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Pssst! The latest insider news: Tour-debutant Marcel Sieberg with a glance backstage Team MILRAM at the Grand Boucle
28/07/2024
27 July: The 18th stage
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
the first kilometers today were really fast and tough, I didn’t feel so well. But then the group broke away and we slowed down. So we could even have a look at the beautiful landscape. In the finale we all rode for Erik and he finished third of the pursuers. A long day, a bit too long I’d say. 50 kilometers less would have done as well.
Tomorrow’s another day you have to get through. You can’t do quietly because of the time limit. That means pull through again so that you don’t have to be afraid to fall out of time. Another long day. It’s only 55 kilometers and I think my turn’s quite early. Then you go to the hotel and watch the rest on TV, looking forward to Paris. I’m really excited. I heard that we’re going to the start on Sunday by TGV, the fast train. We’ll see what it’ll be like. The rest of the team starts earlier ang goes by car because it’s about 400 kilometers to the start. And we’ll take the train because it’s faster and takes only one to two hours.
Our bus broke down on Wednesday, and it still wasn’t reapaired today. Not so nice, going to the race and back by the cars and change and wash on the street after the race. Yesterday I was invited by ZDF, and I had to get ready on the street where everybody’s watching. Just like in school-times... Today, we somehow got two campers in which we could even have a quick shower. Really nice of the people who let us use them. I hope the bus will be ready in Paris. There are even more people around, and if you’ve got to change on the street you’ll probably feel a bit observed...
I’m really looking forward to Paris now. Seeing my family and my girlfriend again, finally. As far as I know, the German riders are all going to stay another night. So we’ll all have dinner together once again and have a nice evening. It’s really strange. It’s only three weeks since the start in London, and to me it seems as if it was months ago. I can’t remember all the stages, everything seems such a long time. But I’m exciting about Paris, the atmosphere and what it’s like to do the rounds through the city. I’ve only seen that on TV so far.
See you soon,
Marcel
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23 July: The 15th stage
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
my legs weren’t so good today, my back hurt and I had stomach problems. I went to the Tour doctor because of the latter, who gave me two pills. Then, it was ok again. At the first mountain I fell back twice, but then I found a group of about 40 riders, with which I finally finished. I think I got 10 years older today, at least I feel like that. In such a situation, it’s not easy with the head as well, you despair a bit. But I got through and now I hope that I can recover a bit on tomorrow’s rest day and that I’ll get over the last stage in the Pyrenees well. I think today’s stage was a bit more dangerous for me than that on Wednesday. But the stage is going to be really hard anyway. There’s a tough mountain after 60 kilometers and I hope that there will be a group when it goes over the medium-high mountians. Today, there were two mountains of medium difficulty following the first high one, and many riders still tried it and got over them quite well. That’s difficult, because there aren’t any big groups then. But first, there’s the rest day tomorrow, and I’m going to sleep in, have breakfast, do some training, and just relax.
See you soon,
Marcel
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22 July: The 14th stage
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
today's stage was quite ok. I had some problems with the first mountain right after the start, but I managed it. At the beginning I got along well, but then the speed was quite high and at the end of the mountain I had to let go. The rest of the stage I was in a group of 60, 70 riders, a nice grupetto, with which I got to the finish very well. My thigh and my knees hurt pretty much at the beginning, but it got better with the course of the race. We’ll see what the masseur says.
The atmosphere in the mountains is incredible. There were a lot of Spanish people, because we nearly arrived at the boarder to Spain. It’s amazing how enthusiastic they all are. But if some drunk guys start running on the road it’s getting a bit uncomfortable, you never know what they’re up to. But there is always a motor bike next to us, so that’s ok.
I hope I could save some powers today, because the next two stages cause me some concern. I’ve got to get through somehow. Tomorrow morning it’ll be quite relaxed, because the start is nearby. So we can sleep in a bit. Today we had to leave at 9 a.m. already. Right after the start there is a mountain of the second category, and the rest of the stage won’t be easy as well. The course is quite wavy, and there are two high mountains at the end again. I just hope to get over them well.
