-Dan Schmatz
Via Handheld SK3.

I didn’t do so hot in the criterium yesterday. My legs weren’t great and things would have had to go just right to win but instead I flatted with about 10 to go and got pushed in near the back. I tried to take my time and move up steady but had to make a few big efforts which didn’t help with the lack of grunt I was dealing with. I got near the front with some help from David but on the last lap came out on the wrong side of the bubble in the chicane on the backside. I ended 11th with menzes smashing everyone again to take the win and GC.

Stage 8 was the Altoona to Stage College point to point. We got there with no problems and had dinner then found our flight to DC was canceled. After looking at all our options which mostly came up with us getting out today at 7pm we drove to DC, got out at 8 and no I am home.

Stage 9 starts in a few hours when I go back to DIA and head to Kansas City. I was to be there at 9 this morning but without a parachute I couldn’t get there from 35k feet above.

That was yesterday right?

Once again it was confirmed that lots of other climb faster than me. I suffered the best I could to hold my 85th spot on GC and finished well enough to make the criterium today. These last day stage race criteriums are always a little different than a one day criterium. Teams/riders have different plans/tactics for the day. They may be be trying to win the stage, the GC, or just trying not to crash. We did a bad TTT and the race hasn’t been selective enough to break up the GC so stripping the jersey off Karl isn’t going to happen. With the position our team is in its all about the stage for me.

Quote of the morning:
“Shhhhh, its the pres”

Quote of the day:
“If it’s the president I’m not opening the door.”

Racing:
It was about 77 miles, we started at 8am and ended at 10:43am. Sayers was in the break half the day which took the pressure off us. It got caught not far from the line and I needed to get it done. Unfortunately 7th was the best I could muster.

Sayers pic of the day:

A few years ago after the finish of todays stage I walked down to watch the end of the womens race. My motive had nothing to do with the excitement that was the womens final but to try and run some game on Myriam. We had met a few weeks early and I knew she would be there helping out the Quark Team so without actually stalking I went to the finish where any good soigneur would be. I was able to talk her into a second meeting in the future and nothing makes me more happy that the rest of our lives are being written everyday.

As for the racing I made the front group over final climb which makes me happy, only a small victory since most the field did also. Scott Nydam rode hard like he always does and was away 2/3rds the race in a move. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place since the break had a good gap going into the final and the guys were all pretty rested. He ended up third on the day. Tomorrow is the first stage of the race that is considered a sprinters day, In 2005 I went 4th and need to improve on that.