Criterium International Wrap Up

My Garmin-Slipstream Team and I ended the “mini Tour de France” on a good note in the difficult double stage day on Sunday.  Danny ended up on the overall podium after a 2nd place on the morning climbing stage and a strong time trial in the afternoon.  He was only seconds behind perennial winner Jens Voigt, the Lance Armstrong of Criterium International.  Its crazy, every year that guys just attacks on the first climb, a few guys go with him, and h dangles a minute in front of whats left of the charging peloton while riding his breakaway companions off his wheel.  Then he defends his lead in the TT.  Jens is obviously a morning person.  To go that hard at 8:30 in the morning, on daylight savings day BTW, when it is so cold that some guys were shivering uncontrollably in the neutral section, is pretty impressive.  I reckon he must have drank an entire pot of Just Go Harder Coffee.  After a cold and wet stage we hopped in the bus to get a quick lunch and a shower before heading off to the time trial.  Thanks to my long effort in the breakaway and then getting dropped after I was caught, I had the honor of starting first in the TT as lantern rouge!  I had a mediocre ride and held the lead for about 20 seconds until my teammate chasing me crossed the line…., then got to watch the TV in excitement as Wiggins raced to 2nd on the stage and Danny onto the podium.  You’d think after 100km off the front in the morning Jens would be a bit tired, but he rode the same time as Danny! Incredible!The Criterium International is really a mini Tour De France, like they say.  Its got everything: Flats, cold, wind, rain, little hills, big hills, little bumpy roads, big smooth roads, a summit finish, and a time trial.  All done full gas.  I really feel like I raced a whole week in only a weekend.  Pretty cool format though.  The only thing I would do if I were in charge is to modify the double day.  Instead of finishing at the top of the climb and stopping and going back to the hotel before the TT, we should all have the TT bikes set up at the finish line triathlon style.  Then you cross the finish line, switch to your TT bike, and race away to the next finish line, but no drafting.  Then the race would be over only 10 minutes later, instead of having to eat, change, change again, warm up, and race again.  What do you think?  I think that would make it pretty exciting.Lucky for me its raining an cold here in Girona so I dont have much problem taking the day off since Im tired anyways.  Did a yoga session this morning and now its nap time.thanks for checking in