I know it's been a while since I last wrote and most of you probably think that I've been MIA, but I am still alive and kicking. I've been laying a low and have missed a few races due to some problems I've had in my left glut muscle and hamstring.

I made it through Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo but by the time I got to Belgium for the Classics, I was pretty fisted as the injury was giving me too much grief. I was sitting all twisted on the bike and pedalling with any ounce of power was becoming a major mission. As a result, and acting on advice from the team, I decided to take some days off to get it worked on and so had to miss the Classics. A pretty huge bummer in the short term but looking long term, it was the only thing I could do to try and make it to the Giro with any form at all. I've been in this sport long enough now and have suffered a mountain of niggly injuries to know that there are some queues your body gives you that you can't ignore...this was definitely one of them.

So as well as re-acquainting myself with Carole, who arrived from NZ a couple of weeks ago looking somewhat 'different' compared to when I left NZ, I have been doing intensive rehab trying to get on top of my injury problems.

I had to take 9 days off the bike and have now been back riding for one week. Now I'm up in France to do a couple of French Cup races before I try to get back onto my program I had planned to do before the Giro.

I'm feeling much better on the bike but have lost a lot my condition - naturally. I think that it'll be difficult to get back to the form I hoped I'd have heading into the Giro and consequently I'm afraid for my place in the Tour team. Although it is a long way off, I have only three weeks before the Giro and not really any races after the Giro to cement my place in the start line for the Tour.

Anyway, it is all a long way off yet and at the moment I'm trying to concentrate on getting 100% healthy again. Besides, it wouldn't be me if things were all set in stone so early on the season.....

Julz

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