I'll do a final post tomorrow, but just a quick update:
I hurt my knee in Saturday's race and need to take a few days off. Pointless sitting here and doing nothing, I'd rather come home, be with my wife and start adapting to real life (oh no).
The flights this week all had costs associated with them except this evening's flight. So at 12:00 I decided to take tonight's flight home. I needed to pack all my stuff (clothes, food, bike) and leave at 16:00. Some quick prioritization and I set off to make tuna bake for an early supper, had some oranges in the sun. Packed the bike, packed clothes, changed bedding and cleaned the room and all ready to go.
Final post tomorrow...
The Cronje's in Cape Town: Experiencing life with Milea and Cuan
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Race # 11 - St Truden to Bousalle
It was good to race again after having the last 5 days off. It sounds so little but it has felt so long. The wind was howling as we set of for the 55km from St Truden to Bousalle where we did 8 laps of a very hilly circuit. The strong winds made for hard guttering from the gun.
The group split at 36kms and we all rejoined again at 50kms just before a 3km steep climb. I took strain on the climb and settled in a chasing group of 9. The font group was probably around 35 riders, so I knew we were out of money for the day - paying up to 30th. Each lap of the circuit I however noticed more and more riders having pulled out so I knew we could just just be in for some prize money, lol.
I had set aside all my money for the last week - air change fare, taxi money, rent money, and race money and used the remaining money almost to the cent on some groceries this morning. So I knew I had no money left and it was pretty important I get some money out of 1 of these 5 races. Well, I'm glad to say I just managed coming 29th and taking 12 Euro home for the efforts. We did a hard ride into the wind and over many more hills home making for a 180km day.
I will need to do some hill training when I get home - my climbing has deteriorated big time..
Race stats: 110km, 2:54, 37km.h, 142bpm ave, 171 max, 22C ave, 24C max, 900m climbing
Tomorrow it is off to Kapellen, about 15kms away for a 117km race. Will update again tomorrow night.
The group split at 36kms and we all rejoined again at 50kms just before a 3km steep climb. I took strain on the climb and settled in a chasing group of 9. The font group was probably around 35 riders, so I knew we were out of money for the day - paying up to 30th. Each lap of the circuit I however noticed more and more riders having pulled out so I knew we could just just be in for some prize money, lol.
I had set aside all my money for the last week - air change fare, taxi money, rent money, and race money and used the remaining money almost to the cent on some groceries this morning. So I knew I had no money left and it was pretty important I get some money out of 1 of these 5 races. Well, I'm glad to say I just managed coming 29th and taking 12 Euro home for the efforts. We did a hard ride into the wind and over many more hills home making for a 180km day.
I will need to do some hill training when I get home - my climbing has deteriorated big time..
Race stats: 110km, 2:54, 37km.h, 142bpm ave, 171 max, 22C ave, 24C max, 900m climbing
Tomorrow it is off to Kapellen, about 15kms away for a 117km race. Will update again tomorrow night.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wrap-up of Holiday week
The last 2 days of holiday week...
Thursday
What a rushed day. Seriously, I have very little time to kill these days. I got up at 11:15 (ja ja ja), decided impromptu to do Begijnendijk before riding to Tijl's parents, so quickly had breakfast and left home at 12:15. Popped back briefly at 14:30 for some warm stuff and then left for Hoeilaart. Tijl left out it was a hilly area with no cycling paths, so at times I had a string of trucks and cars behind me - all very patient I must add.
We had a lovely South-African / Belgium evening, you decide: KWV Roodeberg, South African Chenin Blanc, Boerewors, Steak and Jupiter beer that tasted like Castle. The only Belgian thing was the young Gouda and some radish/cabbage veggie. It was a lovely evening - thanks Tijl - and I got home at 21:30. The journey home was a difficult one as the wines and beer churned around my stomach making for some awkward moments. I couldn't say no to Belgian hospitality...
Friday
Ok, I messed up with the location of today's race and it was further than expected, hence taking the day off. I made good use of it I can tell you...
I got up at 9 to get to the bike shop an hour away before the close at 12:00. Unfortunately it rained so I had to hang 10 until the weather cleared up. Left home at 10:15, got to the shop, bought pedals, a big blade and some tires for the tandem and then continued to a coffee shop in Westerlo. A quintessential little place filled with books, the aroma of coffee and the ambiance completed by 60s music playing softly in the background. I walked in and was greeted by some people in the shop, sat down, and we all - owner, fellow townies and myself - continued with conversations about Belgium, South Africa, diamonds, Mandela, Tom Boonen, cycling, Obama, rooibos tea and philosophy. 3 hrs later I left there and rode home. What a relaxing day. Well, I was a little jittery from all the coffee after that ;)
After all the coffee it was time for some Rooibos tea. The coffee and tea gets served with a slice of lemon sponge cake. The coffee however gets served with some liqueur (occasionally with cream on the liqueur) of some sort. Interesting...
Tomorrow
I am racing in Wallogne again in a town by the name of Saint Trond. The race finishes in Bousalle 30kms away but I managed to get a lift with 1 of the guys in the house. Race is 120km and we riding the 60kms home. Will update the blog tomorrow night.
Have a good weekend all! Some photos to make your mouth water...
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Thursday
What a rushed day. Seriously, I have very little time to kill these days. I got up at 11:15 (ja ja ja), decided impromptu to do Begijnendijk before riding to Tijl's parents, so quickly had breakfast and left home at 12:15. Popped back briefly at 14:30 for some warm stuff and then left for Hoeilaart. Tijl left out it was a hilly area with no cycling paths, so at times I had a string of trucks and cars behind me - all very patient I must add.
We had a lovely South-African / Belgium evening, you decide: KWV Roodeberg, South African Chenin Blanc, Boerewors, Steak and Jupiter beer that tasted like Castle. The only Belgian thing was the young Gouda and some radish/cabbage veggie. It was a lovely evening - thanks Tijl - and I got home at 21:30. The journey home was a difficult one as the wines and beer churned around my stomach making for some awkward moments. I couldn't say no to Belgian hospitality...
Friday
Ok, I messed up with the location of today's race and it was further than expected, hence taking the day off. I made good use of it I can tell you...
I got up at 9 to get to the bike shop an hour away before the close at 12:00. Unfortunately it rained so I had to hang 10 until the weather cleared up. Left home at 10:15, got to the shop, bought pedals, a big blade and some tires for the tandem and then continued to a coffee shop in Westerlo. A quintessential little place filled with books, the aroma of coffee and the ambiance completed by 60s music playing softly in the background. I walked in and was greeted by some people in the shop, sat down, and we all - owner, fellow townies and myself - continued with conversations about Belgium, South Africa, diamonds, Mandela, Tom Boonen, cycling, Obama, rooibos tea and philosophy. 3 hrs later I left there and rode home. What a relaxing day. Well, I was a little jittery from all the coffee after that ;)
After all the coffee it was time for some Rooibos tea. The coffee and tea gets served with a slice of lemon sponge cake. The coffee however gets served with some liqueur (occasionally with cream on the liqueur) of some sort. Interesting...
Tomorrow
I am racing in Wallogne again in a town by the name of Saint Trond. The race finishes in Bousalle 30kms away but I managed to get a lift with 1 of the guys in the house. Race is 120km and we riding the 60kms home. Will update the blog tomorrow night.
Have a good weekend all! Some photos to make your mouth water...
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Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Holiday time
Ok, so the post is titled holiday time as I have taken a break from racing. I needed some head rest. I have nevertheless had a busy time the last 3 days, so catch it all below!
Monday
Ok, maybe not such a busy day, ha ha. I woke up in a cleaning mood today - can you believe it. So I vacuumed and mopped the lounge, entrance hall, kitchen, bathroom and my room. I then cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen. Washed my bedsheets (not for the first time), washed some other washing, shaved my legs, shaved my beard, went shopping, read a few chapters of my husband book and then cooked supper. Wow, what a domesticated day!
Luke and I then left for Leuven at 16:00 and had coffee and deep conversations about the meaning of life and cycling for 3 hours in the town square before coming home for supper and some veg-in-front-of-the-TV time. We discussed the role of cycling in our lives, the priority we give to it, what else there is in life and what we are sacrificing. It is really difficult to explain to people, cyclists and non-cyclists, about what you discover when you come over to race here. We tend to get so consumed in our little worlds we are exposed to - our local office, our local cycling community, our local church, etc that we miss so so so much. They always say an overseas trip is an eye opener in ways you don't always expect. And even if this trip was just to do that it was successful. Chris and I have gone through tough times the last few weeks and have been challenged in many ways. Allthough many couples would prefer not to have such an experience of being apart, it reveals many things to one another of yourself, your relationship with each other, your goals, your existance. Sjoe, I'm getting way to philosophical now. Be sure to read my "final thoughts" I'll post when I end the trip in 10 days' time.
It was really good to have a relaxing day of no stress, no time limits, just take it easy. Yes, I am on a 'holiday' here but it is by no means stress free and relaxing. Work is a 5-day commitment, cycling over here is a 6-day 8hr+ commitment which is physically and mentally very draining.
Tuesday
Ok, so today was going to be a big day. I had planned to go to the Ardennes on Wednesday with Helen, but she received a last minute invite to a tour so I was left home alone. The Ardennes is a region in the South of Belgium stretching into France, Luxemburg and some of Germany covered with hills, rivers and lush forests. It is apparently a must-see area and great for riding so I decided to go see it. Easier said than done except if you take a train. As the crow flies the Ardennes 60kms South, so to ride there gives you a 80km ride 1-way. I sat on GMaps and planned my route. A there-and-back route would be a waste of time: If I am going to ride 160kms I may aswell do a round trip and see some of the country. Well, 230kms and 9hrs later I got home but boy, WHAT A DAY!
