EARLY SEASON | training and racing update…

So I just arrived back in Bend about three days ago and recently finished unpacking and getting settled in. The past month I have been in California, specifically the Nipomo/Solvang area, training and racing.

I decided this season it would be beneficial to travel to warmer climates in order to increase my training volume especially outdoors and off the trainer. I drove down during the last week of January where I was welcomed with 70 to 80 degree weather and sunny skies. That lasted for about a week where I had a huge mental boost and my tanlines were defined. Soon, the temperature would drop slightly but still allowed me to ride without combating the rain. My training consisted of: higher volume, cruise intervals, some bursts or sprints, and climbing. The terrain around the area is mostly hilly, some flats that meander through the strawberry fields, and mild rollers that bypass the vineyards. After about two weeks of training and getting the legs opened up, I had my first race of the season.



BOULEVARD ROAD RACE

My first race was the Boulevard Road Race on February 7th. It was located about an hour east of San Diego right on the Mexican border. My Uncle decided to help out and drove down with me the day of the race. When arriving at the staging area I had some mixed emotions. The rain was holding off temporarily but the clouds were undoubtedly going to unleash some drops. After signing in, it did just that. It was a mild rain with temps in the 30’s to 40’s. After trying to dress appropriately I lined up at the start line only to be welcomed with huge snowflakes. Snowflakes in Southern Cali!!! Who knew! The race was started and the peloton rolled out of the small parking lot. Immediately, the spray from tires and falling snow soaked me to the core. On the first lap, I tried going with a couple small breaks primarily to try and stay warm. But nothing really stuck and the peloton re-grouped. By the end of the first lap, I attempted to go on another break on the climbing segment of the course. It seemed to go fairly well and the legs were feeling strong. But by the time we crested the hill the strung out group had bunched back up. The second lap seemed much more miserable. As we descended through the bitter cold, my body began to shake almost uncontrollably and the fingers were turning numb. By the time we finished the second lap I had to pull out of the race as I couldn’t endure another downhill in the cold. I was quite concerned that I was just going to shake like a leaf right off the bike. I couldn’t feel my shifters and couldn’t tell if I was actually pulling on the brakes. I jumped in the truck, heater full blast, and bummed out. I really wanted to finish the race. The mind was definitely willing but the body unable due to the cold. It’s obvious that I learned a lesson the hard way and should definitely overdress if need be the next time I line up for a race in which it is snowing! My Uncle and I drove back to Laguna Niguel where I spent an extra day visiting with him and my Aunt. It was a bit of a haul to not finish the race but I was already chomping at the bit to begin the next one to redeem myself and have the season started off right.



SNELLING ROAD RACE

After another two weeks of training back in Nipomo and thawing out the body, I would race the Snelling Road Race located just outside of Merced. I was using this race as a tuneup race for the upcoming Merco Credit Union race and to get some more intensity in the legs. It was a fairly large field of 122 riders. The beginning of the race had about four miles of neutral before the lead motorcyclist waved his green flag and we were off. The pace picked up dramatically and the group was strung out single file for the first lap. Several breakaway attempts were made by me and others throughout the first couple of laps but it was obvious that the group did not want anything to get away. I decided that it would be best to just stick myself right in the front portion of the main group and work on pack position throughout the rest of the race. By the last lap, I was stuck right in the middle as the pace picked up and I couldn’t move up as easily. The finish came immediately after a sandy right hand turn where I ended up 56th on the day where the average speed for the entire race was about 28 mph. I wasn’t too ecstatic about the result but I was happy with my ability to move around in the pack, my break attempts, and my power numbers. So far the strength was improving and mentally I was getting a nice boost.


MERCO CREDIT UNION FOOTHILLS ROAD RACE

(Merco Credit Union photo courtesy of Lyne Lamoureux)

I returned to Nipomo that evening, unpacked, and hit the sack immediately. I had about one more week of training in Nipomo, before returning back to Bend, which included riding outside and on the trainer due to the poor weather conditions. My next race was the Merco Credit Union Foothills Road Race just outside of Merced and in the same area as the Snelling Road Race. However, the Merco race was significantly longer at 120 miles versus the 86 miles. The Merco race was five laps on the 24 mile flat to rolling loop. There was a decent turnout of riders which totaled approximately 135. The field had riders from BMC, Bissell, Rock Racing, California Berry Giant, Colavita, and others.

(Merco Credit Union photo courtesy of Lyne Lamoureux)

The peloton rolled out at 9 in the morning in which we started the race off with a fairly quick speed. Once again, just like Snelling, there were quite a few breakaway attempts throughout the race. Only this time the breaks were much bigger and consistently had about 15-25 guys. I attempted to bridge to one of the first breaks of the day which had about 15 guys. The peloton slowed slightly when I decided to sprint off the front. Immediately, a Bissell rider covered my attack along with three other riders that I had pulled up to the break. As I made it to the tail end of the break, I was pretty gassed. Two guys peeled off in front of me right as I made contact which spelled out a failed attempt to stay with the group. I sat up after failing to make the break and was quickly absorbed into the main field. However, I shot straight to the back as I had burned a pretty big match. It was almost as if I could barely hang on for the rest of the first lap. I managed to stay on and recover and moved back up to the front half of the peloton. I concluded that the legs weren’t really feeling up to attempting any more breaks for the day so I just sat in the rest of the day keeping position toward the front. Throughout the race, several larger break attempts were made but everything was brought back. No team was really happy with the riders in each break. When we came around for the last lap a break was still a minute or so in front of the peloton. California Giant was up front hammering away and brought it back within the last 5 kilometers of the race. As an unattached rider, this allowed for a chance to sprint it out at the finish. Once the break was caught the field eventually strung out single file again. Up front was California Giant driving the pace, then Bissell right behind, then me. I really focused on trying to gain a decent position up front while approaching the last few slight hills before the subtle downhill finish. It began to get a little crazier at the front of the group as we crested the last rise with the finish line in site. There was a bit of chaos as the group sprinted toward the line with the announcer yelling and encouraging the riders. I didn’t have much left in the legs for the sprint but ended up top 20 in 17th. I was fairly happy with the result but re-played the finish in my head several times while spinning down just thinking “if only”. It was another great mental boost knowing that I could decently finish that long of a race with that many good cyclists. It feels like my legs are definitely starting off the season very well and I am hungry for more racing.

(Merco Credit Union photo courtesy of Lyne Lamoureux)

Here are some links to articles regarding the Merco:

Daily Peloton
http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=14288

Cyclingnews
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2009/mar09/merco09/merco094

The next races on the schedule will be the San Dimas stage race and hopefully Redlands Classic if things plan out correctly. I will be training for about two weeks in Bend, prepping for the two big races, before heading back down to the warmer climates of Southern Cali. So for now it appears I will be back on the trainer for a while waiting for the sun to show itself and for the snow to let up a bit.

The Routine...

