I was crawling back up the mountain after a bike session considering whether I would be able to go faster if I grabbed hold of the rock face on the switch backs and pulled myself along instead of pedalling when I heard the ping. Once I’d established that it wasn’t the sound of me blowing I thought I should check the bike. Snapped Spoke, wheel too buckled to turn. I took my front break off and had just about enough clearance between the forks to keep going, not all bad I thought at least I’m going to get an extra 500m to add to the training log.  I got to the Font Romeu bike shop, they had just closed for a 2 week summer holiday, I suppose being on holiday is a little better than being on strike like the rest of France, but it seems to be one or the other, so perhaps the bike shop will go on strike when they get back from holiday.  The next morning it was a 1000m descent with no front break to Spain where apparently there was a big bike shop that would defiantly have spokes. I like to show a bit of willing with the local lingo so I’d looked up “I’ve broken my wheel” in Spanish. The first guy hit me a response that sounded like machine gun fire and finished with multiple repetitions of NO TENGO and pointing in the direction over another shop….off I wobbled. Shop number two 45 minutes and directions from 3 old ladies later I found the second shop apparently they didn’t tengo either but they did speak a little English and gave me directions for shop number 3 which seemed to be half way to Andorra. Off I went arriving at shop number 3 around 11.55am, silly me siesta starts at 12 and that really means ten to twelve, plus it goes on till 4pm. Seeing as I’d hit the valley I thought that’s fine, I’ll spin the bike on the flat for a few hours find a coffee and a baguette somewhere then get the wheel fixed. 4pm and I’m back at the shop, knackered hungry and beginning to hallucinate from dehydration.  I’m lead to believe siesta includes all café’s petrol stations and supermarkets in Cataluna. At least this fellow tengo’d, “you have spoke?” Ce Tengo. You defiantly have spoke, look bladed? “Ce Tengo Tengo” but now just me, tomorrow morning you come? Ce, Gracias Senor “I’m glad I watched speedy Gonzales as a kid!”

I was planning to write a post all about how great altitude training was, I was going to descride the training centre and what we had been doing, talk about the appartment we have found in town and riding the mountains….. but…… I walked onto poolside this morning and saw my new girlfriend, I can’t think straight and its not just the thin air up here, so the sensible post is going to have to wait. 

Madam et Monsieur Je presente Laura Manaudou

I came 3rd and the the team came first, 3rd 4th and 5th over the line. After last years pretty useless results for the french it was  a massivle relief.  New Signing Jersey Boy Daniel Hawksworthy gave me a tow around the swim and we headed out one and two onto the bike. The pack came together but esmgo stayed at the front and covered the breaks. We got through transition without getting squashed (which was a major achievment) then ran through for some solid if not spectacular results. Bruno our new french lad ran strong at the start and was in 1st after 1km. Pete caught and passed me at 3km then I came back past the boys in the last km. There are lots of pictures on the e.s.m.g.o site, you can follow the link from my sponsors page.

 There has been alot of racing this weekend and i’ve just been reading some hilarious bloggs from the d1 race the itu points race and the corus race. This weekend I was more than happy with le french ddeux! Nothing spectacular but a happy team and a podium in my first race of the season.

Pete and I are heading down to Font Remou for three weeks in the mountains. The plan was to get a lift with one of the teams after the race but when it cam to getting in the van “desoley…ce nest pa possible” so it was in the van back to le harve and then on the train for a 12 hour trip this morning. We missed the connection and got stuck in Perpignan  I’m currently in a 30 euro hotel above a tatoo parlour and sandwiched inbetween two kebab shops. Train leaves for the mountains at 6.55 tommorow morning.

I had better get off the net before the guy in the kebab shop realises I am stealing his WiFi. I’m sure this isn’t what people think of when i tell them I am a full time athlete heading off for thre weeks altitude training in the pyrenees.      

I am off to France tomorrow for the first race of the French Grand Prix. It’s a bit of a shame to be finally leaving the u.k when we have just got the first of the nice weather, but then it will probably be raining by the end of the week and I realy need to get rid og the Vest marks I got on yesterdays run.

I raced the Devon County 5km last saturday and although I wasn’t very pleased with the time I won, I have also been back on the bike a few times over the last couple of weeks so I’m really looking forward to actually putting a race together in France. After that I’m heading down to Font Romeu in the Pyrenees for 2 weeks running at altitude before heading home for Windsor. I should have some time on my hands out there, so expect some intertesting original very witty and perfectly spelt web site updates!!