We got two teams racing now - Langkwai and Qatar. Bummer that Hayden got sick a couple of stages ago and dropped out of Langkwai - he’s back in Belgium now. Michael, Tom and Fumy came on strong in Stage 4 - maybe the D-Men are moving in... Qatar is just starting - our guys are getting their sand legs - I thought the photo of the camel grazing peacefully by the road as the peloton rode by was a real goodie.

I wanted to tell you, in case you were not listening to Lance last night, that he was talking about a new line of Nike clothing that he is helping to design. He said he may call it 10-2, as a symbol of when he was diagnosed with cancer on October 2nd. I can imagine that it will be pretty cool stuff. Lance and Nike have really got a good thing goin’. Saw some pics of Lance doing the show up on TPL this morning - they are really cool shots taken during the show. Everybody is asking me if it was “live” - yeah it was straight from them to us - no taping - no delays. I think that Higgs has a second career as a DJ - he really keeps it going.

Went to a planning meeting tonight for Cat’s Hill Classic in Los Gatos, CA - Yeah, I know, I went to the Sea Otter meeting Sunday morning. But I do two completely different jobs at the two races. A photog buddy asked me this morning if I had made my plans for Redlands yet. Yikes - I haven’t had a chance to even think about Redlands yet. I love going to Redlands because I don’t have to work the race in any capacity except as a photographer.

The big Pro Cycling Tour races here in the US always find me in a staff capacity, and it limits my photography opportunities considerably. Altho last year I ended up at the top of Fillmore and got some shots that I really like. Once I have my course marshals placed at their posts, I am finding that I do have some time for photos there. The Philly Wachovia series is more demanding on my time, and I rarely get opportunities for shots there.

So Lance and Higgs did their first radio show on Sirius tonight.. They sounded real fine - and guess who was one of the three folks that Lance talked with? Oh Yes - we chatted away about my being his Uber Fan, my Lance tattoo and the Hour record. Lance says he’s going to get “Sam” tattooed on him - I asked him where and he said “to be determined”... He and Higgs sounded so relaxed and cool - you’d think they had been doing it for ever. Lance did say that they had sushi and a couple of beers, so maybe that helped him be mellow - The sushi, of course...

He was talking a lot about doing the Oprah show - set your Tivos or PVRs - it is on Feb 11th. It sounds like a great show - his mom and Sheryl were there, and I guess Sheryl did one or two of her new songs. Lance said that Oprah is his Mom’s idol. I guess you all know that Linda has written a book about Raising Lance, and it will be out this Spring.

I said something about my co-authored Tour de France for Dummies book, and he and Higgs started laughing and said that I got the plug for the book in. But honestly, I hadn’t planned on mentioning it or anything! They were teasing me about donating $$$ to construct a covered velodrome, and I said I’d cover it with the millions I was going to make from the TdF for Dummies book. I didn’t even think about “plugging” the book when I called in.... But, since we are mentioning it - when you get ready to buy it, be sure to go to my website and click through to Amazon from there, OK - I need the bucks . And also click thru to subscribe to Sirius - I should have the logo up in a couple of days....

Anyway, it was great talking with them, even if I had just seen them at training camp.. Both Lance and Higgs are really cool, funny guys.

Well, we have cycling stuff going on now - Yes! Big news is that Lance is going to have his first radio show on Sirius this Sunday evening. I surfed through my Dish satellite guide and, much to my relief, it shows that I get Faction. Wonder how many people will call up to talk to him on the air. I betcha the phone lines will set a record for callers that Sirius has never seen before. And their ratings will skyrocket - it’s the Lance magic that always happens. Maybe I’ll call up and see if he’ll talk to his home girl.

So poor Fumy crashed in the last couple of meters in the first stage of Langkawai. Sounds like he will still be in the race, and I guess the new crash rule that nobody likes actually helped this D-Man to keep his finish time. The guys in the two teams have really been doing some heavy duty traveling, and didn’t get to Malaysia early enough to even get over jetlag, much less to get some training done. I think they are gonna come on strong as the days go by.