The last couple of weeks I have been adjusting to the new schedule since I just recently got a job at Altrec.com. The routine was set pretty fast with waking up at 6, getting ready for work and eating, working 8-5 in Redmond, commuting home, riding the trainer for an hour or two, eating dinner, sleep, and start all over again. Although, I am able to get in my 3-4 hour days outside on the weekends which, lately, have been gorgeous. I am missing the snow a bit but I sure don’t mind getting outside far away from the revving sound of my trainer. Rides have consisted of doing some tempo, step interval, and cruise interval type stuff trying to work on pushing my threshold curve out. It seems to be working because lately my legs have been feeling pretty good. So that’s basically been my life for the past month of training and working. Nothing too exciting but hopefully that will change once the race season rolls around.

It's that time of year...

Clouds rolling in, crisp air biting at my lungs, leaves changing colors, darkness setting in around 6 or 7 in the evening…it is apparent fall is near and so begins the off-season training. Luckily the rain has been scant and there have been no hints of snow yet so riding outside is still feasible and I can avoid the monotony of riding the trainer…for now.

The off-season training so far has consisted of focusing on volume, a few group rides, riding to the mountain, and a few specifics here and there. The legs are feeling great so far and I have goals that will hopefully lead to a great ‘09 season.

Now is also a good time to for me try and keep the blog updated and show the progress during my off-season. 

Back in the States!

My stay in Belgium has come to an end for the season. I consider my experience, with the Johan Bruyneel Cycling Academy (JBCA), in Belgium very beneficial to my cycling career. I learned a great deal about cycling during my three month stay in Hertsberge, Belgium and will take away quite a bit of knowledge that I gained while racing there. It takes just as much mental strength as well as physical ability to become a great cyclist. I was exposed to the harsh weather of the spring classic racing scene, cobbles, the Belgian crack, peloton sizes over 200, the intense Belgian cyclists, kermesse and UCI racing, and much more.


The weather and harsh conditions of the early season races consisted of cold rain, hail, wind, and narrow windy roads which can be both mentally and physically daunting. The first couple of races were used to adjust to the new conditions: the legs having to be rubbed down with hot embrocation, avoiding sliding out on slippery roads, riding in echelons and pacelines affectively as to not expend more energy than you have to, and riding with the constant spray of water (typically a concoction of cow manure and diesel) from the rear wheel directly in front of you. You quickly become accustom to the Belgian setting and environment and can then focus more on training and racing.

Many of the races I participated in were kermesse events. These were where I would be introduced to even more Belgian racing elements. The kermesses typically ranged in distance from 100 to 120 kilometers and were typically very fast. They are basically like a two and half hour criterium. A “true” kermesse included windy narrow roads, cobbles, and lots of wind. I also had to deal with the Belgian racers who were not afraid to inform you that you were an asshole (excuse the language!) or a stupid American who didn’t know how to race bicycles. These were the riders you jockeyed position for. I typically did not have a response for their Flemish or French remarks but did find myself bumping bars and elbows with several of them. It becomes second nature feeling brake/shifter levers and bars rubbing the sides of your hips, and fighting to keep that nuisance of a rider from trying to take over the draft from in front of you. In kermesse racing you see hand slings, riders moving forward by grabbing a nearby seatpost and slinging themselves closer to the front of the peloton, and a lot of breakaway attempts. There is quite a bit of surging in kermesse racing. The peloton will slow down considerably when approaching turns or corners and sprint aggressively out of each one. It takes good base training and decent position in the peloton to earn decent results.

Thanks to Bernard Moerman, Ann, and the rest of the staff, I was able to experience life as a professional cyclist would. I had a place to stay, didn’t have to worry about work, transportation and coaching was provided, and I was able to race a lot. I was able to focus on my training, nutrition, racing, and most of all recovery. Bernard was always there to tell us to eat and drink more during races, was able to give advice on how to be more comfortable in the peloton, and how to make oneself a better and more competitive cyclist. He truly cared about our potential and motivated us to reach our goals. He was always honest and straight to the point when it came to advice. He was always concerned about our development as a cyclist. Ann was the Mom away from home and was always there to give a mental boost. She also was very welcoming and a huge backing during races. She was always there to rub down legs before races and miraculously scurried around to each of the feed zones to rifle off bottles to the team.

I would also like to thank Bend Bike N Sport for being such a great support and awesome friends. They have been able to help me out ever since they moved into their home off Century Drive in Bend, Oregon. Before my trip over to Belgium, Jason built me a great set of wheels which stood up to the Belgian cobbles and the unrelenting spring classic weather. They also provided me with ride food, tips, and great moral support. I always heard hellos and good lucks sent my way through my Dad whom I talked to regularly. I also talked to them through instant messaging and through skype and was able to share some of my interesting Belgian stories. They have always supported and cared for my goals in cycling and have been a great shop to go to. I can’t wait to get back to Bend and see Beverly, Alan, and the crew. There’s nothing better than getting to look at some bikes, share some laughs, and chat about cycling with everyone there. Thanks guys!


As for now, I am just training in Corvallis, Oregon and preparing myself for the Cascade Cycling Classic which begins on July 9th in Bend, Oregon. I am really focusing on nutrition and some good quality riding before the hard stages ahead.

Kermesse Oostnieuwkerke

Time to get back to the bloggin'! Took some rest time from the bike and the blogs. The past two weeks consisted of some time off the bike, sittin' in the steam room, stretching, and some base mileage rides. The mind and legs were feeling a little better after taking the mid-season break. Although, to top it off, allergy season is in full swing which just isn't any fun! The stuffy nose and itchy eyes can make for some miserable days.

So today, I raced in Oostnieuwkerke just west of Roeselare. The course consisted of very wide roads, which was quite unusual, and one narrow section. There were four mild corners and one roundabout. So overall, it wasn't a very technical course, so that meant for a fast race...very fast! 

To begin the day, my teammates and I rode approximately 30 kilometers to the race site, signed up, pinned numbers, and rode a couple laps of the course before we were sent off. I lined up in the front row with about 85 or so racers behind me. Right from the gun, I found myself in a promising break with six other riders. We were rotating fairly well to begin with and were gaining time on the peloton. Everyone was doing their fair share of work for about half of the lap until some of the guys would sit on the back and 3 would rotate at the front, then everyone would rotate, then only 3 or so, then everyone, which became slightly annoying. For the first two laps that I was with the break, I was pretty much riding at my max pulling through then trying to get as much rest as possible before pulling through again. After about halfway through the third lap I was getting blown off the back. One of the Belgian guys shouted, "stay with us good friend", but I had nothing left after using so much energy. I eventually fell back to the first chase group which seemed to be moving at a pretty good clip. I caught onto the back of the group which melded with the main field. I tried recovering for a few laps but found myself behind a couple splits. I chased back onto the main field with my teammate, Casey, but used up too much energy and was unlucky enough to get stuck behind another split and was done for the day. I rode one final lap by myself, which is when it started to rain cats and dogs with a little hail mixed in there, and was pulled with 9 laps to go out of the 16. Some of the guys that were in the main break eventually finished in the lead group. Some of the guys managed to stick it out to the end with a few that managed to bridge up to them.

