Cow Field of Dreams

It doens't matter if you are in Izegem or Sheboygan cow crap still smells like cow crap. Today we went for a 2 hour training ride through the countryside. It's amazing how comfortable I am with my surroundings now. Day one in Belgium I hadn't a clue where I was, but now I can go out for 1:30 ride and know exactly where I am the entire time. I guess it helps that the sun was shining for the majority of todays ride. It was a brisk 2 celsius with high humidity. You can't help but imagine how dangerous a 200+ strong crazed peloton is ripping down the narrow farm roads in the spring as you are pushed off to the side when one mini car goes by you in the opposite direction.

Yesterday was spent relaxing after Sundays race and dreaming of the off-season. I bought a couple of plane tickets for cheap to Girona and Mallorca for a little one week vaction after the race. I am pumped.

Tomorrow will be the last hard effort of the season and the final bit of preparation for Sundays race. Thursday we will be transfering from Izegem to Hoogeheide and then we will start training on the course. I am pumped to try out the new 2009 Easton wheels with some fresh 32C Rhino's in the Dutch mud.

Assenede

Mission Accomplished: Build Two Bikes, Fly To Europe, Rebuild Two Bikes, Race Cyclocross! Today was a warm up race before the big show in Hoogerheide next week. We raced in the small town of Assenede just south of the Netherlands border. It was a classic Belgian style race course. Main Street, Farm fields, mud pits, farm fields, a little hill, one more mud pit, one more farm field, someone's backyard, & back to main street. It was sweet. I had an OK start and filtered in the top 15-20. The next two or three laps I bridged up to 10th. The new bikes were riding really good. The middle of the race was good as I settled into a group with Summerhill and 2 other guys.

Shriver is cracked and smelling his Nutella because he can't find his spoon....

Summerhill ended up going forward and with 3 laps to go I started feeling the pain of the long flight and lack of hyrdration. On the last lap 5 dudes passed me....
I ended up 15th and was happy to blow the bad stuff out of my legs after not going hard since last Monday in Tucson.
















It was good to attend a smaller race and see what local racing is all about in Belgium. This was not a part of the GVA or Super Prestige series and all the big guns were racing the World Cup in Milan. The not so big guns are pretty fast here too! I even earned a few euro's for the days effort.




















Now it is time to rest up and start the mental prep for next weekend! I can't wait to get the USA skinsuit!

Red, White, & BLUE

I am happy to announce a new cross sponsor for 2009: Blue Competition Cycles



















I took the CXC's for their first spin through the countryside of Belgium yesterday and they are really nice. Thanks to the guys at Blue for making it happen in such a short time between Cross Camp and now. Along with the bikes came some sweet EuroX brakes from TRP! They work a lot better than the Tektros I was running.



















Later today is my first race at the Pre-Worlds camp in Assenede Belgium. Time to go get muddy!

Thanks again to all my sponsors who have helped me get to this point: Gear Grinder, Hyundai, Trek, Oakley, Crank Brothers, and now Blue! Stay tuned to Gear-Grinder.com for a sweet new t-shirt!

Slow Going

I wanted to do a sweet post, but blogger and the wireless are killing me.....I'm racing tomorrow so I'll update after the race.....in the meantime it looks like we got a 5th on the US Elite team!  I'm pretty happy for Page and I hope he gets a resurgence of energy and kills it in Hoogerheide....more tomorrow.

De Ja Vu

It seems like I just made this trip yesterday. Once again I'm in Izegem Belgium sharing some bunk beds with Shriver. I have already had my first Ham & Cheese, heard my fav 4 techno songs on Radio MNM (formerly Radio Donna), and checked my e-mail 10 times. A few things were different though. I couldn't sleep on the plane and therefore I am exhausted right now. I need to stay awake for another 7hours to properly adjust to the new time zone. Brutal. I flew NWA and they had some sweet on demand movies. I watched Miracle at St Anna. It was pretty good. My luggage arrived on time so that was pretty sweet too.














Herman the ex cop picked up Gully, Proctor, and I from the airport. It is 40 and raining. What more could you want? Good thing I bought those Rhinos! Andrea is flying out in one week to watch the race. Last time I did one of these(Worlds) was downunder on the fat tires! Time to go build some bikes.

