Milram Rider Diary: Stage 9

In conjunction with Team Milram, Garmin, and MotionBased, we're going to bring you a very exclusive insight into the life of a team rider during the 2007 Tour de France.

As one of their training aids the Milram riders bikes are set up with the Garmin Edge 305, the latest easy to install, high-sensitivity GPS receiver which tracks your position and elevation. With the additional features of a heart rate monitor and complete cycle computer with cadence.

Everyday the rider will upload the data via Motionbased.com, and you'll be able to analyse all the information sent for that particular stage. Alongside a race diary of his thoughts for each stage from start to finish.

Stage 9

Surving in the mountains is tough. Here's Marcel Sieberg's account of stage 9:

"On a day like today you really worry about your future. And now we have to take the blame for something others have done. Many of them are already set for life - I just talked to Kneesi about what we're going to do in the future... No, seriously. On such a day you're really concerned. But the positive test after the unannounced training control also shows that the controlling system works."

"Today's stage was long and hot. It was very fast at the beginning, but that was to be expected. We tried to get into all groups with Grabsch, Kneesi, Grivko and me - actually, it was a perfect beginning. Then Andrey got into a really good group. But back in the field there were some teams that didn't want the group to get away. So they took up the pursuit and the attacks started anew. The way the next group came about was a bit stupid."

" Marcus Burghardt broke away, and in the back everybody went to get bottles - and when we came back, a group of ten including Andrey was gone without our noticing. So the race was done for us first, it got calmer and Rabobank controlled. From my point of view it was quite a good race today, otherwise I wouldn't have attacked."

"Later, the race got rather relaxed. In the finale I stayed with Ete to keep his back wheel free. This worked out until one and a half kilometers to the finish, then it got a bit hectic and I preferred to keep out. Erik already was at Boonen's wheel anyway. So far, I only did races with eight or nine stages, but the legs don't hurt that much so far. You're into it already. Ok, I don't feel ready to take on anything, but it's ok at the moment - enough for flat stages at least. And it's still a few days to the next mountains."