Back up in Belgium on the eve of 3 Days of De Panne and the sun is shining again. Just gorgeous!

We start racing tomorrow and I’ve been doing my research. The first stage looks to be pretty tough, with a dozen burgs, (categorized ones, there are always a few more) and a healthy dose of cobbled sections as well. In most of the past editions of the race I looked at, this first stage finished pretty blown up, with guys finishing in small groups. If we can stay safe and out of trouble for the first half of the race, then it sounds like my kind or day!

I’ve been fighting a bit of a sore throat the last few days. It’s always a cyclists’s nemesis with the constant travel and racing, but with the sheer volume of garlic, tea, honey, lemon, zinc and vit C I’ve been downing I don’t see how it can slow me down. I don’t see how anything can survive that assult of garlic actually!

Today we had a great ride in the sun, even saw some pheasant running in a fields. Belgium is so green, it’s really pretty when the sun comes out. It was a nice relaxing day, a good thing in advance of the craziness to come.

Here’s the profile for tomorrow’s stage.