We started innocently enough today, as innocent as a 15-km neutral start through the narrowest streets of nice can be. Even at 20km/h, it only tempts guys to scoot up the outside/sidewalk, narrowly miss traffic pylons, and careen back into the pack, having made up all of 9 spaces.
We hit the first climb of the day - Col du Nice, which at 5km long, was just enough to separate the wheat from the chaff by about the 5th switchback. I was lucky enough to be among the wheat for the time being - which made me quite happy because we seemed to be averaging about 450w...
After a short descent and into the next climb, it was decided by someone up front that we would now start racing, and I would be unceremoniously chucked out the back with other dudes of roughly the same height and build. And then it rained more or less all day.
...and that would be the day. The descents here are fun, without taking any risks I can catch and drop guys (side benefit of not being a climber).
I eventually caught a guy from one of the only "teams" on the last major descent. His name is Antoine, from Cannes. 24 years old and last year raced on a Continental team out of Marseille. We chatted as the road turned to a 30km unrelenting false-flat that made anything faster than 26km/seem very hard. I sat on the Antoine Express as we caught (and dropped) several riders en route to the last col of the day.
124km in 5:02:00. 160km tomorrow over the Bonnet and the Izoard is going to be interesting...
Keep having fun Shawn. So cool that you are riding the same roads that the Pros rode and you enjoyed following the races as a youth. Who knew you would be there now enjoying such a great experience! We will enjoy following your account of each day. We love you lots. Mom and Dad
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