I took a few days off following the Czech championships. The first few months as a professional road cyclist were tough, particularly the Tour of Switzerland. I went to Italy for a few days to enjoy a short break with my girlfriend Ine. I haven't been home much this year, so it was nice to spend a few days together.
I didn't stay home long after the trip to Italy. First I went to the Czech Republic for Amalka's birthday and now I'm in Livigno for three weeks of altitude training. As expected, the weather hasn't been nice, but I have been able to complete my training rides despite the rain, cold and snow. I love Livigno, so the weather doesn't really bother me. Although it would be nice to see a bit of sun here :-)
It's now my third week here and I've had a few different training partners in that time, including Dario Cataldo, Francesco Chicchi, Marco Bandiera, Kevin Seeldraeyers and Michele Scarponi and his teammates. There are a lot of pro riders here. My parents also came to visit! It was nice to be able to spend some time with them.
My next race is August 1 in Roosendaal, followed by the Eneco Tour. After that I'll start cyclocross training again.
