In The Words of Benjamin Sharp....

To keep everyone back home updated as soon as possible, the following summaries were written by Benjamin Sharp during the races......

Today was the opening stage of the GP-Ruebliland in Lenzburg , Switzerland . The course this afternoon was a 99.1km circuitous route that started and finished in Roggliswil. The day started with breakfast at the hotel, a light ride, and lunch at the SportHall in Lenzburg. Next, we loaded up into the van and car for Roggliswil. 106 riders took to the road at 3 p.m. Our plan was for Nolan Froese and Taylor Kuphaldt to patrol the front of the race for the first 50km, making sure that nothing slipped up the road without a U.S. rider. Froese made it into what became the move of the race, of 18 riders. Our aggressive young riders tried several times to bridge across to the swelling break but the Belgians (5 riders) and French (4 riders) dragged the large breakaway to a maximum lead of 5 minutes before alternately attacking the bunch and splitting the group. Nolan was caught out and relegated to what became the 3rd group on the road. He continued to drive the pace of his bunch to limit the time loss to the Czech winner, Marek Benda. He managed a 14th place finish, losing 1:34 in the final 15km. Taylor Kuphaldt slipped off the front in the closing kilometers to finsih 25th (5:23). The rest of the team came in with the main field, 5:39.
Currently the team is 6th on GC with three stages to go:
A 60 km circuit race, a 6km TT, and a 94.5 km Road Stage on Sunday.

The 2nd stage proved to be challenging, even at 60km. Immediately the field split with Joe Kukolla being caught out. He fought hard though, to stay within 7 min. At the finish. Belgian Joshua Soberon and Frenchman Dimitri Le Boulch rode away from the field just 20km into the race. They were able to stay clear until the finish. Our team finished in the main bunch with Van Horn coming across the line in 8th place. Froese's 14th on gc was preserved for the time trial.The 6km tt started with a 1km climb up to a plateau. The riders then race atop the plateau for 3.5km before dropping back into the star/finish toen of Villmergen. The course was tamed by Polish strongman Matheusz Czajkowski who won by 8 seconds over Belgium's Yannick Eijssen. Taylor Kuphaldt was the highest place American in 11th. The other riders finished strong with Larry Warbasse (24th), Grant Van Horn (27th), Travis Burandt (28th), Nolan Froese (37th) representing the team well.Today was the final stage of the GP Ruebliland. The riders completes a 94.5 km stage on rolling roads in the area around the town of Schneisingen. The race was aggressive from the beginning with small groups only able to eek out gaps of about 20 seconds before being reeled in. Finally with 40km to go, Van Horn was able to slip away with one of the Swiss regional riders. They were joined by 5 others including a Norwegian, French, Belgian, and Swiss regionals, and amssing a gap of 1:15 with 5km to go. The last 5km were touch and go with riders taking turns attacking the bunch. Nevertheless the breakaway came into the 500m uphill sprint in tact. Van Horn sprinted strongly but was just pipped at the line to take 2nd on the stage. (I told him before the race to get the flowers and kiss the (podium) girl. He did just that, enjoying time on the stage with two Swiss regional teammates. GC results are forthcoming but the rest of the guys were able to stay in the bunch to maintain Froese's top-15 position.Now we are en route to Izegem.

Lucky Corners...

Five Americans in the top twenty. That’s not a bad way to start off this blog. As you can imagine, the race yesterday went fairly well. It could have gone better, but considering all the facts, it wasn’t a bad day. The course consisted of 24 5k laps in the next town over from ours. It had some aggressive turns that played into our hands very well. There was a slight downhill after the start/finish area, and a slight uphill preceding the start/finish line. I have to admit that I wasn’t paying that close attention to attacks that went off the front of the pack in the beginning of the race. Usually these attacks aren’t worth wasting any energy on because the pack brings them back. Unfortunately for me, and the rest of the team, an Avia guy (Avia is a powerful Belgian club) got off the front in a small break. I wouldn’t see him again until we crossed the finish line after our 24th lap. Between the time when the Avia rider broke away and when he won the race, several chase groups organized to attempt to bridge the gap. I stayed in the pack for the first ten or so laps trying to conserve my energy, until I found myself in position to bridge to a small breakaway forming about 100 yards of the front of the pack. On the downhill corner I took a rather aggressive line that, of course, the Belgians could not follow, opened a small gap, and motored up to the break. We stayed away for five of six laps. This break had potential to be the race winning move, but the other three riders were more concerned about looking backwards for the pack, rather than looking forwards for the leaders (not even “persuasive” yelling could not motivate these guys to commit to the effort). We were caught, and I went with the counter attack, hoping to get with a better group of guys, but nothing went away, so I retired to the middle of the pack. With about six laps to go, and beginning to realize that we were racing for second (the Avia guy attacked his companions and was soloing his way to a win), our team somehow organized to pull off a pretty sweet move. We were coming into a series of corners that could easily be pedaled through (unless your European) that led into the downhill corner. I strung it out through the corners with three of my teammates on my wheel, and then hammered the downhill corner once again, to open up a solid lead. The third rider on my wheel (American) braked as he was coming out of the corner to allow our break to roll further off the front. The three of us began a rotation and were soon joined by three other riders (another American, and two Belgians, making it 4 Americans and 2 Belgians in the break). Our rotation stayed strong and fluid and we soon caught up to a group of about eight riders that were also off the front. As soon as we got there the group split up and three Belgian riders managed to get up the road in front of the group that I was in (along with the other Americans) and then there were groups behind us. The laps dwindled down with each of us attacking one another (or Belgians attacking Americans). We came into the final lap with the Avia guy off the front and about to win the race, a group of Belgian riders, and then the Americans. I still do not know how the group of Belgians riders got away from us, but it is pretty embarrassing to have a split in the break and not have one of the four Americans in the break on the front end of the split. But it happened and we couldn’t seem to bring them back. After some futile attacking on my own part (made futile by the fact that my teammate kept following my wheel and would bring the Belgians with me- frustrating, but in actuality you are not supposed to have team tactics in kermesses, they are designed to have everyman for himself), we came into the last 2k’s of the final lap with a group of three Americans, and three Belgians. I know, and many of the people back home know, that I am not a sprinter, so with about 1.5k’s to go I attacked the group to make the Belgians chase me down which allowed my teammates to have a free ride to the line where hopefully they could out sprints the Belgians. They caught me with only a couple hundred meters left, and as soon as they caught me my teammate sprinted around them for an eighth place finish. The other American finished 12th, and I finished 13th. Our next teammate rolled through in 15th, and another guy won the field sprint for 19th. So based on the results sheet it wasn’t a bad day, but tactically and teammate-wise we probably should have done a bit better.
The legs are really starting to feel good. We leave for Switzerland tomorrow, and I expect good things to come. We are competing in a in a 3 day stage race with four stages. If the hotel we are staying at has internet, I will try to post some info and results, if not, then expect some news on Monday or Tuesday. Thanks for the support/reading.

The Flat and The Fast

So I am back in Europe, and I am back to the real world of bicycle racing. I arrived in Belgium last Wednesday and to no surprise it was raining. After a lengthy delay at the airport we were on our way back to the house in Izegem. After unpacking and eating a hearty meal of horse, we were off to bed. On Thursday we competed in our first race, but we didn’t exactly race to win. Winning is always on the mind, but what can you expect after 12 hours of fly time, and only ten hours of sleep from the past forty hours of traveling. So instead we raced to get rid of the “jet lag” in our legs and too actually make us more tired so that we would sleep the entire night in order to get over the time difference. The race was a Belgian kermmese. These are local/close-to-home races that are considered to be “real races,” but in actuality they are Belgian training rides. There were about sixty guys in the field, and the course consisted of nine 7k loops. Around lap five a twenty man break went up the road, while I stayed in the pack. On lap eight, I decided to stretch my own legs and went up the road to place 21st for the day. We had one rest day before we had another race on Saturday. The Saturday race was known as an inner club race. This is an actual “race” in Belgian terms. I was joined at the line with about 120 other riders. The course consisted of twelve 9k loops. Around lap 6 a break of about twenty riders went up the road, and remembering the way the kermmese went, I quickly got to the front and made a huge effort to bridge the gap. It was everything I had to drag myself up to the leaders, averaging about 52k’s to make the jump. Once up to the leaders I got a slight rest as we entered the town and I could use the corners to my advantage. We then entered into a smooth rotation which we held until two laps to go. At this point all hell broke loose, and we started to attack each other. We went into the last couple of k’s in groups of two’s and three’s, but each group was only separated by a couple meters. I made a last ditch effort with about 800 meters to go, but the futile attempt was quickly consumed by the much faster sprints of the Belgian riders. I ended up placing seventeenth. I made some serious tactical errors upon reflection on this race. I noticed that about three teams had three riders in the break, others had two, and only a few of the break riders were solo. I should not have rotated through with the pace line, I should have hung on to the back and rotated through only once in a while. Therefore I could have conserved energy and perhaps done better at the end of the race. The teams that had three riders in the break were able to organize and execute efficient attacks that took a lot out of my legs. I am quickly regaining my knowledge of European racing. These flat races are tough, and are really not my forte, so I can’t wait to get to a course with a climb. We race again on Tuesday, another flat circuit style race that should be the fastest and hardest yet (of this trip). Then on Thursday we leave for Switzerland. For those of you that have been asking me to continue the blog, thanks for waiting, and I will try to be more on top of it as the trip progresses.

