...slowly but surely. A new season is starting, meaning it's time for me to get back on the bike. Since Monday I'm in Montecatini, Italy with the team, but already tomorrow we leave to Calpe, Spain. Here in Italy we've had medical checks and a few meetings about next year. Once we're in Spain however, focus will be on training. I'll keep updating during the camp about changes and my race schedule for next year.

We managed to get some training done here in Italy as well.

Right now I'm at Frankfurt airport, on my way back from Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan (just if someone hasn't realized by now ;-)). I was there with three other European riders from the team, as well as our main sports director and a couple of other staff and Kazakh team members. We were there to represent the team and to be guests at the track world cup, held in the new impressive velodrom which was finished only last year. It was also great to finally get to see the city and country which I represent as I train and race throughout the world.We were very well looked after, having a great time despite the fact that this trip was in the middle of our vacation.

Astana is a booming city, having been the capital of Kazakhstan only a little over ten years. Lots of modern buildings dominate the city, alot of them with quite daring and almost bragging architecture. Even the velodrome is shaped as a time trial helmet! There are lots of impressions to be digested, things that just differed from Europe. But things that make the country so interesting. I also hope to come back some time in the summer, when the weather is mild and the trees are green. Now, the temperatures were low (about -10), the wind was icy cold and most trees were without any leaves or color. 

Headquarter of the teams main sponsor Samruk-Kazyna.

Visited this "stealth" shopping mall. Impressive from the outside, but even more impressive from the inside with 5 storys and a swimming park.

Small velodrome.... not.

Not too hilly around here...

...as confirmed here.

Right now I'm all packed and ready to leave for Astana, Kazakhstan. Don't really know what to expect, but I'm excited about the whole trip. Here also some fotos from what I've been up to the last week:

Made a visit to Silva.

As I'm not really riding at the moment I had to make a "night walk" to try out some of the cool new lights I got. Here I'm using the Sprint Plus, impressively bright!

Also got these custom Astana safety lights, Tyto, which easily attach to any bikes handlebar and seat post.

Also had some Australian friends over to visit, so we did some typical Swedish things, such as going to a icehockey match.