Two weeks and counting...

Fourteen days from now, I'll be in an automobile (hopefully) and on my way back from the 2011 Tour of the Battenkill.  I wonder what the conversation will be like with my teammate Barry?  A few possibilities:

"Sheez Louise that was really fun...can't believe we made it all the way to Meeting House before getting dropped.  I bet I coulda held on for the sprint if I hadn't lost both bottles on Robeson...."

"Where am I?  Did I finish?  Who are you?"

"That (insert your team name here) team had eight guys in our field and not one of 'em did a lick of work.  They just sat on the WHOLE time."

"Anyone seen my legs?  I just had them right here..."

"Barry, what was it like to win the race?!?!"

"I knew we shoulda done a few more long rides.  I just knew it."

"I figured 5 spare tubes would be enough..."

"I swear that pothole was NOT THERE when we pre-rode on Saturday.  I saw four guys go right into it and completely disappear!"

"My embro is still causing small fires to break out on my legs."

"That was totally worth it."

I vote for that last statement, actually.  I would love to win, and so would Barry, but we're realists.  No matter the outcome, I think we're both aiming for a surreal experience that brings us as close to hard core, European classic racing as we amateurs are likely to get in our lifetimes. 

The training is nearly done.  The miles have been logged.  The winter nights yielded just about all that we could ask of them.   Now with three hard rides left before the official taper begins, the mood is switching to excitement mixed with a little bit of apprehension. 

I'll lay down a few more blogs before we go, and hopefully one from Greenwich the day before the race.

Stay tuned fans...