Another Long Day

More rain ... lots of it on Thurday.

Look how happy these kids are with their Elite bottles.

Thursday morning seems so long ago that I can hardly remember it.

What I do recall is that the sign-in was very close to where the bus was parked, which is always nice. And that I led Philippe Gilbert and Tejay van Garderen there through the crowds.

The rest is a bit of a blur. I must have been tired because I ended up going to bed before 8:30 p.m. It was that kind of day. I think the rain and cold is getting to me.

This morning (Friday), it was pouring again at the start. Well, that's not entirely true. I woke up to the sound of the pouring rain, but by the time we were leaving the hotel, the sun was shining and it was warming up. It stayed dry for awhile, which was good because I rode nearly the entire 2 km to the sign-in. About the time I was making the final climb up to the staging area for the caravan, it started raining. And it didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon.

So the riders are in for a long day: 10 categorized climbs and cold, wet conditions. Ouch.

One more thing before I close the book on this hotel (where we have stayed since the race began). It sure was nice. Maybe one of the nicest – in terms of space, cleanliness, convenience, etc. But it lacked good internet and the meals were horrific. I didn't eat dinner the last two nights.