andy4ever wrote:
Looking great Jean, good luck! I only just discovered your blog, but it is really interesting reading, I can't wait to hear about some of your races!
Do you think you will be able to ignore your love of attacking this year? It must be difficult for you to be a domestique.
Very glad to have you on board!
About your question, I'm not sure yet. I guess much will depend on what race it is and who my team mates are. I hope FDJ will let me play a part as an attacker, you can help the team that way, too. But when the stakes go up and the field is tougher, I'll have to do some hard work. But that's good training and I'm willing to do that. As long as there's plenty of variation, I reckon!
krisa wrote:
Nice table to eat
Oh that it is! However, in light of the team building moments, we mostly eat together at a larger table. But I had some dessert sent up earlier! Unfortunately, a cyclist' diet is strict, so it was some low fat, zero taste kind of dessert. Remind me to order strawberries next time!
TimoCycling wrote:
Good training camp so far! What GT would be your personal choice? Probably the Tour but looking at your climbing capacity, the Vuelta might be best!
If I had to chose a GT this year? I'm not sure. I'm tempted to say the Tour, because it'll be a special edition (100th Tour), but I'm afraid I'm too young for it and it'll be too tough, physically and maybe even mentally. The Vuelta has some beautiful climbs, I can't deny that, but I always found the Giro fascinating. It's such an emotional, romantic race, I think. It's also earlier in the season so I might be able to finish it and not be entirely dead!
Wow. I'm completely empty. Right now I'm on the airplane back home, it lands in about half an hour so I reckon I might just as well write up a little something for the blog! Especially since Alexandre is snoring quite loudly next to me.
So, the training camp. The first two days were all about team building, which was nice. I got to know some of the guys and it's a real fun group, everyone really belongs. Then, on the third day, the real training began. On the fifth and sixth day, as expected, but a day later than agreed upon, someone from the French press visited. He took some amazing snapshots of the training.
Eventually, I dropped, too. I didn't want to go too much into the red, so I just found my own tempo. Alexandre (Geniez) stayed with me. Maybe he couldn't go any faster either, I don't know.
Alexandre and me (left) in the final kilometers
Pinot was the first at the top, followed closely by Jeannesson. Casar was 30 seconds slower. Alexandre and me sprinted for the fourth place, 1 minute later.
A final sprint between Alexandre and myself (left)
Team Time Trial Practice
The next day, the weather was even better, as the sun was there all day! Today's task? A 80 km Team Time Trial, followed by individual practice.
The Climbers Squad in time trial position. I'm at the back
I didn't have the best day (never on a bike like that). I dropped as first rider, with 30 kilometers left to go. Elissonde dropped a little later, and we finished the lap together.
Elissonde dropping out, I'm already behind
Though the team was great about it. Nobody made fun of anyone. I think I did all right for a first training with the guys. It won't be long before I'm equivalent member of this team! I can't wait for the next installment!
This past week, I've developed a real friendship with Alexandre. He's an amazing athlete and a good man, real funny, too. It's great to have a friend on the team, especially one who is the same type of rider. I hope we'll get some racing days together the upcoming season.
Anyway, he enjoyed the fact that he won that sprint we had uphill so much, he made me a little something to frame. His words, not mine.
Like I said, he's a funny guy. It's a nice gesture, but I won't hang it in my living room, that's for sure!
No matter how great the training camp was, I'm glad I'm going home. My fiance is waiting for me, you know. I heard the winter is finally arriving in Cluses, though. That means it's time to get out my Mountain Bike!
NTTHRASH wrote:
Are you really going to shine in the highest of passes, or do you think that your climbing abilities are more potent in shorter, 1/2 Cat. bursts?
That's a good question. Because I'm still young, I still can be formed into another sort of rider. However, I believe my strength lays in long, tough mountain passes. I dream of taming the mountain tops of legendary climbs like the Galibier, the Stelvio, Tre Cime... But my youth may also hold me back on those long climbs the first years. I don't know, we'll have to see!
So I guess that answers your question, partly at least! Anyway, we'll have to see if those are my real abilities in the professional peloton.
It's now January 3th, 2013. This morning, I got a call from Marc Madiot. He called about three things. Firstly he wished me a happy new year, then he asked about my training. I told him I'm right on schedule and I'm improving well. What I didn't tell him was that my time trialing has not been improving and I haven't been spending much time on the TT bike. Lastly, he gave me some information on my season. I've been given a list of races I'll possible be entered in. A lot can still change and for most it's not that important to know in advance, but the WT calender is already being put together pretty detailed.
