This was a great trip, and we look forward to life at home and the Leadville 100 mtb on 8/13.
Highlights of the trip:
2nd, MB Race, Megeve, France
With four climbs adding up to over 18000' of climbing and a field of 500, the 140-kilometer MB Race was a bear. Lots of riding at altitude prepared me well, and I was able to finish 2nd overall. I won a huge ham and some French wine, and participated in a public speech and TV interview after the race. It was quite an experience!
12th, Salzkammergut Trophy, Bad Goisern, Austria
A week after the MB Race (and a day after crash-related swelling in my abdomen finally subsided enough to breath hard), I toed the line with a strong international field of 600 at the Salzkammergut Trophy MTB race in Austria. Heavy legs and the foolish choice of carrying backpack with 3L of water left me hoping for a bit more sharpness on the first climb, and I lost contact with the leaders. From there, however, the racing was steady and I passed a few racers in the final 20 miles to finish 12th. The ride gained more than 21000' over 211 kilometers, and it was a solid day in the saddle!
Tour de France
We traveled to the Alps for the final stages of the Tour. Road closures during the Galibier stage forced us to watch the race from a small bar in Bourg d'Oisson, at the base of Alpe d'Huez, and we enjoyed the experience. The next day, French AR legend Seb Sxay and I rode up and down L'Alpe in the morning before we all headed up the hill to watch the climb. The atmosphere was absolutely crazy! Finally, we watched the time trial in Grenoble.
Cancellara and Cavendish at the TT:
The scene at Alpe d'Huez:
Climbing Alpe d'Huez:
Trav, this is sooo cool. Man you are living life as it should be lived. And to share it all with your fam is the icing on the cake!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your racing..