Covering the Results Page....

The prologue could not have gone worse for me, but it couldn't have gone better for Taylor Phinney. I rolled up to the start gate to have my juniors gears checked and the head official immediately began checking out my time trial bike to make sure that it would pass UCI rules. He scrutinized my handlebars, and my seat and especially my rear wheel. He said that the rear wheel was too close to the frame, I argued that it wasn't, but you don't get very far arguing with the head official. He wouldn't let me touch the bike, so our mechanic came over and pulled the wheel back in the drop outs (Cervelos have track drop outs so that you can adjust the distance between the rear wheel and the frame, however if the skewer does not rest up against the frame in the drop out than the only way the wheel stays straight and in place is by the tension of the skewer itself). Long story short, the first pedal stroke I took I torqued the wheel forward and in to the frame. I should have stopped and reset the wheel, but you don't really think about stopping in a 400 meter sprint. Eventually the tire rubbing against the frame heated up too much and finally blew. So I got off my bike and ran to the finish line, while doing so I gave high-fives to the crowds (which were fairly large). I finished 44 seconds behind the winner, my team mate Taylor Phinney. Taylor ripped the legs off of everyone and finished a second in front of the second place rider, which is a lot in a 400 meter sprint. Ben King, the winner of both the TT and the road race at nationals, broke his chain on the starting ramp and had to push his way to the finish line. So at the end of the day Ben and I were on the bottom of the results page, but Taylor was on top.

Since Taylor won the prologue he was given the leader's jersey and the best young rider jersey. We were intent to hold both of these jerseys. Carter, Joe, Ben, and I had the always lovely task of marking riders and covering breakaways. We controlled the field really well until the last 20k's. A crash happened and Taylor was involved in it, but only Danny knew, because the rest of the team was at the front getting ready to lead Taylor out for the sprint. Danny came up to me before he dropped back to pick Taylor up and told me the bad news. I drifted to the back of the pack and waited for Taylor to catch back on so that I could bring him up through the field. Taylor ended up being raced back to the pack on the bumper of our team car. We had just enough time to get him to the front of the field by the time the sprint came, where he placed fourth. Ben also placed in the top ten. However, because Taylor did not win the sprint and therefore did not get any time bonuses, he lost the leaders jersey. We weren't disappointed though, because we knew we would make up time in the team time trial.

As if in a repeat of the Switzerland TTT, it was pouring rain while we warmed up for the two 4.4k circuits we were about to do. Luckily the rain let up a little when we actually raced, but we nearly missed our start time due to the same head official as the prologue. He scrutinized every inch our bikes, and made half the team change the position of their bars and seats, even though they were in the same position from the previous weekend for nationals. This official basically wanted to make us late for the start. Once we were past the gear check we lined up at the line and waited for our start. We were not fluid at all on this course. We didn't take the corners very well in the first lap and we kept opening gaps in our line. Basically we could have done a lot better. However, we did manage to win, and we moved Taylor into easy striking distance of first. Standing on the podium, in front of two Canadian teams was really cool. This race is a pretty big deal for the city we are in and there were a lot of people in the crowds.

Today we have a 94k road race. Since we don't have the leader's jersey, my job is a lot easier. The Canadians have to do all the work today. Tomorrow is an individual TT and another road race.

The Update....

So we have arrived in Canada for the Tour de L'Abitibi. We flew in from Pennsylvania where I competed in nationlas. I got 17th in the time trial, and fifth in the road race. There is definitly room for improvement in both of the races, but overall I had a pretty good time. So now I am back on the US National Team competing in another stage race. This race is seven days long with nine stages. There are ten or so national teams, ranging from the Dutch and the French to the Americans and the Japanese, as well as quite a few regional teams from America and Canada. There is a total of thirty teams here, with six members to each team. Tonight is the prologue in down town Val d'Or. It is not much of a prologue because it is actually only a four hundred meter sprint. The main point of this prologue is to put the caravan order in place. Tomorrow we have a road race in the morning, with a team time trial in the evening. It has been raining a lot over here so hopefully the courses will stay dry long enough to let us race safely.

In Brief...

We just got back from Switzerland, and now I have to pack up all my bags for a flight to London, where I will be staying for the next week. The race started out really well with the team finishing second in the team time trial. It was awesome standing on the podium. The second day went downhill very quickly. I was sick from food poisoning and lost a lot of time on the climbs. I just felt horrible the entire day. The third day was a little better, except instead of being sick, I had horrible luck. My pedal fell off and I had to chase back on. Then our highest placed GC rider crashed, so I had to bring him back up. Then I teamed up with a couple of Spainards to chase a break away down, only to have the course marshals lead us off course. So I finished off the back of the pack again. We had a TT later that day, and it went ok. My legs were pretty smashed after the previous day's effort to just stay in the race. On the final day, I finally had good luck and good health on my side. I was able to help out the "team leader" (since I wasn't in contention for the win, I helped out Taylor Phiney as much as I could). I patrolled the front the entire day: covering breaks, and making sure nothing got away without Taylor in it. Unfortunately, taylor wasn't having a very good day, so it became even more important to keep the field together. After three climbs, the front group was reduced to about 45 riders from the 115 that started the day. It came down to a sprint, and after making sure Taylor got to the front, I crossed the line in 19th. The over all race should have gone a lot better. It is dissapointing to start in such a good spot after the prologue, and then lose it all on the next day.

I will try and write a more detailed summary of our trip in Switzerland if I can find some internet in London, but now i have to get back to packing...

Dialed...

This weekend we competed in a race called Tour de Condroz. The race was located on the border of Belgium and Luxembourg. Cobbled streets were switched out for rolling hills, a nice change for the Americans. The weather was actually hot, and pretty humid, making the air nice and thick in the wooded sections of the race. The course consisted of one big 92k loop, and then five 5k finishing circuits. This is one of the first races that we went into with a solid plan, the rest of the races were planned out as the race went on. The plan for this race was: I had the job of covering attacks/ going with attacks for the first 60k of the race. It was my job to cover the “major players” and make sure that no brakes with five or more people got away (unless I was in it). After the first 60K, this job fell into the hands of Danny Summerhill. Danny and I were supposed to protect Taylor Phiney and David Talbott. These two riders were determined to have the most suited abilities for this race. Nick Bax had free roam since this was his first European race.

The race started out as planned. I went to the front and began covering moves, making sure that nothing of importance went off the front. This worked out for about 10k, and then the “plan” basically went out the window. It started with a downhill where I lost a couple of positions and was positioned in about fifteenth by the bottom. We then hit a hard left hand turn onto an uphill. The kid in front of me stood up to sprint on the uphill and accidentally unclipped from his pedal. I had to brake, and guys immediately rushed past me. A hard attack went off the front, putting about fifteen guys up the road. I wasn’t in a position to counter this attack or help bring it back. I looked up though, and saw David Talbott in the break. I became relieved that I hadn’t let the “winning” break go without American representation. I made my way up to the front, only to look up at the break and see David popped off the back of it with a couple other riders. I didn’t quit understand why he would drop back to the field, nonetheless I continued up to the front to talk to Danny and to see how he wanted to go about brining this break back. Surprisingly, he told me that Taylor was also in the break. This was good news. The responsibility of bringing the break back was no longer ours. I quickly went from trying to get into a break, to making sure that no breaks got away. I basically had a free ride to the finish line now, all I had to do was follow the wheels, preventing a solid chase effort from forming. About 15k later, David came up to me and told me that he thought he had pulled a muscle. He was going to be needed in the upcoming Switzerland race, so he didn’t want to risk hurting his leg even more. He pulled out soon after talking to me. The next 65k was pretty uneventful. Danny and I patrolled the front, making sure no breaks got away, and tried to control the tempo as much as possible. The terrain was really cool during this section of the course. Thick forests covered both sides of the roads and, occasionally, a wall of trees formed above us. Then, suddenly the trees would end and we would enter a section of patchwork farms or low grass, before plunging back into the forests. Attacks were constant on the hills, but I didn’t mind. The hills were a welcomed change from the narrow cobbled roads. Once the race hit the finishing circuits, all hell broke loose. We were warned that the finishing circuits were going to be hard and fast, but I almost enjoyed them, and I think Danny did too. The circuits were within a small town, with the finish on the crest of a hill. We entered the circuits at the finish line, and then stormed the downhill into a tight left hand turn. We then looped back up and started climbing again traveling to the opposite side of town as the finish line. We took a hard left and followed a false flat to a “combo left-right” turn that took us back to the finish line. I hovered around the 20th position in the field on the first two laps watching Danny, who was attempting to go off the front. He managed to get into a small break and open up a good enough lead so that he was “a corner” in front of the field. On the third lap I easily moved in to the top five by taking the right lines on the corner (something the Euros just can’t seem to do). I took the descent (on the fourth lap) pretty fast and made my move on the climb. I opened up a good size lead with two riders bridging up to me. We rotated through and managed to put the field “out of sight.” I caught the team cars (covering the initial break that went away 10k’s into the race), and quickly caught sight of Danny’s group. The last lap came around and I could see Danny. I pushed up the climb, and hit the corners as hard and as fast as I could. Ask any cyclist that races and they will tell you that the last 20 meters are the hardest meters to close when bridging up to break. You are so close to accomplishing your goal, but the guys in front of you try as hard as they can to prevent you from closing those last few meters. I came up to the last left hand turn, laid the bike over and sprinted out of the corner and finally caught the wheel of the last guy in their break. I looked up and saw two national team jerseys. I quickly realized that this was probably the lead group on the road. At this point I had two options: with one right hand corner and then the finish line I could sit in the group and sprint it out or I could go to the front and lead Danny out. I opted to help the team (since I am not that great of a sprinter), and went straight to the front and lead Danny into the final corner. Somehow this worked out perfectly: I took the corner a little tighter than Danny, swinging him in front of me. I then cut back into outside of the corner, taking the rest of the group into the curb. This gave Danny plenty of time to start sprinting and finish first from our group. Taylor came around me as well, along with a bunch of other guys. My legs were pretty spent, and I just pedaled my away across the finish.

