ED's Exploits - It’s a Tough Job but someone has to do it!

Had an email from British Cycling a few weeks ago, would I be interested in a week’s work as a soigneur on a Para cyclists training camp in Lake Garda, Italy? And was I available?

Well what do you think? Of course I was interested, of course I was available. It got better; I could take a bike if I wanted. So I found myself in Riva Del Garda on the northern shore of the lake, mixing up energy drinks, driving a support car, a bit of massage and the best bit, getting some miles in, in the foothills of the Dolomites in 36º heat. Training in the morning and watching the Tour in the afternoon, like I said, it’s a tough job, but nobody believes me.

The Giro D´Italia is the hor d’oeuvre that whets the appetite, the Tour De France is the main course that is so good that you can have too much of it and The Vuelta Espana is the pudding that you don’t really want, can’t say no to and end up not finishing - after all you have to leave room for the Worlds in October. I thought it was a great Tour; it seemed to have a bit of everything, from the cobbles of Northern France to the stifling heat of the south and the rain and mist high in the Pyrenees. I felt they should have raced on stage 2; crashes happen to everyone even the big hitters, Cancellara was wrong to neutralize the stage. When Schleck unshipped his chain, Contador should have waited, perhaps he didn't because he was not confident he could beat the Luxembourger, he never looked in top form to me. Schleck, like Lampard in South Africa did not complain for too long though, you just have to get on with it, and that’s how it should be.

August is a strange month, racing since March can leave you “Demob Happy” come high summer. Thoughts turn to holidays and going for a swim in the sea without doing intervals, a bit of mountain biking with a pub stop, maybe a bit of trail running on virgin territory. Whatever you do, enjoy it, but keep one eye on the prize - September is stacked full of races and a win is only one race away!

I organized an open time trial for my cycling club, and although my name was on the entry details, it was all the people helping that made the event a success. It’s good to say thank you to marshals and people who make cups of tea, if they didn’t do it, we couldn’t do it.

Anyway, gotta get back to the tele, the tour may have finished, but the athletics season is in full swing.

See you up the Road.

E D


Eamonn Deane is a TrainingBible UK specialist in the field of sports massage. To find out more about his work, check out his new website at
www.sportsmassagebournemouth.co.uk