FC Barcelona takes the pitch against Málaga FC Wednesday, September 24, 2014, at La Rosaleda for round 5 of La Liga, watch times in the USA are 1 P.M. Pacific Daylight/4 P.M. Eastern. The away game will be the biggest test so far in the early season to see if Barça can continue their streak. The match falls in the middle of a tough week with three games in La Liga, and the second round of the Champions League next Tuesday, leaving little recovery for the players.
Speaking to the press after team training today, Team Manager Luis Enriquez is expecting a challenge Wednesday, but hopes Málaga doesn’t create too much danger for them. “They’re a team that play as a unit,” he said. “The way they play the long ball, the way they play from dead ball situations…is going to be a challenge for us to continue collecting points.” Still, Enriquez refuses to dwell on Barça’s success thus far, “We need to get to March/April, still involved in all competitions and still with a chance of winning,” he said. “I need to keep running the team on a day-to-day basis, aiming for that. Nobody wins leagues in September/October, not even in January/February.”
After a small scare Sunday where Neymar was tackled, taking him out of the game, the top scorer of the team practiced today alongside his team. He trained with no restrictions, confirming that the minor ankle injury Sunday was of no concern.
Naturally, with a winning streak such as theirs, the focus lies on the front line. Though they may get the glory, it was also due to the strength in the midfield Sunday where Rakitic shined. Key plays also by Sergio Busquets, created a lot of the opportunities that ended in goals. “I think that’s part of a teams’ repertoire.” Enriquez added, “It’s nice to have variety when it comes to attacking. When you’re playing as a team that likes to keep it defensive, then any shot from anywhere can be useful.”
However, nothing is guaranteed in football. Málaga believe they can put up a good fight. Midfielder for Málaga and former Barça’s B team reserve Luis Alberto, believes the home team will be tough to beat. In an interview posted by the team, he added, “We need to do our job well, and I’m sure the coach is preparing a difficult match. If it’s true we’ll have two chances to score, then we need to be successful as the rival won’t let us get away with anything.”
The last time Málaga were able to gain points against Barça was 2005/2006, which ended in a 0-0 draw. Team Manager Javi Garcia said they will treat it as just another game. In a pre-match press conference he added, “The preparations will be the same as any other, even though the rival has more strengths than weaknesses. I’m only concerned with my players and ensuring we play our best football.” He concluded, “If we lose, the fans will understand, but if we win, they’ll remember it for life.”
The minor faults in Barça currently lie in the defense. Having conceded zero goals thus far shows the strength of the midfield and front line, that the mistakes in the back have not cost them. “No doubt, there are things in defense that really need to be improved to continue keeping these clean sheets,” Enriquez admitted. “We’ve been working very hard to keep improving and to perfect different things, in a global context, where things seem to be making us stronger.”
If Mathieu is in the line-up tomorrow, which is a strong probability considering he has the most minutes on the pitch this season of any defender, Barça would have to hope he plays better than he did on Sunday. However, Enriquez dismissed any concerns, “These things happen. All the players make mistakes…if you’re playing center-back, there are mistakes that are more noticeable.”
Based on the cohesiveness of the team, and the flexibility of the midfield, Barcelona should come out on top once again. Line-ups are to be announced early Wednesday.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Barcelona Continues Streak Crushing Levante 5-0
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| Leo Messi celebrates with Ivan Rakitic Sunday, each scored a goal against Levante. Photo: Miguel Ruiz - FCB |
At a pre-match press conference Saturday, posted by SB Nation, Enriguez stated he is cautioning his squad from entering matches overconfident. Even though they faced Levante, who so far is winless for the season, Enriquez added, “Every away game is tough, and Levante is no different. Our priority and objective is to be better than the team we’re playing against…remember this is a sport where two teams play, not just Barça.”
The line-up Sunday had Bravo in goal, with Pedro, Messi, and Neymar up front. Alba was the most effective in the defensive line, with Mascherano, Alves, and Mathieu alongside. The team dominated the pitch from the start but took until the 34th minute to open the scoreboard. The goal by Neymar has made him the lead scorer of the team so far. Not long after the game’s second goal by Ivan Rakitic, Levante’s Loukas Vyntra was given a red card by fouling Messi, leaving them further exposed.
Neymar suffered a minor ankle injury, staying down long enough to have him pulled from the game. He was up and walking soon after and not very happy by the decision. Seems Enriquez is playing it safe, trying to maintain his players for several important games coming up.
Sandro Ramirez came in as a substitute and not long after, an assist by Messi lead him to score their third goal. Later on Messi scored a fourth, followed by Pedro with their final goal to win the game.
It seems Barça can do no wrong, which should be concerning to upcoming opponents considering Luis Suarez has yet to play. Suarez, the top goal-scorer in the Premier League last season, continues his suspension until later next month.
While Enriquez is very happy with how his players have done thus far, he maintains there remains room for improvement. “I will say the new players that have come have caught the ideas very, very quickly.” He has been criticized for playing B-team players before some A-team players who are waiting for minutes on the pitch.
“I know that we have a lot of games in very few days and I need to know how I’m going to manage my squad for that time.” He continued, “This is a journey that is always evolving. I think there are certain aspects of the game that we haven’t even been able to work on yet really. There are only so many things you can do in the time I have been at the club.” Seems to be working, as fans can be heard chanting Enriquez name at Camp Nao.
"We just have to go out there and compete as hard and as well as we possibly can." He concluded, "This is going to be evolving from here on. Judgment day is at the end of the season. And that’s when you can judge yourself on the level of our performances.” Next game is Wednesday in La Liga against Málaga.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Speechless, A Year Later
Dear Michael,
It has been one year now since you left us. They say time heals wounds, but not this deep, no it is still rotting away at my heart; there is a hole in my chest that is emptier now than ever. I know you are in a better place but I am sorry that I am selfish and I still want and need you here with us. You were our escape, you were our hearts, and now where do we turn? We are your lost children now and a year later we are still crying and mourning. Ever since I was born I knew who you were, I grew up with you, you were my best friend, you loved me just like my family did, without any restrictions or limitations, just like you did your own children. Whenever I was lonely you were there. No matter how many times they tried to beat you down, you remained humble, and loving, and innocent, and caring. You told us on that magical night, “My children are your children. We are family, never forget this. It was YOU who put your heart on the line [during Sony demonstrations of 2002]; it was YOU who stepped forward to defend someone you loved. It was YOU on a worldwide basis who supported me as my army of love. Whenever there was injustice against me because of jealousy as you know, you were always there and you were always loyal and I love you forever for this.” We have always loved you more Michael.
It has been said that one will never be forgotten as long as they are remembered by at least one person. You are remembered today by the entire world, and beyond. We knew what we had, we knew what they tried to do to you, we fought for you with everything that we had. When they tried to bring you down, when they tried to hurt you, using the very thing that you loved so deeply, we were there for you to fight back and through many tears and sleepless nights, God and LOVE won. Yet how do we fight back now? How do we move on without forgetting every tiny memory that you gave us? So many memories that I don’t want to forget, so many people that I don’t want to say goodbye to, that I want to remain in my life forever. The many trips to Neverland, each time getting that opportunity to experience such magic that it lent us, we never wanted to leave, even when they destroyed it, the magic never died. Spending so many sleepless nights outside your hotel or where ever the occasion led us, spending time with the people we loved so much and who understood exactly our love for you as they loved you just as much. Yes, God used you as an “instrument of nature”, through His many gifts you showed the world how to be compassionate, how to love, and even though it hurt you many times, how not to judge a person no matter what they’re background. You were my role model, my teacher, my inspiration. Even before I got to know you, and know so many others who were a part of this world wide family, you were there for me. I would go to sleep hugging my radio as it played Off the Wall every night, or the Jackson Five…for so many years you were my lullaby.
Thank you Michael, thank you so much for everything you sacrificed. You couldn’t go out, you couldn’t lead a normal life because of us yet you never blamed us, but instead embraced us with the greatest might. Thank you, Michael for your love, for your music, for your dance. They judge us, they ridicule us even now. They will never understand the connection we had with you and why we hurt so much even now. They were not there when it mattered. They were not there when the world was throwing stones and arrows with all their might. When we stood strong and unwavering, when you grew weak and weary we sent our love to hold you high. No, they were not there during the “darkest hour, in your deepest despair, in your trials and tribulations, through your fear and confessions, in your anguish and your pain, through your joy and your sorrow.” Is it wrong now to criticize them? Now that the world sees what we knew all along, just how deeply special you were, and how we cherished every moment we had with you? Perhaps we shouldn’t judge even though it stings us so, perhaps it is just another way that God has used you to show how powerful love can be.
I am not sure where we go from here. A year later and the pain still burns deep inside us, while you are finally at peace. Yes, I know you are in a better place and performing for the Heavens. No, we will never forget you, we will forever keep your legacy alive and I hope that our memories will live on forever. “You make me shine, like the stars that twinkle at night, I love you.” Thank you for being my friend, for being you, for giving us so much.
[Speechless by Michael Jackson]
Your love is magical, that's how I feel
But I have not the words here to explain
Gone is the grace for expressions of passion
But there are worlds and worlds of ways to explain
To tell you how I feel
But I am speechless, speechless
That's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am far away and nothing is for real
When I'm with you I am lost for words
I don't know what to say
My head's spinning like a carousel, so silently I pray
Helpless and hopeless, that's how I feel inside
Nothing's real, but all is possible if God is on my side
When I'm with you I am in the light where I cannot be found
It's as though I am standing in the place called Hallowed Ground
Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am far away and nothing is for real
I'll go anywhere and do anything just to touch your face
There's no mountain high I cannot climb
I'm humbled in your grace
Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am lost for words and nothing is for real
Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am far away, and nothing is for real
Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am lost for words and nothing is for real
Speechless Your love is magical, that's how I feel
But in your presence I am lost for words Words like, "I love you."