Map of my ride - Brussels included in the top left for reference.
First stop was Namur. A bigger than expected city on the border of the Ardennes. I originally planned to go more South but the French road signs were getting to me and I was starting to get annoyed with not really knowing where I was going. All I had to navigate on my 230kms was 1/2 an A5 piece of paper with "Tielt-Tienen-Namur-N90-Liege-N3-Sint Truden" written on it. That is not a lot if you are trying to navigate through highways, side streets, random points of interest etc. Saying Namur is big implies that I was forced to veer off the main roads to get into the City and see some lovely spots. Photos below of my having a bit next to the river in Namur and with a castle in the background, little tunnels I had to ride through to get to the top of the hill where the castle is and then views from the top. Remember, where I stay in Flaanders it is all flat, so this is serious stuff for Belgium!
Next stop was Liege. It was a long stretch but with the well-known Liege-Bastogne-Liege race starting and finishing in the town I had to pay tribute to the town. En-route some photos. It was beautiful with the road meandering along the river on the left and the cliffs on either side. It reminded me a bit of the cliffs of Dover / driving from George to Wilderness / the mountains at Harties. If you have been to all these places I hope you can see the resemblance... Also see the vineyards and the shades of greens on the river bank.
On the way I past through a STUNNING town: Huy. Wow, why does no-one speak of this town. See the photo below of the fort, the cable car going up to it, the bridge over the river in the forefront. Wow, what a beautiful town.
Then it was time for Liege. Now this was seriously a big town. Goodness me I truly under estimated this place. Personally, it is a scumwhole to be honest. There is really nothing to see, it is polluted, the roads are poorly marked and it is French - I won't recommend it to anyone. Ok, the French is maybe a personal dilemma of not understanding the language... See the entrance to the town below and some Princess' palace. That is the extent of attractions in Liege...
This was also when I reached an ultimate low-point in my ride. I had to dig very deep not to go sit in the corner and feel depressed. Let me paint the picture:
* My road I had been following into Liege just stopped and turned into a new name. The road signs started pointing in all directions. I continued to follow the signs saying "Centrum" through polluted industrial areas with no space for bicycles and big trucks giving me NO space. The "Centrum" signs also got really confusing at times pointing in 3 different directions at one intersection. Random riding brought me back into town and to the city centre. Took the photos above and took a breather.
* I was now properly lost. All I knew was that I was in the middle of a big city.
* I was getting hungry and it was 6hrs into my ride.
* Like a beaming beacon I spotted the universally known green "i" indicating information. The punks couldn't or wouldn't speak English and had no idea where I wanted to go. Probably because I had the Flemish name of a town in Flaanders and I was now in French speaking Wallogne where they have different names for towns in Flaanders. He pointed to a suburb and told me to look get directions there. Also said no-no to cycling there, I must take bus. Big roads. Whatever dude.
* Then it started getting very cold as I tried to weave through buses and unfriendly city driving people.
* Then it started to rain - not the drizzle type, but a serious bucketing of rain. I thought since the rain came so quickly and so powerfully that it would stop as quickly as it started but it continued. Clearly time for the rain jacket. So now I was starting get wet, I'm cold and I'm hungry.
* So I hopped onto the pavement but my backwheel slipped on the wet cobble stones and I wiped out good and proper. Bike lying on 1 side with the classic site of the backwheel spinning and me lying in the pavement ditch where the water is streaming over me down the road. My hip torn open and burning.
Sjoe, it was tough times I can tell you! I got up, picked my bike up and leaned against the wall where there was 1/2m of shelter I wanted to stop in. There was no-one I could blame so a deep breath and go through the motions..jacket on, spin the wheels and pull the brakes a few times, pull my pants together and straight, ride and pray it is in the right direction and don't think about anything, just ride your bike - you chop.
The rain continued for another 20mins before dying down. I rode a bit more to stay warm and then found a food stop and had a well deserved break. I also discovered I was going in the right direction so things cheered up.
Now I haven't written about the following sights yet. Another deep conversation, so just skip it for some light reading.
The photo below is of a, uhm, men's club / brothel or whorehouse for lack of a better word. These houses are on the main rd and girls sit in the windows with lingerie on like shops would demo their clothes, furniture or cars. When she saw me take a photo she bolted off her chair. How has the world become so morally declined that humans decide to sell themselves - not for what they can mentally or physically do, but purely for the selfish desires of other humans. You see these places scattered along the road - I easily saw over 50 of them - all with girls in the windows. Wow, it is sad. No think about this - there this woman sits in the window showing herself off, because a man, who is so desperate for sex that he would pay to have it with a complete stranger, wants to see before going to her and then have the choice of saying "no thanks, even in my state of desperation I don't want to do it with you". Wow, how low must a woman's self esteem go to not just being told she isn't sexy but being told she isn't sexy for someone who is completely desperate - now that is an insult. My word, these people need God.
I got home at 19:30, cooked supper and walked around like a zombie for next few hours before going to sleep. What a lovely day. The other people in the house think I'm crazy, but they don't understand that I don't get time to ride my bike, so when I get the chance I use it to it's full extent, lol.
Wednesday (yes, birthday time)
We decided to go for bottomless pizzas on offer by Pizza Hut from 12:00 - 14:00. So we hit the road at 09:30 for a 2hr ride to get the metabolism going. Went down to Hoegaarden and onto an old train track that has been converted into a 60km long bike path. We were only on it for about 2kms before having to head back - but really pretty and quite. A nice change from fighting for road space with 18 wheeler trucks and tractors with long trailers. In the photo below is Luke from Australia and Rachel from New-Zealand.
We got to Pizzahut at 13:00, ate plenty of pizza, walked around town, went for coffee, walked around town, went for milkshakes, walked around town and got home at 19:00. In the photo Ricardo from the UK.
Tomorrow I am heading to Tijl's parents 40kms away for supper. Looking forward to some home cooked Belgian food! I ate enough during pizza time today so my next meal will be tomorrow night. Friday I race again.
Thank you for all the birthday emails/SMS's
Monday
Ok, maybe not such a busy day, ha ha. I woke up in a cleaning mood today - can you believe it. So I vacuumed and mopped the lounge, entrance hall, kitchen, bathroom and my room. I then cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen. Washed my bedsheets (not for the first time), washed some other washing, shaved my legs, shaved my beard, went shopping, read a few chapters of my husband book and then cooked supper. Wow, what a domesticated day!
Luke and I then left for Leuven at 16:00 and had coffee and deep conversations about the meaning of life and cycling for 3 hours in the town square before coming home for supper and some veg-in-front-of-the-TV time. We discussed the role of cycling in our lives, the priority we give to it, what else there is in life and what we are sacrificing. It is really difficult to explain to people, cyclists and non-cyclists, about what you discover when you come over to race here. We tend to get so consumed in our little worlds we are exposed to - our local office, our local cycling community, our local church, etc that we miss so so so much. They always say an overseas trip is an eye opener in ways you don't always expect. And even if this trip was just to do that it was successful. Chris and I have gone through tough times the last few weeks and have been challenged in many ways. Allthough many couples would prefer not to have such an experience of being apart, it reveals many things to one another of yourself, your relationship with each other, your goals, your existance. Sjoe, I'm getting way to philosophical now. Be sure to read my "final thoughts" I'll post when I end the trip in 10 days' time.
It was really good to have a relaxing day of no stress, no time limits, just take it easy. Yes, I am on a 'holiday' here but it is by no means stress free and relaxing. Work is a 5-day commitment, cycling over here is a 6-day 8hr+ commitment which is physically and mentally very draining.
Tuesday
Ok, so today was going to be a big day. I had planned to go to the Ardennes on Wednesday with Helen, but she received a last minute invite to a tour so I was left home alone. The Ardennes is a region in the South of Belgium stretching into France, Luxemburg and some of Germany covered with hills, rivers and lush forests. It is apparently a must-see area and great for riding so I decided to go see it. Easier said than done except if you take a train. As the crow flies the Ardennes 60kms South, so to ride there gives you a 80km ride 1-way. I sat on GMaps and planned my route. A there-and-back route would be a waste of time: If I am going to ride 160kms I may aswell do a round trip and see some of the country. Well, 230kms and 9hrs later I got home but boy, WHAT A DAY!
Map of my ride - Brussels included in the top left for reference.
First stop was Namur. A bigger than expected city on the border of the Ardennes. I originally planned to go more South but the French road signs were getting to me and I was starting to get annoyed with not really knowing where I was going. All I had to navigate on my 230kms was 1/2 an A5 piece of paper with "Tielt-Tienen-Namur-N90-Liege-N3-Sint Truden" written on it. That is not a lot if you are trying to navigate through highways, side streets, random points of interest etc. Saying Namur is big implies that I was forced to veer off the main roads to get into the City and see some lovely spots. Photos below of my having a bit next to the river in Namur and with a castle in the background, little tunnels I had to ride through to get to the top of the hill where the castle is and then views from the top. Remember, where I stay in Flaanders it is all flat, so this is serious stuff for Belgium!
Next stop was Liege. It was a long stretch but with the well-known Liege-Bastogne-Liege race starting and finishing in the town I had to pay tribute to the town. En-route some photos. It was beautiful with the road meandering along the river on the left and the cliffs on either side. It reminded me a bit of the cliffs of Dover / driving from George to Wilderness / the mountains at Harties. If you have been to all these places I hope you can see the resemblance... Also see the vineyards and the shades of greens on the river bank.