I was later told there were riders that finished in front of us, so Danny ended up finishing 9th, Taylor finished 11th, and I finished 17th. Three riders in the top twenty isn’t bad, good enough for third in the team competition. Plus Taylor won a couple of the KOM sprints while in the break. So overall it wasn’t a bad day.

We leave for Switzerland on Wednesday, for what will be my last race in Europe. The race is a four day stage race with five stages. The opening prologue is on Thursday with a team time trial. Friday we have a road race. Saturday morning there is a road race, and then an individual TT in the afternoon. Sunday finishes up with another road race. If everyone is healthy we should do very well. I am told that we are staying in army barracks and that there will be no internet. I will bring my computer and try to “steal” some internet to keep everyone back home posted, but I can’t make any promises. The internet at the team house has been extremely slow, making it virtual impossible to check email or update the blog.

Dialed...

This weekend we competed in a race called Tour de Condroz. The race was located on the border of Belgium and Luxembourg. Cobbled streets were switched out for rolling hills, a nice change for the Americans. The weather was actually hot, and pretty humid, making the air nice and thick in the wooded sections of the race. The course consisted of one big 92k loop, and then five 5k finishing circuits. This is one of the first races that we went into with a solid plan, the rest of the races were planned out as the race went on. The plan for this race was: I had the job of covering attacks/ going with attacks for the first 60k of the race. It was my job to cover the “major players” and make sure that no brakes with five or more people got away (unless I was in it). After the first 60K, this job fell into the hands of Danny Summerhill. Danny and I were supposed to protect Taylor Phiney and David Talbott. These two riders were determined to have the most suited abilities for this race. Nick Bax had free roam since this was his first European race.

The race started out as planned. I went to the front and began covering moves, making sure that nothing of importance went off the front. This worked out for about 10k, and then the “plan” basically went out the window. It started with a downhill where I lost a couple of positions and was positioned in about fifteenth by the bottom. We then hit a hard left hand turn onto an uphill. The kid in front of me stood up to sprint on the uphill and accidentally unclipped from his pedal. I had to brake, and guys immediately rushed past me. A hard attack went off the front, putting about fifteen guys up the road. I wasn’t in a position to counter this attack or help bring it back. I looked up though, and saw David Talbott in the break. I became relieved that I hadn’t let the “winning” break go without American representation. I made my way up to the front, only to look up at the break and see David popped off the back of it with a couple other riders. I didn’t quit understand why he would drop back to the field, nonetheless I continued up to the front to talk to Danny and to see how he wanted to go about brining this break back. Surprisingly, he told me that Taylor was also in the break. This was good news. The responsibility of bringing the break back was no longer ours. I quickly went from trying to get into a break, to making sure that no breaks got away. I basically had a free ride to the finish line now, all I had to do was follow the wheels, preventing a solid chase effort from forming. About 15k later, David came up to me and told me that he thought he had pulled a muscle. He was going to be needed in the upcoming Switzerland race, so he didn’t want to risk hurting his leg even more. He pulled out soon after talking to me. The next 65k was pretty uneventful. Danny and I patrolled the front, making sure no breaks got away, and tried to control the tempo as much as possible. The terrain was really cool during this section of the course. Thick forests covered both sides of the roads and, occasionally, a wall of trees formed above us. Then, suddenly the trees would end and we would enter a section of patchwork farms or low grass, before plunging back into the forests. Attacks were constant on the hills, but I didn’t mind. The hills were a welcomed change from the narrow cobbled roads. Once the race hit the finishing circuits, all hell broke loose. We were warned that the finishing circuits were going to be hard and fast, but I almost enjoyed them, and I think Danny did too. The circuits were within a small town, with the finish on the crest of a hill. We entered the circuits at the finish line, and then stormed the downhill into a tight left hand turn. We then looped back up and started climbing again traveling to the opposite side of town as the finish line. We took a hard left and followed a false flat to a “combo left-right” turn that took us back to the finish line. I hovered around the 20th position in the field on the first two laps watching Danny, who was attempting to go off the front. He managed to get into a small break and open up a good enough lead so that he was “a corner” in front of the field. On the third lap I easily moved in to the top five by taking the right lines on the corner (something the Euros just can’t seem to do). I took the descent (on the fourth lap) pretty fast and made my move on the climb. I opened up a good size lead with two riders bridging up to me. We rotated through and managed to put the field “out of sight.” I caught the team cars (covering the initial break that went away 10k’s into the race), and quickly caught sight of Danny’s group. The last lap came around and I could see Danny. I pushed up the climb, and hit the corners as hard and as fast as I could. Ask any cyclist that races and they will tell you that the last 20 meters are the hardest meters to close when bridging up to break. You are so close to accomplishing your goal, but the guys in front of you try as hard as they can to prevent you from closing those last few meters. I came up to the last left hand turn, laid the bike over and sprinted out of the corner and finally caught the wheel of the last guy in their break. I looked up and saw two national team jerseys. I quickly realized that this was probably the lead group on the road. At this point I had two options: with one right hand corner and then the finish line I could sit in the group and sprint it out or I could go to the front and lead Danny out. I opted to help the team (since I am not that great of a sprinter), and went straight to the front and lead Danny into the final corner. Somehow this worked out perfectly: I took the corner a little tighter than Danny, swinging him in front of me. I then cut back into outside of the corner, taking the rest of the group into the curb. This gave Danny plenty of time to start sprinting and finish first from our group. Taylor came around me as well, along with a bunch of other guys. My legs were pretty spent, and I just pedaled my away across the finish.

I was later told there were riders that finished in front of us, so Danny ended up finishing 9th, Taylor finished 11th, and I finished 17th. Three riders in the top twenty isn’t bad, good enough for third in the team competition. Plus Taylor won a couple of the KOM sprints while in the break. So overall it wasn’t a bad day.

We leave for Switzerland on Wednesday, for what will be my last race in Europe. The race is a four day stage race with five stages. The opening prologue is on Thursday with a team time trial. Friday we have a road race. Saturday morning there is a road race, and then an individual TT in the afternoon. Sunday finishes up with another road race. If everyone is healthy we should do very well. I am told that we are staying in army barracks and that there will be no internet. I will bring my computer and try to “steal” some internet to keep everyone back home posted, but I can’t make any promises. The internet at the team house has been extremely slow, making it virtual impossible to check email or update the blog.

What Parents Can Do....

This past weekend we competed in a race called Ronde van de Vlaamse Ardennen. This race was a three day stage race in the Ardenn section of Belgium. This race was nice because each start was only an hour away from Izegem, so we were able to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the team house. Plus, my parents, and sister, flew in last Friday, so they were able to watch the race. It was great to have a couple people cheering for team USA. There are a lot of people that cheer for the riders in general, but very few actually yell “Go USA!”

Stage One: Michelbeke -This stage consisted of seven laps on 15k loop with the Berendries climb on the beginning of each loop. The climb was fairly short, about 600 meters, but it was pretty steep. This is the kind of climb that Belgians thrive on: steep enough to hurt people on, but short enough where raw power is the best and endurance and weight play no part. After the climb the course circled through a town with wide streets where the buildings protected the riders from the wind. A cobbled descent and some rolling hills took the riders back to the finish. The weather wasn’t bad, with only a few sprinkles coming on and off throughout the race.
I got a horrible starting position because they kept moving the starting line further and further back. I hung out in the back for the first couple laps to check out the course and find which lines were fastest around the corners. Europeans are horrible “cornerers.” Plain and simple, they just suck going around tight city corners. Instead of flowing and pedaling through corners, the Euros prefer to take horrible lines, slam on the brakes, and then sprint like crazy to regain their speed. So I have found it useful to take the inside line, hit it really hard, either take the curb (making sure not to clip the pedal) or hop on to the sidewalk. This enables you to pass a lot of riders, while getting the usually European yell or grunt. Yelling is a major part of the European peloton. Everything from grunts, cuss words, and screams, yelling is used to defend your position, advance your position, and point out the faults of other riders. When you are the one getting yelled at, you can usually ignore it, or (my favorite) give the “yeller” a smile. This infuriates them. Once you can put the yelling out of your head, it seizes to intimidate you and you can ride much more effectively in the pack. A couple of attacks began going off the front and the pace began to quicken. On the fourth lap, I made a concerted move up through the field, and by the time we peaked on the climb on the fifth lap, I was positioned in the front. The wide roads of the race (which suite American riders) made it easier to move up. I went with a couple of attacks, but nothing was really getting to far away. On the sixth time up the climb I followed some riders and we opened up a nice lead, however this attempt faltered when riders began to refuse to work. The pack regrouped and I began fighting to stay at the front. The seventh lap came around and at the top of the climb, a group of 11 riders managed to slip off the front with some helpful blocking provided by their team mates. The final run into the finish was crazy, filled with riders locking bars and hitting hips. This is a point in the race that I am still not used to. You can find this aggressiveness in America, but it is only between a couple of guys. Here, 70 guys are left fighting and shoving their way to the front of the field. A last minute attack to bridge to the breakaway took a couple more riders off the front, including one of my team mates. I moved to the front of the field and blocked to the best of my ability: braking ever so slightly, taking guys into the curb (which is pretty fun), and following counter attacks. The attack with my team mate failed and I was consumed by the pack. I ended up there, tied for 12th with 90 other riders.

