The Odessa Files

Flat out from the Gunn

Odessa Gunn

Hi everyone. It's great to be back on cyclingnews.com. I've been gone for a while. My writing season ended last year on an exciting, albeit difficult note. I followed the Vuelta a España for the Outdoor Life Network. Aside from a few car crashes, difficulty getting on line and some unpleasant encounters with Spanish men, I had a great time.

To see the beauty of this entire country was a privilege and to see my husband Levi have the ride of his life was an added bonus. He shocked everyone (including himself) with a third place finish in the overall. I knew he had lost a lot of weight before the race but to see what a three week race does to the body is amazing. A complete transformation occurs and it's a ticket to the next level of racing.

To see the courses they race day after day was another mind blowing eye opener. I can't tell you how many of the climbs I had to drive in first gear. It certainly explained why I could see veins on Levi's bum on the final day.

Let me tell you about that exciting day before I tell you about our new Rabobank family. It was my last day of work and Levi's last day of racing. There were mixed feelings in the Postal bus. The two most likely contenders for the third spot on the podium were Postal riders. This is very good of course but it's always awkward to have teammates competing for a placing. Defending champion Roberto Heras and Levi did not speak before the race. It was a time trial through the twisty streets of Madrid with two significant climbs. A well suited course for Levi.

There was a lot of excitement everywhere. The press room, the crowd and the riders were all in suspense until the very last minute of this three week stage race. I was able to follow Levi during the race in the car with Dirk Demol. It was so terrifying and exciting and terrifying. Did I mention how scary it was? To follow a rider so closely at such crazy speeds on descents and in corners with millions on unpredictable drunk spectators lining the streets was incredible. My entire body ached the next day from the tension.

At the end of the day Angel Casero bumped the popular Oscar Sevilla into second and Levi bumped Roberto into fourth. It was an emotional day.

I got out of the car and Dirk said it would be Levi in third. I was just so excited. I paid no mind to my uncomfortable heels and favorite Paul Frank shirt and ran six or seven big Madrid City blocks to the podium. I pushed my way through the crowd and made it to the stage. I started up the stairs and the officials began to push me back down. They could only see my Press pass and wanted me out of there. Levi's Spanish soigneur explained to them that I was his wife and they finally let me into the back room. I just hugged Levi and cried. It was very cool.

Tiptoe thru the tulips Photo ©: Bert Geerts

So then he went to Portugal to compete in World's, taking home a fourth place in the time trial and had a respectable finish with the first group in the road race. It was now time to head home to California and time to relax. We hired Levi an agent, bought a new home, adopted another cat and signed with a new team. I guess we didn't really relax much after all. Signing with Rabobank was a great move for us.

They asked Levi and I to come to a team announcement dinner and a press conference in December. We flew over for one evening and straight back home. It was a whirlwind trip but worth every second of travel. We arrived in Amsterdam where Levi's agent Paul picked us up. I adore Paul by the way. He's a vegetarian. So anyway we drove to the press conference at the Rabobank headquarters. They have a rotating art collection in the highly secure building and it's certainly something to see. Everyone was so friendly and accommodating.

Next we went to the hotel to rest for what seemed like five minutes and then we were off to the dinner. They had some really great Champagne in the lobby so I had six or seven glasses to be polite. :) We were eating in a dining hall inside the Holland casino. Everyone got some complementary chips at their place setting for some post dinner gambling. So then I guess we ate dinner but I was too focused on dancing to notice.

Boogerd and Levi get down Photo: © Bert Geerts

I asked the people at our table if they would dance with me if I requested a song. Everyone seemed kind of shy. So then I went to the next table where Michael Boogerd and Erik Dekker were sitting. I got a good vibe and I could tell Boogerd's girlfriend was really into it so I went to the band and requested Dancing Queen.

They were three men so they offered a compromise. It was fast and that was all that mattered. I just started to dance and within seconds Boogerd's girlfriend was with me, and then some more girls got up, and then Levi and before long everyone abandoned their meals and hit it on the dance floor. It was so much fun. Everyone, and I mean everyone was dancing. Directors, wives, riders, staff, bank officials. By the end of the evening everyone was sweating and all the guys had their ties off. It was like I was back in college. At one point we were all singing "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" at the top of our lungs and clinging glasses. These Dutch people are OK in my books I'll tell you.

So then I guess the band had to leave because the lights came on and we were headed upstairs to the Casino. Dekker rounded up all the chips from everyone's table, carried them up and bet them ALL on red. Mr.Midas of course won and everyone headed to a dance club called the "Ski Hut" to spend the winnings. Levi and I wanted to go but we had been up for over 48 hours at this point and had another flight to catch in a matter of hours. We had to take a rain check which I fully intend on using next year.

Ready for action Photo ©: Bert Geerts

I'm driving to France to pick Levi up after the Tour of the Mediterranean on Sunday so I'm looking forward to seeing everyone from Rabobank again.

Oh, and wait until you hear about all the Americans in this town now. Gerona is now little America. Christian told me it was quite a scene when they pulled in from camp. The Postal Team actually sent the bus to take the guys from their training camp in southern Spain to Gerona since there were so many of them.

Christian said, "As if we're not already the loud Americans in town. We pull our bus practically onto the Rambla (it's a walking street only) and we all pour out with huge bags and bikes and just loads of luggage."

I laughed. This place is like Hollywood for cycling fans. They can have cyclist sightings all day long on any given day.

It's nice to be back.

Until next time, this is Odessa Gunn signing off.

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