Went over to my Web Guru’s house this morning and we added some Flash bells and whistles to the D-site. She is at www.nicerpage.com. She is the webmaster for the Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club’s site, www.lgbrc.org and she is super at web design. Yeah, I belong to LGBRC, but I’m a helper, not a racer. I love the Cat’s Hill Classic crit - we are starting the planning meetings on Monday.

And I go to the first planning meeting for the Sea Otter this Sunday. Yep, I’m smiling - the cycling season is starting. And the buzz about the Tour of California is making me smile, too. Hope what I am hearing about Threshold Sports being involved is true, ‘cause if it is, then I will be working that race, too. Sounds like if it goes, it will be in 2006. And if 2006 brings Lance to Colorado Springs for The Hour try - well, I have family there, so you know where I will be!

I was thinking today about the Discovery Team - I mean the whole team, not just the riders. The soigneurs and the wrenches who were with us in Solvang and Ojai are a super bunch of guys - the camaraderie among them, and between them and the riders is incredible. These two groups of support staff bear the brunt of the workload for the logistics of supporting and transporting the team and the vehicles. This is a hard-working bunch of guys who have the best attitude - no whining, no bitching. They all pitch in to get whatever needs doing done. They do a lot of joking and kidding around, and it is clear that they all are good friends, too.

Vince Gee drives the team truck wherever it needs to go to in the US from where he lives in Sacramento. He does these incredible marathon cross-country trips to get the vehicle to races. Dave Bolch, from Austin, also does some marathon driving with team vehicles. In the off season, Dave used his carpentry skills on the team truck and created a little space with built-in storage cabinets and a washer and dryer right behind the cab. Nice work, too!

Dave is also a photographer, and has some nice stuff up on his website. He borrowed my D70 for the day in Solvang - he took the pic of the windmill and rainbow in my gallery. He usually works with a large format camera in black and white. We could stand around and talk photography forever, but this guy is always on the run and does so much for Lance and the team. He’s really a great guy.

I am receiving the coolest emails from folks who follow this blog. Thanks! It’s so nice to know that fans actually read and like what I write! In answer to your questions, I’ll tell you a bit about what I am doing now. I’m in the final phase of co-authoring a Tour de France for Dummies book, along with Phil Liggett and James Raia. I think that my photos will be used in the book - Cool... I was contacted by the Acquisition Editor at Wiley and Sons Publishing last August about working on the Tour book. It is already listed in Amazon, but publication date is scheduled for the end of May. I may also have photos in Michael Barry’s upcoming book, tentatively titled, “Inside the Postal Bus”. And of course, zee leetle Podium Girl Gone Bad book, thong and other merchandise is still selling well. I have a couple of other book ideas that are on the back-burner for a few weeks.

I am always on the lookout for writing gigs, so all of you keep our eyes and ears open for me...

Ok, Ok - I’m late with my last training camp blog. Almost all the sponsor guests had left by Sunday morning, so just a handful of hardcore cyclists rode with the team. We tried to go on a closed highway that we had ridden on Saturday, but the guy guarding the roadblock wouldn’t go for it. So we just adapted and changed our route. It was a short ride - the guys had to be back by 11:30 to get ready to head for LAX. Most of the guys had direct flights to London, so they didn’t expect the big storm to delay them enroute, anyway.

We did one good climb and some guy in a white van about four vehicles back got really pissed - was hollering and swearing at us. I’m not kidding, the guy had the biggest, loudest voice I’ve ever heard! He was a nasty one, for sure. It’s road rage guys like him that makes us always have a follow vehicle behind our guys, so nobody will do something aggressive and stupid. But then, when he passed us (and not that long of a wait), he didn’t say a word - I didn’t even see any sign language.

So when we got back, we all said au revoir with hugs and then I headed back toward the Bay Area. I decided to go on down toward Venture and go up Hwy 1. Everywhere, there was mud and slides, and front yards covered with two or more feet of dirt, and equipment doing cleanup work. I didn’t realize that I would drive right by La Conchita - I didn’t know it was right on the highway. It was really a sad sight to see, and there were people picking through debris in houses and yards - how awful to lose everything you own in this world.