We started the race with five riders. One rider crashed out, and two riders finished off the back, leaving two of us to finish in the field.

Stage Two: Erwetegem- The course consisted of ten laps on a 10.2k loop. This course was rolling, with no climbs, and much more vulnerable to winds. The roads were narrower, and a cobbled road took the racers to the finish. Overcast skies luckily provided no rain.

Another horrible starting position put me at the back of the pack, but I quickly made my way to the front because I knew the small roads would stretch the 140 rider pack, making it difficult, and much longer, to move up. Again, for the first couple laps, I just watched and learned where to ride to get the best lines around corners and around obstacles. The roads we race on are subject to rolling closure, so cars are required to pull to the side. This makes things difficult because on one lap you may find a stretch of road where you can swing to the edge of the road and make your way to the front. On the next lap, you could be coming around and have a truck or car greet you on your “pre planned move up section.” You have to be paying attention to everything: maintaining or advancing your position in the pack, watching for cars, watching for round-a-bouts and other obstacles, and especially crashes. So for the usually two hours and forty-five minutes it takes to complete the race, riders get very little if any time to rest. The only way to get rest, and I am quickly learning this, is to be very efficient and smart in the pack. The laps added up, and at some point a breakaway managed to get away and put a minute between themselves and the pack. Probably because I wasn’t paying enough attention, or because the announcer only speaks Flemish, but I was not aware that there was a break up the road. We were told by our director that the race would blow apart on the third stage, so I was saving myself for the next day. The break managed to stay away with some of the riders putting 45 seconds more on our team. I finished the loops with the pack.

We managed to finish three guys in the pack, with only one rider finishing off the back.

Stage Three: Opbrakel - The course consisted of four laps of a 10k loop and then five laps on a 15k loop. The 10k lap contained half of the major climb of the day, and then a long, fast downhill to the finish. The 15k loop dropped the riders to the bottom of the climb, then pushed them up a “tree tunnel climb” to the top and then down the same downhill as the 10k loop and back to the finish. This climb was about 2ks, but it wasn’t very steep. However, it suited American climbers much more than Belgian climbers. The weather was cool, but luckily the rain stayed away.
The team manager told us to get in the breaks today, so that is exactly what we did. The first four laps came by pretty quick, with a 10 man breakaway going up the road, containing one American rider. The fifth lap came around, and the break had a minute lead on the pack, and I was getting a little worried that I had missed the winning break. So I moved to the front and began going with some attacks. After a couple hard efforts I managed to find another rider to work with. This kid was strong enough to take the lead on the hills, and then I would pull through on the tops and the down hills. We were flying. A couple kids managed to grab our wheels, but I didn’t care, as long as this kid and I worked together we would reach the break in no time at all. It was great seeing the lead car, and then managing to get close enough to the break to have the Shimano car pull to the side so that we could complete our “bridge.” We now had a lead group of about 15 riders, with two Americans…. The race was looking pretty good. The guy who shared the work with me and I went to the front and began to lead the group up the climb. I had no problem leading the climb, and then got into a comfortable tuck for the downhill. We reached the corner of the course where it flattens out and begins to head back to the climb. I pulled through, and then no one was there. I looked back and saw everyone on my wheel. I don’t mind having one or two guys on my wheel, but 14, that was not going to work. I zigzagged on the road, and tried to get the guys to pull through and keep the rotation going. No one was really interested in working except for a couple of guys. Why they wouldn’t work, I don’t know, I truly think that if everyone pulled through, we could have held the lead and finished off the front. Unfortunately, the Shimano car began blaring its horn while trying to pass us, meaning that the peloton wasn’t far behind. We were at the base of the hill and I did a last ditch effort to stay off the front as a couple of riders from the pack came up to join to me. We powered over the climb, and then were joined by several other riders on the downhill. The peloton was basically on our heels as we turned around and headed back toward the climb. Attacks were going up the road and then back as we headed to the climb with three laps to go. I saw another of my team mates, David, go with one of the attacks. I watched to make sure that his group got up the road, and then bridged up to it. We hovered off the front until the base of the climb. David and I took the lead and powered up the climb, trying to cause as much “pain” as possible. I have to say it was pretty cool having two American riders lead the pack up the crowded climb. We brought the group over the top and then were consumed by the pack on the downhill. It was that this point that I realized how helpful the downhill was for the bigger guys. We could drop the larger riders on the climb, and bring the group down to about thirty riders, but those riders that were dropped could use the downhill to bridge back up. With two laps to go, everything was together, and I managed to stay at the front and continued to go with the attacks. Nothing proved successful, and with one lap to go I was back to fighting for a front position in the pack. The final downhill to the finish was absolute chaos. Bars and shoulders were hitting, guys were hopping onto bike paths, and shoving their way through the center and up the sides to the front. I maintained a good position until the final corner, when I was supposed to get up and sprint, but my legs refused. I ended up finishing in the middle of the pack. All I need was one second on the peloton to move up into the top fifteen. Instead I tied with 70 other riders.

Three of us finished race. I think the director was pretty happy with our performance, USA was represented in every attack.

My dad got to ride in the team car on this final day, and he was completely stoked. He had a great time, and apparently talked and asked a lot of questions. Our masseuse said that he was very excited. My mom and little sister were on the side of the road cheering on every lap. It was awesome having my family here to cheer for me. You never want to race badly in front of your parents, so I think I performed better this weekend because of them.

After these races, all the riders’ legs are dead. Everyone just wants to sit around and either watch TV or sleep. Crepes or waffles or chocolate are eaten as rewards for completing another race. The U-23 guys get to go down to the town square and drink some beers for celebrations. Juniors aren’t allowed that privilege, but next year…

Not Bad...

Yesterday was spent in the pack, fighting for positions. It was too flat yesterday to suit me. Danny, David and I finished in the pack. Today, there are more climbs, so I will try and get in a break. I think eighty of us are tied for 12th, so I need to get off the front.

Its About Time...

This weekend we are competing in the Tour of Southeast Flanders. The race covers a lot of the roads used by the Tour of Flanders. Yesterday was finally a good day for me where just about everything went right. I am finally getting the hang of the European peloton, and spent most of yesterday in the top 30 riders (where I should be). I was in a couple of attacks, but nothing panned out. By the time the last couple k's came, Danny Summerhill attacked while I blocked for him. Unfortunately the move didn't work and Danny and I are sitting somewhere in the top forty. It just felt good to have a good day, where I could go with attacks and not have to worry about holding on to the back of the peloton.

The race is from Saturday to Monday, and I will keep everybody updated on how it plays out. Next week I will post a more descriptive account.

One Rider's Loss, Is Another Rider's Gain...

Finally a warm and sunny day has passed through this town. The California weather finally showed up, a couple weeks late, but at least it is here. Hopefully it won’t be too quick to leave. Its great not having to bundle up to go for a ride. Since there was no threat of rain, we road further out of our “comfort zone” of nearby cities and ventured into the Belgian country-side toward France. Passing patchwork farms, hedge groves, and the occasional church steeple in the distance, today’s ride was good reminder as to why I ride bikes. It was one of those perfect rides that you dream about in the States while you are at work or school.

The unwanted sickness is slowly passing out of the house. If one person gets sick here, it usually spreads from one person to the next. The trouble is, everyone wants to keep riding, so the sicknesses take a while to end.

The past couple nights have been great because I am the only one in my room. There is nothing like having your own room- you can go bed earlier, you don’t have to worry about mixing up clothes (since we all wear the same jerseys), and you don’t have to listen to the MTV channel on the TV (which I liked for the first day, until I realized that they played only ten songs over and over). Usually there are four guys to a room. Two of the guys in my room flew back to the States, and the other guy is in the hospital with a broken rib, collar bone, maybe jaw, busted teeth, and maybe a broken wrist. He crashed really hard, and upon seeing him, I prayed that nothing like that would ever happen to me. His season is over, and there is no telling when he will be back riding. We bring him magazines and Coca-Cola, and hang out with him as long as possible. He says the Belgian hospitals are brutally boring, but the nurses are hot, so…. you know….

We are all just trying to get our legs rested up, which takes much longer over here it seems like, and preparing for the next race.

Learning The Hard Way.....

When you first start racing your bike, you have to learn the ropes, as with any other sport. However, unlike other sports (except car racing, skiing, sledding, and maybe a couple other sports) you don’t risk crashing going 70+ k’s an hour. So when you first begin racing, you have to learn how to corner the bike correctly, how to hold your line, how to handle yourself in a pack, and so forth. You move your way up through the categories (Cat 5 being beginner and Cat 1 being pro). Once you make your way up to Cat 2, you begin to think that you have pretty good bike handling skills… until you come to Europe.

