Part 2 — I thought she was with you.

Today we had a groupie hanging around. Although almost all of did not realize it. This woman was hanging around the team van and Lance’s cars after the race. Many of the riders had posed for pictures and or signed autographs. We were packing up and I was just about to get in the team van. I saw this woman and said hi. She said something like “What’s better?” “Sitting around here or hanging out with the US Postal team?” I did not figure it out but she suddenly got in the team van. I just figured she was with someone involved with the team. A riders friend or a reporter or something like that. She got in the van like she belonged there. We headed back the hotel and she got out of the van.
She then asked George if she cloud use his cell phone to call a friend for a ride home. We were headed to the hotel restaurant for lunch and she started to follow us. We waited a little for tables and so did she. She sat down with us and started having lunch. So bizarre! Again, I think many of us though she was with someone else in our group so we all tried to be nice. But curious at the same time.
For some crazy reason she was near me a fair amount. I did not want to upset a riders (or whoever) friend so I tried to be nice to her and try to have s simple conversation. I left lunch quickly as I had Muddy bikes to wash. Johan walked up to her and asked her what she was doing there. Her response was “I Don’t know” “What AM I doing here?”
Johan then asked here who she knew. Because I think I talked to her the most she said she knew me. Chris (the other mechanic) said “How long…….15 minutes?” She got the hint and left the hotel restaurant. I think she worked a free lunch just by hanging out with us. We did not pay for her. I’m guessing the hotel just did not count our group exactly.
She then came out by the truck and watched Chris and I wash bikes and pack bikes. Almost all the time I really though she was with someone until she asked all the same silly questions that the public asks. Questions like how many bikes do the riders have? How many miles do they ride? How often do you change such and such part? Those Qs finally sealed the idea that she had worked her way into hanging out with the team without knowing a single soul. Stalker? Groupie? I think she sure had fun though.
Retraction.
Earlier I wrote about Dave Bolch (our soigneur) who has good bike mechanic skills. I gave him a score of his abilities as a mechanic AND threw in some relationship (of his score) to his being a soigneur. I gave him a score of 90 out of a possible 100. He later told me he did not build the wheels with backwards labels. He want’s his 5 points back. So, I’m going to give him a 93. Still taking off 5 points for just being a soigneur. I’m giving him back 3 points for not building the wheels with backwards labels. I’m not giving him ALL 5 points back. Because I think they still should be fixed (rebuilt). I think I might rebuild them if it was mine. I guess I’m anal like that. And so, I’m imposing my standards on Dave’s efforts.
So, Dave gets a reassessed score of 93 of 100. Thanks for playing Dave!!!!