Leaving Soon

As has been my pattern lately, I haven't been posting to this blog. Shame on me!!! That will change very soon as we leave for Italy on July 20. The Velo Veneto racing camp is about to open and it looks like we'll have a nice group of riders to get things rolling when they all arrive on July 25. Expect plenty of reports from Bella Italia as we live La Dolce Vita in the Veneto region.

Since I last wrote, Cindy has raced at the Liberty Classic in Philly where she place about 60th out of almost 200 starters and also defended her titles in the Nevada City Classic and Burlingame Criterium.

Philly is one of the most prestigious races in the world and includes many Olympians, National and World Champions on the start list. Cindy was dissapointed in her finish as she was bumped off the road with about two miles to go in the race and had to put a foot down. A group of about a dozen riders was off the front by about a minute, including World Champion Judith Arndt (who was also 2nd in the 2004 Olympics) and World Cup leader Oenone Wood of Australia. Cindy had hoped to have a good sprint in the main field and finish well up the list of riders who made the money (top 40). But alas it wasn't to be. It's not often the women get to race in such a large, capable field where aggression and positioning are so important. Now she knows how I feel trying to stay in the front of my races in Europe!!!

In 2004 Cindy was on a roll the last couple of weeks of June when she won back to back races at two of the Northern California "Classics", Nevada City and Burlingame. This year as a "marked" rider she didn't have the results she was hoping for and quite frankly was very frustrated, especially with the "negative" racing against her in Nevada City, and then only at herself for her performance at Burlingame. I'm sure if she can get that coveted Rainbow Jersey she's been chasing at the Masters World Championships the last few years, all that will be forgotten!!!

Check back the week of July 25 for the first of my reports from Italy.