Traveling Blog

 

My blog has been pretty uneventful the last couple of weeks but I’d like to take this moment to write about how amazing my life is…..I am truly grateful that I am a sponsored athlete and am capable of racing my bike all around the world.  the people I have encountered along the way and the places I have visited I are memories I will cary and cherish for the rest of my life and experience that will be a positive asset in my future.

 

I’d like to thank a few sponsors who have made my season so far more enjoyable.  Smith has been a great help in supplying me with sunglasses so I don’t have to end up in the hospital with another corneal eye abrasion(that was painful).  Specialized shoes are the best shoes I could possibly be riding with for several reasons(see cyclingnews article).  Cliff bar who provides nutrition for my races with Cliff Shots gels, cliff blocks, cliff bars, protein builder bars, and drink mix.

 

Recently visiting so many cycling meccas around the world, I’ve thought about starting a cycling touring business at some point in time down the road.  Mallorca is the perfect place for this and if anyone is interested in a trip, let me know and I can point you in the right direction.  I’ve talked with people about setting things up in the U.S as well and this is the place I know the most connections.  Lastly, I have a very good friend who is already leading tours in Israel and would go out of his way to make sure you have a great experience visiting his home country.  Visit his site here…..(Genesis Cycling).

 

Last week I got back into action at a local kermess after being sick. Just over 200 starters at a local race in Bruges was mind boggling to me, but luckily I found myself in the main break of the day of 20 riders.  it was also one of the warmer days of the spring. Unfortunately with a bunch of belgians yelling at one another and a lot of determined riders in the peleton, we were caught with several laps to go.  On the last lap I rode over someone’s bike and almost crashed several other times, I decided not to even try sprinting for a place and avoided the carnage that was to come AFTER the finish line!  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x69JhF7VxPs).

 

This past weekend I lined up for Tryptique Mont et Chataeux for the first time.  A 3 day 4 stage race in Belgium and northern France.  The first 3 stages were filled with a fair amount of bad luck for myself.

 

I crashed really early on in the first stage, flying over my teammate and into one of those muddy stinky ditches on the side of the road.  The kind that you see on the tv and think, ” wow, that would really suck to end up down there.”  Myself and Wouter Wippert were stuck in the ditch only 25 KM into the first stage and we were sitting in the top 20 wheels of the bunch.  I made the chase through the caravan only to flat the rear wheel as soon as I entered the bunch.  The team car was still pacing my teammate back into the race so I was riding a flat on the back of the field for several KM’s and finally the neutral Mavic car gave me a wheel and I was back with my teammate near the end of the caravan… again.  I finally got to the front of the bunch halfway through the race when we hit the first climbs of the day.  I followed some attacks but just missed the main break of the day.  I sat comfortable in the bunch for the rest of the day but when I was moving up the side of the bunch with 5 K to go, I was taken out AGAIN.  luckily uninjured I quickly got up and raced through the cars again to get back into the bunch so I would get the same time as the field.

 

The second day was a Time trial in the morning and a short intense road stage in the afternoon.  The time trial being the first one of the year did not go very well.  I really need to work on this as I know I can perform near the top in these events but without racing my TT bike I find it really difficult to use that top end that I need to endure.  A trip over to the U.K might be in store.

 

The afternoon stage was progressing fairly uneventful until 5 K from the first set of climbs and then everyone wanted to be at the front.  I was quite close but trying to move up even further I was moved over and into a small pothole that somehow flatted both my wheels.  It took some time to get both wheels fixed but after I did, I reentered the peleton just as the climbs started and I never really got a chance to recover so I could stay in the peleton, unfortunately I finished a couple minutes down.

 

The last stage I was determined that after 2 crashes and 3 flat tires in 2 days, it couldn’t possibly get any worse and I was going to do something to make the weekend.  I followed move after move at the front of the peleton, determined to not miss thee move. I  made the main break of 4 riders.  I really wished I was going better up some of the short punchy climbs as my breakaway companion took home the GPM jersey I am sure.  The last stage had 10 categorized GPM sprints and we stayed away for 8 of them.  After the break was caught another went away with the yellow jersey and my teammate but was caught near the finish.  My teammate remained in 11th overall after giving it a good shot to move up some more places.  Another teammate sprinted to a top 10 finish on the stage capping off a successful weekend of racing for team 3M.  We placed 2nd and 3rd for team GC the last two stages.

Leading the break on the last stage

TT warmup

TT start ramp

 

TT in action

 

 

Pics from Ieper

click the links on the twitter feed or follow me on strava for race files…..

