On Tuesday we raced a 1.2 race called Menton-Savona (just next to Monte Carlo on the Italian border –ed.). It was along the coast the whole way and was very flat but the weather was bad at times, raining and even a little snow at some stages -  but it was a really nice race, anyway! There was supposed to be a hard climb near the end but, because of the weather, they took it out.
 
Most of the teams there were Italian and it’s a lot different to racing in France! I think every  team was  hoping for a bunch sprint,  and even my  team was just looking after me all day, moving  me up,  keeping me out the wind, and keeping some of the Italians in line.
 
A  group of 15  riders went up with the road, with two La Pomme guys in the move, Remi Pauriol  and Sasha. They did a really good job and got away from the break and were only caught with four kays to go, so all I had to do was follow the line of La Pomme  and let them  keep me in front. Thierre David, an older rider on La Pomme, did an awesome job all day and I was really pumped for the sprint because of all the work they had done for me.
 
In the last two kays it was the Grassi-Marco Pantani team on the front, with me and Tim Cassidy in  top 10, we had fun pushing our way around the bunch, and  in the last 400m we were in the best places, fourth and fifth in the line. All that was left of the race was one left hand bend and we would be roaring down the home straight for the  win, but as luck would have it, this one wasn’t meant for Tim and I as  two Italians crashed in front of us, bringing  the pair of f us down.
 
It was such a stupid mistake  on their part as  they  didn’t see the turn, and especially because it  was raining and you couldn’t brake, so we slid  with  the  two of them,  watching the win run away from us ! 
 
We are OK, though, just the normal cuts and   grazes, but there’s always a next time, and then we  won’t  be sitting on the same Italians’ wheels, hopefully!
 
This weekend it’s the Jean  Mass race, only 140km but loads of climbing, so I doubt that a bunch  sprint is possible!
 
* Please note the up-beat tone of Daryl’s diary  - there’s clearly a win waiting for the Jo-burg youngster, and it can’t be too far away!