Today was the most ‘Belgian’ of days because the following criteria were met:
1. We had a race very near some of the cobbled climbs in the Tour of Flanders.
2. It rained, albeit lightly.
3. At no point was the road wider than two bikes at any point of the race.
4. Only one person on the team finished without getting pulled.
5. Wind; everywhere there was no escape.
We started the day with an easy ride hoping to spin out the legs before the race in the afternoon. Alex crashed, because one of his gears slipped when he stood up out of the saddle which resulted in the first cracked frame of the trip.
We left for the race in the team van. By the time we had registered we had very little time to warm up. This is okay because most of the European’s don’t warm up much before their races but this doesn’t stop them going out hard the last lap like it was their last. By the time I had warmed up and was at the start line I was at the back of eighty riders.
The course was 6.2K long and the race was ten laps long. It started out on a downhill for about 3k and then pitched up gradually for 3K. This under any other circumstances would have been a very easy course if it were not for a 200m stretch of cobbles, gale force winds, and 80 riders on roads narrower than the Iron Horse Trail.
As soon as the race started I began moving up until, by the end of the first lap, I was sitting inside of the top twenty riders. Unfortunately, on the turn exiting the cobbled section, felt my tire sliding, I barely saved it. I was thinking to myself at the time, “Hey this is strange. Why am I sliding? I didn’t take the corner that fast did I? It turns out I had a flat.
There are no neutral support cars or free laps over here so I knew that my race was done. I got of the bike and started wandering around in a somewhat methodical fashion hoping to find someone I knew. After about twenty minutes I found one of the team’s soigneurs Mario. He drove me around for the remainder of the race, so that we could watch. The flat was almost worthwhile because he shared a lot of his insights about racing in Belgium.
Today was not the team’s best day. Lawson got away on the second lap and had almost 30 seconds on the field. Five riders bridged up on the second lap one of which was Joel. This was to become the winning break, but Joel and Lawson were dropped and ended up being pulled with one lap to go. Alex flatted out of the main field with a few laps to go, and James was dropped in the crosswinds. Fortunately, Anders salvaged a good result. With two laps to go he bridged a massive gap between the main field and the break. In the closing Kilometers of the last lap he nearly got away but ended up finishing at the back of the break in seventh.
; The day ended up belonging to some ENORMOUS Belgian, ‘whose victory salute was, I have to say, completely over the top.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
Day Four
I went the other 15-16s early in the morning for a super easy spin. We got back and all of us except Anders went for a walk in the town. Izegem is a large city and every day I am surprised to see that it is bigger than I thought it was.
Here at the house they have a fleet of commuter bikes to go into town. They are in amazing disrepair, which is fine because the mechanics are always too busy. Also, I guess the theory is that the less functional the bikes are the less anyone would want to steal them. Yesterday I went out with one for a couple K to get to know my way around. I have to say that I had a great workout because both the fenders were rubbing against the tires and the rear tire was flat.
After dinner we rode a couple miles from the house to do some drills. We started by practicing taking feeds at speed. After we had finished this we move on to some bumping drills. I’m not a very aggressive rider. Normally when in a large cat three field I would much rather move up the outside instead of push my way through gaps which really don’t exist. However, after today I think I am now a lot more comfortable at doing this. After finishing the bumping we moved on to motor pacing. I have never done this before, but Noel’s instructions were helpful. He told me to keep eye contact with the driver and use my peripheral vision to ensure that I didn’t hit the back of the car. To get the best draft I had to ride only a few inches of the back of the car. At first it was a bit unnerving but at the end Tim brought me up to about 35 miles an hour and I was only inches of the back. It’s amazing how little work you have to do when riding so close to a car; at 30 miles an hour I was hardly even pedaling. Of course motor pacing should only be done if the driver in front has agreed, knows what he/she is doing and not anywhere near any other traffic!!!!!!
Here at the house they have a fleet of commuter bikes to go into town. They are in amazing disrepair, which is fine because the mechanics are always too busy. Also, I guess the theory is that the less functional the bikes are the less anyone would want to steal them. Yesterday I went out with one for a couple K to get to know my way around. I have to say that I had a great workout because both the fenders were rubbing against the tires and the rear tire was flat.
After dinner we rode a couple miles from the house to do some drills. We started by practicing taking feeds at speed. After we had finished this we move on to some bumping drills. I’m not a very aggressive rider. Normally when in a large cat three field I would much rather move up the outside instead of push my way through gaps which really don’t exist. However, after today I think I am now a lot more comfortable at doing this. After finishing the bumping we moved on to motor pacing. I have never done this before, but Noel’s instructions were helpful. He told me to keep eye contact with the driver and use my peripheral vision to ensure that I didn’t hit the back of the car. To get the best draft I had to ride only a few inches of the back of the car. At first it was a bit unnerving but at the end Tim brought me up to about 35 miles an hour and I was only inches of the back. It’s amazing how little work you have to do when riding so close to a car; at 30 miles an hour I was hardly even pedaling. Of course motor pacing should only be done if the driver in front has agreed, knows what he/she is doing and not anywhere near any other traffic!!!!!!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Day Three
I think that I am finally getting over my jetlag and am beginning to feel better. It looks like my saddle slipped yesterday by more than 1cm so before the ride today I moved the saddle back up before the ride today.
