Best explanation of why riders get intestinal problems this time of year. Remember that when you see shots of Paris-Roubaix finishers caked in mud. From CyclingNews.com:
"Last year in late March, Flanders experienced a spell of mild weather, prompting many farmers to spread manure on their fields. However, the good weather didn't hold and heavy rainfall during the 'Dreidaagse von de Panne' (three to five days before the Tour of Flanders) caused the manure to run off the fields and onto a few hundred metres of the race route," he explains on the team's website.
And how does the cow manure work its magic on the riders? "When the riders sped through these stretches, the excrement sprayed out in all directions -- onto the riders' faces and onto the mouthpieces of their water bottles. Consequently, when a rider took a swig from his bottle, he also unwittingly swallowed millions of E-coli bacteria. Within 12 hours of the E-coli contamination, the riders suffered severe upset stomachs with vomiting and diarrhea."
Great. I think I'll beg off paceline rides til the rain stops.