As I write this, we are attempting to drive down the mountain we just climbed up by bike–in the bus, in a traffic jam. Lovely!
It’s not too bad actually…now that I found my phone that had wedged itself in the seat. Not having my phone was causing me much distress as I was worried I would be unable to write this blog! I’ve been receiving so many nice comments on it that I didn’t want to leave any of you hanging!
So anyways. Today was nice. I am learning that an ‘easy’ day here equates to a fairly hard training day if I were to do it on my own. Any day I burn over 4100 calories is a pretty big day of training for me! Here, it is recovery.
Ahh, we are off the climb now. Goodie goodie gum drops.
Where was I?
Oh yeah. So, today started quite hard, straight up a 5km 3rd category climb. I had found my legs yesterday, however, and had no problem with the pace. It wasn’t easy-breezy-beautiful-covergirl, but it wasn’t all that difficult either. If you had told me a couple weeks ago that 9 days into a grand tour I would be feeling better than I have felt all year I may have slapped you for your silly talk.
Wow, I keep getting really distracted.
The break went easily after the climb as the road narrowed and the peloton was able to block it off to any other riders who wished to follow the attacks. For the next 100 or so km, we just rolled. Nobody was nervous, everybody was chatty–it was very nice. The breakaway got up to ten minutes and as we approached the feed zone, over the radio we learned that there may be some crosswinds in a couple km. The nervousness in the pack rose as it became apparent that everybody else had learned this little tid-bit. I always enjoy a good crosswind section, it is one of those times in a race where you can scream and yell, push and shove, fight for wheels etc. Yes, I enjoy that. While it wasn’t that intense at all today…the adrenaline did start flowing for a bit and I got to fight for some wheels.
Nothing came of the crosswinds and soon enough we were back into a headwind. Karsten Kroon had been taking care of me all day, keeping me out of the wind and such. I pride myself on being very good at following his squirrely Dutch figure through a pack of 200 riders, so I had fun with that as we all geared up for the big finishing climb to Sierra De Béhar. La Covatilla. Yes, that is really what it is called, with the period in there and everything!
My plan of the day was purely to save energy. As we hit a couple rollers before the climb I was still feeling good and chilled in the pack until the base of the climb where I pulled the plug and waited for a grupetto that had already been dropped with Cancellara and Kittel.
From the base, we made our way slowly up the mountain. We waved at cute girls and threw our finished bottles to kids. With sections of 10-13% the climb was still not exactly enjoyable but soon enough the finish was in sight.
Tomorrow is the TT. While it is a bit longer than I would like (47km), I have been feeling great these past few days and will give it all I’ve got.
Until then, it has been real. Thanks for reading 
-tp
Nice post, Taylor. You have a really natural turn of phrase. KK’s Twitter version of ‘waving at cute girls’ was a little more colourful.
Stay upright & safe!
Cheers from Sydney.
Kimberley
Awesome blog ..Thanks for sharing with us your day ..I wonder how can you after such an hard stage have time and patient to post …many thanks for that …please keep it up ……….and btw the music is very nice …nice tunes
hail hail Taylor phinney!!!!!!!!!!
It’s Sierra de Béjar, not Sierra La Béhar
Anyway, your blog is great, I enjoy it everyday.
Good luck tomorrow Taylor! Greetings from Spain.
Thanks I corrected it!!!
Great to read your daily posts—now go kill it tomorrow!!!
As always a great post. It’s nice to have a little peek inside a cyclist’s mind when he’s riding a grand tour.
Good luck in the TT tomorrow, and I’m sure you’ll give it all you got!
Should you really be waving at cute girls during a race? Glad you made it – that last climb didn’t look nice – especially at the pace being ridden by the guys at the front. Looking forward to your next blog
I actually spotted you on the Eurosport coverage this morning at around 20 or 25 km to go. You were in a group of 6 or 7 right behind the main caravan of cars, looking fairly comfortable as far as I could tell.