Now I’ve got to relax a bit. Have a bath, massage, and then dinner. Our room’s bigger again today. After the 6 sqm of the last days it’s 30 today. So we can open our baggage without problems, and each of us has a bed of 1.40 meters.
See you soon,
Marcel
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21 July: The 13th stage
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
my start was quite early today, so I had to get up at quarter to eight already. Not so good, because later I had the whole day off. I started at 11:30 a.m. after I had done some warm-up. After the first one, two kilometers it started to rain, which was quite dangerous. I took the turns calmly, after my back wheel nearly slipped away in the first one. I thought it’s better to be careful, not every minute counts.
On the way back to the hotel I lost my way and it took me twice as long to get home. But I arrived... Then, we spent the whole afternoon in our room, which is only six square meters. It’s so small that we had to rearrange everything to be able to open our suitcases. And at such a long tour you’ve quite a lot of baggage.
Tomorrow, we’re starting into the Pyrenees. I hope the first day will be ok. I’ve got to get over the first mountain, stay in the main field and then get a good group for the next two mountains. I just hope to get through the next three stages well. My thigh still hurts from the crash. I had a new masseur today, who said that the muscle is quite hurt from the crash and that I probably sat on the bike a little lopsided. Now I hope it won’t hurt that much tomorrow. But if my legs are as they were in the last day it’’ll be ok. Sure you feel the exhaustion in the mountains, but I want to get through the next three stages and then hopefully arrive in Paris.
See you soon,
Marcel
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19 July: The eleventh stage
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
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.
See you soon,
Marcel
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18 July: The tenth stage
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
on a day like today you really worry about your future. And now we have to take the blame for something others have done. Many of them are already set for life – I just talked to Kneesi about what we’re going to do in the future... No, seriously. On such a day you’re really concerned. But the positive test after the unannounced training control also shows that the controlling system works.
Today’s stage was long and hot. It was very fast at the beginning, but that was to be expected. We tried to get into all groups with Grabsch, Kneesi, Grivko and me – actually, it was a perfect beginning. Then Andrey got into a really good group. But back in the field there were some teams that didn’t want the group to get away. So they took up the pursuit and the attacks started anew. The way the next group came about was a bit stupid. Marcus Burghardt broke away, and in the back everybody went to get bottles – and when we came back, a group of ten including Andrey was gone without our noticing. So the race was done for us first, it got calmer and Rabobank controlled. From my point of view it was quite a good race today, otherwise I wouldn’t have attacked.
Later, the race got rather relaxed. In the finale I stayed with Ete to keep his back wheel free. This worked out until one and a half kilometers to the finish, then it got a bit hectic and I preferred to keep out. Erik already was at Boonen’s wheel anyway. So far, I only did races with eight or nine stages, but the legs don’t hurt that much so far. You’re into it already. Ok, I don’t feel ready to take on anything, but it’s ok at the moment – enough for flat stages at least. And it’s still a few days to the next mountains.
See you soon,
Marcel
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17 July: The ninth stage
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
At the beginning, it didn’t didn’t seem so good for me. I just managed to get over the first mountain – but then I found a good group, and the rest of the stage was quite ok. The first seven to eight kilometers were pretty relaxed, but then the first attacks started and I got problems as soon as the speed was a bit higher. On the first descent I had to speed up a bit, but I found a group that could catch up with the main field on the flat part. The group rode really consistently, we passed the Galibier and got to the finish quite well. But I was quite tired when I finally arrived, anyway.
At the first mountain I was more or less left behind. In such a situation you don’t have the time to look left and right. I just tried to catch up again as soon as possible and to find a good group. If you’re left behind on your own or with a few others only, it’s going to be a really, really long day. At the Telegraph and the Galibier we weren’t that fast, so that I could have a look at what’s happening around me. There are so many people at the roadside, and I even saw some familiar faces. Former firends who were cyclists once as well, or Doreen Grabsch, who is at the Tour with a group of other fans, and Erik’s parents. And the landscape in the Alps is really impressing as well.