I popped back into Solvang for an errand, and saw that the Health Net team was arriving there for training. They were staying at the Marriott. So the drivers in Solvang are not going to get a break at all from cyclists on their roads.

I stopped for coffee up the line and to check my email. I was standing in line when a lady in front of me saw my Live Strong bands and asked where I got them. She said she had been going everywhere to find them and she really wanted one. I could tell by her voice that she was person who had a compelling reason. I carry a couple extra with me just for that, so I gave her one and she was so happy - I could tell it really meant a lot to her to wear it. She then told me that she was a breast cancer survivor.

Well, I had a wonderful time helping at training, and now I am really missing the guys. It seems a bit dull here on the home front. I probably won’t have much to say in this blog for a while. I’ll try to keep it as current as I can. I am actually going to start the planning meetings for the Sea Otter in Monterey, as well as the Cat’s Hill Classic in Los Gatos, so maybe I will have something cycling to talk about. Thank you all again for reading and for your great comments. I really appreciate hearing from you! Cheers!

Not a whole lot going on today... We rode with the sponsors this morning - about a fifty-mile repeat loop of the area. We had two police motos and two patrol cars as an escort - amazing how seeing black and white calms down road rage. And I always thought blue or green were the colors that made people more tranquil. But, all the drivers were quite civil and patient - how nice for all 70 sponsor cyclists and the team. It was a mellow ride and a mellow morning.

Most of the Belgian guys left last night - Dirk, Johan and Sean are still here. Vince and Julien are doing the wrenching. Dave is here, not sure what other soigneurs remained - I didn’t see anyone else. The riders are all leaving immediately after the short training ride tomorrow. George is flying out at midnight tonight.

I had dinner with the team and a few guests. I sat with Johan, Dirk, Chechu, Triki, Ace and Benjamin - George joined us for a bit. Yeah, I know - tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it. These guys are all just the greatest and so funny. I mostly listened, cause the language of choice was Spanish - I grabbed a word now and then, and caught the gist of most of the joking. These guys are all so nice to me, and I appreciate them so much.

I am staying at the Best Western Ojai - it’s really a good deal and very nice. They have free wifi - that’s all I care about! Had a killer Herradura Silver margarita at Antonio’s - my chili verde burrito was not outstanding, but a good enough early lunch. Ojai is really a friendly, mellow place, but the highway traffic is horrendous.

I’ll leave for a long drive home right after the ride, so the blog and pics may be delayed till late or Monday morning. I want to thank you all again for your emails - I am glad to be able to share a bit of the team happenings with you. I won’t see all the guys together until this time next year. I’ll miss them...

Johan is looking at the map - it’s about 8:30 in the morning. The bikes are all lined up shiny, and ready to go. I walk up and say, “Hey, what’s the route today to Ojai?” “ We go the same as yesterday.” “What, are you kidding?” “No,” he says with a twinkle in his eye, “We’ll do Gibralter again today.”

Jeez, Max had my car washed and waxed last evening, as a thank you for borrowing it! Now I’m gonna have two inches of dust and mud on it again! No whining, at least I’ll be driving a car and not riding a bike up Gibralter - dust, potholes, mud and construction equipment. Plus a couple of switchbacks that look like they are about 18% grade.

There were slides everywhere we were today. I am just amazed at how much earth has slid away along even the residential roads - we went thru a lot of closed roads today, even went thru a creek running swiftly across a paved road. Dust, thick dust, everywhere we went - all the way.

As we were heading up toward Lake Casitas, three guys joined the ride. They were pretty good riders. But they soon were struggling on the climbs, which our guys headed up real fast. I gave two of the guys a hitch on the side of my car. I looked up ahead and saw the third guy hanging on to George’s jersey! What the Hell? He clutched the back of that jersey and hung on to it like a little kid, and George was just pulling him along. Next thing, he was hanging on to George’s seat post! I couldn’t stand it so I cruised up to see what was going on.... The guy was Dylan Casey, an old teammate on the Posties squad. No wonder George was goofing off and towing him along. I said, “Hey, George, do you know that guy?” George just grinned and winked. I guess Dylan hasn’t been doing much riding since he retired. But he did real fine on his own...

