Day 2

Third was the third stage of the Tour. It was a mostly flat stage, but ended in Arenberg, which is featured in the one-day race Paris-Roubaix. The last 35km had 7 sectors of cobblestones, or pave as they're called here. These narrow roads are treacherous. Races may not be won on these sections, but they can certainly be lost. On this day, Thor Hoshovd was best. He rode the pave without incident and easily took the sprint at the end, to claim victory for CTT. It was a new experience to be with a team on the night of a Tour stage win. Everyone is so happy and there was a champagne toast at dinner. Also because of his win, Thor took over as leader of the Maillot Vert (green jersey). And what good bike manufacturer wouldn't have a special green bike? Those bikes don't magically show up. They are kept hidden until they're needed, as to not create bad luck. Then the mechanics get to work building it from scratch. Yep, long nights. That goes for me too, checking to make sure everything worked during the race and then making any necessary changes for the next day. Luckily, the team had an extra room at their hotel, so I didn't have to drive anywhere. There's plenty of driving as it is in these trips, so it's nice to be able to walk to your room at night. Well it's time for breakfast before heading to the start and then to the next hotel.