When you start the climb up the Galibier, you can see the serpentines, the visitors and the mountain classification. That’s impressing, but you also think „oh, it’s a long way up there“. It always makes a difference if you’re riding at your limit or not. If you’ve got to give everything in order not to be left behind, you actually don’t think about anything. But if you’re in a good group, it’s ok. Of course you hope that you’ve made it soon, especially if the legs are a bit tired. And if you’re in a really good condition it’s probably fun... But now, we got over the mountains – at least for the time being – and the course’s going to be a bit more even for the coming days.
See you soon,
Marcel
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15 July: The eighth stage
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
I’m really tired today, although I arrived in the finish with the last group of 40, 50 riders. However, we weren’t that slow and still remained in the race just narrowly. I don’t understand how one can ride up the mountains that fast. Right at the beginning I was part of an attack. But the field didn’t really let us go. My goal at these attacks was to establish a little gap before it goes into the high mountains. At the second mountain I let go and dropped back to the main group. When we went into the first high mountain I was in a good group with Boonen, Poitschke and Grivko. The rest of the mountains I was in the last big group with all riders of our team except from Erik and Christian. First, we all rode rather easygoingly, but then we had to speed up to remain within the time limit.
Standing before a mountain like the Colombièr you have quite some respect. Actually, you only hope to get to the top quite well. Riding into the mountain with the field it is important to find yourself a good group who rides it quite consistently. During the climb you don’t really think of anything. Sure, sometimes you ask yourself „what am I doing here?“ or „when is it over?“. This is what I thought sometimes today. But generally you don’t really have time to think.
When I arrived at the summit I was just happy that I’d made it. I put on some warm clothes and rolled down to the bus again, which was standing about eight kilometers from the finish. The legs are about to get tired now after the eight days. But tomorrow’s the first day off. First, we’re going to have a look at the first mountain of Tuesday’s course, then we’ll just have our massages and relax. It’s important to regain our power on the rest day, because the stage on Tuesday starts with a high mountain right after 15 kilometers. I’m a little scared of it, it can have a bad ending.
See you soon,
Marcel
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13 July: The sixth stage
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
it was a long day today. But right after the start a rider broke away, so that we could go on quite relaxedly. I think he was away up to 16 minutes or something. But there was headwind nearly all day, and could control the escapee quite well. After 70, 80 kilometers the first teams found themselves and the race got a bit faster. We prepared the second sprint classification for Erik and he was second. From that moment the race got a bit harder, bit it was still ok, not as tough as yesterday.
Boonen was extremely strong today, in the intermediate sprints as well. We didn’t have a chance, we’re not the team for that. But Erik’s third rank was good, the team showed a good performance in the finale. On the last three kilometers it was just me and Ongarato who prepared the sprint for Erik. I had good legs, and Erik’s satisfied with the results. It’s a little bit of a pity that we’re not in green anymore. But there are still some stages to come, and in the end we’ll see.
This was the last sprint stage for some time, now the mountains are to come. The stage tomorrow starts with some smaller mountains, and the last 20 to 30 kilometers there are 1.000 meters to climb. I’ll try to get into a nice group and roll to the finish as good as I can. Sunday’s going to be harder. At the end of the stage there are three mountains of the first category after another. I hope to get into a good group again and make it over the mounain as well as possible. It’s an ascent of 20 kilometers, that’s just too big.
Monday is the first day off, and on Tuesday there’s a mountain right after the start. That’s hard of course, but we’ll have to get over it somehow. The problem with a mountain 15 kilometers after the start is that you’re not really warm, just come from the day off, and then there’s the mountain right away. That’s not easy. Well, then there are 90 kilometers descent, and then the Telegraph and the Galibier. Here I have to try to get along from the very beginning, or it’ll be a long day.