There will always be a hole in my heart that was once filled by your presence. At times it is at peace knowing that you are no longer suffering. However, it continues to bleed for the loss of you. I love you forever, Michael.
Rebecca Reza
June 25, 2010
Michael Jackson
1958 - Forever
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tolerance and Love...
I remember visiting the old Holocaust museum in El Paso as a child, and entering those doors hearing Itzhak Perlman playing the violin. Schindler’s List had come out not too long before that, perhaps the year before. Looking around to the displays on the wall, the photos, it was all very powerful and brought it to life for me. The train exhibit was what I remember the most, and the garden outside. Still, it was very hard to fathom so many people suffering, and dying because of the power of one man over a people. Even today when we learn of the War in Iraq the numbers pale in comparison of soldiers killed, even civilian casualties are not anywhere what they were during WWII. Still questions linger in my mind that I cannot comprehend. Sure it was different times, people were not as aware as we are today, the average person did not have access to information like we do now yet the stories were there, the photos were there, and still people turned the other cheek. Perhaps in their own suffering they forgot about the suffering of others. The goal of the museum is to inform people so they never forget what happened, and to teach tolerance and to fight against racism so that this never happens again. Yet we are guilty of the same thing, after 9/11 the United States sent hundreds, perhaps thousands of Muslims to what we know now were torture camps because of fear of the terrorists! Had we not learned a thing from WWII? It worries me, but at least we have places such as this museum to remind us what can happen if we again choose to turn the other cheek.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLK5OWU2YGw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLK5OWU2YGw
Friday, July 17, 2009
Gone too soon...
My worst fear has been realized. I could never imagine him growing old but at the same time I could never imagine the world without him. I prayed that the Lord would take me before him so that I would never have to face this day. This man who has impacted my life in a way that only few can understand, a man who I never met yet loved with all of my heart and soul, is gone. A man that taught us what true love really is, what innocence means, compassion and magic. Even now, 3 weeks to the day, these words don't register like they should...remembered, memory, legacy, these words just do NOT fit in the same sentence as his name. I wake up now with a little more realization, not normality because the world will NEVER be normal again. Perhaps it is finally beginning to hit me that he's gone. That magic is gone forever.
Everyday is a struggle, went on a ride today, was feeling good and then was hit by waves of sadness which I tried to surpress with sprints of anger. Each day I run into people wanting to know details of my experiences, 'what was it like', 'how did you get there?' and I feel guarded. You criticized me, laughed, and now you find it fascinating? I see through it so, thanks but no thank you. We were a family, and only my family understands just how much my heart is bleeding now. Perhaps its our turn now, for his was bleeding for so long.
I wake up now, and have that feeling now that perhaps I can move on. Sean calls, after speaking and catching up with each other's lives...silence. "I know, its so weird that he's not here anymore. Hard to accept." The hardest thing in my life so far. Perhaps because he wasn't just family to us, he was the essence of my childhood, my inspiration for so many different things in my life. I want to be selfish and rewind the clock to bring him back. He was making his comeback, so excited about the future, London, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Sydney, so many possibilities, the sky was the limit once again. God needed him more I guess. So many stories are coming out, none of which I care to hear. "He was a 'hit' Rebecca, I feel it in my gut, someone wanted him dead." It doesn't matter, it won't bring him back I say. "It was since the trial, they weren't going to stop until it was complete." A life cut so short, I want to remember him for showing me the person I could become. For motivating me to fight, to keep the faith, to know that I wasn't alone.
Trying to move on, everyday is a struggle. I'm sure its better on the other side, but now we're left alone we roam around now like lost children. Our magic has gone. God help us, God be with us, lead us to where we go from here. He was Your 'instrument of nature', blessed with so many gifts, to bring the world together. The fans and Michael, we were family. Lord help us understand, why you had to take our angel from us.
There is not a time in my memory when I did not know who this man was. My first memories are filled with watching him on the screen, moonwalking across that stage at the Shrine so many years ago. When the world discovered he wasn't some over grown child star, but rather a diamond in the rough that was about to shoot out of this atmosphere. A talent that no one had ever seen and would never see again. I am so thankful, and proud that I was alive to see him shine so bright.
I have always been a fan, but it wasn't until the early 90s that I became involved within this wide community that I now call my family. The internet was just coming into play as the possibilities seemed endless as to what we could do, who we could meet, what could be organized. Meeting Cas and so many others, then Donna and organizing the Fanatics, going to the countless MJ Days. Our fan club were the first fan club to ever be personally invited to the ranch by him. "yes! You MUST come, I want you to see EVERYTHING!" he told us. We were treated to a full day at the ranch, and for the first time ever, a full tour of the main residence. I will NEVER forget that first trip as it was the most magical and special day in all my life. After that first trip in 2000, he invited us back each year, sometimes more than once a year, until the trial in 2003. I still remember sitting on the side of the pond after the arraignment in Jan 2004. There were media helicoptors hovering over head and you could just feel the negative energy, all that wonderful magic and sense that you were truly in another place, was sadly gone. It made me soo sad for him. Although I wished it had never been, I completely understand why he never wanted to return to Neverland and ultimately left it for good. It made my heart hurt so much for him because that place, it was who he was, it was the essence of him. Our bond grew so strong through those years, the fans and Michael - with every new lie that surfaced that threatened to bring him down, we fought even harder and each time we came out triumphant. We suffered right along next to him, even if he was the man who had to be the target, we all tried our best to protect him from the brunt of all the evil and anger that tried to break him. We loved him like no other.
And now he is among the Heavens, as we are left here to find our way. I'm so sorry Michael, I'm so sorry for what the world did to you. I chose not to go to London when I heard, I was trying to be responsible for once in my life, trying to finally finish school. "I'll see him when he comes to the States, he MUST come to LA or NY, he simply has to!" Who knew our time was running out? I could have gone to see you in February, I was there for a bike race. Spending an evening at the Hitching Post journalists ask me, "Are you from here? You seem to know your way around this town pretty well." No, I used to visit often, I tell them...I stop by the Ranch one last time on the way out. "THIS IS NOT NEVERLAND ANYMORE, keep moving!" the guard yells. "Yes," I say..."you don't have to tell me, a Neverland guard would NEVER talk to me like that, besides I can see all the video cameras and the 'mailbox' that is gone now." I leave for what I think is the last time I'll ever stop by this gate. I drive back to LA, and don't even think to stop by Beverly Hills to see by some wild chance you're home. I feel like I abandoned you, but I know I never did in my heart, I simply was distracted but I miss you so much, and will always love you so much more than you'll ever know. You are among the Heavens now yes, and we cannot touch you or see you physically anymore that's true but we will NEVER let your magic die, you will reign forever in our hearts, and souls. We will do our best to spread your magic and love to the all the lost children, and among ourselves. Thank you, Michael, thank you sooo much for giving so much of yourself, even if the world took soo much from you. I pray you are at peace now. I love you forever more!
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Gravel Road
Stuck in a hole, in slow motion, emotions running rampid. I did it again didn’t I? I swore I never would, I struggled so much the last time. We needed each other, that’s what I try to tell myself. I’m tired of doing this alone, I’m tired of feeling like this! What is this, is it a curse? No, that’s too dramatic. Then what? I don’t need medication, I can get through this but I’m still alone. I want to be alone, sometimes. It hurts, I want to leave but I can’t, need to finish what I started. 10 years have gone by and what do I have to show for it? Good stories, travels, interesting people, but I’m still at home. I miss Michael, I miss Mikey, I miss it all so much. Needing to move on, I hope he leaves, I hope he goes away for good. It will do me some good I think. This secret that we keep, is eating away at me. We go to a party…he sits as far away as he can. His chuckle, that resonates in my head. I can’t hear what people are saying to me, all I hear is his chuckle. Is he afraid that it will show? Is he afraid of me? Is it not obvious already? It’s not worth it, none of it is. I am worth more than all of it. I’m tired, can’t get enough sleep, I’m hating all of it. It’s eating away at me little by little. 3 hours, 6 hours, 9 hours, never enough, perhaps 12? I need to get away…
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tour of Gila
What a whirlwind! I knew from the beginning that somehow I would make it to the Gila. I was tight on funds but I'm always tight so that's nothing new for me. My only issue was trying to find a reason to convince myself that I HAD to go to this race no matter what. About a week before the race began, I got an email and later a few phone calls asking me to cover the race since Betsy, who normally does, was being reassigned to a race in Arizona. It's all you baby! Okay so I had a little experience of a professional race in California. Volunteering in various cities I got a good idea how the caravan works, the rolls of course marshals, when is the best time to get some face time with the riders, etc. This time however I was going to have an actual assignment, I would be depended on. Immediately I started freaking out. Sure, I'm approaching 30 very quickly and should have the confidence by now to go full speed ahead and get what I want kind of thing but unfortunately it’s not that easy for me. However, this was going to be a chance of a lifetime. I simply had to go for it.
This was not the only thing I had to wrap my head around. About a month ago, a friend of mine and I started a local Livestrong Army chapter here in El Paso. The goal being to raise funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation through organized running/cycling events. Rumors were flying around that Lance may race, even though the UCI was trying everything in its power to stop him (something I will never understand). Either way, our Army was brand new, we hadn't had any materials printed for a booth and were still waiting on a lot of items to be mailed from the foundation. Pending all of this we had decided to skip the Gila, which gave me time for my assignment. However, with just two days before the start of the race someone had contacted the foundation asking if there was going to be a presence there and could he help in any way.
