I've been so busy racing these past few months that any spare time I've had, I've spent sleeping! I last wrote after the Arkansas tour in the states and since then I've raced the Montreal World Cup, The Grand Tour of Montreal, The Tour of Prince Edward Island, The Giro d'Italia delle Pista- Torino, The Giro d'Italia delle Pista- Pordenone, The Giro D'Italia Femminile and the Internationale Thüringen-Rundfahrt der Frauen Tour in Germany!
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During these races I picked up another 7 podium finishes to take my tally up to 15 international podium finishes for the 2007 season…
The Giro d'Italia Femminile was the most important race of the season for my team - Menikini Selle Italia Gysko. I was strong and managed three podium finishes (Twice second, once third). I would have loved to win a stage but unfortunately there was always someone who was that little bit faster or smarter! It was important and satisfying for my team and our sponsors that I was consistently on the podium. The Women's Giro TV highlights followed the men's TDF highlights everyday, so we gained great exposure by being on the podium. My team-mate Fabiana also took third in the hill TT and finished fourth on GC.
I'm sitting on the couch in my apartment at the AIS/Australian team base in Varese. The weather is unbearably hot at the moment but the environment is nice. The morale here is high after Cadel's fantastic performance at the tour. Unfortunately I only get three days back in Italy before returning to Germany again - tomorrow.
This time last year I was taking a nice break in Croatia, taking cruises out to the amazing islands and floating around in the crystal clear water… but I now take a moment to think about the racing and traveling ahead and I've realised that I won't be having a break like that until October! I leave tomorrow for another 11hr drive to Germany where I'll race a criterium on both Friday and Saturday night and then a rather important UCI 1.1 Road Race on Sunday. This will be the last opportunity (official selection race) to gain selection into the Australian National Team for the 2007 World Championships.
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The only other thing that I've managed to fit in apart from racing and traveling was a three day stay at Lake Como. After the final day of the Giro d'Italia Femminile I took the opportunity to visit Amy Gillett (where we spread some of her ashes last year). I checked into a five star hotel and lived it up in Amy style for a few days. I'd lay by the pool sipping my icy granita, walk around the piazza's browsing in the expensive shop windows and stop by the lake to take in the beautiful scenery.
It can get very tense being on the road in a team environment for months at a time, so after the four tours- in the States, Canada and Italy, I really needed the time alone at Lake Como. I was then back at the team house in Bergamo for three nights before heading off to the Internationale Thüringen-Rundfahrt der Frauen Tour in Germany.
I still have a hectic race schedule ahead, I'll race the two criteriums and the Sparkassen Giro this weekend, then I'll race the La Route de France Feminine, Plouay World Cup, Nurnberg World Cup, Giro della Toscana and then…. hopefully the World Championships.