On the way I past through a STUNNING town: Huy. Wow, why does no-one speak of this town. See the photo below of the fort, the cable car going up to it, the bridge over the river in the forefront. Wow, what a beautiful town.
Then it was time for Liege. Now this was seriously a big town. Goodness me I truly under estimated this place. Personally, it is a scumwhole to be honest. There is really nothing to see, it is polluted, the roads are poorly marked and it is French - I won't recommend it to anyone. Ok, the French is maybe a personal dilemma of not understanding the language... See the entrance to the town below and some Princess' palace. That is the extent of attractions in Liege...
This was also when I reached an ultimate low-point in my ride. I had to dig very deep not to go sit in the corner and feel depressed. Let me paint the picture:
* My road I had been following into Liege just stopped and turned into a new name. The road signs started pointing in all directions. I continued to follow the signs saying "Centrum" through polluted industrial areas with no space for bicycles and big trucks giving me NO space. The "Centrum" signs also got really confusing at times pointing in 3 different directions at one intersection. Random riding brought me back into town and to the city centre. Took the photos above and took a breather.
* I was now properly lost. All I knew was that I was in the middle of a big city.
* I was getting hungry and it was 6hrs into my ride.
* Like a beaming beacon I spotted the universally known green "i" indicating information. The punks couldn't or wouldn't speak English and had no idea where I wanted to go. Probably because I had the Flemish name of a town in Flaanders and I was now in French speaking Wallogne where they have different names for towns in Flaanders. He pointed to a suburb and told me to look get directions there. Also said no-no to cycling there, I must take bus. Big roads. Whatever dude.
* Then it started getting very cold as I tried to weave through buses and unfriendly city driving people.
* Then it started to rain - not the drizzle type, but a serious bucketing of rain. I thought since the rain came so quickly and so powerfully that it would stop as quickly as it started but it continued. Clearly time for the rain jacket. So now I was starting get wet, I'm cold and I'm hungry.
* So I hopped onto the pavement but my backwheel slipped on the wet cobble stones and I wiped out good and proper. Bike lying on 1 side with the classic site of the backwheel spinning and me lying in the pavement ditch where the water is streaming over me down the road. My hip torn open and burning.
Sjoe, it was tough times I can tell you! I got up, picked my bike up and leaned against the wall where there was 1/2m of shelter I wanted to stop in. There was no-one I could blame so a deep breath and go through the motions..jacket on, spin the wheels and pull the brakes a few times, pull my pants together and straight, ride and pray it is in the right direction and don't think about anything, just ride your bike - you chop.
The rain continued for another 20mins before dying down. I rode a bit more to stay warm and then found a food stop and had a well deserved break. I also discovered I was going in the right direction so things cheered up.
Now I haven't written about the following sights yet. Another deep conversation, so just skip it for some light reading.
The photo below is of a, uhm, men's club / brothel or whorehouse for lack of a better word. These houses are on the main rd and girls sit in the windows with lingerie on like shops would demo their clothes, furniture or cars. When she saw me take a photo she bolted off her chair. How has the world become so morally declined that humans decide to sell themselves - not for what they can mentally or physically do, but purely for the selfish desires of other humans. You see these places scattered along the road - I easily saw over 50 of them - all with girls in the windows. Wow, it is sad. No think about this - there this woman sits in the window showing herself off, because a man, who is so desperate for sex that he would pay to have it with a complete stranger, wants to see before going to her and then have the choice of saying "no thanks, even in my state of desperation I don't want to do it with you". Wow, how low must a woman's self esteem go to not just being told she isn't sexy but being told she isn't sexy for someone who is completely desperate - now that is an insult. My word, these people need God.
I got home at 19:30, cooked supper and walked around like a zombie for next few hours before going to sleep. What a lovely day. The other people in the house think I'm crazy, but they don't understand that I don't get time to ride my bike, so when I get the chance I use it to it's full extent, lol.
Wednesday (yes, birthday time)
We decided to go for bottomless pizzas on offer by Pizza Hut from 12:00 - 14:00. So we hit the road at 09:30 for a 2hr ride to get the metabolism going. Went down to Hoegaarden and onto an old train track that has been converted into a 60km long bike path. We were only on it for about 2kms before having to head back - but really pretty and quite. A nice change from fighting for road space with 18 wheeler trucks and tractors with long trailers. In the photo below is Luke from Australia and Rachel from New-Zealand.
We got to Pizzahut at 13:00, ate plenty of pizza, walked around town, went for coffee, walked around town, went for milkshakes, walked around town and got home at 19:00. In the photo Ricardo from the UK.
Tomorrow I am heading to Tijl's parents 40kms away for supper. Looking forward to some home cooked Belgian food! I ate enough during pizza time today so my next meal will be tomorrow night. Friday I race again.
Thank you for all the birthday emails/SMS's
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Someone Turns 26 Today!!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Race #9 and #10
Race 9 - Pulderbosch
I went with Luke to this race and we decided to take the train in order to shorten the riding time to the race. It was 60kms away. With the train trip it meant we only had to ride 30kms to the race. It was a hot day, with my watch recording 30C average while riding there. I was meant to rest last week but with the long rides and the heat my body was feeling tired - no way to start a race, I did feel superficially rested though ha ha. That was until the first corner when I needed my legs to give me some power that I realised the muscles were still recovering.
The race was a bit disappointing in that when the neutral vehicle sped off after taking us around the first hairpin there was a crash in the front of the bunch on the tiniest of roads. Subsequently 10guys got away and stayed away until the end. We closed the gap down to 10s after 6 laps but then the bunch decided the race was over and by the next lap the time gap was 1:30. It remained that until the end. I had to dig deep at times and got some really good cornering training in. My legs adapted to the speed and effort and by the final straight I felt some renewed power and went for the sprint, way too far out with about 1000m to go. I quickly opened a sizeable gap but with 200m to go my legs faded. I finished in the bunch but out of prize money.
Race stats: New max HR of 191, ave 145, 42.2 ave, max 70, 2h38, 110kms
Race 10 - Ulbeek-Wambeek Cycling is a haaaaaarrrrrrrd sport
I popped over to the apartment next door to check if the guys were joining me - a guess more of a formality than really expecting them to. Indeed. they looked like zombies plonked down on the couch watching the Grand Prix. Nevermind, I'll go alone.
With 42kms to the race in 31C and headwind, it was a hard ride. I knew I wasn't going to last long but I thought 3Euros for the extra training isn't too bad a deal. It was a very fast race, wow. I guess the same average speed as the other races but they guys were seriously pumping it and I couldn't respond. I lasted 60kms before the commissar's vehicle came past - then you know it is race over. Time to tackle the long ride home.
Race stats: 31C ave 33C max, 42kph 60max
All in all, 320kms done on the weekend and now I really do have to rest. This week there aren't many races in our area, so a good opportunity to take some time off. From Friday there is a race within 20kms until when I leave a week later. So I better rest this week and then I'll be able to whack it next week.
I went with Luke to this race and we decided to take the train in order to shorten the riding time to the race. It was 60kms away. With the train trip it meant we only had to ride 30kms to the race. It was a hot day, with my watch recording 30C average while riding there. I was meant to rest last week but with the long rides and the heat my body was feeling tired - no way to start a race, I did feel superficially rested though ha ha. That was until the first corner when I needed my legs to give me some power that I realised the muscles were still recovering.
The race was a bit disappointing in that when the neutral vehicle sped off after taking us around the first hairpin there was a crash in the front of the bunch on the tiniest of roads. Subsequently 10guys got away and stayed away until the end. We closed the gap down to 10s after 6 laps but then the bunch decided the race was over and by the next lap the time gap was 1:30. It remained that until the end. I had to dig deep at times and got some really good cornering training in. My legs adapted to the speed and effort and by the final straight I felt some renewed power and went for the sprint, way too far out with about 1000m to go. I quickly opened a sizeable gap but with 200m to go my legs faded. I finished in the bunch but out of prize money.
Race stats: New max HR of 191, ave 145, 42.2 ave, max 70, 2h38, 110kms
Race 10 - Ulbeek-Wambeek Cycling is a haaaaaarrrrrrrd sport
I popped over to the apartment next door to check if the guys were joining me - a guess more of a formality than really expecting them to. Indeed. they looked like zombies plonked down on the couch watching the Grand Prix. Nevermind, I'll go alone.
With 42kms to the race in 31C and headwind, it was a hard ride. I knew I wasn't going to last long but I thought 3Euros for the extra training isn't too bad a deal. It was a very fast race, wow. I guess the same average speed as the other races but they guys were seriously pumping it and I couldn't respond. I lasted 60kms before the commissar's vehicle came past - then you know it is race over. Time to tackle the long ride home.
Race stats: 31C ave 33C max, 42kph 60max
All in all, 320kms done on the weekend and now I really do have to rest. This week there aren't many races in our area, so a good opportunity to take some time off. From Friday there is a race within 20kms until when I leave a week later. So I better rest this week and then I'll be able to whack it next week.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Eneco Tour
We were trying to find somewhere to ride on Friday when we finally decided on a bike path to Hoegaarden. While stretching before the ride, the coverage of the Eneco tour came onto TV and they said today's stage finishes in Hasselt. Hey, that is close to us, lets go there! So I quickly checked out the route online and we were off.
We raced there to get to the town before the peleton and just managed to see them do 1 lap of the town and then the finish. It was amazing to see all the helicopters, lead vehicles, motorbikes, follow vehicles, team cars etc. A serious entourage! It was the first time I saw a pro race, so bare with me ;)
As the bunch came to the line, it was evident that Boonen was going for it and the crowd went crazy. Hasselt is Tom Boonen's home town, so the crowd was 100% behind him. With his first victory in the Belgium colours, the crowd again went mad as they announced he had won the race.