Ichtegem

Wanzele

Ieper

coming through town

Morning snow on the cars

narrow roads?

sign in

sign in

start line

steph

that was fun!

bikes ready to roll

Another day

As usual time is flying by like it always does once the racing starts! I raced Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday this last week and again tomorrow.

Saturday Star Van Zwolle I was feeling really great! Half way through the race my luck was bad (again!)  and I was forced to crash! I broke my shifter and by the time I had located “my” spare bike on the team car and started chasing the commissaire had decided the peleton was too far gone and I would not be allowed to draft the car!  My director told me to focus my attention towards the following day.  It was based out of the same little town that the Three Days of West Flanders finished at called Ichtegem. We did the same finishing loop that the pro race did. With a little hill and one little cobbled section. There was a large field and a break wasnt established until late in the race.  I did a lot of work that I shouldnt have and learned a few things but still managed to cross the line in 32nd (and very happily not to have crashed!)  I would consider it a great training race under my belt… or spandex. And Stephanie, I think quite enjoyed herself. The race was close to where we are staying so she was able to ride in. She got a lot of attention from the Belgians and even the peleton  since she was kitted out in my old Garmin Chipotle gear. She watched my race and was an excellent cheer leader and then watched the pro race… She brags she got to see Cavendish…  IRL. He even looked at her.

 

I was feeling really tired leading into Wednesday’s Kermess in Wanzele, and to be honest, I was very tired for the majority of the 170km. Legs did not feel good. There were 240 starters and only 160 finishers! It was reeeeally fast, 45k an hour average for 3hours45min! I suffered through it. I didnt come all the way to Belgium, take two trains, just to quit. Good thing I was tenacious because the last 5 laps I started to feel really good.(this is a very good sign) I moved from the back of the peloton to the top 15 wheels for the final laps. It was a bunch sprint so I did what I could for my sprinter, and rolled in avoiding the dangers of the sprint. Also learned lots and can’t wait for Sundays race to put what I have learned and all my hard work to good use!

The race Sunday/tomorrow (March 10, 2013) goes up the Kemmelburg TWICE. I did this race last year with the Gramin boys so I hope that experience helps me do well!!  (Keep your fingers crossed that I don’t punch out any team ca tail lights this time around.)

signing in at Star Van Zwolle

on the train going to the race.

On the startline before Wanzale

So it begins

Its Official! FINALLY a blog about actual races and not just the travel and training!

Beverbeek was the first race of the year for me and the team and what better way to start off the season than with sleet, snow, and freezing temperatures. It can only get better from here, right?  It was so cold and miserable that they shortened the race course.

The race was more of a survival kind of day than a tactics and smart racing kind of day for Team 3M. Its hard to think straight when you can barely feel your fingers and toes, shift, break or see. A break was up the road and none of our team were in it so technically we should have gone to the front and tried to bring it back. But I think our brains were all too frozen to think collectively and I was spending a lot of thought just getting back into the groove of the crazy Belgian peleton.

When it came down to the final laps I was up front right where I needed to be to do the lead out for our sprinter, but unbeknownst to me he had just abandoned the race due to the extreme conditions (as had many other riders that day understandably) so obviously we didn’t do a lead out and on that last lap and final long straight I realized people all around me were taking insane risks to try to get to the front for a chance at a good result and knew that it wasn’t worth getting tangled up in a stupid crash the first race of the season… But somehow even in like 80th and trying to avoid the chaos of a sprint I would never win, people were still trying to move up and doing beyond dangerous things. Five hundred meters to the line I was forced to hit the pavement something…. right in front of Stephanie.  I got up, untangled my bike and rolled across the line practically unscathed. Stephanie was just glad I wasn’t one of the two left on the ground moaning in agony.

Like the icicles on my helmet my body and adrenaline rush slowly melted away into a thick desire for more… More racing and awww… Finally the season has begun! Lets do this.

my teammate in action at Beverbeek

the field progressing through the balmy weather

 

Mallorca and Sunshine

After team camp in Calpe Spain I arrived back to Belgium to some really cold wet and icy conditions that are not so good for training so Stephanie and I decided to pack up and head to Mallorca for some crucial training and sunshine absorption. Mallorca is a special place to me as when I was at the age of 16 my dad brought me here for riding. Its when I first really realized that I wanted to focus on cycling and that I had some natural talent with it. (I was doing triathlons at the time.)

Being back on some of my favorite roads in the world makes booking some long and hard miles fun. You can see some of the big rides I have been doing on Strava.

When we head back to Belgium I have two days until I do my first race of the Season. Beverbeek. Cant wait to start posting about some racing and hopefully some good results!