By far the hardest thing to adapt to while racing over here is learning to hold the wheel in front of you. You have to fight tooth and nail to be at the front of the pack in these races. In the States you can move up in the field extremely easily because the fields are smaller and fewer people are trying to be in the front. Over here, the fields are three times larger or even more. Plus, there are at least two kids on each team that have the capability to win the race. So instead of their being a couple of people having the power or skill to win a race like back in the States, you now have sixty kids that are fighting for the leaders jersey. Their aggression to stay at the front of the group is something that I am still trying to learn. In order to succeed in this type of racing I need to learn how to hold the wheel in front of me. Basically, get down and dirty….
So for the past three days I have been in the Netherlands competing in a three day, four stage race known as Axel.

The food and the accommodations for this race can be considered to be five-star compared to the “stuff” we received in the Czech Republic. All the teams went to a hotel where the racing officials fed us. Upon our first trip to the food court, we noticed large kegs in the line for the food. Our first thoughts were “Yes, this should be interesting.” To our disappointment, the lids were taken off the kegs and pasta was served to us.

First Stage: This stage contained one big loop, and then three finishing circuits. The terrain was flat as a pancake with two, one k sections of cobbles. The finishing circuits contained another stretch of one k cobbles. The race totaled 107 k’s.

We got to the line forty five minutes before the race started to get decent starting positions. So warming up for these races was out of the question. We actually considered bringing lawn chairs and sitting in them while we waited, maybe bring a stereo as well. So after a long time of sitting on the top tube of my bike, which gets pretty uncomfortable, the race was finally off. The wide street that the race began on quickly turned into small country roads after a couple tight twists and turns. We were told to stay at the front, and quickly realized why. With a 180 riders on one lane roads, moving up was virtually impossible, after a few mid-pack crashes, I found myself with support cars on my rear wheel, and about 179 guys in front of me. This was definitely not where I wanted to be. Luckily the attacks were starting at the front, and the pack was beginning to get strung out due to the “never-ending” cross winds. The gods of cycling must enjoy seeing the racers struggle against the winds and rain of Europe. Once the pack is strung out, my only opportunity of moving up presents itself. You say goodbye to the minimal draft you receive from the rider in front you, dive to the open side of the road and move your way up the pack trying to keep away from other riders to prevent them from drafting you (show no sympathy). It is unrewarding work, making your way up a line of 180 riders takes a lot of work and little gains come from trying to attempt it. Putting as many riders as you can between you and the support vehicles is important, and the satisfaction of knowing that if you get dropped and there are riders behind you that may be able to close the gap is the only reward you get for trying to move up. Unfortunately, no matter how many riders I put behind me, there always seems to be a crash in front of me. At the turn leading to the first cobbled section, a nice crash involved a group of riders at mid pack, separating the field, and I found myself chasing to get back with the leaders. At this moment, I found that I hate cobbles. Everything about them I hate. Since I have very little experience riding on these stones “from the pits of hell” I did not do a good job riding over them. I went back and forth across the narrow road trying to find “the sweet spot,” but to no avail. With my head down and pedaling as hard as I possibly could, I looked up in time to see a Dutch rider easily pass me. He was sitting up, hands on the top of his bars, apparently cruising and he just flew by me. The guy had to of had thirty pounds on me, and all I could do was watch as he pedaled me off his wheels. I would never see the leaders again after this point. I fought hard for about 50k, flowing in and out of the caravan, hoping that the pack would slow or a big crash would happen. Neither occurred and I soon found myself in a chase group. I happened upon a tough choice to make while in this group: I could either continue to ride hard and hope to catch back on to the group and limit the amount of time damage in the overall GC or I could sit in the back of this chase pack and save my legs for the TT and other stages. I opted for the second decision, mainly because I could tell that my legs weren’t recovered from the Czech, and that my cold was slowly getting worse throughout the week. So I finished about eight minutes down on the lead group. A disappointing first stage, but you have to keep your moral high because there are still three stages left.

We started the race with six riders. We lost three riders in this first stage. One pulled out due to sickness, and two crashed out.

Stage Two A: This TT consisted of a 7.8 k loop with several tricky turns. The wind was never at the rider’s back, it was either a cross wind or head wind.

I am finding that I am enjoying the TT’s more than the road races because you don’t have to deal with the crashes and mishaps you find in the peloton. I wished that we had gotten there earlier, but you can’t really tell the coaches what to do, so I couldn’t get the full warm up I needed. For a short TT you have to be completely “hot and ready to go.” As soon as I settled in I could tell that my legs still felt heavy, but I still tried my best. I ended up finishing fortieth. This was a respectable finish, but not exactly what I had wanted.

Stage Two B: Again, the course consisted of one big loop and then three finishing circuits. The finishing circuits contained the same stretch of cobbles from the finishing circuits of the stage before. So the good lines had been discovered and well warn. The “good lines” were two stripes along the cobbles that where the thick grass and the cobbles meet. These well warn lines turned into six inch wide dirt paths from the previous days, and were fought over viciously. The course totaled 105 k’s.

When you wake up and you don’t feel like racing because you know you are getting sicker, and your body aches from the cobbled sections of yesterday, you can pretty much tell you are going to have rough day. But, I am in Europe and I don’t want to come home with regrets of not racing just because I felt a little down. So once again we got to the line with a good forty five minutes to spare. This race actually started off at a reasonable pace, and only a couple crashes caused some havoc in the field. As more and more k’s passed by, I noticed that I was working really hard to stay on the back of the pack. After struggling to cope with a couple of attacks, it dawned on me that I may be getting a flat. A close inspection of the stiffness and trueness of my front wheel revealed no problems, the problem had to come from my rear wheel. I looked between my legs at the brake, and noticed with each revolution the rim was hitting the brake pad. Upon seeing this two thoughts entered my head: firstly- “Yes! I am not hurting so bad just because of the pace.” Secondly- “How can I be such an idiot? Why didn’t I check this earlier, my legs are about to explode and I could have prevented a lot of the pain.” I opened up the brake to allow the wheel to roll through it without contacting the pad, and then I noticed the tire was low on pressure. How long air had been escaping the tire I don’t know, but I had been riding three-fourths of the race with the brakes on. Mentally, this is a big blow. Now I had to deal with the question of whether to continue for as long as I could, or stop and wait for the car, which could be kilometers behind weaving through dropped riders. Any time you stop with a mechanical, especially at this race, any hope of catching back on flutters away. I tried to stay with the pack for as long as I could and then was quickly shed off the back when an attack went up the road. Watching the peloton ride away from you while you struggle is by far one of the worst things you can see. I kept going, getting slowly dropped by the riders that had been left behind by the peloton. My rear tire finally blew, and luckily the team car was only a couple meters behind me. The mechanic quickly changed my wheel and then pushed me off. I chased hard and caught back up to a group of dropped riders, where I stayed until the end.

All three riders survived this stage, only one finished with the peloton, the other rider and I finished off the back.

Stage 3: This stage contained one big loop, and four finishing circuits. The big loop contained four climbs: the Eikenberg, the Molenberg, the Berendries, and the Kapelleberg. All of these climbs were raced upon by the pros in the Tour of Flanders. The finish contained a downhill section of cobbles, with tight street corners to navigate and a short finishing straight. Last year only half the field finished this stage.

Upon waking up, things were not looking good. My forehead was burning and my throat was raw. It is really hard to get motivated when your body feels his way, but I wanted to race on the same climbs as the pros, so I brought myself to the line. There was a 3k stretch of cobbles 8 k’s from the start, so crashes were happening all over the place as riders were fighting for a top spot. I was already gapped off by the time we hit the cobbles. I was closing the gap to the leaders when a hornet or a wasp got stuck in between my glasses and my face. The ensuing stings felt “great” while I was riding on the cobbles- one handed, trying to hit the thing away from face and nearly knocking my sunglasses off. Smooth pavement was a god send, and I got into a good tempo knowing that I would not finish the race. I completed the climbs, which were all cobbled and really pretty exciting to race on. I finished up the big loop and pulled off as I crossed the finish line to start the circuits. I could have finished the race, but I saw no need to considering I was already off the back, and sick. Luckily it started to rain just as I got inside the van. The race didn’t go my way but I was happy to be in the van and quickly fell asleep.

Only one rider from our team finished this stage.

I am finding myself to be a very selective rider, which is not good. To succeed, the race has to be hilly with long climbs where strength to weight ratio becomes a factor. These flatter races are killing me, and I can’t say that I enjoy them. I am looking forward to the mountains of Switzerland, in the mean time I will be resting up and preparing for the Tour of Southeast Flanders.

Off to the Netherlands

We leave for the Netherlands today to for another stage race. This race, known as Axil, is a three day, four stage race with a TT and road race on the second day. The race is known for high winds and numerous cobble sections. There is supposed to be a 1000m section of cobbles, and on the last day cobbled climbs cover the coarse. The Belgians consider this to be their national championships, so I can only imagine what we are in for. If there is an internet connection I will try and update the blog, if not, expect the results on Monday.

California Sunshine...

