Form - Mountain (x2), Acceleration

Besides the 2015 Vuelta a Espana (which I technically didn't participate in),
this is the longest tour I have ever ridden. It's starting to wear me down.

I'm so sore. I'm struggling to get any sleep and it doesn't help that
we were required to sleep on the team bus a few nights because
the hotels couldn't accommodate for all 25 teams racing.

I just want to go home.

--- *** --- *** --- *** ---



I can't even describe the profile, it hurts just looking at it.



Fox going to try a different tactic today by
getting Ian Marshall in the breakaway.



The breakaway has a 4 minutes lead as we start the long climb to the finish.



Bastian Bürgel makes the first move. I decide to counter.

Our DS has been telling me that I've been making it too easy on the
other favourites by riding my own tempo on the front, so I took his advice
and I'm putting the pressure on them for a change so they have to chase me.



And I get a little gap. But look who is on my wheel. Just great.



I drag us up the road to the breakaway where Marshall is there to help me out.



After Marshall gives me everything he has left I look over at Kudus,
"It's your turn, I'm not bringing you all the way to the top."

I don't think he understood a word I said so I start hand gesturing.



I don't think he understood what that meant either. What the hell?!?
He has left me behind with 10kms to go! I don't have the energy to keep up.



When did Kudus turn into Chris Froome? This is unbelievable.
Somebody please hook him up to a drug test after this stage.



He is too good to even celebrate. I don't even know what to say.



2 minutes later I come to line for 2nd. I'm happy with that. Although,
I'm not too happy about seeing Caruso and Merino right behind for 3rd and 4th.

Getting through the first 50kms will be the hard part.



Then I get to sit back, rest, and watch Pim Ligthart win in a bunch sprint.

After a rest day following stage 8 it's back to the road for an easy flat stage.



Spoke to soon, this is anything but easy. 60mph crosswinds!



On the final tiny hill before the finish the winds shift, I'm at the front.
I make a hasty decision to take this opportunity... big risk here.



And it doesn't pay off. The wind whips right back into my face.
I wasted a lot of energy that I'm going to want back tomorrow.

That's not the worse news. Fox loses 3 men (including mountain helper Berry)
because they didn't make the time limit after being caught out
of the peloton 15kms into the stage.



The breakaway uses the wind to it's advantage, giving Jesse Anthony the win.

+1 EXP for the 2nd on Stage 7 and another point tacked onto the form.

The next race update will finish the Tour of Qinghai Lake:

EXP - Hill / Form - Hill (x2), Stamina, Acceleration

Let's get this over with, it's been a long two weeks here in China.
I don't recall ever being this homesick and missing my family so much.
This sure doesn't feel like I'm in Kansas anymore.

--- *** --- *** --- *** ---



The last key stage left. After this stage, three "flat" stages wrap-up the tour.



There are 2 lead groups on the road as we each inch closer to the final climb.



When we finally do get there I'm not wasting anytime. Here we go!
I'm going to try the same tactics I used (and worked) on stage 7.



This time, however, it fails and the peloton is quick to put me back in my place.



I'm not going to settle for this, right at the top I'm off again. Downhill attack!



It seems to be working, I'm closing in on the two breakaway riders remaining.



False hope. Kudos rallies the troops and reels me back in with 5kms to go.



But his guys didn't have the energy to pull back the remaining breakaway.
So, the win goes to Paul Voss. 1'09" out in front of the peloton.

I've thrown everything at Kudos and haven't got anywhere. Let's try again.



No action on the climb and it's a little too far out from the finish,
so I decide it's not worth it and position myself up nicely for the sprint.



Five of us sprint away from the field. I take 5th but I'm more concerned
about the gap that opened up behind me. Is this the break I needed?



It's pretty big. My estimate 20-25 seconds. The race officials estimations,
same time. Wow, nothing is going my way lately. This really sucks.
Only two more stages and I can get out of here and go home.



Flat but another tricky speed bump along the way.



It's a small breakaway of two riders to start. But nobody care about them...



Your here to see me. I attack on the final time up the speed bump.
I'm starting to think this is rather pointless but mind as well keep fighting.



There is small but visible gap, but there is still 5kms to go.



The sprinters quickly make the gap disappear. I was right.
I'm wasting my time with all these useless attacks getting nowhere.



I watch on and slip back to finish 11th as Elia Favilli gets the stage win.

Foreign land, foreign people, foreign customs. I can't take it anymore.
1 short stage left before I hop onto a flight and head back to Los Angeles.

Sorry, if my constant complaining about wanting to go home is annoying,
but I really really hate it here. Beside the scenery, everything has been terrible.



Jump to 5kms to go, let's go to another bunch sprint.
The breakaway is fighting to hang on in the distance.



And they do, which is a shame because I was the best sprinter out of the peloton. Like I said nothing in the past 10 days has gone my way.
Luckily I still do get to leave China with a 4th place overall.

Click my heels together 3 times and bring home. Preferably to LA and
not Kansas; but somewhere, over the rainbow, where the skies are blue.

There's no place like home; there's no place like home;
there's no place like home...