Nearly there!

Getting close to the end! The hill is finally clean - all the nets are rolled and put away and we are just finishing off spooling all the ropes. Then we will be done for another year! Friends are all leaving - going home to their real jobs!! When all the work is done I will have to pack away all my belongings from the appartment and put it in the locker ready for next season.

I am getting very excited about going home and trying out my new bike! It's a Specalized tri cross. I have been ordering stuff like mad - trying to get ready for the trip! Many thanks to many companies for helping me out - Specalized, Crank Brothers, Schwalbe, Carousel Designs, Gore and Uvex. And special thanks to Roswell Bikes for patiently putting my new bike together as I want it as all the different parts have arrived!!

It is going to be good to see everything and see if I can actually manage to fit it all in my bags and stay below my trip weight limit of 46KG! Thats for all of my stuff for 4 months excluding the bike!!

Well I had better go to work its snowing again it allways does when we take down a race course just to make it that little bit harder!!

Great Work Out on the mountain!

Legs are sore but not from riding as I have not been on the bike as much as I had hoped! But I am still getting a good work out every day. We are running around the mountain on snow mobiles collecting equipment from all over the plac We have 4 main areas where the people on skis drag equipment to - we then load it into a snow cat or on to a snow mobile and transport it to our warehouse on the mountain! This is where the heavy nets and equipment gets put away and stored.
Its hard work with lots of lifting, so a great work out so I should be in good shape for Africa!!

Merry Christmas

We just wanted to wish you all a very happy Christmas and New Year!
Paul is going to be at home with the family in Roswell, GA for Christmas and New Year and is looking forward to riding with the team from Roswell Bikes on Boxing Day (December 26th).

If you still have some holiday shopping to do and are stuck for gift ideas perhaps you might like to consider making a donation to either of Paul's charities in the recipient's name! Don't forget to leave a message in the guestbook as well! Just select the DONATE NOW buttons and you will be taken to the appropriate pages!

Thanks for your continued support!

Donate to the TDA Foundation

Just trying out this link!
http://yeshesmad.chipin.com/the-tour-dafrique

World Cup

Excited -Downhill day - got the early bus at 5.40 am to start work at 6.00 am. Weather was looking really good, the track was in great shape and most of the powder had gone. I had a full dye crew for once, we did two good laps of the course putting down the dye - everything was looking great!! I had all 8 of my dye packs in use for the first time ever. It was too good to be true! Next thing we heard the race was postponed due to heavy winds - and then it was cancelled!! Really disappointed!

Take Two - Super G Day - another early start. Everything in great shape again - the set looked good with some interesting turns and this time everything went to schedule. Early morning there was a threat of snow but by race time it had all cleared up and the World Cup was underway!! One of those interesting turns however took out the US stars, Bode Miller and Ted Ligerty among others!! Another turn tested our A net with a crash right in front of me - but it was a great race. - well done Georg Streitberger from Austria for today's win.

GS tomorrow!!

Birds of Prey World Cup Men's Downhill

Have been working for 2 weeks now and everything is finally ready - the hill has been watered;all the A and B nets have been put up and a couple of hundred volunteers are here to help!
Yesterday we managed a training run and all went very well but it was so cold . My job is to run the dye crew - we draw the blue lines on the snow which help the racers see the terrain.
Today was Day 2 of downhill training - what a lot of work! It kept snowing so we kept having to put more dye down!
The course is looking in good shape. They have changed it a little this year. Haven't managed to ride (cycle) for a couple of days but my legs are still getting a good work out with 3 X 10+ hour days in a row!!
Looking forward to getting the order sent in for my new bike - Specalized Tricross - for Africa. Just getting things sorted with the help of Roswell Bikes.
Its only 730 but I am so tired - think I will have to go to bed. Training again tomorrow and start work at 6 am.

For more information about the Birds of Prey go to http://www.beavercreek.com/events-and-activities/world-cup.aspx

Paul's TDA Profile

Check out the Brits who will be participating in the Tour D'Afrique 2011 - they are profiled on the TDA facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/tourdafrique