The availability of sunshine in this country is about the same as the availability of snow in Bakersfield. It’s not quite that bad, but I could definitely use a good sunny day. A permanent cloud seems to follow the US riders throughout Europe, but at least it provides shade for us to race in. Mornings in this house are very unique. Since the sun rises so early, all the windows are equipped with "bomb-proof blinds" (probably remnants of WWII) that take a strap, similar to a tow rope from your car, to open. However, light still seems to get into the rooms from the "automated fluorescent lights" that turn on and off at random times. So if the light doesn't wake you up, you are treated to the yells of Ells (the head honcho of the house and Noel's wife). Actually her yells are more comparable to a shrill shriek or war cry that you cannot possible understand. If you are unlucky enough to sleep through this, the blinds are yanked open, and it’s not the light that hits you (remember the cloud) but the ear splitting groan of metal blinds ascending an "un-lubed" rail (picture nails on a chalk board).

The riders stumble out of bed, find their slippers (no walking around the house barefoot or you will hear the wrath of Ells), and proceed to kitchen. This is one of the few times that all of the riders come together. The largest pieces of the freshly baked bread are the first items to go. If you hesitate in your room, you usually wind up with the smaller, end pieces of the loafs. Yogurt, cereal, and milk are gathered on the table (for those that are more aggressive pans are taken out to make scrambled eggs), and the yawning athletes shuffle around the table, trying to find their laptops that were left downstairs from the previous night. The familiar sound of the computers starting up fills the room, and the clatter of typing begins. You can tell by the expression on each rider's face whether they received an email, or a comment on their Facebook, Myspace or blog account. A smile or a laugh indicates they probably received something from their friends our family. This is one of the better times of the day, because receiving mail from back home always makes you smile. Slowly the yogurt cups and the cereal bowls empty and laptops begin to close. Riders go their separate ways at this point, some get ready for a training ride, some get ready for a race, and some go back to bed (usually to woken up by Ells again- I think she thinks it is a game).

Today was another recovery day, used to spin out the legs and attempt to get them back to racing conditions. We waited for a gap in the rain and then proceeded on a long ride following the canal and local villages. By the end of the ride we somehow found ourselves in another coffee shop. We were treated to an English speaking waiter (well, he tried to speak English), and once he figured out that we were American we were lucky enough to hear his stories about Greg Lemond. This guy was apparently at the TT where Lemond beat Fignon to win the Tour. He gave us a full lecture on how strong Lemond was, and how he was the first to use TT equipment. He didn't really mention anything else, but his stories were long enough to take us through two cups of coffee. Once a gap in the rain appeared, we wound our way back to the house.

The Way You Would Imagine It...

Today was one of those great days used for relaxing. The team is still recovering, physically and mentally from the past week of racing, so today's training was limited to two hours of soft pedaling. We rode to the canal and followed it to the town of Kortrijk. Kortrijk is a little bit bigger town than Izegem and it has some more "touristy" attractions. We sat down at a small cafe and sipped down a warm cappuccino while we watched old clips of the Tour de France on a huge outdoor T.V. set in the middle of the town square. We get a lot of glances and points from pedestrians that walk by. Whether these glances are in envy or despise, I don't know, but wearing a jersey that has USA printed on it brings me a lot of pride. We finished our coffee and then headed back to Izegem, wear we showered and prepared for a trip to Roeselare. We stopped at a local bakery and ate a fresh sandwich and croissant. We then trekked to the train station and took a short train trip to Roeselare. Roselare has "city status" and is the location of the closest movie theater and better shopping according to the older riders. We got off the train and walked down the main street. I think women would enjoy the shopping we saw more than we did, but it was still cool to walk around the streets and see the different types of people and hear the different languages. We wound up in a sports store, which was cool because the focus of the store was soccer, and not football or baseball. Later we found ourselves in another cafe, which seems to be a reoccurring theme. We drank more coffee and watched as rain and then sunshine and then rain again passed over head.

I think I am beginning to figure more things out over here. You don't really train over in Europe, you race and then on the days between races you try to recover as much as possible. This makes for interesting rider personalities. Right before riders leave for races they are antsy and excited, nervous and focused. Then when they come back, they are speechless zombies set on spending as much time as possible in bed. Then when the next race approaches they begin to get excited again.

I hear Lance Armstrong is supposed to come to the house next week, so I am pretty excited about that....

Belgian Waffles….

Today was a great rest day. We went on a short spin, and then sat in a coffee shop for a couple hours and ordered cappuccinos and waffles and watched it rain. I did some serious laundry and took it easy. It feels great being back in Izegem, and even better to have a full stomach of good food.

A Sport of Luck....

This past week I have been in the Czech Republic participating in a five day, six stage race known as the Peace Race. This race is considered to be the hardest five day stage race for juniors. Many deem it to be the Tour de France of junior races. The next couple paragraphs are a testament to the truth of that statement.

The Journey to the Czech Republic….

I was unaware that the drive from Izegem to Litomerice would take eleven hours, but it did. We traveled by van, following a Flemish speaking GPS, constantly fighting for the window and front seats. USA Cycling tricked out the van to hold plenty of bikes, wheels, a refrigerator, and washer, but they definitely skimped on the seat cushions. We drove from Belgium through the Netherlands, down through Germany and finally to the Czech Republic. The Netherlands looked just like Belgium, but Germany and the Czech Republic are big enough countries that you are not constantly going through little towns. Both of these countries still have their thick woods and rolling green hills, reminding me a lot of Northern California. Winding through the small streets of the Czech with a big Belgian masseuse (Alex) behind the wheel quickly became an exciting experience with numerous “close calls.” The border crossing into the Czech was also an interesting experience. Once the border police saw our American passports we were immediately pulled over and they began going over our van. We were told to stay in the van, until Alex came to the window and asked me to get out. I walked to the back of the van and I faced four Czech policemen each holding a different bottle of my vitamins. I did my best to explain what each one was, but they still took the pills into their office and “examined” them. I am pretty sure they just wanted to bust us for having illegal drugs so that they could make the evening news (Anyone remember Festina?) An hour later and with a few slight detours and a couple of “missing roads” we finally arrived at our destination of Litomerice.

The Food of the Czech Republic (if that is what you want to call it)…

Don’t view this as me complaining, because I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that has been put in front of me. This is just the view of an American kid who grew up in a house where his parents took very good care of him and rarely, if ever, went without. Call it being spoiled or whatever you like but going from an environment where food is plentiful and actually good to eat, to an environment that is the complete opposite is a rough move…

So, as you can guess, the food was absolutely horrible. The Czech Republic had beautiful women, but the food was pretty much as bad as it gets. But as Arnie Baker says “Smile and act happy.” So that’s what I did. The first night we were at our hotel we got there too late and everything was closed- according to the receptionist. So we ate beef jerky that I had brought from home and some power bars for dinner. This only foreshadowed the rest of the trip. The rest of the trip we ate in a cafeteria of the local elementary school with the rest of the teams of the race. This was the most stereotypical cafeteria I have ever seen. Huge, weird lunch ladies spooned out our food from huge pots and pans. Who needs hair nets or gloves, the Czechs have decided to limit their waste and just use their hands. Drinks came from huge vats that oddly became more and more watered down with each day. Morning consisted of bread, lunch meat, and cereal. Lunch consisted of bread, some type of meat, and powdered potatoes (not mashed potatoes, but the powdered kind that you mix with water or milk, the Czechs chose water). Dinner consisted of bread, leftover meat from lunch, and left over mashed potatoes. Another odd thing was that the bread (definitely the staple food of the meal) became harder and staler with each day (any guesses as to why?). The first meal in the cafeteria was not bad (after eating power bars and beef jerky the night before) and they consistently got worse with each day. Portions were minimal, and even if there was more I am not sure if anyone would have gotten up to get seconds. This was the hardest part of being in the Czech: racing as hard as you possible can and not being able to fill your stomach at each meal- you can’t replenish the energy you have lost- your performance goes out the window- now it becomes even harder to get motivated to race and do your best. By the time Saturday came around, I could take it anymore, digging hairs and flys out of the food was beginning to get to me. Throughout the week I noticed that the Belgians did not eat with everyone else. So I asked one of them where they were eating- they had been eating pasta and pizza at a local restaurant every night, and they were the ones that were killing everyone else in the race. So our last dinner meal in the Czech we ordered ten boxes of pizzas and had a feast- I believe that this was the only thing that got me through the last day of racing.

Racing in the Czech….

The races started on Wednesday and went through Sunday.

Stage One: Mlada Boleslav- a 90k race that consisted of one big loop and finishing with eight 9k loops throughout Mlada Boleslav. There are two cobbled sections within the smaller loops- one section right before the finish and the next section after a twisty decent. The weather is overcast with rain coming off and on, keeping the cobbles ultra slick and the corners dangerous.

The race started with few problems, and it actually didn’t start too fast. The big loop seemed to be used as a warm up. Once we hit the city circuits however, the attacks came and the field (135 riders started, 23 teams) quickly strung out. There was a nice pile up the first time we hit the cobbles and another on a chicane through a roundabout. I had to bridge to the group after the second crash. The next couple laps went pretty smoothly. On the end of the third lap, the rain was coming down pretty hard and we entered the cobbled section way too fast. Turning on wet cobbles is not an option. You basically lean the bike and hope that you don’t drift too far. Using your brakes is also a bad idea, as I would soon find out. A crash happened on the following corner, and a chain reaction occurred. I gabbed too much front brake and instantly hit the deck. I got up quickly, but my rear wheel wouldn’t turn, so I fumbled with the rear brake until I could get it to turn and then hopped on, but didn’t go anywhere because my chain was off. So I got off and put the chain on and then was finally off. I attempted to draft the team cars, but soon realized that team cars were not there to help the competition. Either the cars would fly past me so that I could not draft them, or they would slow way down so that I would have to go around them. By the time I completed a lap the entire caravan had gone by me and I was left to do a TT to the finish. The only thing I could think of was go as fast as I could to minimize the damage and come in within the cut off time. The one cool thing was that the crowds still cheered for the riders off the back and that was motivation enough to push the next gear. I finished the remaining laps and conceded eight minutes to the leaders, which wasn’t bad considering I rode solo for over 40k.