We rode to Wevelgem today along the canals. I was surprised to see the finish line of Gent-Wevelgem was a permanent installation in-front of the local bike shop. Belgium truly is a cycling crazed nation. Not only was the finish line a permanent landmark, but the exploits of local and professional cyclists completely dominates the local paper, even including yesterdays race in Dikkibus.
I am looking forward to the race on Saturday. I’m feeling much better and I should hopefully be able to finish in the top twenty.
We rode to Wevelgem today along the canals. I was surprised to see the finish line of Gent-Wevelgem was a permanent installation in-front of the local bike shop. Belgium truly is a cycling crazed nation. Not only was the finish line a permanent landmark, but the exploits of local and professional cyclists completely dominates the local paper, even including yesterdays race in Dikkibus.
I am looking forward to the race on Saturday. I’m feeling much better and I should hopefully be able to finish in the top twenty.
the team
Noel: This guy basically runs the entire racing program. He won the world championships at some stage and really knows his stuff. He is very adamant that the U.S riders need to develop the skills to succeed in Europe as early as possible. He’s going to teach us how to take feeds and how to motor pace.
Ells: Ells runs the house. She does all the cooking for dinner. The food taste great, but at the same time nutritious to meet the need of all the athletes.
Tim: Tim is the head coach of the 15-16s. Although he himself has never raced in Belgium I think he really can teach me a lot about how to race here. A tip I have already picked up from him is to change immediately after the race and wash EVERYTHING with alcohol. This is just another way to improve you chances of not getting sick.
In addition there are other coaches for the U23s and mechanics. Most of them are Belgians. They are all amazing enthusiastic and knowledgeable with a true passion for cycling.
nwcc
15-16s
Joel (Specialized): I guess most of you guys already know him. In case you don’t, he’s the guy on specialized who looks like he’s twenty.
Lawson (NWCC): Lawson’s high up on the national ranks, and deservingly so. All I can say about him is that he’s fast. He was the highest placed US rider yesterday. He knows how to move his way through the field and is willing to attack.
Alex (Team Power Train) Alex has great bike handling skills; this is what is most apparent when you first ride with him. But he is also incredibly fast. If you have any doubt he beat Ryan at the stage race in Kentucky in 2 out of three of the events.
James ‘Sprinter’ (Specialized): James is sprinter stuck in a climber’s body.
Anders (Hot Tubes): Well the team says it all. He’s on the best junior team in the US and I can see why. Sometimes he rides 8 hour day!!! This is about the same that I ride during a typical week. And he has tan lines which are like black and white from riding so much. Something tells me he’s a climber, but he knows how to ride the flats of Belgium to. He seemed to be at the front the entire race yesterday.
Danny Summerhill ‘Summerhill’(Slipstream): Although he’s riding with the U23 I thought it would be worthwhile mentioning that he was here. He was second at junior CycleCross worlds last year after flatting. He is a clear leader always helping me and the other 15-16s out. It’s an amazing experience to be able to interact with a rider who is one of the most talented athletes in the US.
Kit Karzen (Some team in Socal): He just left yesterday. He was up here racing the track in Gent. I thought he would be worth mentioning because he destroyed everyone at Merco in the 15-16s last year.
Ells: Ells runs the house. She does all the cooking for dinner. The food taste great, but at the same time nutritious to meet the need of all the athletes.
Tim: Tim is the head coach of the 15-16s. Although he himself has never raced in Belgium I think he really can teach me a lot about how to race here. A tip I have already picked up from him is to change immediately after the race and wash EVERYTHING with alcohol. This is just another way to improve you chances of not getting sick.
In addition there are other coaches for the U23s and mechanics. Most of them are Belgians. They are all amazing enthusiastic and knowledgeable with a true passion for cycling.
nwcc
15-16s
Joel (Specialized): I guess most of you guys already know him. In case you don’t, he’s the guy on specialized who looks like he’s twenty.
Lawson (NWCC): Lawson’s high up on the national ranks, and deservingly so. All I can say about him is that he’s fast. He was the highest placed US rider yesterday. He knows how to move his way through the field and is willing to attack.
Alex (Team Power Train) Alex has great bike handling skills; this is what is most apparent when you first ride with him. But he is also incredibly fast. If you have any doubt he beat Ryan at the stage race in Kentucky in 2 out of three of the events.
James ‘Sprinter’ (Specialized): James is sprinter stuck in a climber’s body.
Anders (Hot Tubes): Well the team says it all. He’s on the best junior team in the US and I can see why. Sometimes he rides 8 hour day!!! This is about the same that I ride during a typical week. And he has tan lines which are like black and white from riding so much. Something tells me he’s a climber, but he knows how to ride the flats of Belgium to. He seemed to be at the front the entire race yesterday.