Results from Cycling news:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/eneco-tour-upt/stages/stage-4/results
Some photos from the tour:
Remember I posted a photo a few weeks ago about the farmer going on holiday "Boer soek ruzt"?Well, the story continues...
and
Off to the race now.
We raced there to get to the town before the peleton and just managed to see them do 1 lap of the town and then the finish. It was amazing to see all the helicopters, lead vehicles, motorbikes, follow vehicles, team cars etc. A serious entourage! It was the first time I saw a pro race, so bare with me ;)
As the bunch came to the line, it was evident that Boonen was going for it and the crowd went crazy. Hasselt is Tom Boonen's home town, so the crowd was 100% behind him. With his first victory in the Belgium colours, the crowd again went mad as they announced he had won the race.
Results from Cycling news:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/eneco-tour-upt/stages/stage-4/results
Some photos from the tour:
Remember I posted a photo a few weeks ago about the farmer going on holiday "Boer soek ruzt"?Well, the story continues...
and
Off to the race now.
Rest & Recovery
The last few days have been a good opportunity to take some time off and relax. I've been racing and riding a lot and my body has started to take strain. I also couldn't keep up with cooking, so I had to tone the exercise down a little. Last night I made pancakes in desperation at 23:45!
Wednesday the plan was to ride to the bikeshop, but fortunately Stef was going there and offered us a lift. I rode in the evening with Luke, a mere 40kms and it was total agony. The bike shop was a serious let down. This is supposedly 1 of the best bike shops in the country, but it was smaller than a small bike shop at home with hardly any variety and prices the same as at home. I only got a chain ring, a cluster, a chain and some energy drink as I had run out of mine. It was so good to get out of the house on Wednesday morning and not be on the bike. It was just what my mind needed.
Yesterday, knowing that I wasn't racing today, I used the opportunity to put in a long ride. I rode with Helen to Begijnendijk for the 13:00 group ride. It was hot! Yesterday the news reported that it was the hottest day in Belgium with the mercury reaching 38.2C. I recorded max 40C and ave 35C on my 6hr ride. It was intense with a reasonably hot berg wind blowing. The weather cooled down rapidly in the evening and we were treated to thunder and lightning - real Jhb weather conditions! I stopped after the ride for some water and a Coke, then stopped again for water. Then again in Leuven for a Coke and again in Tienen for water. It felt good to ride without the intensity of a race.
Today is another relaxing day. I'll probably do 3-4hrs this afternoon.
This weekend we are racing again. It is going to be a tough weekend as both Saturday's and Sunday's races are 50kms away (and then you race 120km). But, with this week's rest and knowing there are no races for a few days next week, it will be worth pushing through.
Have a good weekend all!
Some pictures from recent rides:
All shops need to be closed at least 1 day per week. This can be any day - which makes shopping at a specific store a bit difficult. Most shops are closed on Mondays though
This is to help you not get lost - whatever!
Wednesday the plan was to ride to the bikeshop, but fortunately Stef was going there and offered us a lift. I rode in the evening with Luke, a mere 40kms and it was total agony. The bike shop was a serious let down. This is supposedly 1 of the best bike shops in the country, but it was smaller than a small bike shop at home with hardly any variety and prices the same as at home. I only got a chain ring, a cluster, a chain and some energy drink as I had run out of mine. It was so good to get out of the house on Wednesday morning and not be on the bike. It was just what my mind needed.
Yesterday, knowing that I wasn't racing today, I used the opportunity to put in a long ride. I rode with Helen to Begijnendijk for the 13:00 group ride. It was hot! Yesterday the news reported that it was the hottest day in Belgium with the mercury reaching 38.2C. I recorded max 40C and ave 35C on my 6hr ride. It was intense with a reasonably hot berg wind blowing. The weather cooled down rapidly in the evening and we were treated to thunder and lightning - real Jhb weather conditions! I stopped after the ride for some water and a Coke, then stopped again for water. Then again in Leuven for a Coke and again in Tienen for water. It felt good to ride without the intensity of a race.
Today is another relaxing day. I'll probably do 3-4hrs this afternoon.
This weekend we are racing again. It is going to be a tough weekend as both Saturday's and Sunday's races are 50kms away (and then you race 120km). But, with this week's rest and knowing there are no races for a few days next week, it will be worth pushing through.
Have a good weekend all!
Some pictures from recent rides:
All shops need to be closed at least 1 day per week. This can be any day - which makes shopping at a specific store a bit difficult. Most shops are closed on Mondays though
This is to help you not get lost - whatever!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Race # 8 - Jauche
Just a quick one, it is 12:45 and I need to go sleep.
I raced in the French part of Belgium today - Wallogne, in a town called Jauche some 40kms away. The Belgians I am discovering operate as 2 entities - the French and the Flemins. Different provinces, different government and even different cycling organisations - in the SAME country! I would like to quote Obelix and say "These Belgians are crazy".
The South of Belgium has a hilly landscape and today's 7km circuit did not have a single bit of flat road. We were ether going up on terrible roads or going down cobble stones. It was a stunning circuit though and made for some exciting racing. With the new province I raced in I didn't recognise anyone. After covering a few moves and initiating some in the first few laps the field decided to race against me. There we some stern exchanges of words during the race and some very close fist swings, but I made it out alive. With 800m to go I thought I was in it for a top 10 when, in the space of 10m, 50 riders moved from behind me to in front of me and formed an impenetrable wall. Argh. I didn't wait for positions - just handed my number back, but it was probably around 50th. I had a good race though and got some really good intensity work out of it.
Afterwards I played postman and dropped off a parcel at Meryl's host family near Jodoigne, about 12kms (or 20kms if you write the wrong directions down from GMaps) away. It was now 21:00 and I was well hungry having last eaten at home at 14:00. I think I made it obvious enough, as they offered me some bread, cheese and cold meats. I left there at 21:30 only to ride 30kms back home in the dark on poorly paved bikepaths in streets without lights. Got home at 22:40. Sjoe, not recommended! I normally follow the rule of only writing down directions to the races - I have to figure my own way back. Well, in the dark and with French names (as oppose to Flemish names!!!) for the same town and being in the dark, the trip was an adventurous one.
A long day out with 40kms to the race, 115km race and 50kms home. Race stats: 115km, 2hr50, 900m climbing, 27C ave.
Oh, on the supporting front - I saw cycling supporters taking it to the next level. Ok, it is already impressive having people watch cycling races and bringing cooler boxes with water for riders they don't know and their chairs. Yesterday there were some people with radios tapped into the commissaire's radio which meant they could follow the race as it was unfolding - who is in the break, who has been dropped, etc. etc. AMAZING!
Stef and Helen, the British couple from whom I am renting a room have made friends with a local Belgian couple in their late 50s: Harry and Emilia. Harry had a motorcycle accident at the age of 17 and could never ride but he absolutely loves cycling. Neither of his 2 sons (around 30) ride, but Harry and Emilia are at all the races handing out bottles, lending a helping hand and having some basic cycling tools and a useful foot pump. It is amazing to see how people can give so unsacrificially. Through them I also met Rudi - a local mid 40s guy who also goes to all the races. We now look for them at the races and they look after our bags, translate any information into English and hand us bottles during the races. AWESOME!
Tomorrow Luke and I are heading to the bikeshop, yippee. It is 40kms away though... Oh no, says the bank balance. Bike parts are about 1/2 the price here, so I am going to stock up on tires, chains, sprockets, cycling clothes and hopefully that is it.
after 1am again... Goodnight
I raced in the French part of Belgium today - Wallogne, in a town called Jauche some 40kms away. The Belgians I am discovering operate as 2 entities - the French and the Flemins. Different provinces, different government and even different cycling organisations - in the SAME country! I would like to quote Obelix and say "These Belgians are crazy".
The South of Belgium has a hilly landscape and today's 7km circuit did not have a single bit of flat road. We were ether going up on terrible roads or going down cobble stones. It was a stunning circuit though and made for some exciting racing. With the new province I raced in I didn't recognise anyone. After covering a few moves and initiating some in the first few laps the field decided to race against me. There we some stern exchanges of words during the race and some very close fist swings, but I made it out alive. With 800m to go I thought I was in it for a top 10 when, in the space of 10m, 50 riders moved from behind me to in front of me and formed an impenetrable wall. Argh. I didn't wait for positions - just handed my number back, but it was probably around 50th. I had a good race though and got some really good intensity work out of it.
Afterwards I played postman and dropped off a parcel at Meryl's host family near Jodoigne, about 12kms (or 20kms if you write the wrong directions down from GMaps) away. It was now 21:00 and I was well hungry having last eaten at home at 14:00. I think I made it obvious enough, as they offered me some bread, cheese and cold meats. I left there at 21:30 only to ride 30kms back home in the dark on poorly paved bikepaths in streets without lights. Got home at 22:40. Sjoe, not recommended! I normally follow the rule of only writing down directions to the races - I have to figure my own way back. Well, in the dark and with French names (as oppose to Flemish names!!!) for the same town and being in the dark, the trip was an adventurous one.
A long day out with 40kms to the race, 115km race and 50kms home. Race stats: 115km, 2hr50, 900m climbing, 27C ave.
Oh, on the supporting front - I saw cycling supporters taking it to the next level. Ok, it is already impressive having people watch cycling races and bringing cooler boxes with water for riders they don't know and their chairs. Yesterday there were some people with radios tapped into the commissaire's radio which meant they could follow the race as it was unfolding - who is in the break, who has been dropped, etc. etc. AMAZING!