I got an email Wednesday morning, the day the race actually started. "Hi Rebecca, do you think you could set something up for us? Justin from New Mexico is willing to help out." Um...sure, why not since I don't anything else to do! It's funny how when something is meant to happen, how easily things fall into place. After a long afternoon of being on the phone for hours on end, everything was set into place. We had a location for our booth, a tent and table provided for us on site, while I spent most of the night before heading to Silver City printing name tags, business cards, and putting together binders filled with information about the LAF for those who would be running the booth while I was out reporting. Needless to say I didn't get ANY sleep that night, and what's worse, Silver City morning news had called and asked me for an interview at 7:15 a.m.! Sure, this would be great to help get the word out but I would be on television after driving from El Paso with little to no sleep. Nice!
I had arranged a carpool, driving Melisa, Evelyn and Ricardo up to the race with me that first day. "We're leaving NO LATER than 4 am folks!" 3:45 a.m. Ricardo calls, "I haven't slept any, have you?” Nope. “Someone else needs to drive." No matter how much I prepare for a trip I am NEVER on time when its time to leave. Everyone arrived on time at my house yet we didn't end up leaving until nearly 5 am because of me. Great, this means we would have to haul ass to make it in time for my interview. I drove to Deming until it was absolutely necessary that I get some shut eye, "can you girls wake me up in 20 minutes?" All the while Ricardo had been sleeping soundly in the back...must be nice! I woke up after what seemed like 2 hours when in reality it had been about 25 minutes, "What time is it?" 7 a.m., we were still outside of Silver City and I had to be on the air in 15 minutes. CRAP! At this point I was so tired I didn't really care if I made the interview. No, no, we needed this. I had no make-up on, I had done my hair but I looked like death rolled over. I phoned the reporter, "Rebecca? Yes, we're on the air, get here as soon as you can!" "How far away are we?" "Probably 10 minutes?" Hmm, just enough time for me to get ready. Five minutes later we rolled up to the station...crap! I felt so disorganized, after throwing some make-up on and contacts, I grabbed my binder with all the speaking points I had wanted to make and ran upstairs. Wish me luck guys!
"Are you Rebecca? Great, have you been on television before?" "Yes, yes, I understand the deal." "Ok great, there is a black 'X', when she calls you up sit at the black 'X' and look at the camera on your right." Gotcha. Damn it, it was 7:20, we were supposed to meet Beverly and Rachel from the Gila Regional Medical Center at 7:30 a.m. at the finish line to set up the booth! Great...I had forgotten to tell the guys and now they had to wait for me to finish the interview, I had left my phone in the car so I couldn't call Beverly to let her know. The morning show was very small and quaint. Filming with what looked like a home video camera, with the weather report on a print out from the Internet, I sat waiting on a couch...yes folks welcome to Silver City. Either way I was thankful to have been invited. They introduced me as I quickly took my spot to begin. "We're here to support and raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which was founded by Lance in 1999.."SHIT I mean, crap..."1997, excuse me, after he was diagnosed with cancer. We're also here to support his return to the professional peloton, come stop by our booth and say hi or volunteer if you'd like!" Quick, and to the point. Besides that little mess up, I think I did ok. "Thank you Rebecca, now for our weather.." I quickly said my thanks, grabbed my notebook and ran downstairs...time? 7:43 a.m. Late yet again!
"How did it go?" As I opened the van..."um, great, very small production but hopefully some people saw it." "You're phone has been ringing off the hook, we didn't know if we should answer it." Lovely. On to Tyrone...as I'm on the phone w/ Rachel, "Yes, I'm sorry we're on our way." We arrived and right away saw team Mellow Johnny's trailer, Trek/Livestrong were setting up along with Colavita. "Yea yea, just park here, we'll be fine." Once we parked I didn't know where to go, what to do first. Ricardo right away was seeing a lot of people he knew so he disappeared very quickly. Nice, thanks buddy! I noticed Liz Kreutz off in the distance. I had brought some Starbucks for her after reading some tweets about looking for coffee the day before. I signed it, "From El Paso Livestrong Army, enjoy!" We still hadn't known for sure if Lance knew we were going to be there. Perhaps Liz wouldn’t mind passing the message along? I hurriedly walked over to the trailer..."Good Morning Liz, I brought this for you. I'm on your twitter site." "Oh wow! Cool, thank you so much! Wait, we've got to take a picture together so I can post this on Twitter." Cool :) "What should I say? How do you spell your name? Okay, 'Rebecca from EP Livestrong brought me coffee, friends for life!' that work?" Sure! "Thanks!" Hehe friends for life. :) Okay, now to go set up the booth.
Still, no Ricardo. Ugh, can't worry about that now. Ricard from the New Mexico tourism board came by. "Hi Rebecca, is this location ok? Let me know if you need anything else." We had been set up right next to the official’s trailer where all the times would be posted. Hopefully this would generate more people for our booth since there were not many booths set up that day. Most organizations were waiting for the following day to set up, during the Criterium that would be held in downtown Silver City. No biggie, there would be plenty of people out. Once we got things set up I got my binder together, made sure my voice recorder was working, along with my video and 35 mm camera. Yes, I only have two hands but I had to make sure I got as much material as possible. "Hey, need any help?" Ricardo asked. Oh wow, nice of you to show! Actually, I was happy to have him with me. He was the reason why I had gotten into the sport in the first place. He owned his own bike shop and was a mechanic so I was hopeful he would go around with me doing interviews and give me pointers. However, one I was out there I began to freeze. We ran into Ivan, and Porras, some other good friends. "Hey Becca! Are you ready? Who are you interviewing first? Axel is over there, but you should also talk to Lucas Haedo." They were all listing stats, giving me ideas of what I should ask...all of the while all I could think of was numbers and names and who was who. Great, how am I going to get through this?!? "You need to just jump in there! Don't get so star struck!" All of a sudden I was wishing I was alone like in California, without this added pressure from my friends. I appreciated their help but it was really overwhelming me. "Thanks guys, I'll be back."
I was so nervous and frozen I didn't know where to begin. "Just take a deep breathe, you can do this." The Livestrong/Trek team had arrived and were relaxing, getting everything ready. I must have stood by their cars for a good 15 minutes, staring down at my notebook trying to decide who was who, and what I should ask, who I should try and approach first. Then all of a sudden Ricardo shows up again, "Axel, do you have a minute?" "Yea sure, let me put this away first." Ricardo turns to me, "There, he's all yours...go do it!" What?! Damn it, I haven't even thought of what to ask...as Ricardo stands back to watch. Great, "hi Axel, thank you for talking with me. I'm from US Cycling Report." "How is your team doing in the race so far? How is the UCI rule affecting your team?" Ugh, that rule only applies to the Pro-Tour teams...nice one Rebecca! "Well, it hasn't affected our team at all because it doesn't apply to us." Nice...first interview and I've already made a big fool of myself. Wonderful, I don't really remember what he said after that. I was trying to pay attention but I was mortified. Here he was, the son of Eddy Merckx, the best cyclist in history (IMO) and I was asking these stupid questions. Great. "Okay, well good luck today. Thanks again." "Sure thing!...Taylor...let's pin that number on"
Moving on, I had to take a break. I told myself, you know the best thing to do is just pretend you're back in California. You're just here like anyone else enjoying yourself, appreciating that these guys traveled so close to your home town to race. Appreciate this opportunity and you'll do just fine! Back to the booth..."How is it going?" Evelyn asked me. Umm...good I guess. I head back out and ran into Liz again...I showed her a photo I took of Chris Horner coming in to the finish. It had been a lucky shot, in focus as he had been passing me going roughly 30 mph. "Not bad! These shots take a lot of practice." Thanks Liz :) Heading back out I figured to just walk around and take pictures to help me relax. I got some great photos of Lucas Haedo warming up but decided it wasn't the right time to ask him questions.
I arrived at the Trek/Livestrong U23 cars, set up right next to Team Mellow Johnny. Right away one notices the relaxed vibe among the group or perhaps they’re just used to this sort of thing. Many of these riders are the next big stars, their faces resembling young boys rather than professional cyclists. This is a team that is owned by Lance Armstrong to develop young American talent. I wonder what it must feel like to have to race against ones’ boss. Do you let him win or help him if the opportunity arises, or is he simply another competitor? Funny these questions come to me now, when while I was sitting in front of these guys for a good 20 minutes nothing was coming to my mind. Either way, they looked relaxed, poised for the individual time trial. The back drop was nothing but dirt and rocks…home sweet home for me but would the dryness in the air dehydrate them? How were they fairing against the altitude? Right away I recognized Axel and Phinney as their photos are everywhere. Just like in California I had put together a packet of information with photos and stats so that if the opportunity arose I would know who I was speaking with and also show them a little respect for their accomplishments. Instead, I looked like I had a lot to learn, turning around trying to study my photos. Wait, is that Ben King? Wait, no Bjorn is in the lead but that can’t be him, I can’t tell with all their gear on! All of the while a few of my friends were lined up behind me watching me embarrass myself. “Come ‘on Becca! Get in there!” Nice, now I really feel like a professional, thanks guys! “Axel, do you have a minute?” my friend Ricardo asks. “Sure thing, let me just put this in the car.” Ricardo turns around to me…”He’s all yours!”
