Milram Rider Diary: Stage 11

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 11

Surving in the mountains is tough. Here's Marcel Sieberg's account of stage 11:

"After the crash today, my whole left side hurts, especially the knee and rips. Although it was such a good day for me. The race started fast, with a lot of breaks. Christian was in one, but there must have been someone for the overall classification in it as well, as it wasn't let go. It went on like that until kilometer 80, when four riders including Fabian Wegmann escaped. The next 20 kilometers were quite relaxed, but then Astana started to make speed."

"I didn't really regard it as that fast. But then I looked back and saw that a lot of riders had dropped back. Among them was Erik Zabel, which wasn't that good of course. We asked if we should wait for him, because Erik wanted to go for the points. But we couldn't do anything. So we were three of us in the first group, Ralf, Enrico and me. In the finale I had a really good position right behind Boonen. But then there was this narrow turn right, and suddenly some riders before us slid into the barriers. Boonen scraped through, but I crashed into the barrier."

"That's really annoying. I thought I could finish among the first five. There you get such a chance at your first Tour, and then that. There weren't so many sprinters in the front, and my legs were good. But somehow it wasn't supposed to be. I hope that the injuries aren't that bad. Fortunately I don't have bad abrasions, because I didn't slide over the asphalt, but crashed into the barrier directly. But you do not feel the whole extent of the injuries until the next morning. At the moment, my knee and rips hurt most. And I hope they won't be worse tomorrow morning."