The Big Show

I was talking with some of the guys (Steelers) after the big game last night and we layed out our training, rest, and travel plans together. After a great day of riding, eating some killer chili, and football the Pittsburgh Steelers and I have some business to take care of on Feb 1st! Tomlin wasn't quite sure when he was heading down to Tampa. I reminded him that rest is the key ingredient during the late stages of a long season.
I did nail down my plans and booked my tickets back to Belgium this Thursday! I arrive Friday morning for the Pre-Worlds Camp in Izegem. Hopefully all the luggage makes it on time and I can do a warm up race on the weekend. After the race I will be gluing on some new Dugast Rhino's that I bought from cyclocrossworld on some new 2009 Easton EC90 Aeros. I'll be dialing in the bikes, resting, and then making the 2 hour drive up to Hoogerheide the following Thursday. From there it's a couple days on the course and then the big show. I will jump right into the off season watching the Steelers attempt to crush the Superbowl from a pub in Europe! Luckily Andrea and her sister Carrie are also making the trip and after the race we are taking a week to enjoy the sights of Europe. When I arrive home I will be in full relaxation mode for a month!

I will also be in full blow out mode selling everything I own to cover the cost of the trips and to get ready for the 2009 season. I have a Fuel 9.9, a Superfly, 4 sets of Easton EC90 Aeros with tires, two Trek XO2's, 2 sets of 4 ti crank bros pedals, and much more. If you might be interested in prebooking any orders let me know.... mailto:brimatter@hotmail.com all my stuff is in great shape.

Imagine if Polamalu had a mullet? Go Steelers!

Shootout 39:12

Well today was the big showdown in Tucson, with all the hot new pros in town it was sure to be blistering fast. Ty and I rolled down Ajo highway at about 6:30 am. We arrived :45 min later and were ready to roll. Then it happened...My front der. housing broke and I was stuck in the 39. I tried to fix it to no avail and was instantly chasing onto the back of the group. We started ripping it up past Valencia and I was thinking of my singlespeed friends back in Wisco. I was spinning like mad. Long story short I made it in the lead group and was 6th or 7th in the final sprint climb. After the ride I put in some serious time at the coffee shop. I had a breakfast burrito at the B-Line and ran into an old teammate. I did some more time at the coffee shop and even got some free advice for worlds from the Gray Wolf.

















After a while we rolled to Bookmans and then to Rosa's for a Carne Seca Burro....mmm We then rolled to Mt. Lemmon to pick up Andrea and Elicia after their summit. Now we are crashing Team Wisconsin's house before going out to dinner with Karew to celebrate his 36th birthday. We are going out for Mexican.

I wonder what the Belgies would think of doing an epic group ride in the 39 followed by 3 burritos? Thanks to Ver for letting me steal his computer and camera cord!

Tucson Training

It's good to be back....

I think the last time I was in Tucson was 2003. The weather is great, the burritos are scrumtious, and the memories are alive. An easy recovery ride to loosen the legs after being on the plane Tuesday. I went for a ride with Karew and the girls on Gates Pass on day 2. A WI Brat Fry went down Wed night with about every cyclist from back home in attendance. Thursday was a day to get stuff done. Plane tickets, terrorist documents, and travel abroad insurance. I ran into Jake R. and Jason T at CTS when I went into town to pick up my bike. Today should be a good day of training on my XO2 followed by some hard efforts in the Shootout Saturday morning. We are staying way West of town on the Indian Res so internet is spotty. Andrea Elicia Bennet, and his teammate Ty are all crammed in to a guest house. Bob Roll would be proud of these living conditions! Thanks again to Travis for the loaner bike and the ink cartridge to print out all my doc's.

I put up another link to Paypal to help raise some money for the trip. Last time around I raised about $1600 which covered half of the expenses for the trip and my ticket was donated. Thanks to everyone who donated and thanks to MountainGoat and S. Diers who have donated this time around.

Worlds Team!