I was a little bummed after the race, considering I was finally lucky enough to make the break that would make it to the end, but couldn't stay with them. I guess I can be happy with the fact that I played my cards and tried my hardest and learned a lot being up front with the key break group. 

Now it's time for some more rest and stretching and we will see what the new schedule of training and races brings for the week.

Recovery Time!

I think it is about time for some rest…The past two kermesses started off well but would conclude with blown legs. The kermesses in Wielsbeke and Beselare shared similar characteristics with me attempting to go with breaks in the first laps of the race and counterattacking when the gaps were closed down by the peloton. My legs felt good at the beginning of both races but would eventually pop leaving me sucking the last rider’s wheel trying to recover and avoid being stuck in the back of the inevitable split in the main field. I think my allergies are also beginning to act up a bit as the grasses have begun to pollinate. So now I think the important thing is to recover and rest fully in order to get off the path of overtraining. Though, I am not overtrained, I can tell I need to let the legs recuperate a bit from the punishment I have given them. Time to rest, take a couple naps, stretch, and revitalize the mind and body! 

Kermesse Ruien-Kluisbergen

Yesterday, I competed in another kermesse in the town of Ruien, Belgium which is located about 30 km east of Roubaix, France. The race consisted of doing 17 – 6 kilometer laps for a total of just over a 100 km. The laps would challenge us with a false flat, an uphill section, a speedy decent, cobbles, and a few corners. It was about 70 degrees with a little wind to top it all off.

 Just before the beginning of the race, I went through my routine of trying to do a couple warm up laps to determine the course. The only thing was that the course wasn’t really marked this time around so I was only able to see about half of the actual loop. The rest of my routine involved rolling around the start/finish area and the lead vehicle to make sure I would have a good start position when we lined up. After about 30 minutes of spinning around, the announcer told us we had about 5 minutes until start. The riders began to group up behind the lead vehicle on the cobbled start area. After standing for a brief moment we were sent off. The beginning part of the lap was fairly fast where my legs felt slightly heavy riding over cobbles to begin the race. A small break of two riders also occurred early on in the race. We made the first right hand turn onto a decent where the field was strung out single file. It wound its way down to a right hand turn on a fairly bumpy concrete road with the typical Belgian crack right down the middle. Only this crack was about 2 inches wide. Enough to gobble up two wheels at once. The field hopped back and forth over the center seam until we approached a roundabout, some retired railroad tracks, and a right turn. I quickly learned a shortcut of hopping onto the bike path on the right side of the road and moving up several positions. My teammate, Evan, would make his way cyclocross style over the grass to move up even further. After making the turn and crossing another set of tracks we made our way to a left turn onto a narrow winding uphill road. This was where attacks occurred regularly and the pace picked up. This was part of the course that I hadn’t pre-ridden as well. This was also where the Kazakhstan national team would control the pace as they had one rider up the road. On one of the laps, I was bumping bars with a Kazakhstan rider as we jockeyed for a position, out of the wind, up the ascent. We would eventually make our way to the top of the climb and begin a roaring decent. A couple of times I found myself on the brink of spinning out in my biggest gear. It would lead us to the last turn on the course and back to the start/finish area. When we made the last turn; the field was strung out yet again into a single file sprint. We rode over the cobbled sections easily over 40 km/hr which made it a little smoother ride. It was the initial hop onto the cobbles where I found my rear wheel skipping back and forth trying to maintain a line while trying to keep constant pressure on the chain and pedals. Another break occurred early on which had a total of about 25 guys up the road. The peloton kept its high pace trying to catch the break throughout the race.

 After about 50 km, my brakes didn’t feel quite right. The distance my levers pulled back kept decreasing. I released my rear brake but would encounter the same situation of my brakes tightening. Soon my rear shifting was getting more and more clunky and wouldn’t shift at all at one point. My rear brake ultimately was pulled tight until I had to pull out of the race at about 56 km. When I pulled off I realized my right brake lever/shifter had come loose after riding over the cobbled sections. I spun around for a lap till I arrived back at the van. It was a little disappointing, but crap happens sometimes. I was able to watch the race and cheer on the teammates as they passed by. Casey and Evan rode strong and finished 45^th and 59^th out of a 100 riders. 

UCI 1.12 Denain, France

Yesterday, I raced in the UCI 1.12 Denain, France event. The race was one 8 km loop then switched over to a 10.5 km loop that we had to do thirteen times. It was very similar to a kermesse style race. The goal of the race was to catch an early break right from the gun. Bernard gave us a few numbers and teams to watch for. He also told us that the race would be fast and that a break would occur right from the start.

 After signing in with the team and warming up, I found my way to the start area directly behind the lead car. I wanted to make sure that I was ready for any attempt at a break early on in the race. I positioned myself at the very front next to some of my teammates and the USA national team. Before we were sent off, some sponsors and other people I don’t know had some photos taken in front of the field. After all the pre-race photos and chit chat, the race was started. As Bernard had told us, a break occurred starting with one guy then me on his wheel and then a group of other riders that latched on. We formed a break of about 20 guys and began pacelining very smoothly. As the riders were moving forward, I noticed my teammate, Evan, who had also joined the break. We worked well until the lead cars slowed down in front of us which resulted in some confusion and the peloton catching us. After being caught, I tried staying up front and catching other counter attacks that occurred. I was able to catch a couple breaks but never got more than 10 seconds up the road. Nothing seemed to stick and I used quite a bit of energy trying to stick with breaks. Eventually, I found myself trying to recover in the middle to end of the pack and would move up a couple times throughout the first 50 km of the race. I tried one more time for a break, after moving up, sticking to a “flagged number” rider but it went nowhere. I found myself pulling at the front, with another teammate, trying to bridge a gap to a small break that was 15 seconds up the road. I used enough effort to make up a few seconds on the break that was eventually caught. My hope was to catch the break and have one of my teammates make a counter attack with a group as it was caught. After the hard effort, I found my legs had blown and I was shot straight to the back and eventually trying to stay with the peloton by riding in the caravan and drafting off cars. I still couldn’t even do that and was blown right off the back. I rode a couple laps after to cool down and try to spin out the legs.

 The race was fairly fast, averaging about 45 km/h in the first half of the race. It appeared as if the pace didn’t slow down much after I was dropped at about 60 km. Now I just have to get ready for some more races this week. 

UCI 1.2 Hoboken

Today’s race consisted of 187 km course that was mainly flat with some cobbles and varied weather. It was a UCI 1.2 which included both continental and amateur teams. When we arrived in Hoboken, which is located just on the outskirts of Antwerpen, we found our way to the kleedkomers (shower and changing rooms). We were given a medium sized room with a shower where the team was able to stay warm and chat away. We had two hours before the start of the race and slowly began our changing process. After receiving our rub downs and getting our radios from Anne and Noel we made our way back to the team van in order to hear our team strategy from Bernard. He told us that it was a very fast race and at certain points the race would be strung out due to some turns, high speed, and wind. He wanted us to stick to the front and not wait too long to go with any breaks. He wanted us to be prepared and on our toes ready for any moves that may get away. He then told us to begin our warm up and make sure that it was a good one in order to be prepared for the fast start.

