MILAN - The first third of the Tour of Italy is now behind us, and it's time for the riders to have their first rest day. It has been well earned. The past nine days of racing since we started May 9 have been action packed and full of drama, and the effects are starting to show on a weary field.

Today's stage was the first that was truly stress free - both on the mind and the body. The course was a 10-mile circuit around the city of Milan that resembled a really big criterium. We were to do 10 laps around the course, which would make for a 100-mile day.

As we did our first lap it was clear that the riders were tired of the crazy, stressful and dangerous finishing circuits that have defined many of the first week's stages. This course was more of the same, with railroad tracks scattered throughout - even in some of the turns.

Immediately, the riders decided together to protest the stage. After seeing one of our own - Spanish rider Pedro Horrillo of the Rabobank team - seriously injured in a crash on Saturday that briefly left him in a coma, we weren't messing around. So we decided to come to a complete stop at the finish line after completing one of the circuits. Race leader Danilo Di Luca was elected to speak for the field, and he announced to the crowd of thousands that we felt that the course was too dangerous to race for the overall classification.

We came to a compromise with the Giro's organizers: Riders still interested in racing could contest the stage for the win but no time from today's stage would count toward the overall classification.

Team Astana benefited greatly from the decision, since we no longer had to risk our top riders in an attempt to remain in contention for the overall win. As a result, with the exception of Daniel Navarro, the Astana team stayed out of trouble and away from crashes. And with Danny suffering only a small amount of road rash, we felt like it was a successful day. Most of the team dropped back from the main field with six miles to go and finished together with the other race favorites, several minutes back from the stage winner, Mark Cavendish of Team Columbia.

Immediately after crossing the finish line, we headed back to the team bus. We had to prepare for a 150-mile transfer to the hotel for the night, so we got straight to work showering and preparing for the trip. Everyone was motivated to get on the road quickly, since the sooner we got going the sooner we would be at the next destination.

Once again, our bus had a huge crowd all around it as fans clamored for Lance Armstrong's autograph or picture. As with every other stage, Lance didn't disappoint. He jumped out of the bus as soon as he had showered and took a few minutes to make the crowd's day. The guy is a machine when it comes to everything he does, going non-stop to try to fulfill everyone's expectations. He signs hundreds of autographs every day, even when the rest of us are so tired we couldn't even think about leaving our comfy seats.

In the bus our spirits were high. I settled into my spot on the couch, to talk about the stage with the boys and take in some more calories. After that, it was time to go. I focused on winding down and relaxing, passing the time with my beloved portable DVD player. Technology is my best friend on the road!

So far Team Astana has stuck to the plan, to save as much energy as we can for the next two crucial weeks of racing. With only some minor time loss for Levi and myself on the second stage, and Danny's small crash today, we feel pretty good about how we have survived the crazy first block of racing here at the Giro. The team is looking great for the coming weeks, where we will hopefully have a chance to show how strong the team really is by getting the leader's jersey and/or some stage wins.

Monday is a day off from racing. This will be the only chance to rest up and recover before the next six days of hard racing begin, where the stages are going to become more and more epic. That is where the real battle to become the winner of the 100th anniversary of the Giro will begin to build.

Any physical problems one has been having until now will have to be solved in the next 36 hours since the next stages are sure to reveal any weaknesses a rider has been hiding from the group.

Tuesday's Stage 10 is the first of the Grand Tour stages. At 160 miles with three huge climbs, it will test everyone's fitness and push all us to the limit for the first time in this year's Giro. Anyone who makes it through this stage with the leaders will stand a chance of winning the Giro.

Thursday's Stage 12 is the race against the clock, but once again organizers of the Giro have put a new twist on an old classic. At 36 miles with climbs and twisty descents, it will be an hour and half of pure suffering, and potentially a make-or-break stage for the overall contenders.

After Stage 12 the pressure will build on those who can win the Giro. Media, friends, family, and those who think they are friends will begin to swarm in, adding more stress and taking up more of the precious recovery time. Soon, it will get to the point where the only time you have to yourself will be when you are asleep in your bed.

So for all the fans watching the race, I know Monday may be a let down without your daily fix of racing. But don't worry, because come Tuesday the race is on.

Thanks for reading! Until tomorrow...