Stef and Helen, the British couple from whom I am renting a room have made friends with a local Belgian couple in their late 50s: Harry and Emilia. Harry had a motorcycle accident at the age of 17 and could never ride but he absolutely loves cycling. Neither of his 2 sons (around 30) ride, but Harry and Emilia are at all the races handing out bottles, lending a helping hand and having some basic cycling tools and a useful foot pump. It is amazing to see how people can give so unsacrificially. Through them I also met Rudi - a local mid 40s guy who also goes to all the races. We now look for them at the races and they look after our bags, translate any information into English and hand us bottles during the races. AWESOME!
Tomorrow Luke and I are heading to the bikeshop, yippee. It is 40kms away though... Oh no, says the bank balance. Bike parts are about 1/2 the price here, so I am going to stock up on tires, chains, sprockets, cycling clothes and hopefully that is it.
after 1am again... Goodnight
Monday, August 17, 2009
Race #7 - Geelbek
I mentioned yesterday I would have a late night. Well, it turned out that I had missed another race taking place today. So here I was ready to race 80kms at a slightly lower speed at 19:00, when Luke says to me at 13:00 "Are you coming to the race, mate?" in his Aussie accent. "Ja swaer, later" was my response. Nope, 145km race at 15:00. We leaving in 10mins.
We rode 20kms to the race and I knew it wasn't going to happen. My legs were still trying to recover from the last 2 weeks' punishment. After 500m of racing it was confirmed, but I managed to race 50kms before my legs stopped responding. I used the rest of my time to hand out bottles on a hot day.
My legs feel better tonight and I have my compression pants back on - hoping they will do the trick after not using them the last 4 days.
Tomorrow I am heading down to unknown territory: Wallogne, the French part of Belgium. I hope I make it back alive... I am also planning (being the operative word) on stopping in at Meryl's family in Melin en route home. Bit of a round trip in the French province should prove interesting. The race is the usual 1.12B 120km race but the Southern part of Belgium has some hills in it. Will see about that... Oh, I did a cobble stone climb close to our home - it is unreal. I have new found respect for the riders racing over cobble climbs.
We are scheduled for a heat wave the rest of this week in Europe, so some nice summer days to look forward to while Cape Town is being washed away by the cold fronts.
I must go sleep now. It is 1am and I am still eating pasta and nuts. Arg, I can't feed my body enough food!
We rode 20kms to the race and I knew it wasn't going to happen. My legs were still trying to recover from the last 2 weeks' punishment. After 500m of racing it was confirmed, but I managed to race 50kms before my legs stopped responding. I used the rest of my time to hand out bottles on a hot day.
My legs feel better tonight and I have my compression pants back on - hoping they will do the trick after not using them the last 4 days.
Tomorrow I am heading down to unknown territory: Wallogne, the French part of Belgium. I hope I make it back alive... I am also planning (being the operative word) on stopping in at Meryl's family in Melin en route home. Bit of a round trip in the French province should prove interesting. The race is the usual 1.12B 120km race but the Southern part of Belgium has some hills in it. Will see about that... Oh, I did a cobble stone climb close to our home - it is unreal. I have new found respect for the riders racing over cobble climbs.
We are scheduled for a heat wave the rest of this week in Europe, so some nice summer days to look forward to while Cape Town is being washed away by the cold fronts.
I must go sleep now. It is 1am and I am still eating pasta and nuts. Arg, I can't feed my body enough food!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Sunday rest day
Wow, I ate lots last night and today. I had 3 suppers and woke up this morning ravenous. While walking down the stairs to the kitchen I realised my legs were absolutely tickets. The energy jells yesterday did they trick - they kept me going well beyond my means and subsequently drained every bit of energy and ripped every muscle tissue at the same time. I tried to do as little was possible the rest of the day.
As mentioned yesterday, it was the home town race. Friday night was a running race in the town, Saturday night our race and tonight was the race for the locals. You have to live in the town and you are not allowed to have done any UCI race this year. So all the old toppies and bikes of all sorts surfaced as roughly 50 people pulled up to the 40km 20-lap race. They spoke to the mayor, the councilor, the oldest town member, and some other people of significance. A real community affair.
This weekend also marked the annual truck get together just outside of Tielt. A rode to go see the trucks and the people - what a strange crowd.
They also had a crane which lifted cars 30m high and then to everyone's amusement dropped them onto a log. Right...
So I did some riding today, probably only 25kms but my legs are starting to feel better.
Tomorrow (Monday) I'm racing in the local league, some 25kms away. It is going to be a late night with the racing starting at 19:00, probably finishing at 21:00 and getting home around 22:30 - all on bike. Tuesday another race and then 3 days off.
Some random info - I have been having issues each time I enter a race. I discovered on Saturday that my license says "Club 100 Cycling Club" and the UCI list of clubs the officials check against says "MTN Cycling Club" So they see no correlation. Sigh... Dear old Cycling SA...
As mentioned yesterday, it was the home town race. Friday night was a running race in the town, Saturday night our race and tonight was the race for the locals. You have to live in the town and you are not allowed to have done any UCI race this year. So all the old toppies and bikes of all sorts surfaced as roughly 50 people pulled up to the 40km 20-lap race. They spoke to the mayor, the councilor, the oldest town member, and some other people of significance. A real community affair.
This weekend also marked the annual truck get together just outside of Tielt. A rode to go see the trucks and the people - what a strange crowd.
They also had a crane which lifted cars 30m high and then to everyone's amusement dropped them onto a log. Right...
So I did some riding today, probably only 25kms but my legs are starting to feel better.
Tomorrow (Monday) I'm racing in the local league, some 25kms away. It is going to be a late night with the racing starting at 19:00, probably finishing at 21:00 and getting home around 22:30 - all on bike. Tuesday another race and then 3 days off.
Some random info - I have been having issues each time I enter a race. I discovered on Saturday that my license says "Club 100 Cycling Club" and the UCI list of clubs the officials check against says "MTN Cycling Club" So they see no correlation. Sigh... Dear old Cycling SA...
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Race # 6 - Tielt
Written at 13:00
Today I had to race in my home town. I "had" to because the race goes past our front door and it would be unexplainable if I didn't partake. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it a great deal. I had been riding/walking for more than 6hrs per day sine I got my bike last week Monday, so my body had run out of energy. My Polar says it is 33C outside. I just went to get my number and my legs are knackered. The 1.5km ride to the start was too much..
Written at 20:00
Ok, race done. I had nothing to lose, so I decided to race the way I have most fun - from the front. At least I would get some high intensity sessions out of it until I pop, as appose to sitting in the back and popping in anycase. I also decided (for the first time) to take some energy gels in the race today. I noticed at the races the majority of riders have these screw off sachets they take. For the 17-lap race I figured 1 sachet every 4 laps should see me through.
Well, the racing went well. For the first time there was not a single corner you had to accelerate out of, so I was super stoked. Also, each lap had 2 off 300m long climbs in them. Belgians hate climbs, so this gave me the opportunity to work up the group at every ascent. With 5 laps to go I saw a move go off the front – I was setting the pace and couldn't respond. I saw it contained a guy I met a few days ago, someone Baardemaaker, who had been placing top5s at most the races. I thought that could be a dangerous move, but as on all the other laps, I expected the group to respond, well, not this time. No-one was interested in chasing and they had a minute's lead within 3kms. Argh! The next lap I punched it up the 1st of the 2 climbs and caused a split to form. I punched it up the 2nd climb and the split was now clear. Unfortunately there wasn’t much interest in the group to chase the 6 man break. At times there were some serious verbal exchanges between myself and the rest of the group. In the sprint I chose a very bad wheel, got boxed in and rolled through 20th in the group for another 26th place and 10 Euros. The facts: 158bpm ave, 181 max, 730m climbing, 32C ave, 41kph, 117kms.
Finally, a quick story on prejudice… I judge very quickly and I almost got in trouble today. I guy moved into our house this week while I was away. So I reckon this dude is a super funrider, but I don’t say anything and I mind my own business. During the race I see him a few riders in front of me and think to myself, wow, not bad dude. Ha ha ha. So we finish the race and I casually ask where this guy came. I almost fell off my bike when I heard he had won the race and is also an ex British National Champion. I hope he doesn’t read it and I will try my best not to judge again, or at least to keep my mouth shut ;)
Today I had to race in my home town. I "had" to because the race goes past our front door and it would be unexplainable if I didn't partake. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it a great deal. I had been riding/walking for more than 6hrs per day sine I got my bike last week Monday, so my body had run out of energy. My Polar says it is 33C outside. I just went to get my number and my legs are knackered. The 1.5km ride to the start was too much..
Written at 20:00
Ok, race done. I had nothing to lose, so I decided to race the way I have most fun - from the front. At least I would get some high intensity sessions out of it until I pop, as appose to sitting in the back and popping in anycase. I also decided (for the first time) to take some energy gels in the race today. I noticed at the races the majority of riders have these screw off sachets they take. For the 17-lap race I figured 1 sachet every 4 laps should see me through.
Well, the racing went well. For the first time there was not a single corner you had to accelerate out of, so I was super stoked. Also, each lap had 2 off 300m long climbs in them. Belgians hate climbs, so this gave me the opportunity to work up the group at every ascent. With 5 laps to go I saw a move go off the front – I was setting the pace and couldn't respond. I saw it contained a guy I met a few days ago, someone Baardemaaker, who had been placing top5s at most the races. I thought that could be a dangerous move, but as on all the other laps, I expected the group to respond, well, not this time. No-one was interested in chasing and they had a minute's lead within 3kms. Argh! The next lap I punched it up the 1st of the 2 climbs and caused a split to form. I punched it up the 2nd climb and the split was now clear. Unfortunately there wasn’t much interest in the group to chase the 6 man break. At times there were some serious verbal exchanges between myself and the rest of the group. In the sprint I chose a very bad wheel, got boxed in and rolled through 20th in the group for another 26th place and 10 Euros. The facts: 158bpm ave, 181 max, 730m climbing, 32C ave, 41kph, 117kms.
