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A new start: The Tom Danielson diary 2005
After his ill-fated stint with Fassa Bortolo in 2004, likable American climbing specialist Tom Danielson looks to have found a more conducive home for 2005 with Lance Armstrong's Discovery Channel team. Follow his diary on Cyclingnews as he rides alongside the Boss as part of Discovery's ProTour arsenal.
Stage 4 - Thursday, March 10: Saint-Peray - Montélimar, 101km
Stage 5 - Friday, March 11: Rognes - Toulon (Mont-Faron), 172.5km
A learning experience
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The last two stages have been quite difficult. For me quite a learning experience, and this is just why I am here. I am on a team with the best directors and the best riders, so each minute of the race I am taking in new things. Paris Nice seems to be a very nervous race, and for me each day a good opportunity to improve. But because of my mistakes, I have been working extra hard to make up for them. Yesterday it was a short stage with many crosswinds. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and lost time in the final.
Today was a nice stage, but all on small roads. I felt great and did my best to do all Johan spoke of. He reads the race like a book. The last down hill before the final climb I was in a bad position and a gap opened. The descent was very dangerous and fast. When my group came around the corner to a long straightaway into the climb the front group was not in sight. This I think sank everyone's hopes and the group coasted all the way to the climb. I decided that it was best to go up the climb at a good pace for good training so I got into a rhythm and went up it. I was happy how I felt and I went fairly good. I will continue to work hard and I feel this race will give me good form and improve my skills greatly in the peloton. My team all did good rides today and it is clear the team is well on its way to all of our specific goals in the year.
Two more stages left and they look like very hard ones. We will see how they go.