STAGE 4 LIMOUSIN: COMING INTO FORM

We had been at race start for less than 10 minutes when Dazza came racing down the hill with a package in hand. He seemed excited, as were we when we discovered what the package contained... a range of desserts to feast on at the conclusion of the tour, mere hours away. For the first time we didn't have to use squatters and for the first time we didn't get lost. Michel's last day as DS was becoming perfection. The racing was diverse with 9 girls off the front early in the race. Only 7 were strong enough to stay away and while the chase was on down the descent the field split. A newly sealed gravel section among goat-track sized roads posed a set back for some and didn't help the already vigourous chasing. It wasn't until an obvious lull from 50-80kms arrived that Bel and Lou had an opportunity to regain contact.

Mayhem hit over the final QOM and with GC contenders up the road it was a race for the young rider. I bridged to a group going away on the final QOM but when it all came together I was forced to settle for the loss. I can safely say that I almost literally died while trying. Four Perform Group girls, despite not sprinting, had finished in the top 25, over 8 mins off Buba's stage winning time. Bel rolled in with her profanity friend from Bretagne Tour in a following group. I was pretty ecstatic with 15th on GC, 2nd young rider but most importantly my efforts throughout the tour. A Belgian bath and we were back on the road. We celebrated for dinner, not with alcohol as we were all too buckled and would have been pissed as beer seems to be 7.9% here... instead with steak, frites and tomato sauce. I'm excited about our new house, I'm also starving so we just cracked open dessert :)

Results: Tour Feminin en Limousin, Stage 4, Egletons, 113 kms