Finally, a quick story on prejudice… I judge very quickly and I almost got in trouble today. I guy moved into our house this week while I was away. So I reckon this dude is a super funrider, but I don’t say anything and I mind my own business. During the race I see him a few riders in front of me and think to myself, wow, not bad dude. Ha ha ha. So we finish the race and I casually ask where this guy came. I almost fell off my bike when I heard he had won the race and is also an ex British National Champion. I hope he doesn’t read it and I will try my best not to judge again, or at least to keep my mouth shut ;)
Racing and Brugge
Race #5 – Beernem
So I mentioned I would go to the West of Belgium this week to (1) see the country (2) go to Brugge and (3) chase after some races. Well, my 4hr journey brought me from Tielt to Beernem via Brussels and Gent. It was getting overcast and the weather looked miserable. Then it started raining, 20mins before the race. It did not stop.
We were racing on a lap with way too many corners again and on a single track road, max 2m wide. Add railway lines. Add speed bumps. Add road markings. Finally add 200 crazy Belgian cyclists. I was really scared and thought all the time that 1 second of lost concentration would result in you being in the ditch on the side of the road. Miraculously enough I have not seen a crash yet. I raced well considering I raced the previous day but all of a sudden with 3 laps (out of 17) to go my legs stopped. There was a small section of guttering and my legs couldn’t respond. I got waved the chequered flag for being 150m behind the peloton – game over buddy.
Dieter gave me a lift back to his B&B. What a lovely place. I highly recommend it. There is no TV or internet, so you just sit outside and relax. Some well needed rest!
Race #6 – Evergem
Part of the reason of coming to the West of Belgium was that I would be able to do 2 races while here – makes the trip more worth it. So I set off at 13:15 for my 40min ride to the race starting at 15:00. Wow, did I get lost. Every Belgian I asked on the side of the road looked at the GMaps printout, turned it around 4 times and then said they had no idea. I got so frustrated. Eventually, at 14:55 just as I thought I was going over the bridge to the town, I saw a sign “Evergem 10”. I was livid. Seriously upset. Well, not much I could do now so I rode home to drop my bag off. Only to discover that I hadn’t paid sufficient attention to where I stayed..so some more circles in trying to find home. Dropped off my bag and headed to Knokke. I thought the sea would calm me. Ha ha.
Knokke is a stunning place. It is apparently the Monte Carlo of Balgium. Porches, X6, and a myriad of sports cars litter the streets filled with luxury clothing stores. The European beach concept is very different to ours. We grab a spot and share the beach with a few other 1000 people. Europeans seem to rent their little cubicle and can’t even see the sea. They may as well dump some building sand in their backyard!
So a race day turned into a 7hr riding day. My legs were tired, so it was probably for the better not to have raced today.
Brugge and home
I got dropped off by Dieter at 8 at the closest bus stop. Some serious backstreet driving to get there – I was NOT looking forward to finding my way home. I got to Brugge at 9 which was great. The city only wakes up at 10:00, so I got to walk around and see all the sites, rivers and buildings with only being surrounded by ducks and a few delivery vans. By 11:30 the place was swarming like Sandton on a December Saturday morning – terrible. Brugge is a small town-they say only 20,000 people, but I think it is more 100,000: 20,000 locals, 10,000 students trying to make money off tourists and 70,000 tourists!
Brugge was amazing. You feel like you have been time warped to somewhere in the 1400’s. I did a boat cruise on the canals, bought a super good waffle, visited a cathedral or 2 and that was the sum total of things to do in Brugge. A lovely city but not much to do besides drink coffee, eat swartz seeuse mozzels and eat/buy chocolates.
After a good 40min run to get from the bus stop to the B&B I headed home. The plan was to ride to Gent (30kms) and catch a train home. I got to Gent and ended up in the Hillbrow area of Gent. Dogs running around, people with jeans around their ankles and baseball caps, rundown cars and houses, eish. In trying to get the heck out of there I ended up en route to to Aalst (30kms) and thought I'd then get the train. I got to Aalst and my brain stopped working, so I decided to continue riding to the next unknown town and then end up in Brussels city centre.
I spent an hour in the city trying to get out of the city without going on the motorway but to no avail. I kept running into the tunnels taking the traffic under the city! Notice the cars disappearing in the picture below.
Eventually I succumbed to the city and caught the train from Brussels North Station to Leuven and then cycled (25kms) home. Another cracker of a day. Starting at 15:00 and getting home at 21:30.
So I mentioned I would go to the West of Belgium this week to (1) see the country (2) go to Brugge and (3) chase after some races. Well, my 4hr journey brought me from Tielt to Beernem via Brussels and Gent. It was getting overcast and the weather looked miserable. Then it started raining, 20mins before the race. It did not stop.
We were racing on a lap with way too many corners again and on a single track road, max 2m wide. Add railway lines. Add speed bumps. Add road markings. Finally add 200 crazy Belgian cyclists. I was really scared and thought all the time that 1 second of lost concentration would result in you being in the ditch on the side of the road. Miraculously enough I have not seen a crash yet. I raced well considering I raced the previous day but all of a sudden with 3 laps (out of 17) to go my legs stopped. There was a small section of guttering and my legs couldn’t respond. I got waved the chequered flag for being 150m behind the peloton – game over buddy.
Dieter gave me a lift back to his B&B. What a lovely place. I highly recommend it. There is no TV or internet, so you just sit outside and relax. Some well needed rest!
Race #6 – Evergem
Part of the reason of coming to the West of Belgium was that I would be able to do 2 races while here – makes the trip more worth it. So I set off at 13:15 for my 40min ride to the race starting at 15:00. Wow, did I get lost. Every Belgian I asked on the side of the road looked at the GMaps printout, turned it around 4 times and then said they had no idea. I got so frustrated. Eventually, at 14:55 just as I thought I was going over the bridge to the town, I saw a sign “Evergem 10”. I was livid. Seriously upset. Well, not much I could do now so I rode home to drop my bag off. Only to discover that I hadn’t paid sufficient attention to where I stayed..so some more circles in trying to find home. Dropped off my bag and headed to Knokke. I thought the sea would calm me. Ha ha.
Knokke is a stunning place. It is apparently the Monte Carlo of Balgium. Porches, X6, and a myriad of sports cars litter the streets filled with luxury clothing stores. The European beach concept is very different to ours. We grab a spot and share the beach with a few other 1000 people. Europeans seem to rent their little cubicle and can’t even see the sea. They may as well dump some building sand in their backyard!
So a race day turned into a 7hr riding day. My legs were tired, so it was probably for the better not to have raced today.
Brugge and home
I got dropped off by Dieter at 8 at the closest bus stop. Some serious backstreet driving to get there – I was NOT looking forward to finding my way home. I got to Brugge at 9 which was great. The city only wakes up at 10:00, so I got to walk around and see all the sites, rivers and buildings with only being surrounded by ducks and a few delivery vans. By 11:30 the place was swarming like Sandton on a December Saturday morning – terrible. Brugge is a small town-they say only 20,000 people, but I think it is more 100,000: 20,000 locals, 10,000 students trying to make money off tourists and 70,000 tourists!
Brugge was amazing. You feel like you have been time warped to somewhere in the 1400’s. I did a boat cruise on the canals, bought a super good waffle, visited a cathedral or 2 and that was the sum total of things to do in Brugge. A lovely city but not much to do besides drink coffee, eat swartz seeuse mozzels and eat/buy chocolates.
After a good 40min run to get from the bus stop to the B&B I headed home. The plan was to ride to Gent (30kms) and catch a train home. I got to Gent and ended up in the Hillbrow area of Gent. Dogs running around, people with jeans around their ankles and baseball caps, rundown cars and houses, eish. In trying to get the heck out of there I ended up en route to to Aalst (30kms) and thought I'd then get the train. I got to Aalst and my brain stopped working, so I decided to continue riding to the next unknown town and then end up in Brussels city centre.
I spent an hour in the city trying to get out of the city without going on the motorway but to no avail. I kept running into the tunnels taking the traffic under the city! Notice the cars disappearing in the picture below.
Eventually I succumbed to the city and caught the train from Brussels North Station to Leuven and then cycled (25kms) home. Another cracker of a day. Starting at 15:00 and getting home at 21:30.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Race # 4 - Hoeleden
Today was a cracker of a race. Wow, I didn't get to see the front of the bunch once. Not even that of the chasing bunch. Not sure why my legs were so unresponsive today. It could have been because I caught a nap at 15:00 and people say that causes your legs to go to sleep and then you expect to race on them. Oh well, I'll just write it down as another learning experience.
The starting group was considerable in size - many riders returning after this weekend's Ronde van Antwerpen and the guys were in top form. We were close on 200 that started the 16 lap race. Cross winds and a long drag at the start/finish point accounted for some hard riding. Severe guttering was at the order of the day. It was one of survival for me - I counted down the number of times I had to endure each gutter section with my optimism groing as the laps counted down. Ha ha, we call this fun.
No result to write home about, but it was rather the severe speeds we were cornering at and the size of the bunch that made for a unique, well for me that is, experience. It sounds silly, but one needs to be totally alert the entire race - no long straight sections like back at home where you can take a drink with comfort and speak to the rider next to you. The Belgians also have an unwritten rule I notice: You corner in a single line and you hold your position from about 60m to the corner. No arging and barging into the corner and then try and squeeze through. Well, that makes for some civilized racing but also gives the uncivilized ones a chance to move up in the bunch. My hammies pulled when I reached for them in the sprint and subsequently rolled over in 46th place int he 3rd bunch on the road. With 20kms to the race, it was a good day with 160kms on the clock. Ave HR 160, max 181, 42km/h.