Many times I have listened to interviews, frustrated at the journalist for not asking the proper questions or showing the person enough respect. I am a big admirer of cycling and what these men do and wanted for that to come across in my interviews. However, when I look at someone like Axel Merckx I can’t help but get star struck. Just last week I was watching Stage 12 in the 2005 Tour de France, where Axel had broken away in the mountains only to be caught by David Moncoutié. Now I was standing in front of him watching him pin Phinney’s number on his back. Besides the fact that we find ourselves in one of the smallest towns in New Mexico, who would have thought these guys would be here? Honestly, the interview happened so fast I hardly remember what I asked him, only hoping I hadn’t made a fool of myself. This was not as easy as it looks.
After a quick picture with Phinney before he jumped on the trainer for his warm up, I left to try and find Scott Nydam. Ricardo and I went to check it out, (Ricardo was responsible for getting me into this grand sport). As we were sitting outside BMC’s truck hoping for Nydam to jump out, Ricardo was drooling over the BMC frames and telling me just how much each wheel costs, why that nose was chopped off the saddle, just how much the power meters cost, etc. All very interesting but where was Nydam? I had been so focused on the European squads in California that I had completely missed him in February. This time around I was determined to meet him and see how he was doing. Reading his blog and listening to past interviews he seems to be a very passionate person who loves what he does and has a special place in his heart for the Gila. We waited a while but never saw any of the riders, figuring they had gone out on the course to warm up instead. No biggie, I’ll catch him tomorrow. I left Ricardo (still fixated on the bikes) to try and find Ben Jaques-Maynes from Bissell who lucky enough wasn’t parked too far away.
The Bissell team had a full squad competing so they had a good chance of taking the over all lead. The mechanics had Ben’s bike ready to go, #77, as other team mates were already warming up. Such a different vibe than what we had seen in California. This was my chance to get to know the American squads. Who were these men, and what stories did they have to offer? Once again, I opted to take photos instead as I had frozen up. As I was getting ready to approach one of the mechanics to see if Ben was there, I heard the commotion that Lance had arrived. “Rebecca, let’s go!” Ricardo yelled.
“Lance of Enchantement” they called it in the local papers. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny his talent or perseverance. I sat just feet away from him as he warmed up for the Time Trial. I turned around to look at the crowd and their reaction as we sat quietly watching his pedal strokes. A couple of young riders stood next to me. Part of the development squad of Felt/Slipstream, they could not have been much older than fifteen. Perhaps the next generation of big stars of cycling, here they were vying for an autograph, or just happy to be watching one of the legends of our sport warming up in front of them. This is what is special about someone like Lance. The inspiration he brings to both the weekend warrior, and the up and coming generation of professional cyclists. Soon after, he was off to the start as I left to catch a glimpse of Floyd Landis. As seems to be so often the case in the life of a professional cyclist, Floyd had served his suspension and was now back. He had been a part of one of the most successful teams in cycling history yet now he was struggling to even be noticed, not riding nearly as well as before with hardly a mention in the Tour of California and now struggling to remain in the top 50 at the Gila. At least he seemed to be having a good time, joking around with his team mates during the warm up. Recalling to memory the struggles of Pintani and Ullrich, I guess as long as one is able to ride, enjoying what they are doing, it does not matter what others believe or say. Once again I had to ask if we were indeed in New Mexico.
That first day turned out to be a big success. Even though I had frozen up in the beginning I was able to get a few questions in with Kristen Armstrong, and later Lance. Easily the biggest star in attendance, Lance was the easiest interview. Perhaps it is his wide experience with the press but I was impressed at his patience and thought he gave to each question proposed to him. “How are you feeling for the Giro?” “Feel good, feel good” he tells me. “Step by step, it’s a good first race back so I can’t complain. I didn’t have any grand expectations.” All in all a great first day, now to break down the booth, grab something to eat before heading home for some much needed shut eye only to wake up once again at 4 am to start all over.
How I wish I would have stayed in Silver City that evening. Once again we were only able to get about an hour of sleep. I could barely think I was so tired but I had a job to do so we were off once again before the sun rose. What was so special about this race was that they had all categories participating. Not only did you have the pros, but also the women’s race, and beginner categories down to Cat 4. Some cyclists had shirts that read, “I raced Lance Armstrong.” What a story to be able to tell in the future! The crit ran all day, with a citizens race sandwiched in between, just before the pros began. I had set up the Livestrong booth again but this time had many more volunteers.
Another day, another opportunity to run into Scott Nydam, instead I met a few of his team mates Chad and Martin. The squad had been on a training ride but no sign of Nydam. Hmmm, perhaps I’ll see him later that afternoon then. Stopping by Mellow Johnny’s trailer I manage to get in a few words with Chris Horner. “How is it being back racing the Gila?” “It’s great. Yea, it’s good to be back. It’s always nice coming back to a place you’ve raced before.” And won before? “Yea! Yea! [laughing] I have won this crit before,” as he turns to sign many autographs that are waiting. Roaming around on my own this time, I stopped to speak with Team Type 1. Hardly anyone was around them, remembering in California how they easily rode by people as fans would say, “oh yea they are the diabetes team” but had anyone actually stopped to ask what that meant to them? They were all very nice, and happy to tell their story about why the team was put together. No, not all of the riders have type 1 diabetes. Actually, only one rider present, Fabio Calabria has the disease. So I spoke with Fabio briefly about how he watches his insulin while racing. “I’ve got an insulin pump. Basically it’s like having an artificial pancreas that I control so it’s not too bad. We’ve got the technology now and the medical information to keep it under control.” Wow. I have a hard enough time learning how to maintain my glycogen levels during rides, let alone having to worry about diabetes on top of this. Definitely inspiring and goes to show you that somehow there is always a way.
Heading back to the race I ran into Ben Jaques-Maynes. Watching the women’s pro race, he signs my Santa Cruz paper from February. “Wow, cool where did you get this? So you were there on Bonny Doon? That day was horrible!” We spoke for a good twenty minutes. Being an avid year-around cyclist myself, at times I caught myself talking to these guys as riding buddies rather than a formal interview. “We must have had a head wind from every direction the other day! It was unreal.” Believe me, I understand! “What’s your name again? Okay, US Cycling Report? Yea I’ve heard of it, I’ll look out for it thanks! Take care!” I think perhaps I may be getting the hang of this! So much better from the day before when I could barely get two words out, I had actually managed to get some good material.
As is the case with these events, you find these guys scattered in among the crowds. As my friends holler at me from across the street, I run over to join them. Without even noticing who was standing next to them, “Rebecca, this is Johan.” I look up and Johan Bruyneel kindly shakes my hand as he excuses himself. He has the team radio in his ear as he tells the boys quickly who is in front. Behind him stands Richie, the team’s sougnier and Chris aka “Pink Pants” the team mechanic. The three of them go back and forth speaking Flemish, something I find amusing until I remember reading in Johan’s book that he speaks that with his team whenever he doesn’t want others to understand. Hmmm okay I can take a hint. Actually, they were a lot of fun to speak with and very kind. “Have you announced the team for the Giro yet?” I ask. “Well big guy, have we announced the Giro team?” Chris relays to Johan as he just looks at him with a big grin…”Well we can tell you that there will be three Americans on the team!” Nice, thanks guys! Oh well, so much for the inside scoop!
The crit ends with no major crashes. I later find out that Nydam had crashed but besides some minor road rash he was okay to race the following day. Phinney and Levi had also crashed but finished fine and would be ready to go for Stage 5. Just before heading back I caught up with Bjorn Selander of the Trek/Livestrong team at the finish, “How was it today?” “It was good, we [Trek/Livestrong team] were very active today. The winds weren’t too bad.” What type of speeds did you guys reach? “You know I don’t know. I usually have a power tap on but I forgot it at the house this morning.” Wow, okay? Ever raced the Gila before? “I’m usually racing in Europe right now so this is the first time I’m racing the Gila.” What’s next after this? “Heading home, then back to Belgium. I’ll be racing the under 23 Paris-Roubaix.” Wow! The under 23 course is very similar they too ride through the Trench of Arenberg forest. What’s that like? “It’s a lot tougher than it looks.” It looks pretty tough so I could not imagine. “The amount of energy you’re using. When you’re going on the cobbles, and then you try to do the same, go just as hard on the flats it feels so much harder, it’s weird. Your body goes numb when you’re riding.” Still living in Wisconsin? “Yea but I’ve been living with Taylor [Phinney] in Colorado lately so haven’t been home in a while.” Well good luck tomorrow. “Thanks!”
Having secured a press pass, I was told I would have a spot in one of the support cars in the race caravan the following morning. I could not believe it, it would be the opportunity of a life time! Not only that, but I was told there were not many cycling media in attendance so they were happy to accommodate me however they could since I understood how the race worked, the rules of the peloton, etc. I could not believe how lucky I was. Just one year ago I was learning what a peloton was; now I would be directly in front of it watching easily the biggest star in the pack racing for a win!
Waking up once again bright and early although following four hours of sleep this time, I quickly got ready and head out the door. I was told to arrive by 7 a.m. to get a spot in one of the SRAM cars. I had spoken with Ben from SRAM earlier the day before. “You know, you’re probably better in the media car. It’s a convertible so you’ll be able to get photos and videos much easier. In the support car you only have one view.” Hmm, okay sounds good. I hope I wouldn’t regret my decision. True, I’d have a 360 degree view in the media car but we would be in front of the race rather than driving in and around it. Either way I was glad for the opportunity. Ricardo and the gang had arrived just in time to bring me extra video and audio tapes, thanks guys! Once I had my spot I took off to look for Nydam once again. It seemed like I ran into everyone but Nydam, was I ever going to meet him? This was getting very frustrating. I wandered around aimlessly, running into the Trek/Livestrong squad again, “Hi Bjorn! Good luck today!” “Good morning, and thank you!” Then Team Type 1, riding past me to the starting line. I had parked directly in front of the OUCH team car so I decided to go check them out before heading back to BMC for Nydam. Luckily I had caught them right in the middle of their team meeting. “Okay we’re adding the climb right here. You climb over it, drop down turn around and come back up. The hardest part of the climb is actually the bottom, it’s the steepest part. There are couple times that you’ll have a few false flats so keep that in mind. As far as GC goes today, we’re all hands on deck. Focus on more than one guy in the group today, getting in that breakaway. Bringing it back, if we don’t then we don’t. The last 200 meters are still hard, so keep that in mind. Everyone got that? All hands on deck, look for that move, again more than one guy.”
