Team Cyclingnews.com - 2005

Team Journal Entry - April 13, 2005, by Cam Jennings

The things we do!

Hi all,

Well, have you ever done anything when you were younger that, as you got a little older and looked back on it, you shuddered with disbelief as it was so dangerous and stupid? Things like speeding down a hill on your bike, jumping off your roof at home, somersaults on your trampoline or climbing a very high flimsy tree - well Ronde van Drenthe may just be one experience that I may look back on when I am an older man and think to myself, "what the hell was I doing there?"

To start of with there were four crashes in the neutral section. Leigh was one victim and he suffered a broken collarbone when he got caugt in a gutter and hit a traffic island. His bike sailed past Glen and Tom as they did some Matrix-like manouvering to dodge it. At the end of the neutral things did not get too much better, as we did a loop of 30km which included a climb and a descent on a bikepath size road...nice. Returned to the finish and dodged some more crashes and traffic islands and headed out for a bg lap. Meanwhile, Dan crashed before this even happened.

I was riding in a good position; was switched on and putting myself in the right spot. After 70-80km it started to snow. We entered a little town, came out the other side and was put in the gutter. I was right there in the echelon, tenth in line when an Acqua-Sapone rider touched a wheel and went down. I went straight into him and acted as a speed bump for the remainder of the bunch. My good position put me right in the wrong position. It was chaos, with bottles, radios, glasses, bikes and wailing bodies left, right and centre in the snow. My knee was killing me and I had to pull out of the race, Tom also pulled out due to the injuries he suffered. I jumped into the sag wagon and drove to the feed, next to an Acqua Sapone rider who suffered the indignation of crashing into a stink ditch on the side of the road. He was covered in filth and stank like an 18 wheeler loaded full of cattle that passes me out training in Rocky. The stink/crap just dripped and dropped of him for the 40km drive to the feed. Poor guy, he probably still can't get the stink out.

Anyway, the race continued with Glen, Hamish and Kane, as they twatted their way over the cobbles and dodged numerous crashes, holes, poles and automobiles. The guys were riding well until another crash spilt the bunch and their quest for a good result. So an eventful day for the cyclingnews.com/fondriest boys, but for all the wrong reasons.

I am now again hobbling around the house and generally feeling sorry for myself. This time Leigh is keeping me company (the operation's on Tuesday). Hopefully my knee recovers in time for Duren in Germany on Sunday and the remainder of our full calendar.

Cheers,

Cameron