Yesterday I got the e-mail from USA Cycling's Marc Gullickson. I am officially on the 2009 World Championship Cyclocross Team. I am pumped to represent the USA at the battle royale of cyclocross in Hoogerheide. As of right now I am in Tucson...a little blown out from last nights 3:50am wakeup. It was -33 when I flew to Minneapolis. It was 65 when I landed in Tucson. Good decision to come out! It was a smooth flight and now it's time to start training! I have a good program lined up for the following week and then it looks like a trip back to Izegem on Jan 22nd for a pre worlds camp. More Radio Donna, more Ham & Cheese, and best of all more Euro Cross. Thanks to TJ Woodruff for the loaner bike until my bike shows up Thurs via UPS. Thanks to Geoff Proctor and his Euro Cross Camp who gives riders like me the opportunity. Thanks to Gear Grinder, Trek, Easton, Oakley, Crank Brothers, and everyone else who has helped along the way. Back in 1996 I competed in the World Championships as a Jr in Cairns Australia and to be representing the US one more time 13 years later is a dream come true.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Weekend Update

Steelers looked good! Real Good!


Saturday 2 hours outside in the cold on the Superfly (which is still for sale)!
Sunday 7:00 am 1 hour w/ 10 min @ HR 190 + 4 max efforts!
Sunday 9:00 am Rocky III
Sunday Afternoon NFL Gameday!
Monday Work & Pack
Tomorrow 6:25am leave for Tucson :)

Sunshine Cloudy Day

Sure makes it hard to be motivated to train when my driveway has more ice on it than Joe Louis Arena. I have however been out on the skate skis twice. It's even harder when I'm not sure if I am going to make the team. So with more snow and single digits on the way I am checking out one more time. Tucson here I come....

I am leaving Tuesday and Wed morning when I wake I will know it's time to go do some hill repeats on Gates Pass or start the off-season. If I don't get to go to Worlds I will do some epic training rides and then come home and not touch a bike again until the snow melts. If I do make the team I will train harder than I have all season, fly home, then fly Brussels for one last dance at the big show this season.

I can't wait to eat a Carne Seca Burrtio....

Do I already miss Belgium?

I really miss the Radio Donna(constant techno)!
I really miss the Ham & Chees Sandwiches(no lettuce, mustard, or mayo)!
I really miss Shriver and Wells snoring all night long(really loud)....

But I'm really happy to be back home! It was a brutal day of travel. Starting with waking up in Belgium at 5:30am. A ride to the airport with Herman the ex-cop/ massage therapist....this part was all good....but then....

The bike case weighed more than 32 kilos. Isn't that why a pay for a bike? I figured no big deal....take out the chocolate, the leffe, the boots, and the spare parts. Nope still too heavy. Then I got pissed. I had to take off the brakes, handlebars, seatpost collars, basically everything I could with a multi-tool, all while the lady played dumb like she couldn't speak english. I knew this was only a few extra pounds and not the 15 kilos that I needed out of the bike case. So when I put the case back on the scale I made sure 2 of the 4 wheels were hanging off. 34 kilos close enough. Hoftferdoma! I left covered in grease, belgian cow crap, and sweating. Needless to say I wasn't thrilled.

The 8 hour flight followed by the 8 hour layover in NJ was brutal after starting off like that.....at least I got to order a cheeseburger w/ mushroom & bacon, along with chicken wings & 7 or 8 coca-colas, and eat & drink while watching 2 NFL playoff games (welcome back to America!!!).

I got 5 hours sleep last night and I'm pretty blown out. I just stopped by the shop to throw the bikes back together and make sure they were not damaged(everything seems good, just need all new cables). Time to go run some errands and then hang with Andrea & Rosco and cook up some homemade pizza and watch a movie on the big screen!

Last Day in Belgium

Today went by a lot faster than I thought. I was kind of dreading being here all day and not having anything to do. I decided not to travel, rest, and get healthy so I stayed here. Went for a really cool bike ride with Nick W, Erik E, and Will D. Then packed up the bikes, did some laundry and went to the store for some waffles, beer, and chocolate!
The journey is almost over....we'll see how the flights go tomorrow. I am excited to go back home to see everyone and share the war stories. With any luck I'll be back in a month for World Championships. I'll leave you with one last photo. See you in Sheboygan!

Sint-Niklaas

It's official. My first Euro Cross Campaign was a huge success. It finished today with a 35th place at the Sint-Niklaas race. The course was fast w/ 2 treacherous off camber icy descents / covered in a greasy mud. The race went a big cirlce around a lake and was pretty cool. There was one stair case run up and a pretty good sand section on the beach.

I had a great start, but wasn't hooking up with the Tufo's in the greasy stuff even at 19psi. I struggled until half way through I started to get the feel of things, but it was too late to do anything about it....I didn't get lapped which means 5 Euro Cross Races in the last 8 Days all on the lead lap with no major problems or crashes...."great success" as Wells would say. The Americans killed it today in the Junior Race and the Elite Race. I wonder what the Belgies were thinking with so many Americans racing.