It’s different if you start into a sprint stage or a mounain stage. I didn’t have to think about finishing with the first main group at the stages so far. But that’s different at a mountain stage. But I’ll think from one day to the next, and tomorrow won’t be that tough. It should be ok until kilometer 30 to the finish, and at the mountian I’ll have to slow down a bit. But I think there’ll be others who think the same.
See you soon,
Marcel
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12 July: The fifth stage
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
today was a really hard day, it went up and down all the time. And I was getting bottles for everybody all day. Sometimes I thought „Oh no, that’s not it!“. But the Tour de France’s not a children’s birthday party. I was at the back for four, five or more times to get the bottles. Usually, we take turns, but today it was my job somehow. I don’t really know why. You’ve got to get through the whole field with the bottles, and this can be quite a distance, depending on how far the field is split up. Sometimes, I couldn’t get rid of the bottles. When we went uphills and some of us were further in the front I had to wait for the mountain top to catch up with the others in the descent. That’s quite exhausting. But the main thing is that everybody’s happy and provided.
Erik also had a puncture, and we all took him back to the field together. 15 kilometers to the finish I took my leave, the legs were just empty from riding back and forth all the time. I just thought it doesn’t matter if I arrive in the finish one or six minutes after the winner.
But it was a good day for us in any way. Erik got himself the green jersey for the first time again in a very long time. We’re probably going to clink glasses on that later, as we already did when he was second. It’s great to have the team in the centre of attention, of course. Erik has one of the four leaders’ jerseys, so we stand out in the field. Tomorrow’s stage is flat again, and we want to give everything to keep or even extend the lead. After that there are the mountains, and it would be great if we could go there in green. That’s really motivating.
See you soon,
Marcel
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11 July: The fourth stage
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
today was a pretty tough day with all that side wind. You really had to be careful not to get to the back of the field while the others increase the speed in the front. So it was always back and fore.
Christian was in the break today, which was quite good for us. At the end we found together quite well, and Alberto Ongarato, Erik and me were in the front. 2.000 meters to the finish I took the two right behind the Quick Step train. The fourth rank is pretty good, especially as Erik made some points für the green jersey again and is now second in the classification. It would be great if he could wear it, and to Paris it would be a dream.
Unfortunately, my legs weren’t that perfect today. But I think that’s quite normal after I rode the second stage in the break and after yesterday. The race wasn’t really tough yesterday, but it cost some power to be on the bike for six and a half to seven hours. And apart from this, today’s stage was pretty tough and rather difficult for the head as well.
We just arrived in the hotel after an hour’s transfer, I had a shower and now I hope it’ll be my turn for the massage soon. This morning I slept until nine, then we all had breakfast together, and at about eleven we started for the race.
Tomorrow, there are some mountain classifications on the programme, eight I think, and one or two of them are quite long. We hope to get over them well, so that we can work for Erik in the finale and he can get the chance for the green jersey. So far, it was a really good Tour for us. Except from Tuesday, one of us was in a group every day, Erik sprinted to rank two and four, and is now second of the green jersey. That’s not bad for a start. And a stage win would be great now of course. Erik’s in a good condition and we try the best we can. We’re all in a good mood, and the Tour can go on.
See you tomorrow,
Marcel
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10 July: The third stage
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
today’s stage was rather boring, there wasn’t a lot going on the whole day. But it’s great to start with the red number. Before the start, I had to write a lot of autographs and was interviewed several times, that’s fun. I like the Belgian races and I’m there pretty often, so some people here already know me.
The first attacks followed right after the start, and the first two riders were gone after five or six kilometers. But they weren’t really fast, so the field rode calmly as well. On the one hand, the speed was quite agreeable after yesterday’s hard stage, but on the other hand everything could have been a bit faster, you don’t really want to sit on your bike for six and a half hours. So, everything got quite late and we were in the hotel at 9 p.m.. Then we had dinner, and now we’ll relax a bit and then go to bed soon.
