Giro diary watch: Picnic at the airport

Ah, the glamorous life of a pro cyclist: After Tuesday's stage, Gerolsteiner's Robert Förster wrote on www.radsport-news.com, "We took to a bus to a military base, where we all showered, then all 195 riders went on 10 buses to the airport in Luttich (Liege), 50 km. A pop band was playing - not very good, but therefore very loud. Someone had put up tables (without chairs) as if for a reception. But we had over 200 km in our legs and nobody really felt like partying. So we sat on the floor or on some boxes. We had to wait a little longer, because Gerolsteiner was on the second plane. It left at 22:50 and we're supposed to land in Parma at 12:10. We'll see what time we get to the hotel."

Teammate Ronny Scholz noted that the airport "was closed to everyone except us. We were greeted with music, a full buffet and lots of drinks, not just Gerolsteiner (water). The only problem was that the organisers apparently hadn't figured on so many people and there weren't enough seats, so we sat on the floor, like at a picnic."

T-Mobile's Mick Rogers realises it could have been worse. "The transfer to Italy makes for a long night: getting to the airport, hanging around, the flight, the transport to the team hotel. But we won't complain, since after all we're definitely better off that the soigneurs and mechanics, who have to drive the trucks all the way to Italy overnight." He looked back at the weather in Belgium and said, "They say you get the weather you deserve. Well, I'm not sure what exactly we've done wrong..." (www.t-mobile-team.com)