FLANDRIA

Beautiful Spaniard

I know…I am going to miss a bit of the tour.  I am just hoping really hard that there will be some kind of coverage in the countries we will be visiting.  We might get Eurosports possibly.  Most likely, hunny and I will be hanging out in internet cafes when we get a chance.  So, wish me luck!

I finally got everything done (at least for the most part) at work.  Documentations, some  knowledge tranfer and meetings before I leave for vacation.  I am happy about the incredible amount of work I put into the project so I will definitely enjoy my going away.  Yay!

Hunny and I did some research on vegan or “vegan” friendly restaurants in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon).  We have a map of the city and marked the places we thought would be worth checking.  It sounds like quite a different world in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.  Vietnam and Cambodia will be interesting.  I’ve watched so many youtube videos, read blogs and seen all sorts of pictures of their lifestyles.  I can’t wait to experience how they live over there.  Even though we will be part of a bike tour, I am hoping to learn more about the culture, people, food and life.  I can’t wait.

Our flight leaves early morning, really early.  I dread any flight that takes more than five hours.  It’s about the same amount of time going to Europe.  We stop in Hong Kong for two to three hours then fly into Ho Chi Minh.  I will try to update posts on our adventurous trip on my blog as long as I have access to the internet.  We arrive in Ho Chi Minh mid morning just in time for lunch by the time we get out of the airport.  Since we are staying a day ahead of the tour schedule, we plan to explore as much as we can in one day before we get on the bike.  We plan to rent a moto to get around town so that should be fun.

Right now, we are chilin’ - work is draining this week.  We haven’t packed at all but we shopped for what we need in our trip.  Just like Europe, bike trips require detergents so we can wash our shorts and jersey every night to rotate.  I am not into wearing unwashed shorts, that’s really eeky!  Not sure how laundry will be over there but I heard that it’s cheap in some hotels but most of the time we will be in rural areas without the necessities. 

We are not bringing our bikes in this trip.  The tour provides rental mountain bikes.  The roads can be rough and it can rain frequently.  I am bringing my bike seat and egg beater pedals. 

*****

You can see my picks published on Team San Jose website on July 5th.

The tour is open this year for anyone to win.  The favorite seems to be Cadel Evans.  He does have a good team and can time trial.  So can Menchov.  But, I believe in Valverde and his team.  His previous race performance indicates that he is ready for the tour.  Pereiro or Valverde, I would choose Valverde any day.  Cunego seems to be making some news but I don’t see his team able to pull it off.  I hesitate to mention Sastre but if he improves on his time trial, he can win. 

Sprinters will be awesome to watch this year.  It never fails to entertain me.  I voted for McEwen to win the green jersey.  Yeah, Cavendish and Ciolek can win sprint stages guaranteed but will they complete the tour - possibly.  In any case, High Road is on fire this year!  They arre both young and inexperienced - that in itself can be a disadvantage but definitely growth for them.  Since Petacchi and Boonen won’t be around, Zabel may well win a stage or two.  I’d like to see him win.  Thor is another good bet.  Cancellara may not be a pure sprinter but I can see him doing his thing, ride away and win a stage.  He seems to have gotten that down right perfect.  Don’t forget Ballan, an opportunist to win. 

Slipstream Chipotle… What can I say?  I love their team promoting clean racing.  I like their spirit and marketing talent.  They’v been invited and they have strong riders.  I would say, they are sort of under dogs in a way.  I want to see them excel and fight hard.  Realistically, it will be very hard but who knows right?  Anything can happen in the tour.

There is no doubt that team CSC will be all around team, at least that is my bet.  They are just as strong and cohesive team.

Astana is totally missing out…bummer! (sarcastic grin)

So now, I am tired and sleepy.  Time to get some sleep and enjoy my time off.