Looking at the clock, it was 5 minutes until start time. I ran back to the car and made it just in time. Once again, I had missed Scott Nydam. I scanned the crowd quickly before we took off but could not see him. Hopefully I would have a chance at the finish line. Here we go! I had secured a seat in the back of the car so I would be able to face the race, sitting on my knees the majority of the time. Other reporters present - one camera man from Channel 7 ABC affiliate in Albuquerque, “I just need to get the finish, whatever else doesn’t matter.” Great. In the front seat we had the New York Times, “I wish I knew if Armstrong was in that pile. It would be a lot easier for us if he wasn’t” Of course, only worried about Lance. I remained quiet, not saying much at all. The race radio comes in, “114 and 58 have now joined the lead group, now 11 riders, 11 riders in the lead.” Nydam (114) had caught the breakaway! “Lead group is approaching the turn…3..2..1..mark. Copy onto 152.” Now let me just say how insanely difficult it is to shoot video while halfway hanging out the back of a convertible going at speeds of 30 to 40 mph on farm roads. It’s not easy! Just when the car would slow down enough so that the picture wouldn’t shake, the radio would yell “MEDIA! MOVE! They’re right on us!” Nice. Needless to say, it was definitely a learning experience.
“I’ve got rider 122 looking for service. ‘Medics here, coming around.’ Copy that.” 122? Taylor Phinney! He had been caught up in a crash shortly after the start, hope he was ok.
Our car was just two cars back from the lead car, while we had one other car and two motorcycles weaving between us and the breakaway. Best seat in the house until we reached the windy roads where you couldn’t see anything or the descents when we had to fly down the road so not to interfere with the riders coming up behind us, reaching speeds of up to 50 mph or more at some points. Just then, race radio, “114, 114 - copy that 114 what’s the status? – Medics come forward – copy that, coming forward.” Wait, 114? That was Nydam, as I strained to listen in. “Comm 3 to Comm 1, we were doing approximately 50 mph when he went down.” All at once, we looked at each other, did he say 50?!? “Comm 2 to Comm 1, not sure if you heard that or not, rider was going 50 mph when he went down.” My heart sank to my stomach, was he moving? Was he conscious? Nothing but silence and static, “Turning onto San Lorenzo…3..2..1..mark.”
Shortly after the first feeding zone there was another crash, 1/3 of the peloton had gone down with nine riders abandoning. No one was badly injured this time around, thank goodness, still no word on Nydam. “Okay folks I’m going to stop at the next feed zone. The riders will be going down into the valley, turning around and climbing back up. We’ll hang out here and wait for them.” We were sitting at the top of the descent down to the Gila’s visitor’s center where the riders would turn around and climb back up. I had just gotten out of the car and situated myself on the ground with my video camera when I heard the train coming. I looked up and Lance, Horner, and Levi were steering the train down the descent, each rider sitting just inches from the wheel in front of them. I was lying on the ground at this point, trying to get a good shot while praying no one crashed into me. Literally in the blink of an eye they were gone, having flown down the mountain side. I don’t think it was until that moment that I truly appreciated the kind of speeds they reach and the level of bike handling skills they maintain. Simply amazing!
As I walked from car to car I noticed Phinney. He got out of his team car and was getting bandaged up. Derek Loudermilk from Team Horizon Organic came up to the Trek team, “do you have any extra bandages? I went down in the first crash as well.” What happened? “Two guys were handing bottles to each other. I think they clipped handle bars, the wheels turned and I was right behind them.” Any news on Nydam? “I passed him, he was still laying on the ground.” Phinney tells me. A war zone? Perhaps while one surveys the scene, one by one riders are coming up with bloody fingers, road rash on their backs, thighs, knees, arms, trainers are picking gravel and rocks out from flesh. Who says cycling isn’t a tough sport? I ask around but there is still no news on Nydam.
I find one of Ben Jaques-Maynes team mates, Jeremy Vennell, relaxing in their team van. “Were you involved in any of the crashes today?” “Nearly, I was pretty lucky though. I think everyone is just tired today. There were a couple crashes on the descents; there was one shortly after the feeding zone. I was the last rider to make it through that one so pretty lucky. You have a bad day like today, its going to be a long day, and I don’t like the attitude at all. I’m just tired today, our next race is on Thursday so...” I hope Ben wins today, I’ll be cheering for him. “Yea, thanks! I hope so too, nice meeting you.”
On the way back I run into Lucas Haedo, winner of the second stage. Unfortunately he didn’t speak any English so it was time to test my skills. Luckily we managed to understand each other okay. “No, I dropped out today because I’m tired. We have our next race at Joe Martin in Arkansas so I’m resting up for then. Today was very hard, a lot of crashes too. I saw Nydam, he looked very bad. So I’ll rest up.” Onward, back to Phinney as I ask how long he’ll take off before riding again. “I didn’t break anything so I’ll probably ride tomorrow. If I’m really sore I won’t ride but the main thing is it will be sore sleeping tonight. I go to Europe on the 16th, back with the Trek guys, racing with the Development team later on.” Hopefully the week faired better for him. It was time to jump back in the car before the guys caught up with us. Race radio, “The leaders are now in the feed zone. 5 leaders, rider 85 [Ben King] has now joined the lead group.” Whew, made it just in time!
Twenty miles now from the finish, Team Mellow Johnny was now in the breakaway with Horner and Lance taking turns pulling Levi. I turned to catch a glimpse of the riders before turning yet another corner when I saw the black jerseys of Team Mellow Johnnys. Lance & Horner are in the front! The other journalists in the car immediately grab their equipment and jump around. “Which one is Horner?” Lord, here we go. The one with the yellow shoes, then next to him is Lance, behind him in the leaders jersey is Levi. As I’m fixated on getting a good shot of the boys flying up the mountain we pass Ricardo and the gang cheering them on. “Here they come! Here they come guys! GO LANCE!!!” Race radio – “coming up to mile 93, no feeding past mile marker 93.” What? Wait, no, we can’t be nearly finished; it has only been three hours! For comparison, my buddies and I usually do a century in just under six hours. Three hours is insanely fast, I couldn’t believe we were nearing the end. The last 10k went by in a breeze. Even though Levi would later tell me the group had decided to “take it easy because of accidents that happened last year” they were still flying by my book. Philip Zajicek from Fly V Australia took the stage win, with Lance next and Levi third, winning the overall general classification. Catching his breath, Philip managed to answer a few questions. “I just sat on Levi’s wheel, my team did an incredible job, took care of me all day. My parents and wife are here watching me, incredible beating Lance and Levi. Lance put in a good attack on the downhill, Levi too went so fast. I just knew I had to follow, last 500 meters I just gave everything I had.” Turning around I run into Chad Beyer of BMC who had finished 4th in the stage. “Levi and Lance were setting tempo, pretty fast. A couple technical spots but not too bad, the climbs were hard. I hung in there with the top guys so I think I did okay.” Finally an update on Scott Nydam from one of the sport directors of BMC, “On a helicopter right now on his way to El Paso, he was fine initially and conscious when I first walked up to him. The team doctors are with him and have talked to him. He just is in that rutt that all pro guys go through at some point.” At least he was going to be okay. I also managed to speak with Peter Stetina, an amazing young up and coming talent, had been in the top 5 but due to stomach issues had dropped to 10th overall. Ben Jaques-Maynes had finished strong as well, even though after leading the break away for nearly half of the stage, had dropped back. Happy with his finish, Bissell had won first place in the team competition.
Overall an amazing race, I had missed Nydam but there would be other times I’m sure. At least we knew he was going to be okay. Coming in on that last stage, the pros had caught the men category 4 racers as they were finishing the last climb. Legs struggling with every pedal stroke until they heard the motos, turned around and saw Lance, Levi, and Chris Horner leading the break away, after which smiles beamed on their faces, “HI MOM!” as they waved to my video camera with a burst of energy. What it must have felt like finishing a race with these world class cyclists that we would be watching in just a few days time, climbing the legendary mountains in Italy against the best in the world. Yet today these cyclists got to experience something they would never forget, surely stories to keep for a lifetime. Shortly after the podium ceremony Lance took a minute to speak with reporters. “I felt good but didn’t realize that the finish was such an uphill climb. I tried for the win but then told Levi, ‘you better go for it’ instead. Thanks guys, on to Italy now!”
As quickly as they had arrived, they were gone. Heading back to Silver City for a quick bite to eat, it had suddenly looked like a ghost town. So soon, the crowds were gone; teams were already on their way home. None of the restaurants were open because it was Sunday afternoon, my friends and I left as well. A magical weekend none of us will forget anytime soon. A few of the group had raced, and were still trying to process what had happened. “When is the next race, Rebecca? We’re hooked, this was amazing!” Not sure but soon, very soon. For now, back to the real world once again.
