WHAT THE HAIL
Thursday, 3 August
CANTONIGROS, Spain _ The good weather couldn't last forever. The morning was fine, although the temperature had climbed over 90 degrees (30 Celsius), but by the afternoon, one of the storms that notoriously come over the mountain swooped down on Cantonigros and deluged the lads, including hail _ measured at smaller than the international standard of a golf ball.
At least the temperatures dropped _ like...a hail stone.
Thursday's sessions were scheduled to emphasize possession -- speed of play in the morning and tactical attacking and defending in the afternoon. Well, the morning session went OK, despite the temps.
(Luke Bencie -- wearing blue shoes in foreground -- waits for the ball in the morning training session.)
Then the afternoon -- and hail -- came. After starting and stopping several times, Jorge decided the session was a washout -- literally. Paul and I, returning in a cab from a day-long scouting trip to Barcelona, thought half the town was being washed down the road that climbs the mountain -- which is an interesting site.
Alas, the cows were still in the field and the town was still where we left it -- including Jorge and the team, which waited out the storm in the changing rooms of the UE Cantonigros clubhouse.
