my very own polka dot jersey (2 and 1/2 weeks to go)

with the early summer /late spring temperatures rising and that feel of summer air finally arriving, i awoke to find my self covered in red spots. Other team mates had been having issues with allergies causing stuffy sinuses and itchy eyes, but i decided to go all the way and break out with itchy red spots. After a quick call to the Radioshack doc and a trip to the chemist for some allergie meds the itching subsided and my spots have started disappearing.
Note being covered in red spots in no way improves your ability to climb, much to my dissapointment.

it is now only 2 and 1/2 weeks until i will be back on home soil, which although i have had the time of my life here, will be some much welcome relief, and only 1 and a 1/2 weeks until dad and big bro will visit for my mid season break.
Although i will be off the bike and not racing for my last week here it will still be as busy and exciting as ever, with Simon and i going to Rock Werchter, one of belgium and even europes biggest rockfestivals, to see Green Day Paramore, 30 Seconds to Mars, Rise Against and many other bands which should make for a good day out, but probly wont help simon with the jet lag.
The following day its a surprisingly short drive, up into Holland for the prologue of the TDF followed by evening in Amsterdam. then back to belgium to brussels to watch the finish of stage 1 the following day.
and then it almost time for me to head back, and dad and Simon to spend another 2 weeks travelling France and Spain.

With the realisation that the end is in sight, iv started thinking the highs and the lows and about what i have learnt here both on and off the bike, and it is surprising how many of the lessons this trip has taught me have had nothing to do with training/racing but still have a much bigger impact on performance than most realise.
Thoughts of home have also started creeping in, and it will be a huge relief to be sleeping in my own bed again (with rectangular pillows, no matter what people say square pillows are impossible to get comfy on) after almost 5 months away.

Although a part of me expects to get home and find all my stuff out on the front lawn with the locks changed LOL, but i guess we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

Cant wait to get home and talk the usual shit on the sunday morning bunch ride

See you all soon

When the shit hits the fan, go bush!

Yesterday it was back to racing UCI races starting with a UCI 1.2 starting In Wavre. it was to be a 185km race with some cobble sectors and some short sharp climbs in the first 50km followed by flat roads all the way to the finish.
The morning was very humid and about 26 degrees, but as the start time approached the temperature dropped and with 2 minutes to go until start time the heavens opened. i had made sure i was in pole position at the start and as soon as we were rolling was on the bumper of the lead car for the 3km neutral section, which is the best place to be because you don't have to fight as hard to stay there.
The flag was pulled in and with the race finally underway the usual furry of attacks were starting, and with the treacherous conditions, early climbs and flat run in to the finish i decided it was likely that a small group would be let go, with the bunch coming back together on the long flats leading into the finish. but it was not to be so i made sure i was at the front for the first of the climbs sitting at 3rd wheel at the base, but as soon as the road turned skyward i missed the 23 and put it strait in reverse :( i was maxing out but still going backwards at an alarming rate but managed to hold onto last wheel cresting the top of the climb.
Unbeknown to me immediately following the climb would be the first cobbled section of about 500m down the other site. With a downhill gradient of about 10% and slicked with the usual water and mud there was carnage. bottles fall out of cages, riders try to avoid them and with no grip and no brakes down they go. In total about 60 of the 190 starters were lying on the road, 15 of which were hospitalized. As for me being last wheel I got to witness the lot but thankfully i managed to point my steed to the side of the road hop the curb and ride down the mud/gravel shoulder past the twisted bikes and motionless riders, and my team mate Pavo who had found a way through the maze of bodies. i waited for him for a few seconds and then chased him back to a group of 5 riders about 30 second off the rear of the front group, until i poped and found myself slipping back to the 2nd chase group, then the third, and the.....the broom wagon, which was filled with bruised beaten and soaked riders.
Only one of our riders was in front of the crash and made the lead group, so it wasn't a particularly good race for the team.

Internet Brugge and Chocolate Body Parts

Saying that last week dragged on and on would be a major understatement, with many of the other riders having a week off travelling and resting as well as the team manager going for a holiday to turkey the apartments were very quiet, add to this the internet cutting out, and taking a week to be fixed there was a shortage of entertainment.

As a result i took the opportunity to travel into brugge to do some clothes shopping and sight seeing.
Here are some pics.
"Bike racks at the Brugge Train station"

"Canal"

"Minewater Park"

"Another canal"

"Bridge and Tower"

"Chocolate Bits"

Figured it was about time for an update.

Why the lack of posts? you ask
well 2 reasons,
1 i have been crook the last week and a bit with a nasty cold/flu which has kept me from training and racing properly, so i havent really had much news worth sharing.
and secondly, what can i say... iv been lazy :)
Now back to feeling 100% the weather has decided it would become nice again instead of the cold conditions of the last two weeks, and with the sun shining and the trees growing their leaves back there is no better place to ride than along the tree lined canal.
Here are some pics from one of our group ride to holland and back.

