An update of sorts

I will make this one photo-less as I'm still a week away from having my internet reconnected. Hooray for TalkTalk.

The results

Journo world's: 1st in the time trial, 6th in the road race. I had four days (out of five) off the bike between the British champs and the journos with tonsillitis, and I paid for it.

I ended up winning the time trial quite comfortably (15 km in 19'28, 2nd in my cat was Martin Ganglberger 20'42, 2nd in the younger cat was Fred Backelandt 20'21) but it wasn't one of my better rides. I did the first half at normal '10' pace, but the second half 20W down. Normally I can go harder in the second half, but that's the lost fitness. Otherwise it wouldabeen 20sec quicker...

Still, a fourth rainbow jersey was tops. And it fit me, so I can actually wear the thing.

The road race was a shocker. I didn't have the legs, for a start. But worse was I didn't have any cornering skills so I could barely stick with the bunch on what was an insanely technical circuit through Kranj. 3.2km long, incorporating 11 corners, a pedestrian mall with marble sections, a really tight single lane descent with a 20% hairpin near the bottom, which led onto a wooden(!) bridge, followed by a sharp left hander then up a short but steep climb. And another hairpin at the top.

Each lap, I'd lose a bit on the downhill hairpin, take the bridge too fast, nearly catch on, then brake for the corner off the bridge and start the climb 20m off the back. Horrible. Once I did move up and just got in the way, so I moved back down.

The race was won by Eros Maccioni, who also won in Salzburg a couple of years ago. He didn't race the TT and I knew he'd be the one to watch. He got away with Herr Ganglberger at halfway and that was that.

We had a great night afterwards though. The Belgians had brought beer with them.

I stayed on in Slovenia for a few more days, and we travelled from one end of the country to the other. We started up near the Hungarian border and stayed at an amazing 'boutique hotel' called the Sonca Hisa. Primoz was doing a story on it so we got a free night. Five rooms, all differently styled with an amazing attention to detail, very comfortable, excellent food for brekky, lovely staff, even a massage (although I don't think the masseur did my back much good). 250 euros a night...

Then we moved to Lake Bohinj in the Julian Alps. Also stunning and we did some very hilly riding. The place we stayed at was the polar opposite to the Sonca Hisa but still very friendly.

I'll upload some pics when I get connected.

I came back on the Thursday then went to Normandy on Friday with Robin for the Duo Normand. You can read the full story on that here. Brilliant event, hopefully we can do it again next year.