Fresno Day 1: I blew up!

Today was the first race of the season. I could definitely tell. It was a rolling course with some good climbing in it and a couple long fast descents. The team rode very well and we were in every move. The one move that would have gone with Trent Wilson, or the man they call Willow, we brought back as a team pretty quickly. We had to bring it back because once Trent had to go back to the car for bike trouble, we had no one in the break. I actually felt really strong for the first race of the season, but the power and race legs just weren't there today.

On the second lap after we pulled the move back I launched an attack at the bottom of a climb. I looked back and no one was there, then Colovita's Davide Fratini had bridged. I thought it would get brought back right away and I was suffering like a dog. Tim Johnson from Health net bridged across next. Tim is the best rider in the country right now so I thought it might actually stick. Soon there were about 15 guys in the lead break. Here I was launching an attack thinking it might help send one of my teammates once it got brought back. With less than one lap to go we go caught at the base of the long climb. Just before the catch some strong guys, Tim Johnson and Chris Baldwin attacked. I went with them but that was the dagger. We soon got caught by the field and I went right out the back door. It was all I could do to drag myself the last 20 miles to the finish line. The teammates did well though, Cesar is in 7th, Trent is in there and Tommy Nankervis (Nanny) is in the top group as well.

The race is still up for grabs tomorrow as the Time Trial is up next. I guesse that Cesar can throw down a good time trial. Hope to have a descent day myself, you never know with early season form though. More tomorrow.