The bike shop I came to the first time I was in Mallorca. Then I bought a Euskatell Euskadi jersey. This time we bought Buff’s. (and no, we did not also get private dances.)

The view from our hotel in Mallorca on a rainier day.

Stephanie modeling one of the Buff’s we bought from the bike shop. She loves it… Even sleeps in it. girls?

One of the many climbs we do. Steph really enjoys the coffee stop at the top.

Loving my Smith shades. Have to say a big thanks to smith for protecting my eyes again this season.

My teammate Sibrecht Pieters, training with me here in Mallorca.

one of the many roads to choose from here in Mallorca

The Tour of Mallorca, with a better camera, I think this shot could almost be in a magazine

more scenic roads

Out to Formentor

 

What do you think this truck is for? in the middle of Alcudia?

Old Town Alcudia

 

First Thoughts

Yesterday I went out for my first training ride back on the awesome roads in Belgium!  I had flatted but luckily I was just rolling into the parking lot of my new apartment at the team Service Course formerly known as the Cycling Center.  I stood my bike up out back and headed upstairs to take a shower and grab a bite to eat before coming back down to mend my tire and clean my bike. It had only been a matter of 15 minutes when I went back to work on my bike and WOWZERS….My tire had magically fixed itself!! (what really happened was my Manager, Bernard Moerman had already fixed the flat tire for me)  Pretty cool if you ask me!

Thursday, January 3rd was my first introduction to most of my teammates and staff of Team 3M.  Most of the riders gathered in Oostkamp to try on some of the new clothing from riposte to take some pictures and videos for the team’s website.  I had a blast meeting most of my new teammates, as well as the co-workers, and members of 3M. I am very excited to get the season underway and to get to know them all better.

I have a poster back home in Colorado that I really like.  It is about the most functional word in the English language which is, pardon my language, “SHIT”. The poster says all the ways one can use the word and one example of it that comes to me particularly when I think of my new team is that Team3M “HAS THEIR SHIT TOGETHER!!”  I think this year is really going to be organized on both parts and will bring out the best of everyone’s abilities.  I am looking forward to racing my bike and having 3M truly help make my progress possible.

kitting up in the new kit for my first ride

Soreens…perfect ride food!

We have made it to the U.K. after a few different changing of plans and Tetris maneuverings of luggage with the cars.  So far It has rained every single day here, most days it is raining all day long but the good thing is the temperature is about 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the U.S.A.  This means….perfect weather for putting in lots of good base miles, not southern spain, who needs to be spoiled like that!

The amount of food that was prepared for Christmas at my family’s household over here was incredible.  Usually I wouldn’t be too physiqued on this amount of calories going in as of late but it’s a good thing my close family allowed me to continue to put the miles in and I burned enough calories to more or less eat what I wanted at christmas dinner………..

Round 1: Turkey, Roast Potatoes, Roast parsnips, sweet potato mash, Brussels sprouts, carrots, Turkey gravy, stuffing(not just any stuffing–chestnut stuffing), cranberry sauce

Round 2:  Sausage Rolls, Ham sandwiches, Trifle, Cadbury Chocolate Log Cake, Fruit salad with Cream!  Mince Pies,

***All made from scratch by my grandmother with the help from my aunts who were probably in the kitchen for a lot longer than I was riding my bike!  ***

In between Round 1 and 2 of stuffing ourselves with food, we played an intense game of Sjuller?  I really don’t think I’m going to be able to spell that one correctly.  It was a game of immense fun on this particular day.  A game that anyone can pickup in one day and be successful and have fun!  great entertainment on christmas day.

After christmas for a few days more miles had to be put in and I got some good rides in for sure.  This time around, not as much rain but usual occurrences were 25-35 MPH winds and I would take 3 hours to go out, 1.5 hrs to come back on most rides!  haha….

I had some great friends of the southeast England cycling community to help show me the roads.  Craig Joy who rode with me a few days showed me some great roads and got me hooked on Soreens for ride food (banana flavour).  My dad’s cousin Malcolm also took me out on some great long training rides at the perfect tempo for this time of year.  I can’t wait to come back next time and do some races on some roads that I’m becoming familiar with.

my dad happy with his new journal

my friend’s awesomeness miniature bicycle

gonna miss my parent’s stonewall

Family outing in Ramsgate

Mine and Steph’s life belongings

More life belongings

 

Our purple pugeot rental car

Christmas tree at Grandma’s. Beautifully decorated.

 

Honey being Honey

grandma with our xmas cracker hats

 

Canterbury Cathedral after xmas carols on Christmas eve eve.

 

David showing off his xmas cracker hat

Riding the good old roads of South East England this time of year

Sandwich, England