The day ended as all cross races should. With a Belgie SuperFan coming up and asking for my autograph on a photo he took earlier in the day! Time for some steak and friets!


I'll try to squeeze in one more update tomorrow before flying home Sunday morning. Thanks again to all who donated $ via Paypal. Thanks to Wally Kunstman for the donation and the loaner laptop from which I have been doing all my updates. Thanks to Geoff Proctor & staff at the EuroCross Camp, & huge thanks to Gear Grinder casual clothing for the great sponsorship this entire season.

More Photos

Bad News....I can't find a link to watch todays race on the internet. So I'll leave you with some photos from Hardie Bikes. The top 3 are from Diegem and the bottom 2 are me and the Japanese National Champ at the World Cup. One more to go! Hopefully I will get some more photos from Loenhout and Sven Nys Baal.

GVA Sven Nys Baal

Today was the first race of the New Year.  Happy New Year to All!  Over here in Belgium it is a very exciting day because all the new contracts are signed and the majority of the riders have changed teams and were wearing new jerseys.  It's also exciting because it is the national hero's hometown race.  I'm not sure but I think Sven has won this race every year except 2 over the last 10 or 11 years.  Some of us here think he paid of Stybar for the win....I was 4:30 minutes back in 25th so I'm not sure what really happened with Nys and Stybar you can watch it yourself and make your own decision.  I on the other hand am pumped with a top 25!
I had a good call up, but wasn't mentally into it early on today.  I didn't feel good on the course in the pre-ride.  I quickly went to the back as the gun went off.  My hands were cold, my feet were having a hard time feeling the pedals.  After about three laps I started feeling good.  I checked out of the group I was with and slowly bridged up to a group of Roger Hammond and Troy.  I was riding the technical stuff really good and was starting to feel strong on the climbs.  I was mentally into it again.  I made contact with 3 laps to go.  On the last lap as I was passing Hammond the crowd went wild!  Wells looked back, but it was only the crowd cheering for Nys crossing the line.  Another 4 minutes and we were setting up for the final sprint.  Troy led it out and I just got him at the line with Hammond finishing in 27.This race was a little different being in a small town instead of a downtown park, but the spectators were just as drunk and heckled just as much.  One lap I fell on the bottom step of the run and the fans heckled me like there was no tomorrow.  I loved it as I am a huge fan of heckling. 
I am having writers blank and I am just staring at the first 3 paragraphs.  I have a lot of unpacking, packing, and prepping for tomorrows race in Sint Nikklaus so I am going to end it here.  One more race to go! Thanks for reading.

Photo Time

The top two photos are from the World Cup in Zolder....and I have some more good stories because yesterday was pretty sweet. Mario from Cycling-Pics got some awesome race photos. First off I have to tell you how much the Belgies are starting to love me....not sure why but the secret password to get in the parking area for the teams was Matter. Our driver Josef was practicing saying my name as we approached the race course. I wasn't too sure why, but then when we pulled up he rolled down the window said my name and Wha - La a parking pass....how's that for making an impression.Then after a few warm up laps getting ready for call ups the photographer went from Nys to Boom to me....he was looking at my bike for a while and I thought he was just admiring the Trek XO2 (they love Trek over here). Then he said to me, "You Matter?" I nodded and he motioned to take off my sunglasses and said "foto." Yeah I'm Big Time in Belgium! Now I just need to hang on for two more races. My roomy is sick and hacking up a lung so I hope I can hang on for 2 more races.Here are some photos from Diegem and Loenhout.

The first two photos are from Diegem...the 3rd photo is from a local WI race??? The next couple are from Loenhout and I'm not sure on that last photo. I thinks its a mountain biker catching some air who doesn't know how to pin on a number???My cyclingnews diary made headlines yesterday. Tomorrow is the GVA in Baal. Here is the link to watch it live. Once again we race at 15:00, which is 8am CST, but before you do that check out Stybar clearing the double in this highlight video.

