Stetina Blog: he is risen indeed! finally.

by Peter Stetina on Jul 11, 2011 11:46 AM EDT in Rider Diaries

Oh yes Loopies, the pun is fully intended and with a double meaning! For I have finally posted a blog after a long hiatus, PLUS I have finally picked myself up off the cold damp basement floor that was the Giro-recovery. Rejoice!

So I know it has been a long while since my last update, mid-Giro I believe. But I'm back again! Life has been a little nuts with my planned move to Santa Rosa, CA (we leave Boulder, CO on Wednesday!). Also since I haven't been racing much since the Giro, I don't have as much juicy gossip to unload on y'all. It's almost like another offseason and I'm honestly sick of training and I'm chomping at the bit to race finally. Unfortunately I'll have to wait until Aug 9 in Utah because the man, aka UCI, likes to blacklist us on local races when it doesn't affect them whatsoever.

Anyway, One thing I am finally enjoying is the "Giro Turbo Diesel". Everyone says when you finish a grand tour you have this extra gear, well I'm telling you it's true. Basically I've spent so much time riding at "stupid giro hard" pace that I've gotten used to it. Since the end of the race, riding 150watts hurts, but it feels no different riding all the way to 350watts. It just sucks, but it's not hard. That was June. Now, in July, I'm 100% recovered and the 150 part doesn't hurt anymore and it's time to sharpen the top-end for the 2nd half of the season.

I never thought this would happen but now I can spend a majority of my time in the USA and still be a WorldTour racer! Life is so sweet. I'm just training through the Tour (because there isn't really much else to do in the way of races) during July, then I have Utah, CO and Canada, only coming back to Europe for the final Italian classics in October.

It's taken a good 2 weeks to get acclimated to the Colorado high country again, but I was able to preview quite a few of the CO stages, between that and having driven/ridden the rest of it over my younger years, I can safely say I know almost every pebble of the route this August. Boy, am I excited!

Happy to have my skin on in CO rather than missing it in France,

Pete

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Comments

Skin is good

Welcome back. It is nice to hear about a rider who is not broken!

by platypus on Jul 10, 2011 7:39 PM EDT reply actions

Looking forward to your return to the Tour of Utah.

I will be working the race for PdC.

Anyone who has every thought a working Photojournalist has a glam job needs to rethink...

by Christopher See on Jul 10, 2011 7:45 PM EDT reply actions

Giro Turbo Diesel

Those words sound magical, like a “super natural force”. Use it wisely.
Good Luck in Utah and with the rest of the season.

Super dope. Is that like EPO on steroids?

by flying dog on Jul 10, 2011 8:22 PM EDT reply actions

If you're itching to race

there’s a crit in Novato next weekend- you can borrow my id if you want. I’m sure you’d fit right in as a Cat 4.

Thanks for the update.

"I'm sorry for all the people who worked to make the descent safe and the tifosi who went up there to watch the race but racing can't be allowed to become a circus. We're not clowns" Marco Pinotti

by jsallee00 on Jul 10, 2011 8:24 PM EDT reply actions

You got me with "He is risen."

Trying to remember which crash….oh right, none.

Sounds like a fun end of year. Utah-Colorado-Canada classics-Italian classics is about the perfect schedule to spark imagination in this place.

by Mr 60 Percent on Jul 10, 2011 9:17 PM EDT reply actions

Sorry about your blacklisting for local races.

I bet the local boys aren’t feeling that sorry for you though… not having to dea with the “Giro Turbo Diesel”. That must be an amazing feeling. And nice to hear from you again, thanks for posting.

"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton

by sminer on Jul 10, 2011 10:27 PM EDT reply actions

Utah-Colorado-Canada classics-Italian classics . . .

. . . would make the Worlds pretty easy to add into that schedule also.

What would Deming do? (+8:00 GMT)

by Ryan_Liles on Jul 11, 2011 5:32 AM EDT reply actions

Glad to have you back.

I’m also excited about CO. It will be so strange to see the peloton racing over familiar roads.

by zwilla on Jul 11, 2011 8:20 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Idea

We should come up with our own PdC cereal, box and sell it… Loopies. We could make millions and retire in Switzerland and ride our bikes with Willj everwhere.

"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton

by sminer on Jul 11, 2011 12:22 PM EDT reply actions