Norman, Oklahoma's own Andrea Ratkovic has joined her new TDS cycling team in Mallorca, Spain, and she's keeping us up-to-date on the day-to-day life of a professional cyclist. Ratkovic is training in Spain for four weeks before she'll return to the States. She'll provide an updated journal each week on the RTN web site.

Read journal entry #1

Dang, another rain day. I guess I cant be too pouty since its only the 2nd rainy day in 3 weeks, AND it's an excuse for me to do absolutely nothing (like I need one). Since I'm the oldest member of the TDS/Schwalbe Cycling Team, I can complain that my achey joints cant be subjected to wet weather unless it is at least 70 degrees, and it's only 50F. Pity.

For the past week, we have been conducting a cycling camp for people who signed up through Peloton Sports Management. There isn't a website yet for this company, but if youre interested in their camps you can email this dude Karl at [email protected]. So, anyway, these campers were SO MUCH FUN!! We had a ball riding with them. They were full of questions about bike riding and racing, and we were very eager to answer them. It was clear that everyone there was extremely passionate about riding a bicycle. Two of them ran too which, as you all know, is very dear to my heart. I lived vicariously through them as they discussed the possibility of running along the boardwalk. (smiling sigh)

I'm coming home soon. It seems like the time just whizzed on by like a Blue Angels jet. Whooooosh---one day I'm in Spain, and the next day I'm in Oklahoma! What a trip!!

We all decided to go to Palma one off day last week. We carefully mapped out our bus route and THOUGHT we were waiting at the proper bus stop. There are certain stops for certain buses that go to certain places in the city. We noticed a bus about 150 meters down the street, and we were tired of waiting at our stop (wed been there maybe 10 minutes---anxious lasses we were!). We discussed the possibilty of hopping on THAT bus but wondered if we would make it down there in time before it took off. Finally, we took the plunge. We headed off in the direction of the parked bus. Oh, I'd say we were within 50 meters when I noticed the signal change on the bus indicating that it was starting to pull away from the curb. In that instant, one of my teammates started running down the street after the bus in Marion Jones fashion throwing her arms into the air wildly thrashing them about. Laughing hysterically, we realized that we needed to run BACK to our stop the other way. It was kind of like being caught between bases in a baseball game. So, we get BACK to our stop, asked some locals if it was the right stop for where we wanted to go in Palma. They calmly told us that our stop was a few blocks over. We all looked at one another and just laughed. Such began the events of our adventurous day...

It was $1Euro for the bus ride into the city and $1.10Euro to leave the city. I guess they figure they can make the extra dime because you gotta get back! So, they have these HUGE slinky buses. In essence, it's two buses joined together by this accordian like contraption. I think I read on the sign that there were 40-something seats, and the maximum capacity was like around 80-something. Clearly, codes didn't matter because there were WAY many more people on that bus. Forget sardines, we were crammed in there like smoked oysters! I looked up and saw the Mercedes-Benz emblem-----"livin' large on a Mercedes bus," one teammate thought. Two of my teammates and I helplessly ended up on the moving part of the bus (the slinky part) where the floor is a big circle that literally moves each time the bus makes any sort of a bend. Two of us were getting a bit ill. You could see it in our faces. What started off as fun was now becoming a nightmarish Alice in Wonderland Teacup ride. We finally found an open seat to slump into. "Think of flowers. Yeah, a meadow full of pretty little yellow flowers," I kept thinking to myself. Pretty soon I as alseep and then Voila'! off the bus. (heavy happy sigh)

Palma was cool. We saw the 2nd largest cathedral in the world and the Arab baths. The entry to look at the baths was something like $1.50, and we weren't all that interested, so we started to walk away. The man behind the open air window yelled out, "75 cents for each of you---guapa chicas (foxy girls)!" We took the tour. I'm like, " Where are the stinking baths? I don't see any baths!" Okay, there were NO baths. We were on an Arab bath tour, and there were NO baths! We milled around looking at some pottery and some doors down a dark stairway that we certain HAD to be some sort of secret pathway to something---- maybe the baths? Of course they were locked. After about 10 minutes (seems to be our attention tolerance time) we left and just walked around looking at everything in utter amazement.

This whole area is really extraordinary. The sidewalks are basically made up of 1"x1" bathroom tiles that are grayish in color and smooth from the millions of shoes that have tread upon them. The side streets are all very narrow and the buildings (flats, shops, and cafes) are very high giving off a feeling that is somewhere between claustraphobic and comforting. Everything is, or at least looks, so very old. We found ourselves wondering who's footsteps we were walking in---some Spanish general's, a Conquistador's, an early Catholic priest's, a king's? How many hands touched the same buildings we were touching?

We looked like total tourists with our cameras hanging from our necks and our Mallorca's Top Ten books in hand. Our stomach's rumbling, we excitedly stopped at a cafe that was ranked #2 on the list. We left disappointed and decided it didn't deserve even a top 100 award. Of course, then we were coming up with what WE thought the criteria should be before something made the top 10 list. We tried our hand at some cookies from a local bakery; those were good. My roommate wanted chocolate covered almonds, but they counter lady wouldn't oblige. We don't know why; she just didn't want to give her the damn almonds. They have craploads of almond trees around here, but we can't have almonds??? Definitely NOT a top 10er.

Mallorca is truly a magnificent place to train. It has flatlands, specific bike roads, and the mountains are about an hour's ride away. My teammates and I had some epic rides. We bonded on one of the most spectacular islands in the world. Am I blessed or what? Thank you God.

My bottom lip is sunburned. I felt like it was dragging along the ground on one of our longer harder rides. My ass is sore, and my legs are trashed. I wouldn't leave here any other way. It's going to be a glorious season.

Yours truly,

andrea