Good luck for the time trial tomorrow. Do you know yet about when you’ll be starting? I’ll try to wake up early enough if it’s not super early in the US.
First saw you racing at the Eneco Tour and have been following your blog since. It’s so nice to hear a newcomer’s experience at the Grand Tour and it seems like you have been holding up really well!
Cheers to you and your team!! What’s the Spanish word for ‘chapeau’…i don’t know, but Chapeau all the same!
I’ve really enjoyed reading your blogs. You’re an excellent writer!
I really enjoy reading your blog every day at the end of the stage. It is a must. Due to your explanations we can discover how life is in a GT, curious details like the groupetto and things like this. Anyway, keep pushing, tomorrow is a important day for you.
Greetings from another spanish follower
Good luck for tomorow ! Own that tt !
Oh, I love these blogs!! After watching Vuelta, that’s my favorite part of the day right now, lol.
Good luck in the time trial! <3 Can't wait to watch it tomorrow.
Good luck tomorrow, this is a great blog, thanks!
great blog! I’m reading every day… and I’m disseminating your blog to my friends here in Brazil! Good luck tomorrow
Your posts have been amazing. 140 characters sometimes doesn’t cover what you want to say, so this has been awesome. Best of luck in the ITT tomorrow! Your posts remind me of reading Bob Rolls book.
Excellent entry as usual. Hope you enjoy writing as much as we enjoy reading.
It always feels great to feel good.And it’s always a matter of the simple things like some beet juice, a good night’s sleep, family, friends. And a good laugh, whenever possible!
Long TTnext. They always say do even splits, which works great if you guess right on any particular day. You & your team support probably can. I always did best by avalanching: starting a little slower than I thought I could go, then accelerate a little with each mile. Always had something left at start of the last third of the ride,though not by the line. Feels good to finish strong.
I’m afraid you didnt correct it
, it’s “Béjar”. Anyways, thanx for your comments and waving at us, cute girls! ha ha
Shit! Sorry!!
Know what..? You could become a journalist writing cycling news – you’re great at writing!
I hope tomorrow’s post will begin with something like this: “Today was my first victory in a Grand Tour!” Heads-up, it’s your stage!
Reading your blog is the highlight of my mornings, lately (and it’s much more entertaining than writing a thesis
) Thanks.
Good luck in the TT. Fire up. Ride fast. Ride hard. Then ride a bit faster. Then ride a bit harder. Be perfect in that moment. You own it. You know it.
goooooo Taylor! love the blogs!!
You are the man bro! Positive thoughts to you and your team. Good luck from Puerto Rico. Dale dulooo!
Good to see real expertise on display. Your contribution is most wlceome.
Spain time: hour start:
3º PHINNEY, Taylor 13:11
last 185º MOLLEMA, 16:42
buena suerte.
Perhaps the weather wind change help you to win. I bet for you.
“Si se levanta el viento la victoria es tuya”
live times here
http://www.lavuelta.com/11/es/online/pelidin.html
Just discovered your blog i´ll be following you for the rest of the Vuelta! good luck for today, something in me says that you´re gonna be with the best today.
Hope to see you in Madrid after all suffering
I am elated to have found your blog (through your father’s link on Twitter). Not only is it wonderful to read your first-hand accounts of these stages that are so descriptive that we feel the pain and suffering you feel (well…almost), it’s also so refreshing to read a WELL-written account. Like with good grammar and spelling and all… I can’t even imagine how you do it on a cell phone sitting on the team bus, exhausted after the stage!
Thank you Taylor for giving us a chance to see the race from your eyes.
I can’t wait to ready your book in a few years – you won’t even need a ghost writer!
Taylor, a friend of mine here in Brazil told me about your blog. Congratulations dude, you’re a great rider, a great writer and for me, as a project of time trialist, a great inspiration. Thanks a lot for all the pro level cycling description!