A season ends, another gets underway...

As the season comes close to an end and temperatures drop in
Europe, a few pro cyclists find themselves travelling south in search of warmer grounds to start their preparations for next year and put some base kms on their legs.

In Tenerife, Team Astana, and that now officially includes Lance Armstrong, has been seeing on their Trek bikes and on surfboards. Reports tell of film crew, paparazzi et al hanging around the hotel and following the riders on the road and at the beach.

Here is one thing I can do better than Lance...

Meanwhile, on another Spanish island, a few Rabobank youngsters have been having some fun on their bikes. One of them is Theo Boss, one of the fastest cyclists on the planet and perhaps the one to bring Mark Cavendish’s sprinting domination to a test next year.

Fast on the track, fast on the road...

These are two examples of when the work of the professional teams begin in preparation to a year of training and racing. For us, of the normal kind, it might be time to slow down a bit, perhaps to have a little break and to reflect on the season that just gone. Then, it will be time for some planning based on our new goals and dreams.

Looking forward to the 2009 racing season.

Safe riding!