for kip and fingers crossed for a better day tomorrow.

Tim