Today was a long ride - so long that even I got a teeny bit bored at times. So I decided to shoot pics out the window without looking and see what I got. Yeah, I know - simple minds, etc. etc. Actually, they aren’t any worse than what I usually do... HA! I am putting them up in my smugmug gallery and if you go look at them, you are as big a cycling nut as I am...

We headed out at 10am, toward Santa Ynez and turned down the closed highway for a while then off onto more gorgeous little roads. We headed up to Gibralter and encountered lots of roadwork - there were slides all over the place. We went thru one construction site, and as I went past this big, burly construction guy, I heard him shout to a guy up on a huge backhoe thingy, ”It WAS HIM - It was Lance!!! He said, “Howdy, how ya doing’” to me! - No shit - he spoke to me!” I grinned and waved to the guy.

Up closer to the top, someone had painted “LANCE” across the road in huge, fresh, white letters. Then in a flash, we were descending real fast, given that the road was covered with potholes. We suddenly came up on a flagman with the STOP side turned to us. There was a huge truck and frontloader in the road. We had to wait until they moved off.

We headed down again, and the road was covered with deep, silty dust. We got to the part of the road where civilization had crept up and some luxurious houses had been built. Flying around a corner, what did we see but a huge water truck, carefully watering all the curves, turning the dust into slick-as-snot mud. Our descent slowed considerably as the guys slipped and slid down that part of the winding road.

We returned about 3-ish and I noticed that Lance was laughing and talking with Johan The Boss hadn’t even breathed hard the whole day, I think. I saw him get some food from Johan and stick it in his back pocket. I knew that he wasn’t done for the day! Away he went, and for all I know, he may have done the whole damn ride again.

So, goodbye to Solvang until next time. Thank you, people of Solvang, for your gracious hospitality, your friendliness, and your patience and tolerance while we were on the roads. Thanks for all your waves, honks and friendly smiles. Thank you, Barbara, and your family and staff at The Bulldog Coffehouse. We’ll miss having coffee with you!

I am sitting in the Bulldog Coffeehouse, and across from me are the wrenches, and to my right is George Hincapie and Michael Barry sipping a double espresso, or something high octane, I’m sure. Today’s ride was a pretty mellow four-hour ride, except that Johan sent both groups riding up and down a climb about a mile or two out of Lompoc, heading for Santa Maria. A long sweeping climb to the top, short descent and then turn around and do it again. I think some of the stronger guys did it three times - read Eki for sure.

I saw Eki grinning like a demon again today as he flew down the road. I ran into him on the way to the Bulldog and I said, “Eki, when I see you with a big grin as you swoosh by, it just makes me laugh. You love riding, don’t you?” He grinned the biggest grin, laughed and said, “Yes, I do love it!” That man is awesome!

Remember I said that the guys had borrowed my car? It was returned with a full tank of gas and a box of See’s candy. Gotta love these guys...

Lots of press and camera people following the team today, and very little traffic on the road. It was so exquisitely beautiful - lush green fields - so serene and peaceful. I just blissed out as I followed the guys around this incredible area - it is just a different world than the South Bay where I live. I think that the guys really like riding here, too.

Tried to upload my blog last night (Tuesday) at the hotel, but their wifi was messed up, so here it is this morning!

Today was an easy day for most everyone. Lance and some of the guys went to Santa Barbara for wind tunnel testing. The other guys rode in small groups, or solo, wherever they wanted to ride. So there were no team cars following, and me neither. The guys were to ride for two hours, leaving whenever they wanted to in the morning. They organized themselves and did their thing, then had the rest of the day free.

A bunch of the guys borrowed my car - Benoit got appointed the person to ask me, and he did so with charm and a winning smile. So a several guys piled in and away they went to shop with cheap dollars compared to their euros. I hope they had a great time and bought lots of goodies. Those guys work their fannies off for us, and suffer like Hell during races, so I am happy to help in any way that I can.

I have been getting lots of great feedback about this blog and my photos, so I just want to say thanks to all of you for reading. I think it is so fine that you are all such loyal fans to this American team. These guys are really good people, and I would be proud to have any of them as my family. Wait a minute - they are my family! Chechu told me yesterday that they have adopted me. Sweeet.....