This was not the only thing I had to wrap my head around. About a month ago, a friend of mine and I started a local Livestrong Army chapter here in El Paso. The goal being to raise funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation through organized running/cycling events. Rumors were flying around that Lance may race, even though the UCI was trying everything in its power to stop him (something I will never understand). Either way, our Army was brand new, we hadn't had any materials printed for a booth and were still waiting on a lot of items to be mailed from the foundation. Pending all of this we had decided to skip the Gila, which gave me time for my assignment. However, with just two days before the start of the race someone had contacted the foundation asking if there was going to be a presence there and could he help in any way.
I got an email Wednesday morning, the day the race actually started. "Hi Rebecca, do you think you could set something up for us? Justin from New Mexico is willing to help out." Um...sure, why not since I don't anything else to do! It's funny how when something is meant to happen, how easily things fall into place. After a long afternoon of being on the phone for hours on end, everything was set into place. We had a location for our booth, a tent and table provided for us on site, while I spent most of the night before heading to Silver City printing name tags, business cards, and putting together binders filled with information about the LAF for those who would be running the booth while I was out reporting. Needless to say I didn't get ANY sleep that night, and what's worse, Silver City morning news had called and asked me for an interview at 7:15 a.m.! Sure, this would be great to help get the word out but I would be on television after driving from El Paso with little to no sleep. Nice!
I had arranged a carpool, driving Melisa, Evelyn and Ricardo up to the race with me that first day. "We're leaving NO LATER than 4 am folks!" 3:45 a.m. Ricardo calls, "I haven't slept any, have you?” Nope. “Someone else needs to drive." No matter how much I prepare for a trip I am NEVER on time when its time to leave. Everyone arrived on time at my house yet we didn't end up leaving until nearly 5 am because of me. Great, this means we would have to haul ass to make it in time for my interview. I drove to Deming until it was absolutely necessary that I get some shut eye, "can you girls wake me up in 20 minutes?" All the while Ricardo had been sleeping soundly in the back...must be nice! I woke up after what seemed like 2 hours when in reality it had been about 25 minutes, "What time is it?" 7 a.m., we were still outside of Silver City and I had to be on the air in 15 minutes. CRAP! At this point I was so tired I didn't really care if I made the interview. No, no, we needed this. I had no make-up on, I had done my hair but I looked like death rolled over. I phoned the reporter, "Rebecca? Yes, we're on the air, get here as soon as you can!" "How far away are we?" "Probably 10 minutes?" Hmm, just enough time for me to get ready. Five minutes later we rolled up to the station...crap! I felt so disorganized, after throwing some make-up on and contacts, I grabbed my binder with all the speaking points I had wanted to make and ran upstairs. Wish me luck guys!
"Are you Rebecca? Great, have you been on television before?" "Yes, yes, I understand the deal." "Ok great, there is a black 'X', when she calls you up sit at the black 'X' and look at the camera on your right." Gotcha. Damn it, it was 7:20, we were supposed to meet Beverly and Rachel from the Gila Regional Medical Center at 7:30 a.m. at the finish line to set up the booth! Great...I had forgotten to tell the guys and now they had to wait for me to finish the interview, I had left my phone in the car so I couldn't call Beverly to let her know. The morning show was very small and quaint. Filming with what looked like a home video camera, with the weather report on a print out from the Internet, I sat waiting on a couch...yes folks welcome to Silver City. Either way I was thankful to have been invited. They introduced me as I quickly took my spot to begin. "We're here to support and raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which was founded by Lance in 1999.."SHIT I mean, crap..."1997, excuse me, after he was diagnosed with cancer. We're also here to support his return to the professional peloton, come stop by our booth and say hi or volunteer if you'd like!" Quick, and to the point. Besides that little mess up, I think I did ok. "Thank you Rebecca, now for our weather.." I quickly said my thanks, grabbed my notebook and ran downstairs...time? 7:43 a.m. Late yet again!
"How did it go?" As I opened the van..."um, great, very small production but hopefully some people saw it." "You're phone has been ringing off the hook, we didn't know if we should answer it." Lovely. On to Tyrone...as I'm on the phone w/ Rachel, "Yes, I'm sorry we're on our way." We arrived and right away saw team Mellow Johnny's trailer, Trek/Livestrong were setting up along with Colavita. "Yea yea, just park here, we'll be fine." Once we parked I didn't know where to go, what to do first. Ricardo right away was seeing a lot of people he knew so he disappeared very quickly. Nice, thanks buddy! I noticed Liz Kreutz off in the distance. I had brought some Starbucks for her after reading some tweets about looking for coffee the day before. I signed it, "From El Paso Livestrong Army, enjoy!" We still hadn't known for sure if Lance knew we were going to be there. Perhaps Liz wouldn’t mind passing the message along? I hurriedly walked over to the trailer..."Good Morning Liz, I brought this for you. I'm on your twitter site." "Oh wow! Cool, thank you so much! Wait, we've got to take a picture together so I can post this on Twitter." Cool :) "What should I say? How do you spell your name? Okay, 'Rebecca from EP Livestrong brought me coffee, friends for life!' that work?" Sure! "Thanks!" Hehe friends for life. :) Okay, now to go set up the booth.
Still, no Ricardo. Ugh, can't worry about that now. Ricard from the New Mexico tourism board came by. "Hi Rebecca, is this location ok? Let me know if you need anything else." We had been set up right next to the official’s trailer where all the times would be posted. Hopefully this would generate more people for our booth since there were not many booths set up that day. Most organizations were waiting for the following day to set up, during the Criterium that would be held in downtown Silver City. No biggie, there would be plenty of people out. Once we got things set up I got my binder together, made sure my voice recorder was working, along with my video and 35 mm camera. Yes, I only have two hands but I had to make sure I got as much material as possible. "Hey, need any help?" Ricardo asked. Oh wow, nice of you to show! Actually, I was happy to have him with me. He was the reason why I had gotten into the sport in the first place. He owned his own bike shop and was a mechanic so I was hopeful he would go around with me doing interviews and give me pointers. However, one I was out there I began to freeze. We ran into Ivan, and Porras, some other good friends. "Hey Becca! Are you ready? Who are you interviewing first? Axel is over there, but you should also talk to Lucas Haedo." They were all listing stats, giving me ideas of what I should ask...all of the while all I could think of was numbers and names and who was who. Great, how am I going to get through this?!? "You need to just jump in there! Don't get so star struck!" All of a sudden I was wishing I was alone like in California, without this added pressure from my friends. I appreciated their help but it was really overwhelming me. "Thanks guys, I'll be back."
I was so nervous and frozen I didn't know where to begin. "Just take a deep breathe, you can do this." The Livestrong/Trek team had arrived and were relaxing, getting everything ready. I must have stood by their cars for a good 15 minutes, staring down at my notebook trying to decide who was who, and what I should ask, who I should try and approach first. Then all of a sudden Ricardo shows up again, "Axel, do you have a minute?" "Yea sure, let me put this away first." Ricardo turns to me, "There, he's all yours...go do it!" What?! Damn it, I haven't even thought of what to ask...as Ricardo stands back to watch. Great, "hi Axel, thank you for talking with me. I'm from US Cycling Report." "How is your team doing in the race so far? How is the UCI rule affecting your team?" Ugh, that rule only applies to the Pro-Tour teams...nice one Rebecca! "Well, it hasn't affected our team at all because it doesn't apply to us." Nice...first interview and I've already made a big fool of myself. Wonderful, I don't really remember what he said after that. I was trying to pay attention but I was mortified. Here he was, the son of Eddy Merckx, the best cyclist in history (IMO) and I was asking these stupid questions. Great. "Okay, well good luck today. Thanks again." "Sure thing!...Taylor...let's pin that number on"
Moving on, I had to take a break. I told myself, you know the best thing to do is just pretend you're back in California. You're just here like anyone else enjoying yourself, appreciating that these guys traveled so close to your home town to race. Appreciate this opportunity and you'll do just fine! Back to the booth..."How is it going?" Evelyn asked me. Umm...good I guess. I head back out and ran into Liz again...I showed her a photo I took of Chris Horner coming in to the finish. It had been a lucky shot, in focus as he had been passing me going roughly 30 mph. "Not bad! These shots take a lot of practice." Thanks Liz :) Heading back out I figured to just walk around and take pictures to help me relax. I got some great photos of Lucas Haedo warming up but decided it wasn't the right time to ask him questions.
I arrived at the Trek/Livestrong U23 cars, set up right next to Team Mellow Johnny. Right away one notices the relaxed vibe among the group or perhaps they’re just used to this sort of thing. Many of these riders are the next big stars, their faces resembling young boys rather than professional cyclists. This is a team that is owned by Lance Armstrong to develop young American talent. I wonder what it must feel like to have to race against ones’ boss. Do you let him win or help him if the opportunity arises, or is he simply another competitor? Funny these questions come to me now, when while I was sitting in front of these guys for a good 20 minutes nothing was coming to my mind. Either way, they looked relaxed, poised for the individual time trial. The back drop was nothing but dirt and rocks…home sweet home for me but would the dryness in the air dehydrate them? How were they fairing against the altitude? Right away I recognized Axel and Phinney as their photos are everywhere. Just like in California I had put together a packet of information with photos and stats so that if the opportunity arose I would know who I was speaking with and also show them a little respect for their accomplishments. Instead, I looked like I had a lot to learn, turning around trying to study my photos. Wait, is that Ben King? Wait, no Bjorn is in the lead but that can’t be him, I can’t tell with all their gear on! All of the while a few of my friends were lined up behind me watching me embarrass myself. “Come ‘on Becca! Get in there!” Nice, now I really feel like a professional, thanks guys! “Axel, do you have a minute?” my friend Ricardo asks. “Sure thing, let me just put this in the car.” Ricardo turns around to me…”He’s all yours!”