We started the race with six riders, one rider had to pull off on this stage because of a mechanical. Three of us crashed and finished off the back, and the remaining two finished with the peloton.

Stage Two: Litomerice- a 96k road race in the shape of a lollipop. There was a starting and finshing straight and three loops in the hills above Litomerice. The weather was overcast, but it was warm with no threat of rain. One main climb on the loop was 300m long with rollers back to the climb again.

The race started off nice and fast with the Belgians going to the front and causing havoic. Small crashes plagued the group until we reached the climb. I felt pretty good and made my way through the peloton to the lead group. We peaked and made the decent to the rollers, we caught a small breakaway that had gotten away on the climb and the pack instantly slowed down. This enabled most of the American squad to catch back up, which was good because having no team mates in the peloton is no fun. We came back around to the climb again, and this time I was confident enough to try and go for some KOM points. I began to make my way through the group, but I was held up on the outside when the pack suddenly moved to my side of the road. I was balancing on the edge of the pavement and the dirt when I began to hit bars with a big Belgian kid. Obviously there was not enough room for the two of us. We looked at each other and when I looked back the pavement had eroded away around a hole, my front wheel entered the hole and instantly stopped. I pivoted up on my front wheel and then flipped over the bars and landed on my head with the bike landing on top of me. I got up really quick, wanting to catch the Belgian who had been next to me. My bike seemed to be in working order even though the bars were pretty messed up along with my seat, so I sprinted back up to the group just as they crested the climb, I shifted to the bigger gears, and began noticing a problem with the shifting. With each shift the chain would seize in the drive chain and the cranks would not move…. a bent chain. It got to the point where the chain would not move at all, so I signaled to the commissar and told him I needed a new bike. The team manager quickly drove up to me and I pulled over to the side of the road. The switch took a lot longer than it should have because we had to switch pedals. After a never ending minute I was off and once again began a very long TT. Again my main motivation was to finish within the time limit, and minimize the damage. I caught an Estonian rider in the final k’s and we finished just as big group of dropped riders caught us. This day proved to be the most devastating day upon looking back, not because it was the hardest or fastest (because it wasn’t) but because the spare bike I was given had a seat height that was too tall for me. I believe my legs were trashed from this extremely different riding position- something that my body would not be able to recover from. Another thing I discovered from looking back on this day and the first day was that going as hard as I could to the line probably was not the best idea. I should have accepted a horrible GC position and focused on conserving energy for a stage victory or at least a top ten finish in a stage. But when you are chasing you don’t think about the future, only about the present and cutting your losses.

We started the stage with five riders, two of us crashed and were chasing, two other were dropped on the climbs and were chasing, and the final guy stayed lucky and finished in the pack. Overall the US squad was not looking good, it had only one rider left in the main group on the GC and four others filling the lower spots of the GC.

Stage Three A: Trebenice- a 12k TT that looped around the outskirts of Trebenice. There was one solid climb and then rolling hills on the rest of the course. The weather was partly cloudy and the course was smooth with good corners.

Since I was pretty low on the GC I had one of the first start times. We got there a little later than I would like, but I managed to pre-ride the course and get a good solid warm up. I felt pretty good on the beginning of the TT and rode strongly through the first ¾ of the course. And then I hit the false flat that took you back to the finish, and my legs began to crack, and I could feel my shoulders rocking and rolling with my body. I lost a lot of time through this section, but managed to finish around 30th over all. Not too bad considering that was technique my third TT of the race.

The kid that managed to stay out of trouble and with the pack on the first two days (Carter) pulled off a great performance and finished 8th. As a team we were sitting in the 21st position from the road races, but we finished a strong 7th in the TT competition, proving that we have the power and the strength to compete with the Euros, we just need to fine tune our skill of pack riding and get lady luck on our side.

Stage Three B: Roudnice n. Labem- a 97k road race that consisted of five loops through farm land and cities. A small climb and a fast decent separated the flatter sections of the course. The weather was extremely windy (we went through several dust storms trying to find the start of the race) and cloudy, and the course had a cobbled climb to the finish.

A crash 5ks after the start enveloped the main part of the field, I was able to slow down enough that my “crash” was more of a fall onto some other guy that had already crashed. None the less, I was back to chasing the part of the field that had evaded the crash. I teamed up with a Belgian rider and we quickly made our way through the caravan (which was actually kind of nice because the cars provided a lot more protection from the wind than the strung out field did). I attached myself to the back of the field, and managed to have no problem until the third lap. We were on a flatter section of the course with a nasty cross wind causing the field to string out and forcing the riders to balance their bikes in the gutter while barely holding the wheel in front of them. The Belgian national team was charging at the head of the field during this section- I cannot describe to you in words the way your body feels while you are riding at the very edge of the road, mustering all you strength to stay in contact with the wheel in front of you. Few positive thoughts enter you mind during this time, you can only grit your teeth, put your head down and wonder “who is doing this and why?” It was only a matter of time before someone lost contact with the wheel in front of them, and I was on the wrong end of the split. I formed a chase group with a couple of other riders, which grew to a substantial size, but only a couple of us were actually pulling through. So half way through the fourth lap, two guys and I attacked and began a picture perfect three man rotation. We made contact with the caravan, and leaped frog through the cars until we were with the main group again. I held on through the fifth lap and finished with this group. The efforts from that day and the previous days were definitely beginning to settle in, and the hardest days were yet to come.

Two of us finished in the main group, and the other three were in chase groups off the back.

Stage Four: Decin- Pirna- a 115k road race that began with a 20k climb and then a 5k climb after that, rolling hills, and small uncategorized climbs take you into Germany where we finished in Pirna. The 20k climb begins gradually and gets steeper and steeper until you are in your smallest gears. It was pouring rain at the start along with being very windy. Wet descents on small windy roads presented dangerous obstacles.

I have never seen a race start out so fast. From the gun the entire field was strung out and guys were popping off the back in ones and twos. I was unable to warm up so my legs were screaming, and I could not see myself continuing at this point. The road narrowed to one lane at a construction site, and of course there was a crash. And yes, once again I was on the wrong side of it. The impossibility of catching the main group when they were going so fast proved to be a daunting task. I teamed up with a rider from Croatia and we struggled to keep the leaders in sight. I quickly passed dropped riders upon reaching the steeper sections of the climb. I bombed the descent and raced up the second climb. I joined a Belgian rider that I remembered from my first race in Belgium, and we pulled ourselves back through the caravan to the main group. More than half the race was over by the time we reached the leaders. I ate and drank as much as I could and prepared myself for more flat windy sections that the Belgians would eat up. We began climbing a hill on a freeway in Germany when we encountered traffic cones that started to cut off the outside lane. These tall, flat, “cemented down” posts cut into the group and caused another big crash and split the group in two. You guessed it, I didn’t go down, but I had to stop and get some guy off my top tube. I stayed in the second group- and I am not going to lie it was nice going easy and taking a break for a while. The pace increased at the end and I finished with this group.

One more guy from our team had to drop out due to injuries he received from the previous day of racing. Carter finished with the lead group, I in the second, and the other two guys were off the back.

Stage Five: Terezin- a 101k road race that consisted of loops on the outskirts of Litomerci and had a finishing straight into Terezin. Each lap had two 5k+ climbs and tricky descents. The weather was finally nice with a little bit of wind and only a few clouds.

Terezin was a Nazi concentration camp during WWII. I had to warm up through the camp and the finish went straight through it. For me it put a somber feeling to the whole race. Mixed feelings and emotions were not easy to put out of my head….

Pretty much the worst possible thing you can do is make the Belgian riders mad, and that is exactly what the commissar did when he took away the leaders jersey from a Belgian rider and gave him and a few of his team mates 10 minute penalties. Apparently the Belgian (who was on the Belgian national road team) had a mechanical problem on the previous day, and the Belgian national track team dropped back to pace him back to the field. This is illegal because it makes it seem like the Belgians had a twelve man team unlike everyone else who only started with six. So the Belgian leader was stripped of his jersey, which of course made the Belgians very made. This made the last stage of this tough race the hardest race I have ever done. I was only able to hold on to the lead pack for two laps, I was dropped on the climbs, which I have to say I did not believe could happen so hard or so fast. Once I let a gap open I could not recover. The pace that the Belgians were driving was incredible, guys were just dropping out on the side of the road. Once I was dropped I went to survival mode and focused solely on getting up the remaining climbs and reaching the finishing line. I teamed up with two riders from the team Cube and we held a strong pace to the finish. They were the highest placed riders on the road from their team so their team car followed us for the remaining two laps. They attacked me like crazy by the beckoning of their manager on the climbs. But I had to save some of my pride and make sure I didn’t get dropped. I stayed with them and we finished together. Completely exhausted, I rode to the van, put some clothes on, drank a Pepsi and got in the car for the long drive home….

Carter finished in a chase group ahead of me, we were the only two riders from our team to finish the stage.

