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The closing of the WorldTour season: worlds, Lombardia and Beijing

October 17, 2013
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Another WorldTour season finished!

Since I finished the Vuelta a España, it felt like the end of the season was near. But with a few more objectives in the season, it was all about staying focused for another month or so. The period following the Vuelta was a new experience for me: it was the first time I had completed two Grand Tours in one year. I was a little uncertain how my body would react, especially with an objective so close afterwards. I was very happy to be selected for the world championships. It had been a race I had kept in the back of my mind since earlier in the season. I was hoping to go and play a strong support role for Ryder, but with him deciding to sit out worlds this year, it also offered a chance to see how things could unfold for myself. We all know how the day unfolded: terrible weather causing mayhem in the peloton. I didn’t mind the conditions so much. However, my day was actually brought to an early end when I got an untimely flat tire. Normally a flat would not be a huge deal, but as I stood on the side of the road holding the flat wheel above my head, I could do nothing but watch as every car, including the neutral support, just drove past me. I realized once the ambulance drove past, always the last car in the caravan, that my day was over. I reinstalled the flat wheel and rode it to the finish area, day done.

 

My last couple races of the season where the Giro di Lombardia, where bad luck crashed out our leaders, and the Tour of Beijing, where we were hoping for some success. The Tour of Beijing is quite a race. The logistics of moving team and equipment, the jet lag, and the different food can take its toll on staff and riders. The race itself is great: a balanced route and well-organized. However, most riders seemed to suffer at least some minor stomach problems or sickness. We lost two of our own to bad stomachs. Even with all that, Beijing is was still a race I enjoyed. Seeing the Great Wall doesn’t seem to get old and getting out to see a bit of Beijing after the race was cool.

Now its time to close out the season and get to enjoying some quality time with my wife. We are planning a couple cool trips abroad, which should keep the off-season interesting, as I try to forget that first team camp is just a little more than a month away.