OK - these reports are getting a little repetitious: weather is great, rides are great, and team is great. Lance is great, etc. etc. Alright then, I’m great, too! ... OK, then so I’m not...

Each day as I drive, I’m looking around and seeing stuff that makes me want to grab my Nikon, but no stopping for me. But there is more to Solvang than Danish cookies, gingerbread houses and NeverLand.

Heading out of Buellton toward Solvang, most folks do a double take when they see ostriches running around. If it is a gaggle of geese, is it oodles of ostriches? Anyway, there are lots of them, looking pretty happy. I hope they are kept for their eggs, or for tourists, but I bet they end up on exotic restaurant menus. Speaking of NeverLand, I wonder what happened to all the zoo animals that enticed the kiddies to visit? Hope someone has removed them and/or they are being well cared for now.

Then, I am driving around behind the team and see huge buffalo sauntering around in a field, looking like they do anything they damn well please. Yikes, I see menus again.

We passed a little ranch with miniature Shetland ponies, which were about as tall as a St. Bernard dog. I saw Lance looking them over as he rode by, and wondered if Luke was gonna be riding something with hooves instead of wheels.

My hangout is the Bulldog Coffee House, on the main street by the bookstore. Best coffee is Solvang, best goodies, best owners and free AMD wifi. I am in Heaven, not Solvang...

This is gonna be short and sweet, sort of... A five-hour day of good riding and great weather again. Very little traffic for a Sunday. With heavy traffic, I always worry about the guys when folks behind us get impatient and pissed, and pass right into oncoming traffic. Some guy in a white van did that yesterday, and the oncoming car with two young guys decided to play chicken and swerved toward the van, instead of away - they barely missed each other, and right beside our guys. Both drivers were nuts, as far as I am concerned. In the grand scheme of things, what does 10 minutes mean in someone’s life that they can’t chill out and go slow once a year when we ride here?

Talk about doing dumb things - today as we rode down a quiet country road, some guy in a yellow kit, standing beside the road, saw us and rode his bike at an angle right into the pack. Guys were swerving right and left to miss him, and a couple of guys nearly fell. Talk about a fred! No black sox, but a totally dumb move. Johan honked and told him to get outta there, so he followed along for a very short while. I guess he thought he would ride with the team, and didn’t have a clue...

I didn’t take many pics again today - I took a couple of Johan pacing some if the guys back after they stopped to water the flowers. I was driving with one hand and snapping the pics, trying to look with one eye ahead at the guys and look thru the viewfinder with the other eye. That wasn’t too smart, either, but we were going slowly and I was quite a ways back. I wouldn’t recommend that technique...

Another beautiful day and the longest ride yet - at least 6 1/2 hours. Don’t ask me where, we went south and ended up on 101 - headed over a closed section of highway, over Santa Rosa Road and back to Solvang. About 3 hours and I was thinking, “Is this all there is?” when Johan turned left and we headed for Figuroa.

The guys were in two groups again, and I ended up following both groups at different times. Pretty early on in the ride, there was an accident, and Paolo Savoldelli broke his collarbone. Seems that they were riding past someone on a horse, and it spooked and reared. The guys moved away and somehow Paolo touched a wheel or something and down he went. I was following the other group, so didn’t know it had happened.

Next thing I knew, a car with reporters from CycleSport Mag zoomed up beside me, and Vince, the mechanic, yelled that he was going with me. He jumped in with wheels, and bottles, etc and we followed Dirk and Laurenzo’s Classics group while they took Paolo for treatment.

Quite a long time later, Dirk came back and Vince got back in that team car, so I switched and followed with Johan. So that is where I was when we headed up Figuroa. It was open almost to the top, and I followed way back behind a couple of the guys who got dropped. They shall remain nameless...

Both groups climbed, and the Classic guys came thundering back down while we were going up. We turned around at the roadblock, grabbed some body fuel and headed back, gingerly picking our way thru the potholes. We got to the bottom, crossed the cattle guard onto good pavement, and what did we see but the Classics guys coming back!