 

We rolled out as a team and signed in and began cruising around the start area. After about 30 minutes of riding around, we lined up. I was able to begin at the line in the very front of the peloton, with some of my teammates, which was ideal. The weather was not to bad as it was partly sunny and mild temperatures. We had the usual waiting period for the go-ahead and the whistle blew. A quick clip in to the pedal and I was right on the front with two guys in front of me. We had a neutral start for about two or so minutes and the race began. The speed picked up and we weaved our way out of town. There was quite a bit of obstacles on the sides of the road and a bike path as well which came in handy to move up. Within the first few kilometers of the race a small break occurred which I chased down and managed to tag along on the back. It wasn’t a strong break and nobody really worked together, so I had a feeling it would get caught fast (which it did!). As the peloton approached quickly, a rider in the group had looked back to check out the status of the break and turned back around only to find himself tumbling off his bike. It was a silly mistake on his part but we kept riding on. Once the peloton caught us I shot back to the middle of the pack where I would be for the next 80 or so kilometers. I would move around a bit from the back of the peloton toward the top third but not enough toward the front where I should have been. During the first lap a teammate made a break with 15 other riders which ended up sticking throughout the entire day. Our team’s job was to stay at the front and help out and watch attacks. But, I just couldn’t get up there until the beginning of lap 3. That was when the weather turned foul covering us with hard rain, extremely dark clouds, and hail. I was able to get to the very front with the other teammates and help out a bit sticking onto groups that were trying to break and to help out a teammate that had to relieve himself. It wouldn’t be very long until I found myself at the back with popped legs. I rode the rest of the loop and pulled out having ridden 140 km for the day. The team did well today; working hard and having a man in the break. Now I just have to clear the mind and prepare myself for the next UCI 1.12 race on Saturday in Denain, France. 

Dikkebus Kermesse

Yesterday, I had a kermesse in Dikkebus which would finally be considered a true kermesse according to the other guys on the team. It consisted of narrow roads with lots of wind. The field was fairly small this time around with only 66 racers. The race was a 6.3 km loop where we had to do 18 laps. I began at the front of the peloton with Evan just ahead of me where we made it around for 2 laps until Evan began to drift back a bit.

After passing through lap 2 I was bumped out on the first corner after the Start/Finish line. I was following the line the guy in front of me took until I felt handlebars pushing the side of my hip until I was off the road. I was going to try and hop onto the sidewalk but I found that it wasn't feasible as my tires were skidding along the edge of the curb. I was able to come to a stop off the side of the road as both of my feet unclipped. I clipped back in as fast as I could, but the peloton would whiz past with just the tail of it in sight. I chased back on which consisted of me burning a match. I was stuck at the back but that was still too late as the inevitable small breakaway already occurred. Smaller groups of two to four guys would jump as well until the break had a total of 27 guys. Our team was found in the last group. Casey, Evan, and Scott worked quite a bit at the front launching attacks and basically making it into a good training day. After about an hour and a half they rang the bell for our group. I went off the front with a teammate and another rider and caught two guys up the road. We joined together but soon it was just Dean and I through to our group's finish. I placed 28th but the lead group still raced for another hour. It looked as though they pulled guys until there were only about 11 or so left. It was an okay day, but I still have some work to do in order to try and stay at the front.

De Haan kermesse

Yesterday, I raced another kermesse in the town of De Haan on the coast. We began our race day by riding about an hour and a half to the race start. When we arrived we did the usual of locating the registration area and finding a spot to pin our numbers. Our team director/manager, Bernard Moerman, showed up to watch the race and help out as well. We loaded our bags into the team van and began our warmup.

It was a sunny and fairly clear day with mild temperatures of about 40-55 degrees depending on when the sun would expose itself. The only downfall was that there was a fairly strong wind, which I guess is just typical anyways. The race consisted of a 9 km loop that began with a long headwind section on the highway which then turned back 180 degrees with a tailwind. The end of the tailwind section would lead to a left hand turn onto small windy neighborhood roads which also included a small “climb”. After meandering through the residential area we made our way back into the heart of De Haan onto a cobbled section of road through the start/finish area.

I began the race in the second row of the peloton of 113 riders. The whistle was blown and we made our immediate left hand turn onto the headwind section of the highway. I was at the front and saw my teammate, Evan, try to go with some moves and make some of his own. After maintaining my position for the first lap I tried going with a small break on the second lap which was easily caught. Nothing really was able to get away on the headwind straight. It seemed as though I had already burned my match, so I would just sit in the pack to rest. I made my way up to the front a few times but my legs just didn’t seem to be all there. I raced for about an hour and a half and then popped. After the race finished, we rode back to the house where I made some dinner and got some much needed rest. I have another kermesse on Sunday followed by a UCI race in Anzegem next Saturday which I will be prepping for this week.

Wevelgem kermesse

Today was a short day as I only made it less than an hour in the Wevelgem kermesse. The course consisted of 20 – 6.25 km (total 125 km) laps with several corners and quite a bit of wind. It was slightly technical and the field of about 100 guys was strung out most of the time. I began the race toward the front of the peloton but found myself in the back after only a few laps. I think it was a combination of slightly tired legs and the technical course. I attempted moving up several times but couldn’t move up quite enough to make a difference. Eventually, a split occurred in the field and I was in the back still with blown up legs. I definitely worked a little harder than I had to being in the back. I pulled out with a teammate and ended up spinning around easily for about an hour to cool down.

The ride back home involved listening to some music and downing some energy bars:

Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders)

Yesterday, I spent the day following the Tour of Flanders/Ronde van Vlaanderen with my Dad. I woke up at six in the morning to meet him downstairs and drive north to Brugge. Our goal was to beat the crowds and arrive to the Grote Markt (Market Square) to find a good spot to observe the ceremonies. We parked next to the canal on the outskirts of Brugge and walked to the square. The streets were empty except for the street cleaning crews prepping the roads for the day’s event. A man with a street blower was followed by two street sweeper trucks. The truck’s circular brushes worked their way along the curbs. We walked further and steadily approached the center noticing railing that had been placed along the edge of the cobbled streets. Also small tents and stands were set up with cycling memorabilia. They were selling cycling cards, hats, gloves, jerseys, and pictures. We were getting close! When we arrived to the center, small groups of people were huddled in different sections of the square. Some gathered close to the stage, which was located at the base of the Belfry, others were lined along the railing in the middle, and more were sitting in café’s bordering the square.

