Canada 2: Montreal

Second of the big one-day UCI races in Canada, another one with lots of circuits, and Andy's riding in it - what's not to like, as they say?

This is another of those races where our poor knackered hard-working riders are tortured by having to keep riding past their hotel, as they get progressively more tired and less motivated to continue, so by the end of the race 68 of the 164 starters had dropped out, including Our Andy, who made it to the second-to-last lap, 23k to go, before calling it a day.

That's not as bad as it sounds - 7 of Sky dropped out (including one who had one of those awful falls where they don't get up), and I don't think one team ended with a full complement. And there doesn't seem to be a lot of point in flogging yourself to death just to be lapped by the winners!

That leaves just the Tour of Lombardie and the unlovely Tour of Beijing *cough splutter* as the last UCI races for RadioShambles - you will remember that dear kind sweet Mr Becca has decreed that he ain't paying for any more races, so they can only attend the ones for which the team is contractually obliged.  I wonder who he will send to Beijing? I bet he is doing eeny-meeny-miny-mo to decide which is more insulting - to send Andy to Beijing in the hopes that he contracts a nasty chest infection, or to leave him at home?

The Montreal race itself was pretty much the same as usual - a break got away, they spent all day chasing it, caught it a bit too early, lots more attacks, a brave lone attack, a last-minute bunch sprint. I spent more time looking at the spectators to see if Figgy was watching... especially when the cameras showed Andy and two others who had been riding together at the back, and who obviously decided among themselves that it was time to climb off. Andy lead them to the barriers and started disconnecting the sections so they could get out - no embarrassing "here, hold my bike while I climb over" for him, unlike the un-named Katusha rider who made a major hash of doing so, several laps earlier - and I was expecting Figgy to be there at any second, offering to hold his bike for him.

*laughs*

Oh, and a quick shout-out for former Schlecklander, Boulderado (Elle) who has moved a short distance away from Boulder, but must still have friends in the area - we've been seeing the terrifying flooding on our news for the last couple of days, and more rain is forecast, so a sincere wish that Elle, and all other Schlecklanders in the area, are safe.