Making it to the start

Ben Day pushes to the line in the Tour of California (Getty)

Ben Day rides for Team Fly V Australia presented by Successful Living Foundation. He finished 45th in the opening prologue at the Tour of California.

Welcome to my account of the Tour of California. I'm going to tell it like it is, an honest report of the stressful and joyous occasions that will present themselves throughout the course of the week.

I find it funny, unusual and sometimes frustrating that every year, every team, every rider, and every sponsor, know that by February, things in the cycling world need to be organized and underway.

Listen: Team Fly V's Henk Vogels talks about the Tour of California.

Every year, without fail, the majority of teams, including some of the world's biggest teams - you would be shocked to know - are running at the last minute to have everything dialed in.

Preparations for the Amgen Tour of California are no different.

I suppose it's a little bit like having a school assignment that you only start at the last minute - the extra pressure of a deadline is needed to give everything a kickstart.

Yesterday was the first ride I had spent on a time trial bike since September 08. Today was the second ride and the first day of the biggest race in the US.

I won't tell you about the result because you can find that easily enough but today is the perfect example of how all the fine little details really add up to make a difference.

One tenth of a second here, one  tenth of a second there and all of a sudden, you're out of the game.

But the biggest challenge for this year's race has already been achieved - making the start of what is the fourth or fifth biggest cycling race in the world.

The work that went on behind the scenes, in the corporate world, with the sponsors and the organizers, and with the team directors, massage therapists and mechanics, after being told only three weeks ago that we would be participating at this race, is quite extraordinary.

I ask today that you all appreciate their effort.

As for the race ahead of us, we are competing against a field that would make a hell of a Tour de France, but we have talent in our group, we have dedication, we have desire and we will show the world our abilities and determination in the ensuing week.

Your support is invaluable so please make yourselves heard and be apart of what we are accomplishing now and in the years to come.

Welcome to the 2009 Amgen Tour of California.