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Snerf's slant: The 2004 Nicole Freedman Diary

Sprinter, 2000 Olympian and a founder of the Basis women's team, Nicole Freedman - known as Snerf to her friends - is one of the US circuit's great characters. Her goal for 2004 is to make the Olympic team for Israel and failing that "to see one of my developmental teammates win their first NRC race and subsequently take all their prize money."

Countdown to Berne

April 21: Mom's birthday

Ugh, the "Happy Birthday" email I sent my mom yesterday just bounced back. Could it be they read my last diary entry? (I am just counting the days (now 8) until I can go home and live off my parents again. ) Perhaps I should call home?

"You have reached the Freedman's. We have moved to a remote, sunny island and are probably napping afloat our new 27 foot sailboat purchased with a check that arrived for our daughter while she was overseas. If this is our daughter, Nicole, thank you and have a nice life. Bye."

April 22: Preparing for the Tour de Berne

Perhaps I am biased, but the instant we crossed the border into Switzerland, the gray cloud that has followed us for the last five weeks lifted providing stunning views of Switzerland. While the rest of Europe has been trapped in winter since 1634 BC it is Spring has arrived in Switzerland. Switzerland is alive with hillsides of brilliant green grass; fields of wildflowers; snowcapped peaks cascading down to sparkling lakes; and farms of endearing newborn sheep, lamb, deer and cows that upon our next meeting will have been shrewdly renamed things such as 'veal' and 'venison' and be served with a delectable sauce.

I have one race left - the UCI 2.9.2 Tour de Berne, which never quite makes it into Berne. Most of my teammates will stay on for the 11-day mountainous Tour de L'Aude. If it is not too much effort, I may occasionally roll off the couch and log onto the Internet, being careful not to drip my ice cream onto the keyboard, to see how they are doing.

The Berne race starts in three days. I remember my coach Gale Bernhardt telling me, "Within three days of your event, your fitness is fixed. Ride as hard as you like, but it is too late to gain fitness." Gale, I decide, is very smart. I go shopping.

I return from the store hoarding four bottles of echinacea. Every time I am in Europe, I stock up on a special granule form of echinacea sold exclusively in Europe. I even contrived a plan a few years ago to have a teammates father's cousins dog retrieve some for me on his regular visits to Sweden. I return to the hotel to show my teammates.

"Look what I got. This stuff is amazing and only sold here in Europe," I comment although I would like to say, "Look, I am SO much smarter than you all. I am thinking ahead to next winter. When all of you are sick with every cold and flu, I will be as well, because I will have absolutely lost all these bottles of Echinacea within six months, if not six minutes."

"Oh, you can get that at Wal-Mart," teammate Kristen Lasasso replies nonchalantly.

Minutes later, I greet my roommate Katy. Katy is perhaps the happiest person I have ever met. She sings while riding uphill. I would like to rip out her eyeballs, but I can't catch her. I sing as well while climbing. Friends have likened these sounds to the famous medieval Gregorian Grunt.

Katy presents me with a chocolate bar purchased during her shopping spree. "Is this for being a wonderful teammate?" I ask.

"Of course. And, by the way, I caught your underwear on fire on the bathroom heater." she says handing me a piece of Victoria Secrets Ashes. "Sorry".

Till Berne,
Nicole