Tomorrow's rest day will feel good. After Saturday's difficult ride, today's ride down to Prairie du Rocher began to take it's toll near Valmeyer on the way back. I didn't have a bonk but the legs began a slow increase in fatigue. The would turn the pedals over while still in the big ring but there was no snap. The north-easterly headwind added to suffering.

We started with 11 riders, and only 5 made it to Prairie for various reasons. Mileage was near 80. I need to get a cyclometer working on my bike. For the weekend, 9.5 hrs on the bike and somewhere in the range of 140-150 miles. The lounge chair felt good this afternoon.

News Item of the Day: Euskaltel-Euskadi rider Aitor Gonzalez will not ride in the next edition of the Tour de France, as according to his team director Julian Gorospe, he is "a rider who is not suited to the Tour." He will do the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta España, which worked for him in 2002 when he won the Vuelta.

One of Euskaltel's other big riders, Haimar Zubeldia, will "only do the Tour if he is in form," said Gorospe. Zubeldia will aim at the Giro d'Italia this year.

Viewpoint: I guess Euskaltel is throwing everything behind Mayo at the Tour but who is going to be helping him in the mountains without Gonzalez and maybe not Zubeldia. I guess they always have some climbers on that team but none really come to mind. There's that older guy that I can't think of right now but he's on the downside in my view.