Many times I have listened to interviews, frustrated at the journalist for not asking the proper questions or showing the person enough respect. I am a big admirer of cycling and what these men do and wanted for that to come across in my interviews. However, when I look at someone like Axel Merckx I can’t help but get star struck. Just last week I was watching Stage 12 in the 2005 Tour de France, where Axel had broken away in the mountains only to be caught by David Moncoutié. Now I was standing in front of him watching him pin Phinney’s number on his back. Besides the fact that we find ourselves in one of the smallest towns in New Mexico, who would have thought these guys would be here? Honestly, the interview happened so fast I hardly remember what I asked him, only hoping I hadn’t made a fool of myself. This was not as easy as it looks.
After a quick picture with Phinney before he jumped on the trainer for his warm up, I left to try and find Scott Nydam. Ricardo and I went to check it out, (Ricardo was responsible for getting me into this grand sport). As we were sitting outside BMC’s truck hoping for Nydam to jump out, Ricardo was drooling over the BMC frames and telling me just how much each wheel costs, why that nose was chopped off the saddle, just how much the power meters cost, etc. All very interesting but where was Nydam? I had been so focused on the European squads in California that I had completely missed him in February. This time around I was determined to meet him and see how he was doing. Reading his blog and listening to past interviews he seems to be a very passionate person who loves what he does and has a special place in his heart for the Gila. We waited a while but never saw any of the riders, figuring they had gone out on the course to warm up instead. No biggie, I’ll catch him tomorrow. I left Ricardo (still fixated on the bikes) to try and find Ben Jaques-Maynes from Bissell who lucky enough wasn’t parked too far away.
The Bissell team had a full squad competing so they had a good chance of taking the over all lead. The mechanics had Ben’s bike ready to go, #77, as other team mates were already warming up. Such a different vibe than what we had seen in California. This was my chance to get to know the American squads. Who were these men, and what stories did they have to offer? Once again, I opted to take photos instead as I had frozen up. As I was getting ready to approach one of the mechanics to see if Ben was there, I heard the commotion that Lance had arrived. “Rebecca, let’s go!” Ricardo yelled.
“Lance of Enchantement” they called it in the local papers. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny his talent or perseverance. I sat just feet away from him as he warmed up for the Time Trial. I turned around to look at the crowd and their reaction as we sat quietly watching his pedal strokes. A couple of young riders stood next to me. Part of the development squad of Felt/Slipstream, they could not have been much older than fifteen. Perhaps the next generation of big stars of cycling, here they were vying for an autograph, or just happy to be watching one of the legends of our sport warming up in front of them. This is what is special about someone like Lance. The inspiration he brings to both the weekend warrior, and the up and coming generation of professional cyclists. Soon after, he was off to the start as I left to catch a glimpse of Floyd Landis. As seems to be so often the case in the life of a professional cyclist, Floyd had served his suspension and was now back. He had been a part of one of the most successful teams in cycling history yet now he was struggling to even be noticed, not riding nearly as well as before with hardly a mention in the Tour of California and now struggling to remain in the top 50 at the Gila. At least he seemed to be having a good time, joking around with his team mates during the warm up. Recalling to memory the struggles of Pintani and Ullrich, I guess as long as one is able to ride, enjoying what they are doing, it does not matter what others believe or say. Once again I had to ask if we were indeed in New Mexico.
That first day turned out to be a big success. Even though I had frozen up in the beginning I was able to get a few questions in with Kristen Armstrong, and later Lance. Easily the biggest star in attendance, Lance was the easiest interview. Perhaps it is his wide experience with the press but I was impressed at his patience and thought he gave to each question proposed to him. “How are you feeling for the Giro?” “Feel good, feel good” he tells me. “Step by step, it’s a good first race back so I can’t complain. I didn’t have any grand expectations.” All in all a great first day, now to break down the booth, grab something to eat before heading home for some much needed shut eye only to wake up once again at 4 am to start all over.
How I wish I would have stayed in Silver City that evening. Once again we were only able to get about an hour of sleep. I could barely think I was so tired but I had a job to do so we were off once again before the sun rose. What was so special about this race was that they had all categories participating. Not only did you have the pros, but also the women’s race, and beginner categories down to Cat 4. Some cyclists had shirts that read, “I raced Lance Armstrong.” What a story to be able to tell in the future! The crit ran all day, with a citizens race sandwiched in between, just before the pros began. I had set up the Livestrong booth again but this time had many more volunteers.
Another day, another opportunity to run into Scott Nydam, instead I met a few of his team mates Chad and Martin. The squad had been on a training ride but no sign of Nydam. Hmmm, perhaps I’ll see him later that afternoon then. Stopping by Mellow Johnny’s trailer I manage to get in a few words with Chris Horner. “How is it being back racing the Gila?” “It’s great. Yea, it’s good to be back. It’s always nice coming back to a place you’ve raced before.” And won before? “Yea! Yea! [laughing] I have won this crit before,” as he turns to sign many autographs that are waiting. Roaming around on my own this time, I stopped to speak with Team Type 1. Hardly anyone was around them, remembering in California how they easily rode by people as fans would say, “oh yea they are the diabetes team” but had anyone actually stopped to ask what that meant to them? They were all very nice, and happy to tell their story about why the team was put together. No, not all of the riders have type 1 diabetes. Actually, only one rider present, Fabio Calabria has the disease. So I spoke with Fabio briefly about how he watches his insulin while racing. “I’ve got an insulin pump. Basically it’s like having an artificial pancreas that I control so it’s not too bad. We’ve got the technology now and the medical information to keep it under control.” Wow. I have a hard enough time learning how to maintain my glycogen levels during rides, let alone having to worry about diabetes on top of this. Definitely inspiring and goes to show you that somehow there is always a way.
Heading back to the race I ran into Ben Jaques-Maynes. Watching the women’s pro race, he signs my Santa Cruz paper from February. “Wow, cool where did you get this? So you were there on Bonny Doon? That day was horrible!” We spoke for a good twenty minutes. Being an avid year-around cyclist myself, at times I caught myself talking to these guys as riding buddies rather than a formal interview. “We must have had a head wind from every direction the other day! It was unreal.” Believe me, I understand! “What’s your name again? Okay, US Cycling Report? Yea I’ve heard of it, I’ll look out for it thanks! Take care!” I think perhaps I may be getting the hang of this! So much better from the day before when I could barely get two words out, I had actually managed to get some good material.
As is the case with these events, you find these guys scattered in among the crowds. As my friends holler at me from across the street, I run over to join them. Without even noticing who was standing next to them, “Rebecca, this is Johan.” I look up and Johan Bruyneel kindly shakes my hand as he excuses himself. He has the team radio in his ear as he tells the boys quickly who is in front. Behind him stands Richie, the team’s sougnier and Chris aka “Pink Pants” the team mechanic. The three of them go back and forth speaking Flemish, something I find amusing until I remember reading in Johan’s book that he speaks that with his team whenever he doesn’t want others to understand. Hmmm okay I can take a hint. Actually, they were a lot of fun to speak with and very kind. “Have you announced the team for the Giro yet?” I ask. “Well big guy, have we announced the Giro team?” Chris relays to Johan as he just looks at him with a big grin…”Well we can tell you that there will be three Americans on the team!” Nice, thanks guys! Oh well, so much for the inside scoop!
The crit ends with no major crashes. I later find out that Nydam had crashed but besides some minor road rash he was okay to race the following day. Phinney and Levi had also crashed but finished fine and would be ready to go for Stage 5. Just before heading back I caught up with Bjorn Selander of the Trek/Livestrong team at the finish, “How was it today?” “It was good, we [Trek/Livestrong team] were very active today. The winds weren’t too bad.” What type of speeds did you guys reach? “You know I don’t know. I usually have a power tap on but I forgot it at the house this morning.” Wow, okay? Ever raced the Gila before? “I’m usually racing in Europe right now so this is the first time I’m racing the Gila.” What’s next after this? “Heading home, then back to Belgium. I’ll be racing the under 23 Paris-Roubaix.” Wow! The under 23 course is very similar they too ride through the Trench of Arenberg forest. What’s that like? “It’s a lot tougher than it looks.” It looks pretty tough so I could not imagine. “The amount of energy you’re using. When you’re going on the cobbles, and then you try to do the same, go just as hard on the flats it feels so much harder, it’s weird. Your body goes numb when you’re riding.” Still living in Wisconsin? “Yea but I’ve been living with Taylor [Phinney] in Colorado lately so haven’t been home in a while.” Well good luck tomorrow. “Thanks!”
Having secured a press pass, I was told I would have a spot in one of the support cars in the race caravan the following morning. I could not believe it, it would be the opportunity of a life time! Not only that, but I was told there were not many cycling media in attendance so they were happy to accommodate me however they could since I understood how the race worked, the rules of the peloton, etc. I could not believe how lucky I was. Just one year ago I was learning what a peloton was; now I would be directly in front of it watching easily the biggest star in the pack racing for a win!