Hobken (belgium) and Beauchamps (France)

Over the w/e i had 2 big races, one in belgium and then another in northern France. The first being a UCI (1.2 B) Ereprijs Victor De Bruyne (Belgium) on the Saturday and the 2nd being UCI (1.12 FR) Prix de la ville Beauchamps (France) on the Monday.

Saturdays race being a 1.2 meant that there would be continental pro teams as well as amateur teams competing, and with the course being long (185km) and flat it was destined to be a fast race. And that it was with the first of the three 45km laps being completed in just under an hour. There were quite a few aussies in the field with Drapac Porsche ariving in Belgium 2 days before the race, and using it as their opening race in belgium.
"On the Front of the Grid"

With the high speed it was going to be difficult to take on biddons, and so our teams soineurs decided they would find a spot out on course where the field would be slower, and as ther were not in the main feed zone instead on their own i didnt know where they were and didnt see them on the first lap, meaning i was out of water, and despite still feeling alright, cramped with 40km to go and went backwards fast.
Here are some more pics from the race
"Our DS Dieter Lefevre and Soineur Noel"

"Dieter Later on in the Race"

"Stretching the Elastic Band"

"Before the Race"



Beauchamps, the town of Mondays race is a small french village in the provence of Picardy, in northern France and was much hillier than belgium and actually reminded me of some of the landscapes of northern tasmania. The weater was cold and wet and with Sevral of these (see below) scatterd around the course ther was no chance of a calm day.
"Windy Much?"

The course was not exactly easy either with a 2km wall followed by 12 km of narrow, pot holed exposed roads back around to the bottom. And by the 3rd lap the race had exploded into 5 groups with only about 15-20 riders including 2 team mates still in contention.
Then it was time for the 3 hour drive home, as i was not selected to stay on in France and Race the stage race much to my dissapointment.
"Scenery near the Race Start"


"View from the van after Crossing A Rater Large Bridge"

As many of my recent posts have stated the weather we have had her in belgium has been unusually perfect for the last 2 weeks, and yesterday was no exception. i headed out towards where we had raced on Sunday as we had stubled across this magnificent mansion on the way to the race.
"View From The Frount"

"Fancy Gates"

"Your Crib Aint The Shizz Without a Moat"

"And a Nice Little Bridge"


After stopping to take a pic of the mansion it was off to the canal running North from Dienze towards Gent.
"Trees Lining the Canal Road"

"Riding along"


I followed this canal North until it intersected the Brugge-Gent Canal, where i headed west back towards home.

"Belgium Weather Doesnt Get Much Better Than This"

And then past the local car dealer, which covers all the basics, Aston Martin, BMW, Audi, Maserati......
"Shiny"


and Home.

Finding My Belgian Legs

In my last post i said that i was racing on wednesday at the coastal town of De Haan, but with a few off the bike issues affecting my focus on the bike i chose not to race, and after along chat with the team manager, had found a solution, and focused my attention on the weekends U23 Kermese In Meigem.

With a clear head we headed out for the 32km ride to the kermese, before signing on and rolling a lap of the course (9.2km Flat Twisty And Exposed). There were pleanty of places where the field could be split as well as a cobbled "S-bend" about 3km from the start, so it was improtant to start at the front of the pack. And as it turned out it was VERY important to stay at the front, with a substancial break of about 15-20 riders getting clear in the first kilometer, with James Tennant (South African) returning for a second year at the team, Christoph one of the teams belgian riders, and myself in it.
"The three of us before the move went clear"

With 3 fuji riders in the break we were the best represented team and christoph took the 2nd intermediate sprint and the 25 euro + apricot pie prize, and i took the 3rd intermediate sprint getting some $ and a pie of my own
"Winning my Apricot Pie"

but afterwards I found myself in trouble after the break was put in the gutter the following lap. Dropping back to the similar sized chase group. Conveniently with 2 team mates in the lead group i took the oppertunity to sit on for a lap and when the chase caught back up with the lead group found myself with fresh legs meaning next time the group was put in the gutter i had the legs to hang onto the front group which had been reduced to about 12 riders. I was the only rider from our team in the front group and managend to hang in while 2 more riders found the crosswinds too tough, leaving 10 of us to fight out the finish. Determined not to finish last in my group I used what little i had left to hang in for 8th place, my first top 10 finish :)
"Some more pics of me in the break"



After collecting my winning and demolishing, with help from my team mates, my apricot pie it was time for the 32km ride back home.

All in all a solid 183km day