Yes, that brilliant, fiendish Johan, genius of the cycling world, sent those guys back up that mountain for a second time! After they had been riding hard for over four hours - this is why we have winning teams, my dears!

The Classics guys were hammering, hauling A, and flying low - they thundered toward us, and as they flashed by, I saw Eki with the biggest grin on his face, like somebody had just given him a present. That guy is something else - he just loves to ride hard - I love that guy!

So our group rode another couple of miles, and you guessed it - Johan sent us back up for a second climb, too. It seemed like no time at all until the Classics guys swept back down around us on that tiny road. Tony stopped and got water from me and took off, heading for home camp. Our group sweated it to the top, and we headed back down and headed home. Most of the pics in the smugmug gallery were taken after we got back today.

I have to tell you that our route went by NeverLand, but I could tell that Michael Jackson wasn’t there because there were no tricycles parked in the driveway... I know, it’s an old one...

Today was absolutely gorgeous here in Solvang - as perfect as anyone could ask for riding. The team in their new kits just sparkled against the lush green landscape. All the guys rode together today and I must say it was splendid to follow over two dozen shiny Discovery kits, on shiny new Discovery Trek Madones. And followed by two shiny silver Discovery team Subaru Outbacks, plus one “plain” shiny silver Subaru Outback - Me.

Lance had another obligation, so he did not ride today. The other guys were just relaxed and enjoying the day. Tomorrow and Sunday are long rides. Both days are about six hours, more or less.

I was driving Mike, the video guy, again today. He was really cool and took most of the photos that I am putting up, since I was driving. Thanks, Mike for the help. He is shooting tons of footage for CSE and Discovery Channel.

I am getting to know Fumy Beppu - he speaks a little English and I speak a little French - he is really a nice guy. He told me that he never gives up when he is riding - a very determined guy - he’ll go far...

The wrenches tried to teach me some Flemish this morning. Vince taught me one phrase, but from his grin, I don’t think it is anything I should say in public. When he wouldn’t tell me what it meant, I knew not to repeat it! Probably was Good Morning or something benign, and the joke really is on me.

Mike Creed’s new bride is here and she is a cutie. They look really happy together. I gave George a little gift for baby Julia, and he said he is going to take it home so he and Melanie can unwrap it together. He is just the best guy!

I went over to the Bulldog Cafe, a favorite hangout for the team. They have great coffee, and also have great free wifi by... Ta Dah... AMD. They had five or six fresh baked, homemade carrot cakes for the team to celebrate all the January birthdays tonight. The owner bakes carrot cakes to die for - Elvio, one of the soigneurs, says that he dreams about her carrot cakes. But me - I dream about the Tour de France...

Long four-hour ride today - colder than the proverbial well-digger’s posterior when we started this morning. Cloudy and overcast, but some sun later in the day. Two groups again: the Classics group, who will race sooner, goes harder and faster than the other group. They were hammering today.

I have to talk a bit about the wrenches and soigneurs - these guys work so hard and are so dedicated to the team. They are absolutely essential and vital to the success and health of the team. Plus they are really fine people!

The soigneurs work hours and hours every day, taking care of all the little (and big) details that keep the team running and organized. From early morning, they work until really late at night. Shopping, laundry, filling water bottles, making lunch and snack goodies, driving the team members on errands, doing airport runs, any and every chore that needs doing, and by the way, giving massages every day to 27 or 28 riders.

The wrenches are out early in the cold mornings, setting up their equipment, getting out the bikes and setting them up to the exact specification for each rider. Cleaning, polishing, lubing, taping, fixing, mending, and adjusting a thousand times. Tending to the requests of 28 riders (actually 27 until Janez arrives later in the year). Getting the team cars set up with the essential extra bikes, wheels and wrench tools. Two wrenches are in the two team cars during training rides. They have to jump out and instantly fix whatever mechanical has happened - flat tire or whatever. The other wrenches remain in camp, working on the equipment, wheels and tires. These guys work really hard, and under a lot of pressure to keep those wheels turning smoothly.

