arrival

(Written on Aug 8th) After a long flight, we are finally here in Sembach, Germany. It is absolutely beautiful here. It looks like one postcard after another. The terrain is predominately rolling hills with lush green landscapes. There are little villages that dot the countryside, just like I pictured before I arrived. The area has a tangible old-world charm and I cannot wait to explore the surrounding area on my bike. We are only around 100k from France, so a long bike ride to a roadside café for a cappuccino and pastry is definitely on the to-do list. We are also 10 minutes from Kaiserslautern, which was one of the World Cup stadiums this past June. There is a Division II Champions League team that plays there so we will try to go catch a match. I will be here until the 24th, when I will travel to Switzerland to get ready for the race on the 26th.

As far as training goes, this place seems ideal. We wnet for a 2 hour ride yesterday and it was great. The roads are nice, people are used to cyclists and the countryside is beautiful. We are actually on a US military base, so it is like a little piece of the US right here in Germany. The weather is surprisingly cool, with temp’s hovering around 18- 20 deg C for the high (around 65 F). In addition to Manny and Sara we also picked up Jarrod Schumacher and his fiancée, Alicia, so there is a small group to train with. I t should be a great place to relax and prepare for the upcoming race. The rest of my teammates will get here in a week or so. As the training camp continues, more athletes will come to the facility, which should be a good time.

Cheers,
Barrett