Day 9

The blog may have begun to take on a grumpier tone the last few days, and that's not just because of the countless hours spent in the van (though it definitely is a contributing factor). The long, intense stages, little rest, and cold rain of Mt. Hood left Bryan and me down with colds. Mine in particular was accompanied by a killer sore throat, so I decided that a trip to the doctor was a worthy endeavor. Stu would never forgive me if I infected the whole team with Strep throat. Luckily, the tests came back negative and I should be ready to roll by nationals.

The distractions of the morning meant we left for our preview of the TT course at two, and as those familiar with the midwest will know, afternoon is thunderstorm time. We had just finished unloading the bikes when the daily downpour began. We rushed to the nearest shelter which, coincidentally, happened to be the world headquarters of Trek. The kind employee who let us in from the torrential rain also offered us a tour, which we gladly accepted. As cheesy as it might sound, there is something intangibly attractive about products made in the US; we learned today that Trek produces 50,000 frames per year in their Waterloo factory, including some of the bikes the team is racing on this year.

One of the golden rules of bro camp states that "thou must place oneself in a large body of natural water every day". Somehow, we managed to weasel our way out of jumping in the frigid Columbia River, but after a straight week without a swimming adventure, today's sojourn into a lake near Madison was long overdue. Even the choppy surf, brown water and large quantities of trash couldn't stop the majority of the Bear team (Sam was the only one to opt out), and the cool waves were a welcome relief after a hot and muggy ride.

Bryan has become the photography apprentice for the trip. He skipped the ride today because of illness and the credit for the great cycling photo goes all to him.