Europe

Alisha Says: I am in Europe with the US National Team doing some training and racing. I left after San Dimas and flew to Italy. I spent a couple of days training in Lucca, Italy before our first race which was the World Cup Trofeo Binda. I was so nervous leading up to the race. It was so intimidating to be jammed on the start line with 150 of the best women in the world.

The race started and we were moving along. I was sitting in what I thought was okay position because I could still see the front of the pack but I had a job to do and didn't want to drift too far back so I was working my way up the left side when everyone slowed. Long story short next thing I new I was meeting the pavement. I got up and I was okay, my bike was okay. The car came up and our mechanic Rob was pushing me from inside the car to help me catch up. It was crazy riding in the caravan. Not exactly the way that I wanted to start my European experience but you learn and move on.

Now we are in Belgium where it is cold/rainy/windy. Our next race is the famous Tour of Flanders on Sunday. We prerode the course and it is going to be wild. Riding on cobbles is a whole new ballgame. Everyone says that the course is harder than it has ever been. It is going to be quite the adventure.