No rest for weary T-Mobilers in South Africa

By Susan Westemeyer

What do pro cyclists want to do on their rest day? Sleep as long as possible, of course. At least, that's what the T-Mobile riders wanted to do at their unofficial training camp in Capetown, South Africa.

Unfortunately, for the second time within six days they were woken at 7 a.m. on a rest day, by the Swiss Olympic doping controllers. "Sure, these guys were sent here from Europe and are only doing their job. I'm not blaming them at all," writes T-Mobile's Matthias Kessler on the team's website. "But do they really need to come even twice in a week in the middle of the winter and of all days, on a rest day? At any rate: I'm prepared for the next days and will set my alarm clock, just to be on the safe side."

Schmitz on the trainer again

In other T-Mobile news, Bram Schmitz, who broke his ankle at the T-Mobile team meeting in Vienna last month, is on his trainer again for up to an hour a day. The 28-year-old Netherlander was operated on after the accident and remained in the hospital for a week. Since then he has been back at his home in Aalst-Waalre, Netherlands, but the T-Mobile medical staff at the University of Freiburg, as well as his local doctors, are keeping an eye on him. "I'm aware that I'm a bit behind now in my preparations due to my injury. However, I'm optimistic to be back a hundred percent by the T-Mobile training camp on Majorca," Schmitz said.