GVA Azencross Loenhout

Another one in the books and this was more my style....full speed ahead grit your teath, with some really technical icy corners. I finished 3:00 minutes down on the winner Stybar. 39th Place. It was crazy out there today. Lots of elbows and tight racing action. I could almost hear my Superfans back home. I almost had to take the father in-laws advice on the first lap after some swiss dude put me into the boards. I managed to stay up though and he checked out pretty fast. If you missed the live feed you can check out the last lap here. I had a pretty good start considering my call up. I knew this was the kind of race where the start means everything as the straightaway were short with ice around every corner.

I settled into a group early on with Wells and 3 or 4 other guys. Midway through the race some riders came up and our group splintered and I was sure to be in the front half. The tires and wheels were awesome today. I think I was running 20 psi...I managed to doink the rim at least 10 times per lap, but no flat tires. The low tire pressure allowed me to take the icy corners faster the the guys in my group, but still be recovering from the full out sprint each time down the start finish. The whoops section was a little scary....one mistake and you were done for. The last lap with Sybar and Nys going head to head in the whoops was crazy...its hard to tell from the video, but those things are steep and deep.

Tomorrow is another rest day followed by another GVA in Baal (Nys's hometown)Thurs and then Sint Nikklaus on Fri.

I wonder if Rosco was watching the race?

Another Rest Day

Blogging is another way to pass the time here in Izegem. Along with watching cyclocross race videos and checking e-mails over and over. The important stuff like eating, riding, massage, and eating again takes priority, but then the long afternoons arrive and it's constant battles over internet bandwidth. With all 20 of us surfing the net at the same time it is key to make sure you log on first. Each rider at camp has also been doing daily diaries for cyclingnews.com my diary should be popping up soon. Tomorrow is the 3rd of 5 races on the EuroCross Camp schedule. The Azencross at Loenhout....here is the link to watch the race live. The race is at 15:00pm EuroST which is 8:00am CST The race is the part of the GVA series. Here in Belgium they have two race series. Super Prestige and The GVA similar to how we have the NACT and the USGP. Mario from cycling-pics.be promised the pics would be up tonight! Hopefully I can do a photo dump soon. Until then you'll have to be content with Troy doing his impression of Nancy Kerrigan. It looks like the Americans did good in Middelkerke today!

Super Prestige - Diegem

Another Euro Cross race in the books. I'm pumped that so many people back home were able to watch the live feed from the link. Hopefully tomorrow we will have the DVD and I can watch it myself. If I would have known all of my Superfans were watching I would have sat on Nys' wheel for a while! Maybe Tuesday in Loenhout...

Anyway the race in Diegem was by far one of the coolest cross races I have ever done. Tons of Superfans, Old ladies hanging out of there third story windows to get a peak at their national heros, a huge beer tent w/ Radio Donna pumpin, hot lines through alleys, cobblestone climbs, and much much more. It almost reminded me of a Cactus Cup FatBoy Crit from back in the day.

I finished 34th and once again didn't get lapped. This continues to impress the Belgian contingent, but I wasn't happy with the result. I suffered on the long climb and was overly cautious on the icy corners. I rode just behind a group of 6 or 7 guys for a long time and couldn't close the gap. Then I did the last 5 laps solo.

We arrived a little late to the race and most of my preride was by myself. In true amateur style I didn't preride 1/3 of the course...there was a right turn just past the start finish, but during the preride there were so many spectators that I completely missed it....needless to say I was a little sketched out on the first lap when all the sudden we banged a right and dropped 20 ft down a wooden plank followed by a 90 degreee right in cat litter. Oh well...

The course was pretty technical and tight except for the start/finish and the paved climb. It was -3 celsius and the grassy corners were pure ice. Some of the paved corners, especially the white paint, were really slippery.

So far so good with the tire selection. I hope it stays cold and frozen because I really have no mud tires. Haven't needed the new Bell Volt yet. The Radars with the clear lens were perfect for racing under the lights. The XO's have been flawless.

Overall I am having a great time and feel really lucky to be here. Thanks to Geoff Proctor at EuroCrossCamp and Gear Grinder for all the encouragement and support. Rumors are that pics will be posted tonight!

Juggling Act

This morning was pure chaos followed by a little peace and quiet....

Life at the camp can be a little chaotic at time. We have 9 Juniors, 6 U23's and 3 Elites. Each of which have 2 bikes and some have multiple wheelsets. 2 Mechanins, 2-3 Drivers/Pit Crew, Els the cook, and 2 Soigneurs. With this many people in the house at the same time all trying to do the same things it gets a little overwhelming. Lucky for the Elites the Jr's usually leave pretty early in the morning followed closely by the U23's, which leaves us with a little time for peace and quiet(even thought the constant euro techno is still blazing in the background).

