Brad Huff Cycling

1 month of Fat (track) Camp does not really prepare a rider for a 10 day stage race. I knew coming into this race that I was on borrowed time, so I am very pleased that I was able to make it to the 8th stage finish…well 2 min short of the time cut. It still stings quite a bit that I am not able to finish off the last 2 stage w/ my teammates, but I hope they and the rest of the team understand?

here is was a typical morning for our team…stuffing down the carb’s. Note the two famous individuals in the background?

http://velonews.com/race/int/articles/11597.0.html
cut and paste the above link and do not give me any crap about not having it directly linked…Jerk. understand that better…jerk

Doug Greek are you brushing your teeth before you go to bed?

So today started and finished with such a tension that it could be felt at every moment in the peloton. Caused by a constant cross/tail wind that increased the chances for a group splitting section at any point. Because of this every rider in the group was not wanting to be behind the 8-ball when the moment sprung. As a rider it only increases the risk of crashes or other problems in the group, because every rider is on point. No one could just ride in the group easily today, case in point when a large cross-wind section came and it split the field in just about 2 km. Some how Mike Lange and I managed to be the last two riders holding on for dear life, as I was nursing a deflating rear tubular and Lange was providing words of encouragement…or was that fear of us not making it? Once the wind finally shifted the groups came back together, but alas with one less rider. KiKi had crashed when one of the Malaysian…go figure? Crashed directly into a road side barrier. Luckily the strong man was able to get back up and finish the day.
There is this “Big Red” South African named Rupert Rheeder that I would not mess with even on my best days, but it seems that everyday some idiot just has to tempt fate and squeeze in on him, push him out of line, or what every…I have seen two riders cower in fear once he has erupted on them. It is pretty impressive! I will make sure to let you know which rider he eats before the end of the race?
I pulled some sweet American Crit moves in the last 2km to take 3rd on the day. Yes I do not have the road form needed to get and hold the proper position for the final kilometers, I do have the ability to get close. As noted by my hot routes in the final km to sprint up to 3rd out of the last two corners. Once I regain some real form….LOOK THE ____ OUT!
Oh ya, I am thoroughly sick of this race!

At least 8 times today. Why? Well because it was raining so much for the first half of the race, that it did not really matter. I was already soaked. Creed just can’t believe that I just piss in my shorts? Well it if much faster than working my way to the side of the group, wrestling my little kindergartner out of hiding, then drifting out of the group as I pee in front of a few Malaysian country folk, then pace myself back into the group? NOPE, I prefer to warm my chamois and moisten my socks!
Another strange thing is how everyone of the Malaysian Country folk seem to have digital cameras or camera phones? Today I saw some guy come out of a way beyond code shack and snap a few shots with his digital camera…crazy!
Well today I felt tons better than yesterday, but I just did not have the punch required to get into position at the end. Plus I am getting pretty sick of every rider and his 50 other twinkes thinking they have enough handling skills to sprint. I think that tomorrow it might get a little more difficult for them to be up there, as I am sick of it…

So living in the hurt locker for most of the day, while my teammates seemed to just tip toe through, off the front, bridging to breaks, driving breaks, and pulling the pack along at 60+kph. Today was nothing but a pissing contest between everyone but Credit Agricole, as they just wanted to keep tempo for there Leader’s Jersey, although no one wanted to allow that to happen. So for nearly 2hrs the peloton was one huge attack after another. I was so futile to even attempt to drive a break, because it was only going to be countered in about 30 seconds. Huub Duyn bridged to the only break that was allowed more than 50 meters and drove it for nearly half the day only to be brought back in the last 15km. Timmy Duggan literally had the entire field strong out from about 3ish km to go til 1 km to go. He, Huub Duyn, and Mike Lange are riding out of their skin right now. As I struggled to not get totally spit out the back my every known rice rocket in the race attempting to be the next biggest sprinting start…although they only make the sprint 10xmore dangerous. So ya I am really surprised that I was able to pull a 4th place in the sprint today, considering how I was suffering for most of the day? Even better was the fact that the course profile showed the last corner being about 800ish meters from the finish line, to our surprise it was about 400 meters. Hitting the corner in about 12th place I was happy that I came around quite a few guys to take 4th. Man I am really hating the sprints here, as this is just the start of the season and I want to live to see the real season start.
Well my track legs are officially gone, but my road legs have not even began to emerge.

At least 1/3 of the peleton and myself are totally destroyed. I have never seen so many guys pull over to the side of the road to go #2. Even when a nice tempo was set on the climb guys would just pull out of the group to visit the road side. Tour de France stage winner, Russian Champion, Giro Climbing Jersey winner, anybody and everybody. My teammate stated how one guy in our group did not make it to the side of the road fast enough…as he chamois showed. Plus I think that spinning around a track for the last month really did not help my climbing legs. Luckily they extended the time cut % today, so my team mate Kilian Patour and I were able to make it in with a few other lame ass who held on to there team cars to make it! Kilian…aka..KiKi was the main reason that I made it to the finish, this guy is so strong!
Oh I pray that I come around for tomorrow, other wise it will be similar to today?

Coconut energy drinks rock!
We choose the real thing instead of the pool of coconut/ice/that guys oh so clean hands juices mixed together.
Then we did some lead out’s with a hundred school children.
oh look what is that?
I have a picture of a rare Creed fish, but I need to make sure the Creed Association will allow me to use it?

So as for racing….Nearly have crashed in every sprint finish, was gapped off of the 1st stages sprint and had to make up 4 bike lengths to just get 4th…I would’a could’a should’a have WON the 1st stage. Then today in the 2nd stage nearly crashed w/ 2km to go, front wheel went into another guys wheel because I little kid was standing to close to the road, then in the last corner I braked to hard because I thought it was a 90degree corner, but it was a fast crit corner, lost several spots because of it, then gained them back to take 8th. If I would have taken it like a crit corner….I would’a could’a should’a. The run into the finishes are so crazy, because you have every kid and his brother attempting to make a name for himself, but they only get in the way. It is one huge kamikaze move over and over again. I am sick of it!