And I can’t forget to mention Louise, who handles all the logistics for team travel, lodging, transportation, meals, race registration and licenses, and team clothing, to name just a few of her responsibilities. She does an absolutely splendid, outstanding job for the team. She works so hard that I don’t see how she has time to even sleep.

So I do whatever I can to help out - last two days I have driven guys to the grocery store to shop and ran to get a thermometer for a guy who wanted to see if he had a fever. Driving back-up support vehicle or driving the press around - whatever is needed from this Team Gal Friday.

Sunshine! The Cycling Gods must be smiling on the Discovery Channel team, ‘cause the weather was sunny and warm (after a real cold night and morning). Today was team photographs by Casey Gibson and Jon Devich. It became clear to me that getting over 30 guys to stand still, stay in one place and smile was a real challenge for any photographer. But the guys lined up and shaped up like the pros that they are. The setting was a beautifully green and groomed golf course about a half-mile from the motel. Casey and Jon did a great job and the guys looked really fine in their new kits.

We did a four-hour ride today through the most beautiful, green countryside that you could imagine. The pace was brisk and steady. The guys were divided into two groups - I followed the group that Lance was riding with. Eki, George, Max, Tony, Michael, Pavel, Fumi, Roger, Ryder, Jason and Benjamin were in the group. What a group - first-class all the way.

I drove a videographer, Mike, who was shooting for CSE and Discovery Channel - He certainly got a lot of footage of the rider’s behinds today! I cruised up alongside the team a few times on long straight stretches so he got some good sequences, too. I think that we are all gonna see a lot of great television coverage of Lance and the team again this year.
Lots of good stuff planned, I hear.

I am driving a silver ‘05 Subaru Outback, and is it ever sweeet! Wish it were mine...
Got a few shots during the photo session, and then Mike shot some while we were driving. I’ll put them up in the smugmug gallery.

The day started with rain - it poured. The team arrived about noon and we rode at 2:30. The guys look really good for so early in the year. I have a really good feeling about the team this year.

A rainbow appeared right before we left, but it was a false promise. It rained for the first hour or so - it was wet and muddy, with lots of debris on the roads. The guys climbed really fast and steady - the good thing was that there was very little traffic.

I took a few shots, but it was too rainy - I don't want to screw up my D70 by getting it wet. I'll put up a few images in my smugmug gallery if this iffy wireless connection will handle it.

Short and not-so-sweet from Solvang. Pouring rain, mud slides, Hwy 101 closed between here and LAX. Team is in Los Angeles - Lance, Higgs, Johan, Dirk, Laurenzo and Sean are here, plus the wrenches and soigneurs... and moi.

We all think of California as being a grid of highways, but everyone is finding out that Hwy 101 is the route and pretty much the only choice, other than driving over to Interstate 5, which takes several hours to get around and back here.

I hear that it is supposed to dry out starting tomorrow, so stay tuned...

Guess I should start the new year with a post. No racing yet, but this year the Discovery Team will start early with two races at the end of January - Qatar and Langkwai. Of course, the big question is about Lance, will he or won't he? In their respective columns, Graham Watson thinks Lance will do the Tour and Phil Liggett thinks he will not. Only Lance knows for sure, and maybe he hasn't decided yet. I hope he goes straight through for Number 7.

So here is a little bit about my world. I have been working on two projects that have engulfed my time. The big project is co-authoring a Tour de France for Dummies book with Phil Liggett and James Raia. Cool, huh? Wiley Publishers contacted me in August about joining the writing team. This Tour de France guide should be a great resource book for anyone who wants a one-stop, comprehensive guide to everything Tour de France. It's already listed on Amazon.com and should be released the end of May. Altogether, the three of us authors have 44 Tours de France on our credits, so hopefully we know a few things to tell you.

My other project is trying to acquire and learn Dreamweaver MX 2004, and then put up my new fan site, The Discovery Pro Cycling Team Fan Zone . Thanks to a lot of work from a buddy in my Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club. the bare-bones site is up. If you need a great site without paying a fortune for it, go to Nicerpage Web Designs. Aldene will do a great job for you!

So, my New Year's resolution is to update this site more frequently. And lose weight - Yeah, right.... Happy New Year, Everybody!