The next 2 days
Ok, so thanks to some serious networking I have an exciting 3 days ahead of me. Thanks to Christie (Jhb) making friends with Sarah (Jhb) making friends with Dieter (Belgian) at the Cape Epic (Knysna), I now have a place to stay in the West of Belgium. Good work guys, and thanks a million. I leave for Beernem to race tomorrow by train from Leuven. The trip will include 20kms per bike to Leuven, train to Beernem of about 1hr40 and a 2km ride to the start of the race. I sincerely hope my interpretation of the Flemish transport site doesn't let me down and my planned route will allow me to reach my destination before the race's 18:00 start.
I then stay over at Dieter's B&B (http://www.landleven.be/). I'll do a critique on it when I am back on Friday and let you know if I recommend it ;) On Thursday I am off to race in Evergem. Both races are 1.12B and 120kms in length.
Since I am practically next to Brugge, I am planning on spending Friday doing some sight seeing around that side of the country. At last I'll be getting there after buying tickets and missing the trip due to not having a Schengen visa 6 years ago.
I'll be back in touch on Friday before I race on Saturday in my home town, Tielt-Winge and Sunday in Duvvel. Well, that is the plan, with some rest the next week. I'll let the legs decide on Saturday about Sunday's race.
Have a good week all!
The starting group was considerable in size - many riders returning after this weekend's Ronde van Antwerpen and the guys were in top form. We were close on 200 that started the 16 lap race. Cross winds and a long drag at the start/finish point accounted for some hard riding. Severe guttering was at the order of the day. It was one of survival for me - I counted down the number of times I had to endure each gutter section with my optimism groing as the laps counted down. Ha ha, we call this fun.
No result to write home about, but it was rather the severe speeds we were cornering at and the size of the bunch that made for a unique, well for me that is, experience. It sounds silly, but one needs to be totally alert the entire race - no long straight sections like back at home where you can take a drink with comfort and speak to the rider next to you. The Belgians also have an unwritten rule I notice: You corner in a single line and you hold your position from about 60m to the corner. No arging and barging into the corner and then try and squeeze through. Well, that makes for some civilized racing but also gives the uncivilized ones a chance to move up in the bunch. My hammies pulled when I reached for them in the sprint and subsequently rolled over in 46th place int he 3rd bunch on the road. With 20kms to the race, it was a good day with 160kms on the clock. Ave HR 160, max 181, 42km/h.
The next 2 days
Ok, so thanks to some serious networking I have an exciting 3 days ahead of me. Thanks to Christie (Jhb) making friends with Sarah (Jhb) making friends with Dieter (Belgian) at the Cape Epic (Knysna), I now have a place to stay in the West of Belgium. Good work guys, and thanks a million. I leave for Beernem to race tomorrow by train from Leuven. The trip will include 20kms per bike to Leuven, train to Beernem of about 1hr40 and a 2km ride to the start of the race. I sincerely hope my interpretation of the Flemish transport site doesn't let me down and my planned route will allow me to reach my destination before the race's 18:00 start.
I then stay over at Dieter's B&B (http://www.landleven.be/). I'll do a critique on it when I am back on Friday and let you know if I recommend it ;) On Thursday I am off to race in Evergem. Both races are 1.12B and 120kms in length.
Since I am practically next to Brugge, I am planning on spending Friday doing some sight seeing around that side of the country. At last I'll be getting there after buying tickets and missing the trip due to not having a Schengen visa 6 years ago.
I'll be back in touch on Friday before I race on Saturday in my home town, Tielt-Winge and Sunday in Duvvel. Well, that is the plan, with some rest the next week. I'll let the legs decide on Saturday about Sunday's race.
Have a good week all!
Brussels
I'm the tourist
Ok, so when I get home and I think back of the trip, what would I kick myself for not doing. Well, seeing Brussels for 1 would be on the list, so I spent my rest day yesterday walking in excess of 10kms around Brussels seeing the sites. So much for a rest day!
I didn't have a plan as I let home at 08:45, but it would somehow work it. Then, as I walked out of Belgium Central Station,
there it was. The light shining on it. The sound of the heavenly voices "aaaaahhhhhhhh", an Open Top bus - the same company as the red ones in Cape Town. This was perfect! It would take me to all the places I HAD to see and then I could plan my day.
Knowing absolutely nothing about Brussels and not expecting anything I was pleasantly surprised by the attractions. The Manikin Pis was as small as everyone said and Atomium was much bigger than I could have expected. The cathedrals, architecture and buildings were spectacular. The chocolate good and the pastries delightful.
I've put some of the pictures together in a collage - click the image below to see them in some more detail.
I got home at 21:00 to a Pommie barbequing for our house and the apartment next door. It was good and I even got to eat a piece of red meat in my pasta rich diet - yes please! Tomorrow (Tuesday) I'm racing closeby in Hoeleden, some 16kms from home. Will update after the race.
Ok, so when I get home and I think back of the trip, what would I kick myself for not doing. Well, seeing Brussels for 1 would be on the list, so I spent my rest day yesterday walking in excess of 10kms around Brussels seeing the sites. So much for a rest day!
I didn't have a plan as I let home at 08:45, but it would somehow work it. Then, as I walked out of Belgium Central Station,
there it was. The light shining on it. The sound of the heavenly voices "aaaaahhhhhhhh", an Open Top bus - the same company as the red ones in Cape Town. This was perfect! It would take me to all the places I HAD to see and then I could plan my day.
Knowing absolutely nothing about Brussels and not expecting anything I was pleasantly surprised by the attractions. The Manikin Pis was as small as everyone said and Atomium was much bigger than I could have expected. The cathedrals, architecture and buildings were spectacular. The chocolate good and the pastries delightful.
I've put some of the pictures together in a collage - click the image below to see them in some more detail.
I got home at 21:00 to a Pommie barbequing for our house and the apartment next door. It was good and I even got to eat a piece of red meat in my pasta rich diet - yes please! Tomorrow (Tuesday) I'm racing closeby in Hoeleden, some 16kms from home. Will update after the race.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Weekend Warrior
Y'ello Summer!
Ok, some MTN propaganda, but look at the poster below: Summer in Hasselt
It is summer time which means time for a summer holiday. Even the boer takes a holiday!
That would explain why almost every shop is closed at the moment - Belgians have gone on their Summer holiday and tough on anyone stupid enough to stay at home. I just want bread, but I think that is asking too much. Ok, it is not that bad - they have these funky bread dispensers on street corners. Imagine a vending machine that pops out any 1 of 6 types of freshly baked loaves - sliced nogals too, ek se!
So I wanted to ride to Eindhoven, Holland on Saturday just because. It would have taken me into Holland and given me a nice long ride. I carefully planned my ride and found a road running almost straight there - perfect, I won't get lost. So I hopped onto it and first thing I noticed was that the bike lane (which is EVERYWHERE) had disappeared. Not 200m on the E314 and every 2nd car starts hooting at me. This continued for another 10kms before I decided I should probably get off the road, just now someone stops and we have some rage - them hooting and me waving back at them. Turns out that is a road you not to ride on and could even end up in the cells for!
So my epic 180km ride became an 80km tourist ride with 2 bakery stops, as evident by the photos below:
Part of the reason for the ride also being cut short was a sore knee I woke up with on Saturday morning with. So bizarre. Friday involved a short ride and it was fine. I blame it on the lateral movement associated with mopping from Friday and have thus made the scientific conclusion that it is detrimental to your health and thus an occupational hazard to mop and should thus be avoided completely.
A request to sort my knee out to the Man upstairs helped and I didn't have the faintest of niggels when I woke up this morning. So race day was on!
Races were scarce today so I had to trek out to Vremde, some 5kms from Antwerpen and 50kms from home. I managed to find the place and avoided any "E" roads. The race was a 1.18, so it was (1) shorter and (2) open to all kinds of riders - those with hairy legs, some old strong toppies and a number of VERY annoying Juniors. A break went in the 1st lap of 15 and I decided to leave it. Bad move, as that break stayed to the end, argh! There was not 100m in the 6km course which was straight, it was unbelievable! Turn after turn after turn jumping back up to 60km/h after every turn. The route also included a 500m stretch of cobblestones, conveniently placed in the last 400m of the lap. I will inspect my bike tomorrow to see if it is still complete. The race came down to a sprint for 7th place (I thought more guys had slipped away) and I decided to opt out of the sprint - looked why to dangerous and involved way too many paloekas. Well, it was a safe bet as the bunch piled down into the cobbles with forks, wheels and other bike parts flying through the air. Made it across the line safely in an embarrassing 34th place, handed in my number and headed home for a total distance of 190km for the day.
Week ahead
This week I race on Tuesday some 16kms from home and Saturday in my home town. Sunday is a race in Duvel I might go out for, again around 45kms to get there. The rest of the week the races are far away, so either we will do some long training rides or catch the train to 1 of the races.
Ok, some MTN propaganda, but look at the poster below: Summer in Hasselt
It is summer time which means time for a summer holiday. Even the boer takes a holiday!
That would explain why almost every shop is closed at the moment - Belgians have gone on their Summer holiday and tough on anyone stupid enough to stay at home. I just want bread, but I think that is asking too much. Ok, it is not that bad - they have these funky bread dispensers on street corners. Imagine a vending machine that pops out any 1 of 6 types of freshly baked loaves - sliced nogals too, ek se!