Waking up once again bright and early although following four hours of sleep this time, I quickly got ready and head out the door. I was told to arrive by 7 a.m. to get a spot in one of the SRAM cars. I had spoken with Ben from SRAM earlier the day before. “You know, you’re probably better in the media car. It’s a convertible so you’ll be able to get photos and videos much easier. In the support car you only have one view.” Hmm, okay sounds good. I hope I wouldn’t regret my decision. True, I’d have a 360 degree view in the media car but we would be in front of the race rather than driving in and around it. Either way I was glad for the opportunity. Ricardo and the gang had arrived just in time to bring me extra video and audio tapes, thanks guys! Once I had my spot I took off to look for Nydam once again. It seemed like I ran into everyone but Nydam, was I ever going to meet him? This was getting very frustrating. I wandered around aimlessly, running into the Trek/Livestrong squad again, “Hi Bjorn! Good luck today!” “Good morning, and thank you!” Then Team Type 1, riding past me to the starting line. I had parked directly in front of the OUCH team car so I decided to go check them out before heading back to BMC for Nydam. Luckily I had caught them right in the middle of their team meeting. “Okay we’re adding the climb right here. You climb over it, drop down turn around and come back up. The hardest part of the climb is actually the bottom, it’s the steepest part. There are couple times that you’ll have a few false flats so keep that in mind. As far as GC goes today, we’re all hands on deck. Focus on more than one guy in the group today, getting in that breakaway. Bringing it back, if we don’t then we don’t. The last 200 meters are still hard, so keep that in mind. Everyone got that? All hands on deck, look for that move, again more than one guy.”
Looking at the clock, it was 5 minutes until start time. I ran back to the car and made it just in time. Once again, I had missed Scott Nydam. I scanned the crowd quickly before we took off but could not see him. Hopefully I would have a chance at the finish line. Here we go! I had secured a seat in the back of the car so I would be able to face the race, sitting on my knees the majority of the time. Other reporters present - one camera man from Channel 7 ABC affiliate in Albuquerque, “I just need to get the finish, whatever else doesn’t matter.” Great. In the front seat we had the New York Times, “I wish I knew if Armstrong was in that pile. It would be a lot easier for us if he wasn’t” Of course, only worried about Lance. I remained quiet, not saying much at all. The race radio comes in, “114 and 58 have now joined the lead group, now 11 riders, 11 riders in the lead.” Nydam (114) had caught the breakaway! “Lead group is approaching the turn…3..2..1..mark. Copy onto 152.” Now let me just say how insanely difficult it is to shoot video while halfway hanging out the back of a convertible going at speeds of 30 to 40 mph on farm roads. It’s not easy! Just when the car would slow down enough so that the picture wouldn’t shake, the radio would yell “MEDIA! MOVE! They’re right on us!” Nice. Needless to say, it was definitely a learning experience.
“I’ve got rider 122 looking for service. ‘Medics here, coming around.’ Copy that.” 122? Taylor Phinney! He had been caught up in a crash shortly after the start, hope he was ok.
Our car was just two cars back from the lead car, while we had one other car and two motorcycles weaving between us and the breakaway. Best seat in the house until we reached the windy roads where you couldn’t see anything or the descents when we had to fly down the road so not to interfere with the riders coming up behind us, reaching speeds of up to 50 mph or more at some points. Just then, race radio, “114, 114 - copy that 114 what’s the status? – Medics come forward – copy that, coming forward.” Wait, 114? That was Nydam, as I strained to listen in. “Comm 3 to Comm 1, we were doing approximately 50 mph when he went down.” All at once, we looked at each other, did he say 50?!? “Comm 2 to Comm 1, not sure if you heard that or not, rider was going 50 mph when he went down.” My heart sank to my stomach, was he moving? Was he conscious? Nothing but silence and static, “Turning onto San Lorenzo…3..2..1..mark.”
Shortly after the first feeding zone there was another crash, 1/3 of the peloton had gone down with nine riders abandoning. No one was badly injured this time around, thank goodness, still no word on Nydam. “Okay folks I’m going to stop at the next feed zone. The riders will be going down into the valley, turning around and climbing back up. We’ll hang out here and wait for them.” We were sitting at the top of the descent down to the Gila’s visitor’s center where the riders would turn around and climb back up. I had just gotten out of the car and situated myself on the ground with my video camera when I heard the train coming. I looked up and Lance, Horner, and Levi were steering the train down the descent, each rider sitting just inches from the wheel in front of them. I was lying on the ground at this point, trying to get a good shot while praying no one crashed into me. Literally in the blink of an eye they were gone, having flown down the mountain side. I don’t think it was until that moment that I truly appreciated the kind of speeds they reach and the level of bike handling skills they maintain. Simply amazing!
As I walked from car to car I noticed Phinney. He got out of his team car and was getting bandaged up. Derek Loudermilk from Team Horizon Organic came up to the Trek team, “do you have any extra bandages? I went down in the first crash as well.” What happened? “Two guys were handing bottles to each other. I think they clipped handle bars, the wheels turned and I was right behind them.” Any news on Nydam? “I passed him, he was still laying on the ground.” Phinney tells me. A war zone? Perhaps while one surveys the scene, one by one riders are coming up with bloody fingers, road rash on their backs, thighs, knees, arms, trainers are picking gravel and rocks out from flesh. Who says cycling isn’t a tough sport? I ask around but there is still no news on Nydam.
I find one of Ben Jaques-Maynes team mates, Jeremy Vennell, relaxing in their team van. “Were you involved in any of the crashes today?” “Nearly, I was pretty lucky though. I think everyone is just tired today. There were a couple crashes on the descents; there was one shortly after the feeding zone. I was the last rider to make it through that one so pretty lucky. You have a bad day like today, its going to be a long day, and I don’t like the attitude at all. I’m just tired today, our next race is on Thursday so...” I hope Ben wins today, I’ll be cheering for him. “Yea, thanks! I hope so too, nice meeting you.”
On the way back I run into Lucas Haedo, winner of the second stage. Unfortunately he didn’t speak any English so it was time to test my skills. Luckily we managed to understand each other okay. “No, I dropped out today because I’m tired. We have our next race at Joe Martin in Arkansas so I’m resting up for then. Today was very hard, a lot of crashes too. I saw Nydam, he looked very bad. So I’ll rest up.” Onward, back to Phinney as I ask how long he’ll take off before riding again. “I didn’t break anything so I’ll probably ride tomorrow. If I’m really sore I won’t ride but the main thing is it will be sore sleeping tonight. I go to Europe on the 16th, back with the Trek guys, racing with the Development team later on.” Hopefully the week faired better for him. It was time to jump back in the car before the guys caught up with us. Race radio, “The leaders are now in the feed zone. 5 leaders, rider 85 [Ben King] has now joined the lead group.” Whew, made it just in time!
Twenty miles now from the finish, Team Mellow Johnny was now in the breakaway with Horner and Lance taking turns pulling Levi. I turned to catch a glimpse of the riders before turning yet another corner when I saw the black jerseys of Team Mellow Johnnys. Lance & Horner are in the front! The other journalists in the car immediately grab their equipment and jump around. “Which one is Horner?” Lord, here we go. The one with the yellow shoes, then next to him is Lance, behind him in the leaders jersey is Levi. As I’m fixated on getting a good shot of the boys flying up the mountain we pass Ricardo and the gang cheering them on. “Here they come! Here they come guys! GO LANCE!!!” Race radio – “coming up to mile 93, no feeding past mile marker 93.” What? Wait, no, we can’t be nearly finished; it has only been three hours! For comparison, my buddies and I usually do a century in just under six hours. Three hours is insanely fast, I couldn’t believe we were nearing the end. The last 10k went by in a breeze. Even though Levi would later tell me the group had decided to “take it easy because of accidents that happened last year” they were still flying by my book. Philip Zajicek from Fly V Australia took the stage win, with Lance next and Levi third, winning the overall general classification. Catching his breath, Philip managed to answer a few questions. “I just sat on Levi’s wheel, my team did an incredible job, took care of me all day. My parents and wife are here watching me, incredible beating Lance and Levi. Lance put in a good attack on the downhill, Levi too went so fast. I just knew I had to follow, last 500 meters I just gave everything I had.” Turning around I run into Chad Beyer of BMC who had finished 4th in the stage. “Levi and Lance were setting tempo, pretty fast. A couple technical spots but not too bad, the climbs were hard. I hung in there with the top guys so I think I did okay.” Finally an update on Scott Nydam from one of the sport directors of BMC, “On a helicopter right now on his way to El Paso, he was fine initially and conscious when I first walked up to him. The team doctors are with him and have talked to him. He just is in that rutt that all pro guys go through at some point.” At least he was going to be okay. I also managed to speak with Peter Stetina, an amazing young up and coming talent, had been in the top 5 but due to stomach issues had dropped to 10th overall. Ben Jaques-Maynes had finished strong as well, even though after leading the break away for nearly half of the stage, had dropped back. Happy with his finish, Bissell had won first place in the team competition.
Overall an amazing race, I had missed Nydam but there would be other times I’m sure. At least we knew he was going to be okay. Coming in on that last stage, the pros had caught the men category 4 racers as they were finishing the last climb. Legs struggling with every pedal stroke until they heard the motos, turned around and saw Lance, Levi, and Chris Horner leading the break away, after which smiles beamed on their faces, “HI MOM!” as they waved to my video camera with a burst of energy. What it must have felt like finishing a race with these world class cyclists that we would be watching in just a few days time, climbing the legendary mountains in Italy against the best in the world. Yet today these cyclists got to experience something they would never forget, surely stories to keep for a lifetime. Shortly after the podium ceremony Lance took a minute to speak with reporters. “I felt good but didn’t realize that the finish was such an uphill climb. I tried for the win but then told Levi, ‘you better go for it’ instead. Thanks guys, on to Italy now!”
As quickly as they had arrived, they were gone. Heading back to Silver City for a quick bite to eat, it had suddenly looked like a ghost town. So soon, the crowds were gone; teams were already on their way home. None of the restaurants were open because it was Sunday afternoon, my friends and I left as well. A magical weekend none of us will forget anytime soon. A few of the group had raced, and were still trying to process what had happened. “When is the next race, Rebecca? We’re hooked, this was amazing!” Not sure but soon, very soon. For now, back to the real world once again.
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