Today we race the Super Prestige in Deigem, however the race doesn't start until 5:30pm and is held under the lights. So we have a little extra time this morning to pack the bags, clean the bomb that went off in the kitchen from the mass exodus, this morning and get ready for another hour of pain.

For those of you not going to todays Packers-Lions game (one day after the fifteenth anniversary of the Lambeau Leap) you can try this link to watch the race live. Again we go off at 17:30pm EST (euro standard time) which is 7 hourse ahead of WI in the CST Zone.

Two or three days ago I heard a bummer rumor going around about Page...it seems the Belgians know everything about cyclocross 3 days sooner than everyone else...it is a kick in the stomach for US Cyclocross...we'll see what happens.

I love rest days....sleeping in, eating, then back to bed to surf the net. A quick ride to loosen up the legs and a stop by the coffe shop for some pastries and espresso. I have been looking for photos all morning with no luck. When they do show I think they will be here. I did find this video on you tube. The start was a little jacked as the left side didn't push at all due to the camera man still being in the course as the start light went green??? Not Pro. Tomorrow we race the Deigem GVA under the lights! A 5:30pm start in the dark will be cold for sure, but I'm ready to head out and bump elbows again! This afternoon it will be a trip to the local chocolatiera for some X-mas presents for the lucky folks back home.

Zolder World Cup

Well I made it.....did my first World Cup Cross race earlier today and finished 46th on the lead lap less than 5 minutes down on winner Thijs Al. I'll start from the beginning....

A good pasta dinner thursday night followed by a trip to The Wall (a huge vending machine built into the side of the brick buildings where you can buy just about anything) for some peanut M & M's, and a night of tossing and turning being nervous, excited, scared, and pumped all at the same time.

Race day started with an 8:30am wakeup some eggs, toast, and cereal followed by some sandwich making, doubling checking the race bag and a 2:00 hour drive to Zolder!

On the drive to Zolder we got some free advice from Noel a former Jr World Champ and multiple stage winner of the Vuelta. Vans of old Belgian guys were constantly craning their necks at us to get a peak of what US superstarts where in the team car.

The Formula One race course made for a huge venue, with the team areas already set up we were swept in like superstarts. The jumbo TV's were set up and the course was ready to rock.

We hit the warming van for a quick swap into the thermal skinsuit (it was 0 celsius with a headwind down the start straight) and 3 laps on the course. The course was lightning fast. With multiple steep drops and the same number of insanely steep climbs one requiring you to dismount and run.

After the warm up it was a quick stop by the UCI tent to get the transponders and check in on the womens race via the jumbo screen, then back to the warming van for some food and a final warm up on the trainers.

There were a ton of people snapping photos of the Americans....it was like being at a Packer game with all the fans tailgaiting, but we, the bike racers, were the main attraction.

Before I knew it I was on the start line and rolling. I was called up 51st out of 70riders. I had a descent start down the 500meter pavement start and took the first line to the left on the inside. The next right I was pushed to the outside into the barriers and forced to dismount. As I mounted the bike I took a quick glance under the right shoulder to see that I was in last place!

On the first technical sand section I picked a hot line and passed 10 - 15 riders. The next steep climb some dude crashed in front of me and his bars were tangled in my front wheel. 10 guys passed me back. The rest of the race went by like a blur. Battles on every corner and lots of suffering.

The fans weren't as crazy as I had hoped, but I think I need to be in the top 10 for the fans to care. They don't want to cheer for the American a half lap behind there superheros.

This thing is getting a little lengthy with not a lot of cool pictures so I'll cut it here. Hopefully tomorrow I will find some photos, get some rest, do some laundry, and then pack the bags again for Sundays race.

Thanks for reading.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone back home! I hope everyone has a great day with their family and friends. Last night we celebrated with a nice Christmas dinner, a visit from Santa, and of course Christmas Vacation w/ Belgian Subtitles! 24 hours until Zolder!

Canals & Cobbles

Today was the first real day of training. Shriver and I wanted to bust out a few efforts. So it was back to the canals. It is pretty much the only place you can go hard for an extended period of time without running into a dead end or a city. So we did 2 x 10 min efforts to try to open up the legs. It hurt, but I'd rather have it hurt now than lap 1 of the race.

