Low key day

A few of us staff members drove to Vielha, Spain. The rest are still in Toulouse, France. Man is it awesome here. Only a few of our Champions club members will arrive here today so it is pretty much a low key day for me and the staff at this hotel.
On the drive here I was sort of day dreaming. I was cruising along on a winding road and only had about an hour more to get to our new hotel when I had though I was at the Tour of Georgia (and doing a hotel transfer). Georgia was very green and very hilly most of the time. Here it is the same. My day dream only lasted a few moments though. As I looked towards the mountains, I looked up, and up and up and yet up some more. I’m pretty close to the Pyrenees. The mountain range that basically separates France and Spain. There are hills in Georgia but the Pyrenees are mountains. Some of the Pyrenees mountains roads go on (and up) for a dozen (plus) miles. Some will climb as much as 20 miles. Substantially longer and higher than anything we did at the Tour of Georgia.
Freddie Vianne is our head Soigneur and has always got these certain cakes from a place near his town in Izegem, Belgium. These cakes are phenomenal and addicting. There is an item called Franzipan. The Franzipan is basically two flavors while the cakes come in different flavors such as a rice cake and a pineapple cake. When I think of rice cakes, I think of hard as a rock, dry as a bone, flavorless drink coasters. These are NOT like that. They are great treats for the riders especially in long stages/stage races when the food is all to typical. Most riders follow a fairly strict diet when training and racing. But even though this is a little sweet treat it is nice to get a (small) something that is different from the normal race food they are usually powering down each day. Still being a little sweet, these cakes are actually low fat and relatively good for you according to the makers husband whom I have just met.
My roommate this trip is Geert Tiebergijn from Kortrijk, Belgium. This is his first year with our team having worked with teams such as Colstrop-Palmans for about 4 seasons and most recently the Lotto-Domo team. Coincidentally his wife owns/runs a Patisserie (Bakery). The same bakery where Freddie gets the famous cakes. I had to give Geert a hearty pat on the back for having a wife that creates such good treats. Go Els (Geert’s wife).
Here I am with my roommate for this tour trip. Geert Tiebergijn.