We placed ourselves toward the center of the square and close to the stage in order to see the riders close up exiting the platform. After standing for about half an hour a small band came on stage. They performed their mic check and the three men began playing. The singer, who also was playing the accordion, had a hint of Johnny Cash sound when he sang. The bass player and drummer would play along as the singer belted out English songs, tapped his foot, and worked his accordion. It was about 8 o’clock when two commentators came on stage and began introducing people. I have no clue what they were talking about as they were rallying the crowd. They brought important people on stage such as a boxer, a cycling club, about 15 girls with their sashes who were the Belgium sport girls, and others. As time went on, the square began to fill with people milling around deciding where they would find the best views. Eventually, it would be packed with people crowded shoulder to shoulder. There were also people in the balconies of the Provinciaal Hof (Provincial Court). Soon, riders began to make their way to the stage to sign in. I didn’t recognize a lot of them to begin with but soon the big named riders would approach and ride onto the stage. As they signed in they were interviewed by the commentators then would make their way down the exiting ramp. After cycling off the astroturf ramp, they were immediately swarmed by press and news crews. They would stand and talk for a few minutes then ride off down the fenced off pathways. Fans and spectators would shout out to the riders begging for autographs or pictures with the celebrities. Some would be lucky to get their attention.

After all the riders signed in, they grouped together in the northeast corner of the square to begin the biggest race in Belgium. The commentators began a countdown and the fans mimicked. The start gun was shot and a silence rolled over the crowd. Nobody cheered or yelled frantically as the caravan drove off and the riders followed. There was only a slight murmur from the mass of people. After the last car left the market square, people congregated to the streets that led away from the center. My Dad and I followed the stream of people to return to the car. We had plans to meet a lady and her family in Brakal to observe the race as it passed through their town. We eventually found our way back to our Renault and began our hour drive to the small town just south of Gent.

My Dad’s Tom Tom GPS led us to the centrum of Brakel where we met Monique and her husband Mario. We parked our car and hopped in theirs where they would take us back to their home. At their residence we met their son, Jarno, and daughter, Eline, who were both very nice. We sat down with them and began watching the Tour of Flanders on their large screen television. Monique offered us beverages and snacks while we chatted with the family. I just had some water, which was the joke of the day with Eline, while my Dad tried a brew. Soon they served up some lunch, which was totally unexpected. We gathered around the table and had some vegetable soup, more water J, pork, cauliflower, and some potatoes. It was very appetizing and a delightful lunch. After finishing our meals, Monique, Eline, my Dad, and I would drive into town, just a few minutes away, to watch the race as it passed through.

We pulled up to one of the streets and parked the car. We walked to a nearby corner where people were grilling brats and having beers. Not very many people were there when we arrived but that would soon change. Just before the caravan arrived, masses of people came running to the corner to view the race. They seemingly appeared out of nowhere because I had no clue where they were coming from. After only a few minutes the long caravan of lead cars would pass honking their horns and waving out their windows. I was looking for the helicopters as well which is where the lead riders would be located just below. The helicopters eventually spun their rotors overhead and the lead group would cruise around the corner. I was able to pick out Stijn Devolder and George Hincapie immediately. George chucked his bottle just a few meters before passing me. The bottle rolled downhill in my vicinity where I scooped it up for a little souvenir. When the majority of the peloton passed, we hurried back to the car and drove back to the Dumongh home to see the conclusion of the race on the tele. When we got there Mario and Jarno told us they were approaching the Muir climb which is where the action began for Devolder and he would win the race on a solo breakaway. Soon it was about dinner time and my Dad and I had to return to Hertsberge to bring me home. It was a great day in which I was able to see some amazing cyclists, the biggest Tour in Belgium, spend time with my Dad, and meet and converse with a wonderful family.

Sint-Kruis Kermesse

Lots of riders…check; Smell of embrocation…check; Crashes…check!

Today I raced in the Sint-Kruis kermesse which had a total of 217 riders. The JBCA riders at the race consisted of Scott, Evan, Casey, Alex, Arne, and I. We rode as a team from the house to the race in Sint-Kruis which is located just on the East fringe of Brugge. It was an easy 45-50 minute spin to the registration which was located in a small bustling bar. When we arrived, we parked our bikes outside the pub. A man approached us with his camera slung around his neck asking if he could take our picture. He asked for each of our names and took a photograph of each of us. We made a quick trip in and out of the bar to receive our numbers. After pinning everything on, we began our warm up and the search for the start. The course was another four corner loop with wide roads, one roundabout, and a few parked cars. After doing an opener and cruising around for about 30 minutes we found the lead car, which was located just outside the bar. We made our way over to the lead car and stood waiting for the start making sure that we would be situated in the front row. After a few minutes, groups of riders would line up trying to place themselves in the front. When the start time approached, confusion began to rise. Nobody really knew what was going on or why we weren’t starting. The group kept inching forward until we were around the corner and in the main stretch. 10 minutes went by and we still were waiting to start. The race officials announced something over a loudspeaker (not sure what it was) and guys began casually rolling off the front of the group. I made sure I rolled off and was still located at the front of the peloton. After riding through the start/finish area, riders made their way back to the corner to begin the lining up process again. Finally, the small lead car pulled ahead of the pack and the official sent us off.

It was a typical kermesse start with guys jockeying for position and everyone trying to move up. The start of the race began at about 50 km/hr clip as we approached the roundabout. Like you see on television, the peloton split right down the middle and snaked its way around the obstacle. I took the left side which seemed to be the straightest line through the rotary. I was able to move up to about 20th position and made sure I would stay there. I looked to my right and saw my teammate, Evan cruising down the sidewalk moving up into position. We then came to the first corner which we approached slowly and sprinted out of with an all out effort. I was still maintaining my position on the left side of the peloton, drafting and saving energy until a rider, directly in front of me, apparently broke a skewer or had a mechanical of some sort. He was sent right over his handlebars resulting in riders slamming on their brakes. The rider to my right skidded sideways, slightly, hitting my wheel and leaving me no option to get around the down rider. I hit something and went over my handlebars managing to slightly roll on the ground and hop up to run to safety on the muddy and grassy shoulder. I watched the peloton cruise by avoiding my bike as it slid to the middle of the road. I sat down, frustrated and in pain, holding my arm and shin. After the peloton raced by a medic came by to help the other rider and myself. They loaded us up in the ambulance and hurried us back to the start/finish. It was definitely efficient. My dad, who was watching the race, met me at the ambulance. He later told me that he heard Passage over the announcements and had to ask another spectator what was being said. The lady told him it was just descriptions of the roadway or something. He thanked her and began making his way down the course until she ran him down and told him I was coming around in the ambulance. After meeting my dad, we made our way to a small garage where the medical station was located. There, I would be able to assess my injuries. I managed to somehow scratch or bruise every extremity. I was lucky, though, as they were very small road abrasions. I think the worst were my wrists and shin being very tender and bruised. My bike was also slightly damaged as the bars were twisted, shifter lightly mangled, and scuffed bar tape. Everything seemed fairly minor, which is good considering what happened to the other rider who sustained a scraped up face, black eye, and banged up knees, hands, and elbows. Alrighty, it’s time to head off to the bike shop to get some new parts and tape to prep for the next race.