Reflection…

Well I imagined my first European stage race to go a lot different. I had imagined glory, but I only got a rude awakening, along with bruised knees, hips, shoulders, broken shoes, cracks on my helmet, and torn clothing. I have learned a lot though, and that was really the main purpose of this race- to learn and begin to understand European racing. It is tough and fast, there is little mercy shown by anyone, and you have to race flawless to be there at the end. In America you can make twenty mistakes and still win the race, over here you have to be perfect or you will be off the back.

A Better Appreciation for America (and California)…

The racing in Europe is pure, fast and aggressive, everything you could hope for. But it is different over here, especially in the Czech. The food, the boarding, the people and the weather (I swear there is a permanent cloud that hangs over that country) are all different. The countries are beautiful, but I am now beginning to realize how great California is. I would actually say that California has more natural beauty than the countries that I have seen so far. We take for granted the grandness of our home. The freedoms we have in America are not shared throughout the world and I am finally beginning to realize this. The Czech Republic was a shock to see how people live, and how they eat. I now have a slight understanding as to why people throughout the world are “hostile” or even jealous towards America. It comes down to the narrowness of an American citizen’s vision, few Americans can understand how different their life would be if they did not have the freedoms they hold. I am enjoying my trips throughout Europe to their fullest, and I am very grateful for all that has been given to me, but for those of you that are reading this back home remember that you are very lucky to live where you do.

Found a New Weight Loss Program....

Instead of watching your diet, or buying weight lose pills, just come over to Europe and you are guranteed to lose weight. I have been over here for four days and I have lost five pounds, getting down to the race weight. The food here has been great. I usually make scrambled eggs in the morning, sandwiches at lunch, and then a feast (provided by Ells- like tonight's dinner was: spagetti, ham, tuna, salad, tomatoes, and stir fry) at dinner. There is always something to eat.... keeping me very happy. Today was an easy day, I rode with the team for about an hour and a half, and then I took off and rode by myself for another hour. I went and checked the town and the surounding towns. I would tell you the names, but i can't pronounce the names let alone spell them. The small narrow streets are cool to ride through, and the scenery is pretty sweet, a bit of a relief from the oil fields and smog encompassed mountains (although you can't complain too much about Bako, the Sierras aren't bad). The weather has been great, knock on wood, and I hope it stays that way. Unfortunately, rain is expected in the czech in the first couple days of the race, so that should make things interesting.

So this next week: We drive to the czech tomorrow, which is an all day trip. On Tuesday we spin out our legs and get ready for our first taste of European stage racing. The race starts Wed. and goes through Sun. There is a TT and road race on Thur. so there is six stages total. No big climbs in this race, there are a couple 3k and 5k climbs that should reak havok on the pelaton. We are bringing six members to this race, and I think fewer teams can enter as opposed to the race on Saturday, so perhaps there will be a smaller and more managable field. Noel (the director) srongly suggested that we leave our computers at the house since we are going to an "eastern" country. Apparently theft is a big problem, so I opted to leave my computer in Belgium to be on the safe side. So there probably won't be any news on the race until sunday, unless I can get my hands on a computer.

Thanks for reading, and I will try and get updates to you asap.

So The Rumors Are True......

Yes, racing in Europe is fast, very fast. Todays race was in a town a couple miles south and consisted of eight loops that totaled 79 miles. Upon arrival to the "pre race area" I was amazed to see all the team cars, it looked like we were at a pro race. The riders even had a special area to change, put their numbers on and do all the other pre race stuff. i have to say it was pretty cool. Once we had all of our gear together, we got our bikes from the mechanics (numbered, tires pumped up, and ready to go) we went and did a short spin to test the wind (there was a really strong wind blowing in from the north) and loosen the legs. We signed in and waited for the start area to open....

We actually got really good starting position, i think the whole team (five of us today) were positioned in the top twenty( there were 185 riders in the race, the biggest race I have ever been in). The motorcycle took out the red "neutral" flag and the race was on. However, the neutral section was anything but that. Riders quickly rushed past us using every means possible: the gutters, the sidewalks,, cutting corners, anything that would gain them a few spots. This is where I made my first "newbe" mistake, I let too many riders past me. Anyway, the motorcycle finally took out the green start flag and the race was officially on. The pace quickened and even more riders past me. By the time we reached the cobbled climb I was pretty much at the back. The climb was cool (even though it was really short) but instead of everyone fighting for he six inch wide gutter (barriers were in the way) everyone just plowed into the cobbles. The noise of all those riders on the cobbles was pretty deafening. Carbon rims were crunching and aluminum wheels were bouncing all around. The first lap finish had no real drama, besides a crash that happened right in front of me and was the main reason I was in the back. The second lap was far less fortunate for me. I noticed that my seat kept getting lower and lower with each rough section of the road. I decided to think nothing of it because to stop and fix it surely meant the end of my day. By the time the third lap came around, my knees were almost hitting my chest and I decided to stop. I dropped back to the follow cars, and found our team car. Our mechanic doesn't speak the best english so the repair took a little longer than was probably necessary, but oh well. He pushed me off and I began drafting the cars, trying to make my way back to the field. I discovered leap frogging cars was incredible difficult. You think drafting cars would be easy, but its not, trust me. The effort quickly became similar to an all out TT. i would pass some cars, and then the pace of the field would quicken and the cars would pass me back, this happened over and over. After about a lap I finally made it through all the cars (there were forty total cars and I have no idea how many I had to pass- too many) and finally attached myself to the back of the pack. The legs were shot though, and of course i got back on right before the climb, which was the icing on the cake, it was everything I had to stay in contact with the rider in front of me. The next two laps I was the last rider in the pack, and i was just trying to recover and take in some food. By the time the sixth lap came around, i thought enough was enough and decided to make my way to the front. It took me about 5 kilometers to get up with the leaders. I did a couple of attacks with some other guys, which didn't work out, and then the pace suddenly slowed so I was swarmed again, and before I knew it I was at the back again, although the pack was quite a bit smaller. The seventh lap was incredible fast and guys were being shed like crazy. The wind forced us into the gutter, which was kind of sketchy in some areas because after the side of the road there was usually a steep irrigation trench. The eighth and final lap came around and everything slowed down. The pack swelled and riders were taking up every inch of space, sidewalks included- making moving up nearly impossible. This was the most frustrating part of the race because your position from 10k's out was the position you finished in because you just couldn't move up. So I ended up finishing somewhere in the peloton.

I ended up being the only guy to finish from our team and probably only half the guys who started finshed. This was a good learning day though. I discovered you have to do everything possible to move up and stay in the front, even if it means risking crashing, or using the sidewalks, or what ever. The Euros race fast, but they are not invincible. Everyone was tired by the end, so I can't wait to see what some real climbs will do to the field. I could have done better today if I had raced a bit smarter and didn't have the mechanical, but at least I learned quite a bit. Our next race is on Tuesday down in the Cezch Rep. and it is supposed to be one of the hardest, if not the hardest junior stage race in Europe. So easy ride tomorrow, and a long drive on Monday.

Died and Went to Heaven

I have finally arrived in Belgium! The plane flight was pretty horrid. Just about every plane connection had a problem or was cancelled all together I woke up at 3:45 am on Wed. and got to the house in Izegem at 6:30 pm Thur. night. So that would be the "death" part from the title of this blog. But Belgium is heaven.....

The house is pretty cool. It is pretty much geared to cyclists every demand. The beds are comfortable and there are plenty of showers and bathrooms for all. The riders themselves make breakfast and lunch. And then Noel's wife (Ells i believe- haven't met her yet) makes dinner.

I got my bike all set up last night, and rode easy on a trainer for about an hour. Today I actually hit the roads of Belgium, and they are pretty interesting. The roads are narrow and the bike paths on the sides of the roads are basically the side walks, but the cars here don't seem to go as fast as the cars back home so its not too bad. We pre-rode the race course for tomorrow this morning. The course consists of eight loops and I think it will be about 130 km of racing.There is a "cobbled" climb in the middle of the loop so I got my first taste of riding on the cobbles, and they are definetly pretty rough. Everyone is going to be fighting for a six inch wide gutter on the right side of the road which is the only smooth line up the climb. The corners for tomorrow's race are really slick and oily (one of the riders went down today on one of the corners) so there will be plenty of crashes. Add the constant wind that blows in from the coast and we should have one hell of a day tomorrow. I can't wait though, I am so stoked to get in there and mix it up....

I actually get a rub down from a massager, but its not the bomb shell belgian or swiss girl i was hopeing for, its a guy from US Cycling..... but hey you won't here me complaining

(I am pretty sure there are a couple of errors in spelling but bear with it because the blog website is in German while I am over here, so it is tough navigating this website to update it and put pictures on it)

Almost All Packed Up...

Well the time has come, my last day in the States is here and my bags are just about packed. Everything from bike bibs to shoe covers and belts to shaving cream for the ole' legs. Since this is my first time to Europe I can guarantee that I have over packed, but I am a long way from home and I don't want to have to "deal without" while I am over there....

I leave tomorrow morning bright and early, fly to LA and then to DC where the team meets up. From DC we fly to Brussels. It is going to be a long flight, hopefully I don't sit next to some crying baby or some guy that snores in his sleep. Just have to hope for the best....

I would like to thank everyone who has helped me out through the years to get to this point. I would not be packing my bags for Europe if I didn't have the support of a great cycling community, friends and family. I can't make any promises about winning, but I will do my best and give those Euros some good American competition....