July 19, 2005: Thinking of Amy

I really don't feel much like talking about the race today. We gave it our best shot but we came up short.

It's really tough when you know all the people involved. My heart goes out to all the girls and their families. Amy was a special girl and she will be missed heaps. It's going to leave a big hole in the lives of a lot of people. My thoughts are with all the girls in hospital and I know their fighting spirit will get them through.

I know Wazza will be going through a lot of pain right now. He's a good mate of mine and along with Brian and Shayne, I wish I could be with all of them right now.

My thoughts are also with the families and loved ones of all the girls.

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During the Tour de France Cofidis team-mates Stuart O'Grady and Matt White will be taking turns to give us an inside look at the daily goings-on in the peloton and the team hotel. An Olympic gold medalist on the track, O'Grady is a rider to watch in the sprints and long breakaways, while White is an experienced grand tour rider who has been kept out of the Tour de France by a run of lousy luck that's finally ended this year. O'Grady has had a rollercoaster ride at the last few Tours, wearing the yellow jersey in 2001 and green in 2002, but never quite managing to hang on to green all the way to Paris. In the last couple of years he's shifted his emphasis away from sprint speed and remodelled himself as a Classics and long breakaway expert. White is finally riding the Tour after breaking his collarbone just before the start of last year's Tour. In 2001 he was expected to ride the Tour but did not make his US Postal's final selection and in 1999 his Vini Caldirola team had its Tour invitation withdrawn when Sergei Gontchar failed a haematocrit test at the Tour of Switzerland. After that, he's due some good luck in 2005! Australia UK USA