Friday 27th July 2007 - Tour de France Well, here we are, on the way to the start of stage 18 with the yellow jersey to defend. Just when you would have thought things could not get any worse they have. Obviously to the benefit of us. Its not the way we wanted it to be but we can't be held accountable for what goes on outside of our team. After the stage that finished on the Aubisque Wednesday where we tried everything to dislodge Rasmussen without success we had champagne because we knew we had done all we could and we were happy with that. It seemed like a case of deja vu when yesterday we were suddenly having to control the race, a flashback to a couple of years ago when Lance last won. But, its great news for us, its not over yet though. Tomorrow we have a time trial of 55.5 kms to deal with. We know Evans will not be easy to deal with, but I think we are all quietly confidant that come Sunday and the Champs we will still be in yellow. Allez allez Tuesday 24th July 2007 - Tour de France - UPDATE 17.00 Shit. I don't believe it. A couple of hours ago we got the news here that Vino was caught positive for blood doping after the Time Trial he won on Friday. And that him and his team have quit the Tour and gone home. Its sort of knocked me for six, and stressed me out. Up until now I think I have always avoided the darker side of cycling. But these people are possibly messing up me and my family's livelyhoods, and that makes me angry. So, from looking forward to tomorrows stage, everybody is now in a state of shock. Tuesdy 24th July 2007 - Tour de France - Rest day - Pau Here in Pau at the Villa Navarra we are all enjoying the second rest day in this years Tour. Since I last wrote its been all go. With Alberto sitting in second place overall, and Levi fourth we are in a great position. Alberto's win on the Plateau de Beille was something that we really needed. That win has also put him a position where we think he can win this race. Tomorrow the stage from Orthez to Gourette Aubisque will be where he has to do it. Its a great opportunity that we have to take. Its not going to be easy, we know that. All the rest of the team are fine, we had a couple of crashes in the TT, but the riders concerned have recovered ok. We have had some great days of racing over the last week, I am hoping along with the rest of the team that tomorrow will bring us that yellow jersey. Sunday 15th July 2007 - Tour de France Not in my usual seat today. I am in the Iveco van with Dimitri on the way to the hotel in Tignes. We have some guests in the two team cars so that means Dirk comes out of the first car and takes my place. Today with the finish up at Tignes there should be some action. Yesterday was ok, it normally should have been better, with Egoi Marinez in a break of 15 riders it was looking perfect. But he just did not have the legs, he was understanably not at all happy about that. Because the stage and the jersey were there for the taking, almost a once in a lifetime chance for a rider like him. So, that was that, for the rest everything is looking good. But today will be a true test. We had a bit of drama the other day when Benjamin Noval went throught back window of one of the team cars on the run into the finish, he was cut up pretty bad, I was at the hospital with him until 10 at night, he had a couple of very deep cuts on his arm. But he is a tough one and is still in the game. If he can make it through today he should be ok. We have rest day tomorrow, then some flatter stages and a TT. Elswhere we have been winning a lot, 25 or so wins this year already. Allan Davis took the first stage in China (Quingi Lake) and Gianni Meersman won a stage in Austria. Stijn Devolder also won a stage and the GC. So the team is having a good year. But we really need to do something here this year. That is a lot of pressure, can we cope? We shall see. Monday 9th July 2007 - Tour de France Fantastic. Yes, that's the one word I would use if I was asked to sum up the first two days of this years Tour. The sun finally came out to make everything just perfect for the opening weekend in London. It was all made possible by one man, that is Ken Livingstone, and although I am totally of the wheel as far as politics is concerned you have to take your hat off to him for what he has done for cycling and what he is trying to do re congestion in town etc. He seems a bit of a loose cannon from time to time, and I guess that's what appeals to me in an age when political correctness has taken over peoples ability to speak their minds. My last race before the Tour and first one after the Giro was the TTT in Eindhoven. Second there last year we went there aiming to go one better. And we should have, but one of the riders crashed near the finish which screwed us. And as I said a couple of years ago when Zap crashed in the Tour TTT and we beat CSC by one second, the object of the exercise is to get from a to b as fast as possible without falling off. So, that was a major bummer as the Yanks say. Next time. Ok, back to Le Tour. Yes, it was great. I think it was by far the best Tour start that I could remember. The crowds were huge for both the prologue and stage 1, and everybody on the team commented on how happy everybody looked, like they were really enjoying their day. And just the fact their was no verbal abuse thrown our way was a bonus. The team did pretty well with George finishing 3rd and the Goose 5th and best young rider. Levi was a little below par, but he is now feeling good. Its a long way to Paris and we feel that Levi has a chance of making the podium there. The favorites look like Kloden and Vino as most people have been predicting for a while. I am still taking it pretty easy, but managed to get a short ride in this morning which was nice. I hope to be able to ride on a fairly regular basis for the duration of the Tour, that will keep me in ok shape I think. Ok. Till the next report. Sean Back

Professional cyclist for 15 years
12 Tours de France
Tour de France yellow jersey
Tour de France stage winner
Fifth in Paris-Roubaix
Tour of Belgium winner
UK pro road race champion
UK 25 and 50-mile TT champion