The pictures below show some of the minor injuries involved with bike and limb.

Kermesse then rest

I finally had my first kermesse race! Sunday I raced in the Wijnendale-Torhout kermesse race around the town of Wijnendale which is west of Hertsberge. It seemed to be a long wait during the day, as our race didn’t begin until 2:30 in the afternoon. So I had two pre-race meals and I was ready to go. Casey, Scott, Santiago, and I loaded up the red van around 12:40 and were off to the race start. When we arrived, we found the staging and registration areas in the center of town. Registration consisted of a long table in a small garage with West-Vlaanderen race officials sitting behind it in their fold out chairs. I bought my first Belgian racing license, which seemed quite difficult for them to process in their computer. I finally was able to receive my race number, 25, after paying my 3 euros and would then go back to the van to get ready for the race.

After dressing in the crammed back seat, I warmed up with Casey and did a pre-race lap around the 6.5 km loop. It was just a simple rectangular course with four corners and wide roads. We made our way to the start line where we watched the lead cars like hawks in order to position ourselves in the primo start spot. The race official lined us up just passed the start line where I slid into the front row of the group of 66. After standing for a brief period of time the official blew his whistle and we were off.

The race began at a leisurely pace which caught me by surprise. I found myself coasting behind the first four guys as they chatted in Dutch. Eventually, the pace picked up, to about 40-45 km/hr average, and it finally began to feel like a race. I made sure I was always the fifth to tenth man at the front in the morphing field. While doing that I found myself bumping hands and bars with other riders, jockeying for position, and feeling bar hoods tapping me on the hip. It was a fun beginning of the race as small attacks were shooting off the front one right after the other. I tried following several moves as groups of 15 or more would sling shot off the peloton. I positioned myself so that the draft of the small breaks would pull me right along as we broke away from the main group. I managed to stay at the front and pass riders by pedaling through curves and taking better lines through corners. Scott and Casey would also try and make some moves throughout the race. We always had a man in the break which was good. Unfortunately, nothing stuck and I found that I shot too many bullets too early on in the race. I made it about an hour in the kermesse but was somewhat pleased with how I stuck it out in the front. I was a little bummed due to the fact that after about 3 laps after I popped a breakaway of about 10 guys finally snuck away from the peloton and would keep it for the rest of the race. I just picked the wrong groups to go with and need to wait longer for the race to develop before I start attacking or trying to go with breaks. It’s all a learning experience. On that note, I have two kermesse races, Sint-Kruis and Anzegem, this week and one next week, Wevelgem. So I plan on changing my tactics slightly but will still stick to the front.

Monday was my rest day, in which I was able to visit with my Dad. We went out to dinner, at the Hotel/Restaurant 't Oud Wethuys in the center of Oostkamp, the previous night which was amazing. On my rest day we decided to take a trip into Brugge. We parked by the canal on the outskirts of the city and walked in the direction of one of the church towers.

We slowly made our way toward the main square on one of the cobbled side streets. The sidewalks were just wide enough to cater to one pedestrian. The whole walk into the city was breathtaking; noticing the amount of detail in all the architecture and how they cherish their history. When we approached the main square tourist traffic began to thicken. But that didn’t stop us from being tourists ourselves for the day. This was the first time I could actually just walk around and pause to see things unlike when I’m riding my bike. We snapped photos of the churches, houses, schools, canals, and bridges. There was just so much to take in.

We took a break at a small bakery/restaurant, Le Pain Quotidien, in the morning to have some espresso and a snack. We had to recharge from the over-stimulating morning. The small restaurant had a large communal table situated in the center of the room with two smaller tables accompanying the wall. Another long table was covered with stacked bread, bread bowls, and utensils. It was a relaxing place where I was able to chat with my Dad over a small cup of espresso. After taking our rest in the restaurant, we made our way down some more fingers that branched off the main square. Once again, we found more churches (that were smaller) and a charming little courtyard.

We then followed a few stone paths and would come across an aged grey haired woman sitting in a doorway making a lace pattern. Lace is quite popular in Belgium. We stood and watched her dexterous fingers throw bobbins and place pins on her circular pillow table. It was so amazing to see how intricate the pattern was and how she made it. She told us that if she were to make a tablecloth it would take 3-4 months to create.

After being fascinated for several minutes we continued on our little journey through Brugge. We made a full day out of exploring the city and I think there is still plenty that I haven’t seen. It was a great day with my Dad where we were able to explore a piece of Europe together.

Rainy Days

Today was definitely considered a rain day. I decided I would ride into the Netherlands again and venture further across the border and closer to the coastline. My route today would take me to Breskens, Netherlands. I had a great night sleep followed by a nice breakfast of Muesli and bananas and a cup of coffee. Oh it was so hot and tasty! (If only I knew that’s all I would be thinking about the entire ride.) During breakfast I could hear the pitter patter of the rain on the skylights and see nothing but grey outside. So automatically I knew I would have to pull out the rain coat and heavy duty booties. I was mentally ready for the day. I met my teammate, Casey, downstairs, as we would begin our rides together but split up after we arrived in Sluis, Netherlands. We pulled the bikes off the hooks, opened the garage door, and headed on out splitting puddles, spraying rooster tails, and leaving narrow tire tracks on the wet pavement. Within the first 20 minutes my shoes were filled with water and my entire backside was soaked from the bottom of my raincoat down. It was okay for a while but I knew I still had another 3 hours and 40 minutes of being uncomfortable. The ride went well; Casey and I chatted and joked around until I had to begin my intervals just a few kilometers before Sluis. Once we crossed the Sluis town sign we said our goodbye and wished each other a good rest of the ride. Onto Breskens.

Once I was by myself it seemed as though I noticed the wet and cold a little more; constantly wiping my lenses, water dripping from the brim of my cycling cap, feet sloshing, gloves slightly squishy, spray, grit, and sand ricocheting off my down tube and coming to rest on my shins and shoe covers, and my face feeling slightly cold from the wind. But I pressed on following the signs to Oostburg which would then take me to Schoondijke and finally to Breskens.

I rode along narrow bike paths easily distinguished with bike signs and arrows. The paths were completely covered with a sheet of water which created a sheen in which I could look down and see my silhouette staring back at me. Looking out you see nothing but green fields, flooded wetland areas, and grey skies with unrelenting rain. This was about the time I began to think about that wonderful cup o Joe. How nice it would be to have a little warmth in my belly. After following the bicycle signs to Breskens, I found that the bike path would come to an end and leave me riding through a neighborhood. By this time I was too cold and wet to want to explore, so I turned around and began my trek back home. I followed the same route back to conclude my 4 hour ride. Nothing too spectacular to tell; I just wanted to share what the weather and riding is like, the majority of the time in Belgium, as I sip on this wonderful cup of coffee.

