Thoughtless (almost) rhythm

I usually have a good solid rhythm on how I work (on bikes) and what I do first etc. For example, I wash a bike the same way every time. If you watch me wash a dozen bikes, I would do the first one the exact same way as the last. I’d also take (almost) the exact amount of time to do the first OR last one. Yes, Pitts/Ian, I know what you are thinking. I’m “Not so fast” (sorry everyone, inside joke for those two and I). I’ll get so automatic that I don’t really think about working on the bikes much at all. Kind of like breathing, you just do it without thinking you have to breath. Having the month of July off, I was really rested and had recharged batteries. The down side is that after (only) that short time, I had to think about what to do. My rhythm came back pretty quick though.
True to (Belgium) form, it rained and good thing we greased the chains. Down side to greasing chains is ya gotta scrub much harder to get the filthy grease off after the race. It rained most of the day today and that makes debris (glass, rocks) stick the tires more, meaning more flats. Fortunately only one flat for me. Funny how I’m happy about one flat. Credit Agricole was not so fortunate as I saw their mechanic get out at least 5 times (once was a bike change). Ouch, bad for him.
Before the start of the race there were literally 4 or 5 hundred people gathered around all the team cars. They were waiting for the teams to show up. Mapei and our team were mobbed the most. Mapei had their Belgium power team here. Steels, Musseuw, Merckx just to name part of the power team. Being in Belgium makes them mobbed as soon as they step out of the car. Musseuw was signing autographs every 2 pedal strokes on his way to sign in. Arno, our Camper driver, came out of the camper (after being asked for post cards) with a stack of post cards more than an inch and a half thick. He came out and it was like sharks going for their prey. He was swarmed by at least 50 people in less that 10 seconds. He was handing them out as fast as he could. Crazy fans again. They can smell it when you get some pictures/postcards out.