After the ride it was over to the hills to see the famous climbs of the classics. When you watch the races on TV it looks easy....not so steep and the cobbles look smooth, but in reality thet are covered in cow crap, bumpy, and really steep. Check it out for yourself.















After checking out the climbs it was off to another musuem, except this one was all bike racing stuff. It was a musuem dedicated to the Tour of Flanders. The had bikes to simulate the climbs, the cobbles, and the speed of the riders. The had photos, memorabilia, gifts, and even the bikes of Bettini and Boonen. Less than 48 hours until my first Euro Cross race experience!


















I wonder what Rosco is doing in all that snow back home?

Brugge

After a 2:30 hour ride, a few times getting lost, and a little lunch it was off to Brugge.....we didn't see Dr. Evil's father??? It was about a 30 minute train ride from Izegem to Brugge which cost 6e. Definately worth the price of admission. It is a beautiful place. Too bad I was with Wells and Shriver! I think I would have been better off with Andrea...maybe next time.First things first...straight to the street vendor with the Belgian Waffle makers man those things are good...I'm going to do my best to score one of those things and steal a recipe.Next up it was the museums. I'm not one for the natural history or science museums though....(insert picture of Friet Museum that blogger will not load)After checking out the museum it was off to De Pub for the real deal. I have only had about 1 beer in my life, but I really needed something to wash down the Friets. I had the Leffe Christmas beer. Mmmm Mmmm good to the last drop.After checking out the canals and doing a little Christmas shopping it was time for some dessert. Rick Steve's of Seattle WA recommended a great little Chocolatier called Dumon. The chocolates were out of this world good. As the Christmas lights were turning on we slowly made our way back to the middle of town to check out the ice rink and Christmas Tree. Then it was back camp....we are getting close to the all important 48 hour mark where race preparations need to become priority over tourist destinations.Tomorrow is time to open up the legs and start some serious mental preparation!

Izegem Belgium!

Today was the first full day in Izegem....I had a good first night of sleep and after tonight I should be dialed with the new sleep schedule. I had some Mueslix and Yogurt for breakfast and then read a book and waited for my gear and bikes. The bikes arrived in good working order and they were built up and ready to rock by 12:30pm and soon after I was on the bike and riding the canals. It was pretty much the only place I could ride without getting lost as most of the guys were gone riding before my bikes arrived. I spun out the legs for an hour and felt pretty good. Then I decided to go check out town and got lost immediately. As we speak one of the Juniors has been missing for 3+ hours! After finding my way back to the house it was time for my first Euro massage. A 60+ year old Belgian guy who didn't speak much if any English. Legs are feeling tip top and it'll be good to get things opened up tomorrow with some efforts. A little bread and some more yogurt for lunch and dinner is in an hour. Then some more relaxation. I'll be on the start line before I know it....

Next up waffles, chocolate, and a day trip to Bruge?

Travel Time

I made it.....After 24 hours of being on hold with Continental Airlines I was able to change from a Tuesday arrival to a Monday arrival to a Sunday arrival. However this entailed a departure from Ohare instead of Milwaukee. Luckily Andrea's sister Carrie was flying into Milwaukee so Saturday after a very short version of the breakfast ride I was on the way to General Mitchell. I said my goodbyes and watched Andrea's dad almost drive off without her, then it was a shuttle to Ohare.

7:35 Pm Departure was On-Time but the snow was falling fast. We boarded the plane at about 8pm and then sat there for 3 hours while the cargo door was being worked on along with the reverse thrusters? We landed in Amsterdam with just enough time to make it through customs and catch the next flight to Brussels. The bikes however did not have enough time. So here I am in Izegem in the bunk beds trading war stories of our travel times. The bikes are hopefully arriving between 8am and Noon tomorrow. I think my sleep schedule is a little messed up so this first update is going to be a quicky.

The first race on the schedule is the WORLD CUP in Zolder.....

My bags are packed!

Clean bikes, New Bar Tape, New Cables & Housing, New Chains, New Brake Pads, and New DA Crankset and 46 T ring on the white Trek XO2, packed and ready to rock!

Spare Chains, Cables & Housing, Tires w/ glue, Pads, Der. Hangers, Pedals, Cleats, Fenders, Bottle Cage, Footbed Warmers, Water Bottles, and Frame pump packed and ready to rock!



