The Tour de France is the greatest international sporting event, and this year I will be riding my own Tour de Northwest Ohio and charting my progress on this blog. I'll be riding one-quarter of the distance that the actual tour riders are riding. I am getting started a few days late and may have to miss a day here and there, but the plan is to ride all 21 stages. I will do my best to duplicate key features of each stage here in NW Ohio.
I'll be riding in the orange of Team Euskadi Euskatel and representing my home region - the Basque Country of Spain. Unfortunately, the team was disbanded in 2013 - so I'll be on my own when the attacks begin.
Being from NW Ohio, mountains are my speciality. I be aiming for a stage win in front of my compatriots in the Pyrennees and good showing in the King of the Mountains competition. I am not much of a time trialer - so a top 20 finish on GC would a bonus. I'll just try to keep out of the way of the sprinters on the flat stages.
As you can see I am fully prepared with protein shakes, power bars, and potassium. I have also stocked up on Human Growth Hormone, anabolic steriods, and testosterone. The container with the blue lid has oxygen rich blood from my training earlier this season in the Peruvian mountains (that was a challenge to get through customs!). I am saving that for a special pick-me-up during the crucial mountain stages.
The journey begins today in the jolly old England with 30 mile flat stage.