Hey Everyone,

The 2010 racing season is underway and it is already bringing great things. I am now a part of the Peanut Butter and Co./Twenty 12 team, which is a dream come true, and I just raced the Tour of Qatar this past week!! Some big changes have occurred during this off-season for me and I am so excited to see what all 2010 will bring.

Last month was a busy month. I started up at school again, went to training camp, and received the great news that I was invited to race Tour of Qatar with the U.S. Women's National Team. This race was the biggest race I've ever competed in, so of course I was ecstatic when I heard the news that I'd be going. Racing in Qatar also gave me the chance to race with three of my other teammates from Peanut Butter and Co./Twenty 12, Shelley Olds-Evans, Lauren Tamayo, and Kat Carroll. It was awesome being able to race with these women. I learned so much from them just in the short time we were racing together. I can't wait to see how much I improve and learn over the course of this entire season.

I arrived in Qatar two days before the start of the first stage with the rest of the team. This is when I first met Rob Love, who is now the U.S. women's team marvelous mechanic/sleep walking extraordinaire. Little did I know, I was soon to learn that Rob Love not only can adjust shifting with precision beyond compare, but he also can keep you entertained for hours with stories about himself fighting in the Vietnam War. I think Rob's time at war has helped him become a fabulous mechanic. He can hang off of the side of a car going 100 kph while fixing rear brake calipers with no hesitation. This shows real character.

I met the U.S. Women's National Team director, Manel Lacambra. I had heard of him before because he was the women's Cervelo Test Team director for the past few years, but that's all I really knew about him. I got a good vibe from him right away. During this trip Manel taught me so much about racing. He helped me learn where it was best to position myself in the field, especially when the winds were intense. Also, Manel taught me how important it is to work together with my teammates, which proved to make the presence of Team U.S.A. felt during the Tour of Qatar. I haven't had so much fun at a race since I can't even remember when. Manel and all the girls on the team kept me laughing constantly, but when it was time to race we all were serious and got down to business.

All of the teams were put up at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Doha and this was by far the nicest hotel I've ever stayed at in my life. I really enjoyed my furry, Ritz-Carton slippers, as well as my bathrobe. Also, I managed to get a Ritz-Carlton toilet paper cover, which will now be put to use in the bathroom of my dorm at school. I like to keep it klassy.

After a day of getting settled in we were ready to race and stage one came along before I knew it. The first stage was flat and windy, which was basically what the conditions were like every day of the race. The only variation each day was the direction of the wind, but most of the time it was a head cross…or as Manel liked to say, ‘Front lateral, cazzo!'. Stage one didn't go according to plan for the team. We were not in the front positions at vital points in the race and I unfortunately crashed 45 Km into the stage. Going in to stage one I was way too tense and I needed to just relax. I learned from this though and stage two went much better.

Oh, before I talk about stage two, I wanted to mention how marvelous of a car mechanic Shelley Olds-Evans is. During our drive back to the hotel from the finish of stage one something went wrong with our team car. We then had to pull off the side of the road to check what was wrong. Shelley managed to tune up the car for us by using some weird plastic bag technique. Ask her about it next time you see her and anytime you need a professional car mechanic you now know who to call.

Anyways, the second day of racing went better for everyone on the team and each day we improved as a whole. At the beginning of stage two there was a huge cross wind and it was so important to stay protected and in the draft. I took the advice of my fellow teammates and tried to stay towards the front of the field, which allowed me to make the front group when the field split in the heavy winds. For the remainder of the race some attacks were made, but nothing stuck and the race came down to a field sprint. U.S. team member Lauren Tamayo got a fifth on stage two, which was great. We still wanted to improve though as a team in the third and final day of racing.

Stage three proved to be the most exciting day for our team and every girl on the squad raced tremendously. The third day of racing started with a big head wind. We raced into the wind for about 60 Km and nothing very exciting happened at first. Then, with 40 Km to go in the race we got into the circuits and attacks started going off left and right. Our goal was to work for Lauren and put her in a position to win the stage, so we all did everything we could to cover attacks and try to protect her. With 5 Km to go and only one lap of the circuit left before the finish, the field was together and the race was going to come down to another field sprint. All of the U.S. women did a great job of helping keep Lauren towards the front of the field and Shelley gave her a huge lead-out for the sprint. In the end, Lauren rounded out the podium for the day with a third place finish!! She really delivered an outstanding result for the day and all the U.S. women raced great, especially as a team. It was a very positive way to end the Tour of Qatar and I am so excited to see what more this season has to bring.

Stay tuned for more from the Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12 team!!

Sinead Miller