Challenge de Hesbaye-Trognee

Once again it is my off day and time to write in the blog. This weekend consisted of preparing for the UCI 1.12 Challenge de Hesbaye-Trognee race in Eastern Belgium. I spent Saturday evening packing my race gear into my travel bag and carbo loading the rest of the time. Sunday morning would soon come around where I would wake up at 6 in the morning and begin my pre-race routine of eating breakfast (Muesli cereal with bananas and 6 pieces of toast with jam). When I was stumbling around in the morning I couldn’t help but notice the snow covered windows. A small skiff of snow had blanketed the roof tops around Hertsberge during the night. The morning sunrise was scattered with pillow like clouds and blue sky was exposing itself. We loaded up the van around 8:15 and began our 2 hour drive to Trognee. On the way I would take a small nap until 9 o’clock rolled around where I, again, would eat 2 egg baguette sandwiches.

We arrived at the race start in the middle of small Trognee, a French speaking town, where we would park and go to a small heated tent to change. We spent about 30 minutes staying warm and changing into our race gear until we decided, as a team, to go back to the van to pin our race numbers on and to begin our warm up. After finishing the smaller tasks before the race, we began to spin around on the straight stretch through town. The weather was beautiful with blue skies, no clouds, little wind, but chilly. Smoke, billowing from chimneys in the distance, was rising vertically. It’s a rare sight to not see it streaking across the horizon. Soon we would line up for our neutral start where I made my way to the front, 2 rows back from the lead vehicle.

The race began at noon. The neutral start was typical with riders passing the lead vehicle and guys jockeying for position. I managed to keep my position through the entire neutral section not allowing any other riders to fill small gaps in front of me. The official racing began approximately 3 km after we pulled away from the start line. That is when the peloton would string out in the front and echelon to the sides. Staying up front was a challenge but the energy you save, when in the right position, is a great deal. I would stay toward the front until the first long descent that began at about 25 km. I lost a few spots as we made our way through small towns avoiding traffic control devices and parked cars. We then hit the first big climb of the day where I felt strong and would move up quite a few spots, but not enough. The peloton would split and I found myself in a group of about 40 guys working together to chase the tail end of the main group. We pursued the group for about 20 km and caught them at the beginning of the next climb. Once again, I could not pass enough guys on the long ascent and the peloton would string out and fracture even more. I was once again in a group of 25-30 guys trying to chase, but we never caught them the rest of the race. We rode as a small group until we reached the local laps. We went through for one lap and then we were pulled as the main peloton was approaching quickly behind us. I made it 135 km of the 154 km race.

I almost finished, however it was a learning experience and I’m feeling better as I participate in each race. I learned, once again, that position is everything. If you’re not at the front holding your spot, you take the risk of never staying in the main peloton as breaks and splits occur. I have to practice not being nervous or anxious before and during races and just make sure I am always in the right position. My goal for the next race will be to stay at the front no matter what and to finish in the top 20. I think I am physically capable of doing such a task but I will force myself to overcome the mental aspects that dampen my racing potential. As always, it’s important to take as much experience and wisdom from each race and use that toward the next one. Just have to keep working and training (which includes just as much mental as physical) and eventually it will all come together. On that note, I’m gonna go rest some more and get ready for the training week ahead.

Gettin' ready for Sunday

Today was spent riding the bicycle for 2 hours easy, doing some laundry, and cleaning the ol bike hiding from the vindictive weather that has been blowing through for the past week. The last few days I have ridden through some fickle weather consisting of sunshine, clouds, rain, hail, and of course wind. The weather around Belgium tends to tease you quite a bit giving you a sense of liveliness one moment then dejection the next. It isn’t too bad; it just keeps riding very interesting and fun. Thursday was the only time where I would take shelter on the rollers only to observe, out the window, that it turned out to be a delightful day. But I did need to recover and have a nice spin so I wasn’t too displeased with the dry pavement and sunshine that I saw.

So now I am just recovering and preparing myself for the race this Sunday, the Challenge de Hesbaye-Trognee. I have been sleeping more consistently and my legs are feeling better from the training this week. My goal for this race will be to keep my position and finishing the race. The forecast calls for harsh weather consisting of rain, wind, and snow to compliment the name of the race. I am looking forward to it and will let you know how it goes. That’s all for now, tot ziens!

Training ride to Sluis

So today I had my first ride since my first race in Europe. It was a nice endurance ride with Evan and Casey in which we encountered beautiful scenery and some crazy weather. We decided yesterday evening that we would ride to Sluis in Zeelandic Flanders in the south-western part of the Netherlands. The ride there consisted of decent weather with some clouds and a slight headwind. But soon we would come face to face with an ominous dark cloud. It would decide to drop a little rain and hail on us as we looked over a bus stop map. But we decided to press on and find our way across the border. On our way we passed the town of Damme and connected to a canal road lined with tall leafless trees.

We passed little ducks and people catching fish. It was also the perfect place to do my intervals for the day considering it was such a long straight stretch of road. The slight headwind would also aid in my 1 minute efforts. After doing a couple intervals, we would come to the town of Sluis. It was a quaint little town in which we would enter on a small road of cobbles. It consisted of small shops and restaurants in which people were casually strolling along side. Small table areas were placed outside each restaurant in which people could gaze at the public walking by. We also saw a fascinating wind mill at the edge of town. There are so many details incorporated in every building. We would eventually take refuge under an awning from the heavy rain and grab a quick cup of espresso for the ride and intervals to return home.

After a couple minutes with our delicious warm cup of coffee we would begin our ride toward Brugge which would be the end of our ride and the beginning of our cool down back to Hertsberge. On the way we were once again met by that dark cloud in which it would pelt our faces and ears with hail. I couldn’t help but laugh hysterically as we road on with our heads turned down trying to protect our exposed skin. OUCH!!! Even a lady passing by would let out a little giggle at us. Eventually, it cleared up and we approached the town of Brugge. We rode through the middle of town, to connect to the roads taking us to Hertsberge, in which I had to snag a couple photos.

After finally getting through town we would finish our ride in Hertsberge only to begin the routine of washing our bikes and eating. Overall, it was a great ride in which I was able to see amazing views, ride with some great teammates, and get my workout in for the day.

Paris-Troyes

Today is my rest day, so I decided I would compose a blog during my recovery. This weekend would begin with excitement and some nerves. Saturday was spent packing all my race gear and necessities for the UCI 1.2 Paris-Troyes road race. I would frantically run around my room packing all my shorts, shoes, jerseys, warm clothes, cold clothes, and what have you into my number 4 issued race traveling case. After completing what seemed to be such an arduous task, I would go downstairs and help pack the bikes and gear as well as ourselves into the team vehicles.

As with my traveling to Europe, I obtained my window seat which is where I would make my groove for the next 3.5 hours to France. The drive went well. On the way, you can’t help but notice that all the drivers in Europe share driving qualities known as respect and courteousness. Nobody blocks traffic in the fast lane, everyone moves over if you speed up toward there bumper, and there is just one steady speed that you can maintain while driving the freeways. It’s AMAZING!!! I still have to experience the driving in bigger cities, but so far I am quite impressed. While gazing out my window, looking past those courteous drivers, you also notice the beautiful landscape as you drive through France. It is nothing but green rolling fields with castles and aged stone churches scattered about. Each church had a small village distributed from the center and then farmland separating the towns.

