Hey everyone,

Well heres the first group email from me for 2005.  As you all know I'm
now with The Discovery Pro Team...... and it is bigger and better than I could
ever have imagined!  The off-season was a very long one, but I loved being
home, catching up with everyone and getting a little bit of training done.
I arrived in L.A on the 9th and flew straight to washington for the
teams presentation.  Once again it was nervous times as I didnt really know
many of the guys on the team, but I was made to feel as if I had been on the
team for years, which made things alot easier.  I arrived in my room and
there was the new kit, along with a bag of casual gear to get us through the
next 2 days of presentations, and also a big ass king size bed.

The next day we had the team presentation.  And it was meet lance day! 
All I can say about this guy is for what he has achieved he is a pretty
down to earth guy...... but i dont understand how he goes so good as he has
always got something going on.  The team presentation was HUGE.  I have never seen so many reporters in my life.  I can't even imagine what it would be like to be in the tour with lance, or even just a race..... there would be people for
Africa.

That night we all flew to L.A, lance flew his private jet to solvang
where the training camp is being held.  We were meant to fly to L.A, then take a bus 2hrs to Solvang but we never made it out of L.A due to all the floods and
the highway being closed. So we kipped there the night and flew to Santa
Barbara the next morning.  From there it was only a 45min drive to Solvang, so
the boys were all fizzing on the shorter bus trip.

The team kit is nice,  the helmets rock, bike is awesome, and casual  gear
just tops it all off.  And man alive we got enough of everything to
last us a long time... being in Nike casual gear is cool, and everything that
doesnt fit you just go to the exchange room and change it with the Nike dude. 
The team bikes are the standard Trek, but coming from a dirty old Decathlon
it is like going from a mini to a ferrari! you just cant compare.

The first few days on the bike I felt rat shit... as dream puts it, I looked like a monkey !@##$% an ink whale!  But after a change of frames and some tinkering with my position I am now feeling mint, and starting to go strong, well that was until today.  I was good up until the climb.  We rode this 50-min climb 2 times, and it was the steepest mofo I've ridden for a while, and dead.... anyway you dont want to get me started!  It was nearly 6hrs for the day and its something I need. I  We have 6hrs again tomorrow.  Legs feel good now but only time will tell!

Anyway thats about it from here.  I feel at home already in this team which has got to be a good sign.  Speaking English is pretty easy too you know! Although some of these freakin yank jokes that arent even funny but you just laugh anyway are crackin me big time.

Talk to you all later,
Roly

read more at The Discovery Channel Team website... http://team.discovery.com/cycling.html