Well, as Carole has already told you, we?re back on the north side of the world again. After overcoming the first hurdle of the year, I?m finally starting to feel a little more on top of things again. Actually, the first two hurdles if you count travelling to the other side of the world with an 8 month boy who just figured out how to crawl two weeks before we left and doesn?t want to do anything but crawl now that he knows how. Great timing, Tanner! <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /?>

I did a couple of days back on the bike before I left NZ but most of what I have been able to do has been here in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /?>
Spain over the last week. Even then it hasn?t been that much. Just riding easy and doing as much as I can without pushing it too hard for the moment.

I?m not sure when I?ll be back racing. I have to go to a training camp in a week or so and after this I?ll have a better idea of when I will be able to return. I reckon about the middle to the end of March.

So while the spring is going to be a right off once again, I have to look to the Giro d?Italia and then of course the Tour de France in July. But as you all know, a lot can happen between now and then - as I?m sure it?s going to. I?m also sure that now we have the annual ?hospitalization session? out of the way, the balance between good things that happen versus the bad, has got to weigh in favour of the good! Surely?!?!?!

Boys and Girls, here's the updated version of my race programme for the next couple of months:

7th-14th March - Training camp in southern
France

19th March - Cholet French Cup race.

2nd April - Tour of
Flanders

5th April -
Gent Wevelgem

9th April - Paris
Roubaix

25th-30th April - Tour of Romandie

8th-30th May - Giro de Italia

Yer, so that's it if the plan goes well from here on in.

To date the training has been a little schetchy but trying to do my best to get some form. The difficulty is knowing that all the work I had done over the off season has been wasted and now I seem so far behind most other guys who are coming into form. Guess though, like always, my time will come.

Anyway, stay tuned folks as we launch into another season!!!

Julz

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