FDJ - Breaking Boundaries
Team FDJ might be the most popular French team, alongside Team Europcar. We have only 4 different nationalities in the team, so 27 riders are French. The team management decided it wants to expand its horizons, though. In the long run, they want to attract more riders from different nationalities (keeping 2/3 French, at least) and, this is their main goal, race in more international races, not only French races and the WT calender. Madiot has found that I fit in well in that picture. I'm Swiss, for starters, and he chose an international calender for me. I'll be racing all over Europe this year, if everything goes right!
However, things like that don't happen overnight. For the next season, FDJ wants to expand to Italy, Belgium, Spain and Germany. I guess we'll conquer the rest of the world in another year. I heard a rumor that we might concentrate on Scandinavia in 2014.
Provisional Schedule 2013
Like I said above, it's a limited list of possible races. But it's a start and I can start preparing my season, finally! I'll bold the names of the races I'm almost 100% certain to start! I'll put the names in Italic if they overlap.
After the National Championships, it's a big question mark. All I know is that Madiot wanted me to get some experience in WT Classics so he's cooked up one final small list:
Well, it's a start. One thing that strikes me: I'll have to be flexible this year. I'm pretty much guaranteed to start in Romandie and Suisse, but that's about it. I'll have to stay at a decent level all year round and the team will use me to fill gaps or put me in squads for races depending on my results and progress. I'm not sure about my role in Romandie or Suisse yet.
Another thing that's obvious: no Grand Tour. Maybe if I impress enough in Suisse, I can make the list for the Tour, but Madiot said not to get my hopes up. He told me I'm too young for a 3-week tour. He's got the experience so I believe him. I just want to make the most of my season! I might also start in the Tour of Poland, if I don’t get the Tour.
Seeing that the Tour de Suisse is in June, and I'm pretty much guaranteed a starting place, also in the preparation race GP Gippingen and in the National Championships, I'll be trying to peak for June this year.
I asked to race in the Ardennes but it seems I'm not on the startlist, though that might chance. Again, depending on my results. However, Trentino would be a better preparation for Romandie. I have to Canadian Classics to gain some experience in WT classics.
Overall I'm pretty happy. I've been given a very divers, international schedule, I'll do a bit of everything, that way I can explore my abilities to the maximum. In lesser races (.1), I'll have more freedom to do my own thing. I only hope I'll be entered in as much races as possible!
Since it's January and the season is about to begin, the first rumors make their way through the peloton. This is what I heard:
Murilo Fischer, who was originally linked to FDJ for season 2013, has not found a contract yet for the upcoming season. He might retire early.
The man is a legend, but rumor is that Jens Voigt might start his final year as a professional cyclist. I think I speak for all of us when I say: hope it's not true!
Alberto Contador has started his Tour de France campagin early this year. In an interview with a Spanish newspaper he started mental warfare against his opponents. The 100th edition of the Tour promises to bring spectacle, that's for sure!
rogvi97 wrote:
Great team choice and maybe a very gifted bitch you are
Wow, I really don't know how to react when someone calls me a bitch, but thanks?!
Schleck96 wrote:
I don't know if this has been asked to you Jean, but do you know Cancellara personally?
It hasn't been asked. Unfortunately I don't know him. I've never even met him yet. He's from the German-speaking part of Switzerland, I'm from Romandie (French-speaking part). Though I hope to run into him this year in the peloton, but I'd probably be too shy to talk to him...
Okay, PCM 2013 is released tomorrow, so here's the plan:
I have one more report that I'll post in the morning. At around 10:30, I'll go out and buy PCM 2013. Then I need to do a couple of things: install BMC shirt, install Realname Database and then quickly get to know the game + start the career and make schedules for the entire team.
I think that can take a while, but I hope I'll have the first race report tomorrow evening. If not, it's Friday morning, but most probably I won't be able to quit playing until I've raced, so it can also be late in the evening hope that's all right!
I had to go buy strawberries today, and I passed a local game-store. Decided to go in, see if they already had the game. To my surprise they told me the release date was yesterday. So PCM 2013 is installing right now. I have found a realname database, a BMC jersey. Soo... I will test out the game and maybe even start racing tonight!!!!!
Anyhow, I guess I'll see you one day with my pack of youngsters!
How can that be??? 
hope that's all right!