So I wanted to ride to Eindhoven, Holland on Saturday just because. It would have taken me into Holland and given me a nice long ride. I carefully planned my ride and found a road running almost straight there - perfect, I won't get lost. So I hopped onto it and first thing I noticed was that the bike lane (which is EVERYWHERE) had disappeared. Not 200m on the E314 and every 2nd car starts hooting at me. This continued for another 10kms before I decided I should probably get off the road, just now someone stops and we have some rage - them hooting and me waving back at them. Turns out that is a road you not to ride on and could even end up in the cells for!
So my epic 180km ride became an 80km tourist ride with 2 bakery stops, as evident by the photos below:
Part of the reason for the ride also being cut short was a sore knee I woke up with on Saturday morning with. So bizarre. Friday involved a short ride and it was fine. I blame it on the lateral movement associated with mopping from Friday and have thus made the scientific conclusion that it is detrimental to your health and thus an occupational hazard to mop and should thus be avoided completely.
A request to sort my knee out to the Man upstairs helped and I didn't have the faintest of niggels when I woke up this morning. So race day was on!
Races were scarce today so I had to trek out to Vremde, some 5kms from Antwerpen and 50kms from home. I managed to find the place and avoided any "E" roads. The race was a 1.18, so it was (1) shorter and (2) open to all kinds of riders - those with hairy legs, some old strong toppies and a number of VERY annoying Juniors. A break went in the 1st lap of 15 and I decided to leave it. Bad move, as that break stayed to the end, argh! There was not 100m in the 6km course which was straight, it was unbelievable! Turn after turn after turn jumping back up to 60km/h after every turn. The route also included a 500m stretch of cobblestones, conveniently placed in the last 400m of the lap. I will inspect my bike tomorrow to see if it is still complete. The race came down to a sprint for 7th place (I thought more guys had slipped away) and I decided to opt out of the sprint - looked why to dangerous and involved way too many paloekas. Well, it was a safe bet as the bunch piled down into the cobbles with forks, wheels and other bike parts flying through the air. Made it across the line safely in an embarrassing 34th place, handed in my number and headed home for a total distance of 190km for the day.
Week ahead
This week I race on Tuesday some 16kms from home and Saturday in my home town. Sunday is a race in Duvel I might go out for, again around 45kms to get there. The rest of the week the races are far away, so either we will do some long training rides or catch the train to 1 of the races.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Recovery Ride
Recovery Ride
Yep, so today was time for an easy 35km ride to Aarschot via Leuven with coffee and a Belgian waffle in the town square. Yum.
Have a good weekend!
Yep, so today was time for an easy 35km ride to Aarschot via Leuven with coffee and a Belgian waffle in the town square. Yum.
Have a good weekend!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Friday's plans and Belgium
What they don't tell you...
Well, the longer I stay here in Belgium the more I guess I will get to know, but today (Friday) is going to be a riveting day..spring cleaning the house! No-one told me I this is part of the full time cyclist life, my word… Ha ha. Ok, so how it works is every Monday the house gets cleaned. We skipped Monday because the owners are coming Friday afternoon, so we must clean the kitchen, bathrooms, lounge, dining room, etc today.
Cycling
I will do a short recovery ride today, as I think my legs need some rest after 3 long days (140km, 100km incl 60km race, 170 incl 120km race ). This weekend the races are all far away, so we will have to see what we decide on – a long training ride or a train trip to the race.
Belgium
Ok, so a few days ago I said something along the lines of the Belgians being ‘different’. Well, what would Life be like if we were all the same, hell no! So I feel it is only right to explain my view of Belgians after being here for just under a week: I have never met such a soft-natured nation in my life! The South Americans come close in their friendliness, but Belgians are unreal. The harmony between Busses, Vehicles, Pedestrians and cyclists are only but one example of this nation. It was particularly evident in the racing too. Everyone from shop owners and attendants to bike riders have such a gentle nature. Wow, this is a remarkable place. The longer I stay here, the more I am falling in love with this place. I honestly don’t know why people are immigrating to Australia, please, if you want to give up on SA come to Belgium where the weather is pretty good, people braai, you can speak Afrikaans everywhere, you can have a few ponies and a cow or 2 in your back yard and the place is pretty safe!
Well, the longer I stay here in Belgium the more I guess I will get to know, but today (Friday) is going to be a riveting day..spring cleaning the house! No-one told me I this is part of the full time cyclist life, my word… Ha ha. Ok, so how it works is every Monday the house gets cleaned. We skipped Monday because the owners are coming Friday afternoon, so we must clean the kitchen, bathrooms, lounge, dining room, etc today.
Cycling
I will do a short recovery ride today, as I think my legs need some rest after 3 long days (140km, 100km incl 60km race, 170 incl 120km race ). This weekend the races are all far away, so we will have to see what we decide on – a long training ride or a train trip to the race.
Belgium
Ok, so a few days ago I said something along the lines of the Belgians being ‘different’. Well, what would Life be like if we were all the same, hell no! So I feel it is only right to explain my view of Belgians after being here for just under a week: I have never met such a soft-natured nation in my life! The South Americans come close in their friendliness, but Belgians are unreal. The harmony between Busses, Vehicles, Pedestrians and cyclists are only but one example of this nation. It was particularly evident in the racing too. Everyone from shop owners and attendants to bike riders have such a gentle nature. Wow, this is a remarkable place. The longer I stay here, the more I am falling in love with this place. I honestly don’t know why people are immigrating to Australia, please, if you want to give up on SA come to Belgium where the weather is pretty good, people braai, you can speak Afrikaans everywhere, you can have a few ponies and a cow or 2 in your back yard and the place is pretty safe!
Race #2
Race # 2
Now I am not all that eloquent, so I thought I’d let the picture of me after the race do the talking in describe my physical state.
Firstly, thanks for all the replies to yesterday’s post re my first race. It gave me all the incentive needed to prove that I can race differently; I just don’t find it nearly as exciting. I mean, where can you experience nail-biting adrenaline rushing moments pushing your body to the limits (albeit that they keep moving) and feel so in touch with yourself as you do when racing off the front from the gun.
Anycase, the race was fortunately close again – only a 20km ride to the start. The race consisted of 15 laps, roughly 8kms per laps totalling around 115kms. Lap 1 and 2 I found some shelter in the group and stayed out of the wind and mischief. I was falling asleep on the bike, so I spent lap 3, 4 ad 5 getting into moves, bridging, etc. The Belgians have a strange way of racing – as soon as they find themselves with a foreigner in a break they sit up – most annoying thing! Lap 6 I spent hanging onto the back of the group trying to recover to swing up to the front for lap 7 again. The split in the group came and I found myself in a chasing group of around 12 riders, some 35s off the front group of 20. The next 8 laps were a blur, except that we caught them with 3 laps to go and then things shattered on the 2nd last lap. Final lap I popped off with the 2 other riders but managed to pull of a 26th place and 10EUR for my efforts. We covered the 115km course in 2:30, and 33C. The temperature is the big thing I am struggling with at the moment.
So yesterday’s race was good to get the body re-introduced to lactate which allowed me to race hard today. I am also well impressed by my recovery pants. It is possibly a combination of a stress-free environment, ample sleep and the pants which gave me legs today.
The races we do are called “Kermesse” races. This is also the Flemish word for “fair”. The photos below shows the festivities in the little town right next to where the racing takes place. Also see the pub where you enter the races. Something else they do here is to print a list of the entrants with their respective clubs and countries and hand them out to all the spectators. This means each spectator knows who is who – brilliant for supporting!
The view out of my bedroom of the church of Tielt Winge.
Want to sell your bike? Sure, just park it outside and put a sign on it saying “For sale”
Now I am not all that eloquent, so I thought I’d let the picture of me after the race do the talking in describe my physical state.
Firstly, thanks for all the replies to yesterday’s post re my first race. It gave me all the incentive needed to prove that I can race differently; I just don’t find it nearly as exciting. I mean, where can you experience nail-biting adrenaline rushing moments pushing your body to the limits (albeit that they keep moving) and feel so in touch with yourself as you do when racing off the front from the gun.
Anycase, the race was fortunately close again – only a 20km ride to the start. The race consisted of 15 laps, roughly 8kms per laps totalling around 115kms. Lap 1 and 2 I found some shelter in the group and stayed out of the wind and mischief. I was falling asleep on the bike, so I spent lap 3, 4 ad 5 getting into moves, bridging, etc. The Belgians have a strange way of racing – as soon as they find themselves with a foreigner in a break they sit up – most annoying thing! Lap 6 I spent hanging onto the back of the group trying to recover to swing up to the front for lap 7 again. The split in the group came and I found myself in a chasing group of around 12 riders, some 35s off the front group of 20. The next 8 laps were a blur, except that we caught them with 3 laps to go and then things shattered on the 2nd last lap. Final lap I popped off with the 2 other riders but managed to pull of a 26th place and 10EUR for my efforts. We covered the 115km course in 2:30, and 33C. The temperature is the big thing I am struggling with at the moment.
So yesterday’s race was good to get the body re-introduced to lactate which allowed me to race hard today. I am also well impressed by my recovery pants. It is possibly a combination of a stress-free environment, ample sleep and the pants which gave me legs today.
The races we do are called “Kermesse” races. This is also the Flemish word for “fair”. The photos below shows the festivities in the little town right next to where the racing takes place. Also see the pub where you enter the races. Something else they do here is to print a list of the entrants with their respective clubs and countries and hand them out to all the spectators. This means each spectator knows who is who – brilliant for supporting!
The view out of my bedroom of the church of Tielt Winge.
Want to sell your bike? Sure, just park it outside and put a sign on it saying “For sale”
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