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.