September 14, 2006 – We are now three days from the finish of the Vuelta a Espana and the team is still in good shape and looking to achieve our final objectives – to win the team classification and keep a few riders in the top ten overall.

Since the start in Malaga, nearly three weeks ago, we have had a good run with Janez in the leader’s jersey for two days, Tom and Egoi with stage victories and Egoi firmly holding on to the mountain leader’s jersey.

We have been up, down and across Spain and over the next three days all that is left is a long stage up towards Madrid where we will race a time trial on Saturday and then finish the Vuelta with a stage that finishes in the center of Madrid on Sunday.

We began the Vuelta in scorching summer temperatures, 45 Celsius, and are finishing under cloudy autumn skies. I am always amazed at how long these grand tours are. We are gone from home for about half a semester of school (in 2003 I left home for the Vuelta the day Dede my wife started classes and finished when she was taking her mid-terms) and are racing for more kilometers than most people drive in a month.

In the coming weeks, I will finish the season up with three classics: the championships of Zurich, Paris-Tours, and the Tour of Lombardy. I am motivated to finish off the year well, still feel good, and seem to be getting stronger despite being in the third week of the race.

My job at this Vuelta was to take care of the leaders on the flats and during the run up to the climbs. When my job was done, I sat up and rested as much as possible for the next days.

At 22 years of age, Janez has proven himself in his first grand tour and his prospects for the future look great. He can climb, time trial and is an astute tactician – the three key ingredients a rider needs to become a champion. He is my roommate and he is not only a good bike rider but he’s also a thoughtful and nice guy.

As the season nears the end and I look back, I am happy with where I am today. It was a year of ups and downs, physically and emotionally, and it is great to be feeling good three weeks into a race with my legs moving under me and my mind motivated for the coming season.