The last 50 kilometers, however, were pretty fast then. We tried to prepare the sprint for Erik as well as possible, but with all the hectic and the high speed it didn’t really work out. But in the end, he nearly made it anyway.
See you tomorrow,
Marcel
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9 July: The second stage
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
today, I had resolved to have a try at an escape from the beginning. So I started the first attack and soon had two combatants.
It was very windy, and towards the end there was also a lot of rain. But it was a beautiful stage, especially because I knew parts of it from races like Ghent – Wevelgem and De Panne. My legs were good today, and with all the visitors along the street I was really motivated. When you’re in the lead with a group and hear the people shout your name, that’s fantastic.
Being selected most active rider of a stage right at the beginning of my first Tour de France is absolutely great. First I didn’t even think that I might get through in the end, but finally I thought maybe I might do as well, especially as we were riding at a really high speed on the final 30 kilometers. Well, maybe with a little bit more luck it could have worked out.
It’s a strange feeling when the field rushes past you from behind at the end. But the riders were so fast that I let myself drop back. First I thought „what a pity,“ but then I was also happy to see the others again. Then, suddenly, there was a crash, and some riders were lying on the street before me. Fortunately, none of us was involved and nobody was injured seriously, I hope. First, the street was blocked for the first time, and when it was free again I rolled into the finish with Fabian Cancellara. Now I can say that being so far behind in the end was blessing in disguise. If I hadn’t been overtaken by so many riders I would have probably been involved in the crash, and that would have been a pity indeed. But so we can continue tomorrow.
See you tomorrow,
Marcel
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8 July: The first stage
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
the crowds at this stage were really extreme. Other riders also told my that they never saw something like that. It was amazing how many people were standing at the streets. I never saw something like that, it was impressing. It is fantastic to see how many fans still stand behind cycling, despite all the doping discussions. It is extremely motivating to be jeered at by the fans, especially at the mountain classifications.
Strange, but I wasn’t really nervous on my first real Tour stage as well. It has always been a dream for me to start at the Tour de France. Now I did the prologue and the first stage and I hope I can get through to the end of the tour.
Today, we got up quite early to drive into London with the bus, because the traffic is always a bit chaotic. The race started with 15 kilometers neutralisation. The start on Tower Bridge was fantastic of course, and then a sightseeing tour through London followed. That was really beautiful.
20 kilometers after the start there was the first break and we could enjoy the crowds. In the finale, it unfortunately didn’t work out the way we wanted. There were too many riders in the front, and we were only three, Erik, Ongarato and me. Brett Lancaster for example didn’t feel so good and was also involved in a crash. That was bad luck, but there are still some stages to come.
See you tomorrow,
Marcel
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7 July: Prologue
Dear Team MILRAM fans,
today it started, my first Tour de France. However, I wasn’t too excited, just like at any other bigger race. Well, maybe I’ll be tomorrow before the first real stage, today was the prologue first of all. But it was really wonderful. Along the eight kilometrs there were visitors standing everywhere, fantastic. An experience like that you make seldomly.
When I rolled the kilometer from the bus to the start, the viewers were standing along the whole way. I sometimes even heard my name, that was absolutely great. I didn’t realise the visitors like on the first training round, but the atmosphere was fantastic. It was a great start here in London. It’s my first visit to the city as well. The course of the prologue was good, and the organisation was great as well. All riders arrived at the start without problems, which isn’t so easy with all the visitors around.
I think my performance was satisfying as well. In the past weeks, I didn’t do so well after the Dauphiné. I don’t really know why. So it wasn’t too bad today, especially because I’m not really a specialist for the eight kilometers. After the German Championships I practiced pretty calmly. That was my first real strain in some time, so it’s normal that the legs aren’t that good.
For tomorrow’s first stage I hope that we can all go for Erik, that it won’t be too tough and that we can take Erik to the front well. Among the first five wouldn’t be too bad for a start. I don’t know how Erik feels after his cold. I hope that he’s in a good condition, and we'll just have a try.
See you tomorrow,
Marcel
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