We eventually arrived at the hotel which seemed to come around quite soon from our departure from Belgium. When arriving at the hotel, I did not know what I was in store for. We unloaded our luggage from the back of the van and approached the small square shaped hotel with enthusiasm. Off in the distance was an amazing view of an old church where you could see all the flying buttresses and weathered stone used to erect it. When we went inside the hotel, we did our usual check in and went to our rooms. We typed in our own 6 digit combinations and would open the door and let out a little giggle, “Three of us our going to fit in there”. Beds were called immediately and we knew it would be a comfortable cozy night. The picture describes a lot.

After getting slightly situated in the room we headed out for dinner. We were going to go to a Moroccan restaurant but decided the spices might be a bit too much, so we ended up going to a Flunch. I wasn’t sure what it was really, but once you go in you realize it is a little buffet restaurant with amazing pictures of the dishes that the meal you receive does not match. Oh well, its fuel.

We finished our dinners and would return to the hotel to begin our slumber. The hotel rooms were quite small and did not have any bathrooms or showers in them. Those were located in the hallway like the good ‘ol college dorm days. They reminded me of small faded yellow porta-potties only much cleaner. Sooo anyways, the guys I was rooming with and I began a movie and then decided to pass out for the evening. Sleep went well until 2 o’clock came around. I was up for about 2 to 3 hours just thinking about the race and other random thoughts churning through my brain (can’t really remember what they were). I would fall asleep, finally, and then have to wake up at 6:45 in the AM.

Eating time began at 7:00 AM, in which the team strolled out into the lobby area for some baguettes, cereal, and some toast. It was actually quite delicious. I think I went through 8 baguettes, 2 bowls of cereal, a banana, and lots of jam, mmm. We then went back to the room where we would rest up a little more and my roommates and I would finish the movie we began the previous night. Anne and Bernard rolled up around 8 or 9 in which they brought even more food for us to eat. 9 o’clock was the official time to eat again, in which we each had a large bowl of plain pasta. I was definitely full by the end. We then got all dressed for the race that began at 12:30.

After packing our luggage and getting the bikes all ready, we set off to our race start destination. The rain began to fall and the flags outside were extended out horizontally. We all knew it was going to be an interesting day. We arrived in the parking lot which was about 7 kilometers from the hotel. We gathered as a team and went to sign in on the stage. The French announcer was talking about the race and teams, I presume, as we went up the stairs and scribbled our signatures down next to our names. We stood in a line, looking as professional as we could be as random citizens would snap photos. By this time I was getting very ancy to begin the race and was trying to bring myself at ease with all the professional and amateur teams scurrying around the parking lot. Once it was closer to the start time we grabbed our bikes and rode up and down the start stretch road. One last leak next to a tree and we were off to get our starting position for the neutral start. As we waited for them to send us off, several people were in front of the peloton shaking hands and hugging most likely sharing thank yous and all that jazz. I couldn’t tell, I was too far to hear anything. After the lead car pulled up it was just moments after they sent us off. The race has begun.

The neutral start was chaos to say the least. Riders were passing the lead car, people weaving in and out of riders to jockey for position. I was comfortable as could be and relaxed, since I was forewarned about the aggressiveness of European riding. Before I knew it, within 500 meters of the start, a guy pulled right in front of my front wheel. My tire tapped his wheel until it basically was stuck to it and I could not get my balance to pull right. Instead of him stopping or moving back left, he did the opposite and kept moving right, most likely unaware that my wheel was in his rears presence. There was nothing I could do as his rear wheel pulled my front right out from under me and I went down taking a couple of my teammates out with me. It was both humiliating and demoralizing. All I know is that it wasn’t my fault, I DID NOT PANIC, or hit my brakes as I have been in that situation before in my 9 years of racing. It’s simple, he took out my front wheel with an unexpected move. I was quite distraught about it. But I got up as fast as I could and received a new front wheel, since I sustained a front flat, and would press on to catch up with the peloton to begin the actual race. When I caught up we would soon be at another stop in the cold, rainy, unforgiving weather. My side was quite achy and I already knew my difficult day has only begun. After about 5 minutes of just standing, we began our race with the sound of a vehicle horn. It was an insane pace where the throttle was down and you were pacing and drafting behind guys trying not to lose position and hide from that ever insulting headwind. It seemed impossible to move up during the first 30 minutes of the race. I would pass a few guys here and there then they would pass me. It was exhausting. I could not put anymore power into the pedals as I was pushed all the way to the nose of my saddle squeezing every ounce of energy out of my legs. I would stay with the pack for about an hour yo-yoing from the back and going through the caravan until I finally popped after passing a couple small towns. I would be by myself for a while until a teammate eventually joined me. We rode together for a while until a small group of riders being followed by the broom wagon (sag wagon) would join us. As they approached, a voice yelled out, “Welcome to Europe boys”! Oh he hit the head of the nail on that one. We would ride together for another couple of hours until, eventually, I could not go anymore again. I was stuck riding climbs and rollers in my big ring the whole day due to a malfunction from the crash. I was then by myself with the sag wagon until I was able to meet up with our team van in one of the feed zones. I pulled off completely upset and demolished from my first European racing experience. Anne gave me a bottle and some food and told me to change and get warm. Once I finally was settled in the back seat, I had a slight breakdown. I was a little frustrated at the fact that I hate quitting and just being completely disappointed with my performance. Anne and Noel would then comfort me and make me feel better. Thanks guys! I regained my composure and would watch the rest of the race from the sidelines hoping everyone else was doing better than I had done. After Anne and Noel finished feeding the guys still at the head of the race, we drove to the finish. We were greeted with a parking spot close to the finish line. There were people everywhere, huddled around the stage and finish line. Drummers were banging away and dancing and BMXers were jumping around on their make-shift spray painted ramp. The guys finally came through, and would grab their luggage to take showers. We all ate some more food that Anne had prepared for us and drank 3 bottles of various supplemental fluids. It was time to recharge the mind and body. After everyone had come through the finish and were all changed we began our drive back home to Hertsberge, Belgium. We finished off the night with a plate of lasagna and a night of deep sleep.

I think the biggest thing I took from my first European racing experience is that there are a lot of good riders out there. European racing is so much faster and aggressive. Belgian racing is an all out effort right as the gun sounds. It's a business here for riders. Pain and suffering is the way of life in cycling in Belgium. I learned that I need to stick to the front to save energy and just try as hard as I can. Neutral starts really aren’t neutral. I think they are more of a race than anything. I have to be more aggressive and put on my mean face when it comes to jockeying for position. But I think I got a lot of nerves out of the way getting my first race here over with. I know what to expect now and will be ready for the next one. You just have to pick yourself back up and give it your all the next time with what you have learned. There’s always room for improvement! You can’t always have astonishing results but you can always learn from your experiences.