You know nine days in, I can say honestly the first three days felt longer than the last nine days. Just as you look and say "tomorrow is Stage 9," you think, "how did that happen?" The first three days here you go around thinking, "wow, really long days." But when the action starts, it goes day by day. Every day brings something new, whatever that may be. But for sure, almost every day is kind of a new challenge.
Every year it surprises me how big the Tour is. I know from experience it's not because because I am getting crazy, but I'm not exactly looking forward to it like a big kid for Christmas. But every time we get here, you just get stuck in it. I spoke to Brama, asking how it's Stage 9 already. With Danish television, we were so busy I thought it was Thursday instead of Friday. So I mean, you lose everything, where you are. Sometimes you have to open a map, open a book and check out what stage it is. You just get confused. Even I look at the map to figure out where we are during a stage. i have a big map I have to open every three days because the days are melding together. But you know, I really like it down here when it's busy. It's very exciting.
I am very happy. I am also disappointed. When Tony punctured on the prologue, I think everyone needed a sports psychologist. I was down. Somebody then said, "well, we just had our bad luck. Things have already been so bad, they can't get worse." But not to be pessimistic about that I said to shut up. We had our bad fortune. The day after, that sealed it. The next day was a crash, but not a big crash. It wasn't like, the biggest crash in the history of cycling after 10km, but the truth was he broke his hand. I ask him, he said "Yeah no problem," but after 120kms, he was coming down. He said "I think I need an X-ray." That teaches you what time it is. When Tony asks for an X-ray, it's not because he broke his nail. It's from something pretty serious. So even though he thought it was good at first, I wasn't so optimistic anymore in the team car. After the finish line, Velits puncturing, Pineau hits somebody and smashes his shoulder. It was like a hospital in the bus after. It was a very long evening, waiting to find out if Tony and Jerome could start the next morning. People should know, I put on a bit of a show the next morning, but I did not sleep good that night. I think it was 9 a.m. when we found out he could start that morning, I was happy. Our plan is to get to the first time trial and then we will see. For the rest of the riders, We will see the situation after the time trial.
As for my life, I can hardly say it's great.I would like to say I've been running when I have time, but I have knee pain that is far too much at the moment. With all the crashes, I don't want to make big drama in my blog. But, I didn't even time to ask the doctor yet, because he's been busy with the riders! I told people on the television about the knee pain, but nobody really cares about it. So I'll have to live with it.
I am very excited about the hotels. For me, the hotels, I really love it. I always like the hotels. People always ask me if I get fed up with hotel rooms. I always tell them "no." I even went to Copenhagen with my wife to a hotel one night. I really love hotels. Going to the hotels I love it, you go there reading your book, and you forget about everything. I like hotel rooms. Even hotels in Campanile, you can always have a cup of tea, you go to bed with your book. I think it's pretty relaxing for me. I think that is what makes Campanile different from other hotels. You can make your tea in the evening. I will never say I am fed up with hotels. I am a little bit addicted after so many years, when I tell my wife, "let's go to the hotel in Copenhagen."