You've Been Cooked: Tour de Georgia Stage 2

(Here's Matt Cooke's latest update from inside the pro peloton. Matt raced locally as an amateur with Lateral Stress Velo and in 2006 was the Elite National Road Race Champion. For 2007 he landed a pro contract with Navigator's Insurance, and this year is racing for the Health Net Pro Cycling Team. He'll be contributing regularly to GamJams, beginning with updates throughout the week on the Tour de Georgia.

Questions for Matt? Ask away in the comments and he'll get back to you. But probably not until after his massage.)

You've Been Cooked: Tour de Georgia Stage 2
by Matt Cooke
Health Net Pro Cycling Team, presented by Maxxis

Hi folks-

Today was a little less eventful (for me at least) even though it was a longer and harder stage. 

The plan for the team was to just to be active in trying to get in breaks and then do our best to set up Frank or Karl for the KOM.  It would be great to win the KOM b/c there is no KOM for the next two days or maybe three so if you win it then your have the jersey for all that time. 

You might think King of the Mountains: 'Matt will do well there.'  But the truth is most KOM sprints in the States are sprints with a slight hill before them that are not suited for true mountain goats like me.  Today there were two 8k finishing circuits which were pretty much crit laps and we did them so fast they seemed like 4k.  Heading up the 'climb' on the second lap I went up on the raised side walk for about 100 meters which was great because I passed about 50 dudes but then when the time came to jump the curb back into the peloton there was no place for me so I had to stay on the sidewalk and take it till it emptied back on the street and I lost about 30 of the 50 places I just moved past and wasted a bunch of energy.

I didn't know it at the time but Frank Pipp had already won the KOM so our team was pretty much successful for the the day.  I wish I could say I helped with that but that would be a lie.  These roads are just too damn flat for me to do a whole lot on. 

My teammate and roommate Matt Crane went down in the run in to the finish.  He lost skin on his back side but it otherwise fine.  I think he's pissed that he wasn't up there for the sprint.  He'll be up there - mark my words.

My wrist is holding up well.  I got a good taping job on it and it doesn't actually bother me too much.  I broke a bone in it two weeks ago on the last day of
Redlands but like I said I think it will be fine.

I have a rub in 15 minutes so I got that, then lots of food, then bed.  Keep the comments coming, thanks guys.

Matt

Comments

[Sev]

Hey, love it when you 'PROS' do websites like this. I just wanted to say hi and thanks.

Do you guys talk to other teams while racing or is it all a little bit quiet? Have you got friends on other teams, you must spend a lot of time with all those other teams in races.

Say hey to Rory Sutherland, go the Aussies!

[matt]

Ah well we're all pretty nice to each other. And since people change teams all the time everyone ends up knowing everyone.
But sometimes words to come up and there's yelling and arms in the air but it settles down because no one wants to crash or to see anyone else crash.
Its good to have friends in the bunch as you can imagine.
And there are two Aussies one Health Net-Maxxis, Rory and Karl.

[Dave]

Matt - Thanks for the updates, really cool. How often is your team together? Do you guys have a training camp in the winter and then 'see you at the races' or something else. Also, are you pretty much on your own for training plans/coaching or does the team sort that out for you. Good luck tomorrow. - DK

[matt]

the team is only together at races but its no problem for us to gel as a team, we are all professionals and we know how to race our bikes so its not a problem. we did have a camp in sunny Solvang, Cali in February if I remember correctly. Camp is pretty much the only time the entire team is in the same place at once. guys live all over the country and just fly into races. last year on Navigators we even had guys living in Europe that would fly to the US for races. I dont know how they did it but they did and they're still doing it this year.
and im on my own for training. i had a coach last year but at this point i know what i need to do to get fit. i have a few workouts that i always go back to and I train with my buddy Phil Zajicek alot. i also motor pace when i can.