Danny Summerhill ‘Summerhill’(Slipstream): Although he’s riding with the U23 I thought it would be worthwhile mentioning that he was here. He was second at junior CycleCross worlds last year after flatting. He is a clear leader always helping me and the other 15-16s out. It’s an amazing experience to be able to interact with a rider who is one of the most talented athletes in the US.
Kit Karzen (Some team in Socal): He just left yesterday. He was up here racing the track in Gent. I thought he would be worth mentioning because he destroyed everyone at Merco in the 15-16s last year.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Day Two
I arrived in Belgium a day ago after a complete 24 hours of traveling, which involved the usual difficulties:
-Trying to fall asleep.
-Successfully falling asleep only to be awoken by a flight attendant who wants to know if you want to have chicken or beef. After responding “Beef” she then tells you that their out and you’ll have to be content with chicken.
-Finally going to bed again, only to be woken up by a crying baby. (Who knew that such small objects could make such a loud noise??????/)
-Finding a lunch at Amsterdam airport which cost less than ten euros, only to find that this is the very definition of impossible.
-And finally, explaining to a shopkeeper who only speaks Dutch and marginal French that he short changed you.
But despite all the difficulties I arrived safely but extremely fatigued. Then I had the arduous challenge of somehow staying up to 9:00 a complete 11 hours after my usual bed time.
Yesterday we went for an easy spin. On the ride we got to ride the pave. The cobbles are really tough because the roads are heavily crowned. If a rider goes too far to one side of the road he will find it virtually impossible to find the center again.
Today we had our first race. My plan was to stay near the back so I could observe what was going on and understand the dynamics of the race for the rest of the trip. I was surprised when 50 guys lined up in-front of me at the start. This was like no race I had ever done. The junior gears are 54-16. This doesn’t sound that small but when the races average around 28 miles an hour this is very small. The roads are about the width of the iron horse trail. But this doesn’t stop the Belgians from moving up even if it involves bunny hoping a side-walk and startling a few spectators. Half way into our race the rain started coming down. It wasn’t cold, but led to some very treacherous conditions. Lawson slid out and I think at times I nearly did to,h I could feel my rear wheel slipping at times. With 10K to go I was fed up of riding at the back. I rapidly moved up to front. I found that the first three wheels was the easiest place to be. This is because typically the riders at the front typically take really bad lines so that the riders at the back have to sprint out of all the corners. With 5k to go I was in a break with three other riders. This was a place I should never have been in. When the field caught us I was exhausted and was quickly at the back again. Some riders in-front of me weren’t cornering spectacularly and I found my-self of the back with a group if five other riders. I just rode to the finish somewhere inside of the top fifty riders. Joel crashed in the final 200m. Lawson had the best result finishing somewhere in the top 20.
-Trying to fall asleep.
-Successfully falling asleep only to be awoken by a flight attendant who wants to know if you want to have chicken or beef. After responding “Beef” she then tells you that their out and you’ll have to be content with chicken.
-Finally going to bed again, only to be woken up by a crying baby. (Who knew that such small objects could make such a loud noise??????/)
-Finding a lunch at Amsterdam airport which cost less than ten euros, only to find that this is the very definition of impossible.
-And finally, explaining to a shopkeeper who only speaks Dutch and marginal French that he short changed you.
But despite all the difficulties I arrived safely but extremely fatigued. Then I had the arduous challenge of somehow staying up to 9:00 a complete 11 hours after my usual bed time.
Yesterday we went for an easy spin. On the ride we got to ride the pave. The cobbles are really tough because the roads are heavily crowned. If a rider goes too far to one side of the road he will find it virtually impossible to find the center again.
Today we had our first race. My plan was to stay near the back so I could observe what was going on and understand the dynamics of the race for the rest of the trip. I was surprised when 50 guys lined up in-front of me at the start. This was like no race I had ever done. The junior gears are 54-16. This doesn’t sound that small but when the races average around 28 miles an hour this is very small. The roads are about the width of the iron horse trail. But this doesn’t stop the Belgians from moving up even if it involves bunny hoping a side-walk and startling a few spectators. Half way into our race the rain started coming down. It wasn’t cold, but led to some very treacherous conditions. Lawson slid out and I think at times I nearly did to,h I could feel my rear wheel slipping at times. With 10K to go I was fed up of riding at the back. I rapidly moved up to front. I found that the first three wheels was the easiest place to be. This is because typically the riders at the front typically take really bad lines so that the riders at the back have to sprint out of all the corners. With 5k to go I was in a break with three other riders. This was a place I should never have been in. When the field caught us I was exhausted and was quickly at the back again. Some riders in-front of me weren’t cornering spectacularly and I found my-self of the back with a group if five other riders. I just rode to the finish somewhere inside of the top fifty riders. Joel crashed in the final 200m. Lawson had the best result finishing somewhere in the top 20.
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