Garmin + Charger, Ipod + Charger, Phone + Charger, Laptop + Charger w/ a brand new Skype account, Microphone & Headset, Camera & battery Charger, Passport, 08 & 09 UCI License, Checkbook, Wallet, Flight Info, Belgium Phone numbers & lodging info, and Belgian Knee Warmers all packed and ready to rock!

4 Skinsuits, 2 Helmets(one new Bell VOLT w/visor!), 2 pairs of Shoes, 2 pairs of Oakley Radars, rain jacket, thermal jacket, wind jacket, wind vest, 2 bibs, thermal l/s jersey, l/s jersey, ss jersey, base layers, skins for the flight, leg warmers, knee warmers, 4 pairs gloves, 2 pairs shoe covers, cycling hat, thermal cycling hat, ear warmers and a plethora of socks all packed and ready to rock!

Now I just have to wait for a flight. The 12 plus inches of snow got the better of Milwaukee & flight 2866. As far as I know the flights out of Newark are still heading over to Belgium, but I'm going to have to wait until Sunday. I was on the phone non-stop this morning trying to re-book but Sunday was the next best option.

It's a little tough on the mental game only because I thought I was done training for the year. Now it's back to the trainer for another 2 days. Andrea was happy I am home for another two days! Back to the phone for one last attempt at a Saturday departure...Next update from Belgium? More Thanks to Marko & Meghan and Gordy & Diane for EuroCrossCamp donations! ps. got a little lovin' here, here, and here!!!

Mission Accomplished

3 Days until Belgium! Eurocross Camp is gonna rule! Still time to make a couple donations / christmas presents if you would so kindly be oblidged!

Training in Eagle River was perfect......40 and rain is going to be like paradise in Belgium compared to the -30 degree windschills of E.R. If doing intervals in these cutoff denim's in bone chilling temps doesn't make me tough I don't know what will....

Next update from Belgium!!!!

More huge THANKS to those who have donated.....Wally Kunstman & Tim Gabrielse, Mike Chris & Elicia Hildebrand, Brian Krajnik, Ty & Christine Czarnecki, Skyler Reeves, Kim & Brian Eppen, Lisa Downey, Karl Shult, Keith Wolf, Tom Torrance, Wayne Kyker, Brian Conant, Kevin & Spring Clegg, Dave Firer, Amy Dykema, and Doug E Fresh Swanson.

Trainer Time

Saturday 1.5 hours w/ Overgeared Intervals 3 *10 - Trainer

Sunday 1 hour Spin Class w. the Spinmaster & lottsa NFL
Monday .5 hour recovery - Trainer & Massage

Tuesday .5 hour run at 8:30 pm in 10" of fresh snow(wearing my winter boots)....7 100meter uphill sprints rocky theme in my head (I think Sven Nys was in bed)

Wed 2 hours w/ 20 minutes of Tempo - Trainer

This weekend....secret training in Eagle River!!!!

Belgium in 8 days!

Cross Camp

With temp's in the middle teens all my training and preparation for Belgium has been indoors. You won't beleive it but I have done more training this week than I have in the past 6 weeks. I guess the motivation is pretty high. I have been extremely busy trying to get things in order. Passports, UCI licenses, waivers, plane tickets, etc. It has been slow at work so the extra time at home to relax and get stuff done has been key. I'm looking forward to a weekend of hard training, with no race and no travel. I have been prepping the bikes w/ new cables & housing, chains, bearings, etc. 2 weeks to go...

Thanks to those who have donated so far: Mom & Dad, Mark Cole, Bruce Leblanc, Dan Dittrich, Claire Cannon, Rob Boldt, Ned Purtell, & Jim Michler. I don't think I would be able to pull it off without the added support.

I also received a donation of X Series 1800 DT Swiss 26" Centerlock Disc mtb wheels to be auctioned....all proceeds go towards Euro Cross Camp! Also check out these other items on ebay and make a bid soon! Until next time I'll be on the trainer...

ps -still need to get rid of my Fuel and a 19" Superfly too...

Slip Slidin' Away

Jingle Cross Day 2 was a classic.....

Snow, Ice, Rain, Wind, and Mud

I really didn't want to leave the posh accomadations of the Marriot. We dined at a great local pizza joint and then watched Zero Traction Saturday night. Sunday morning was some strong coffee from the hotel along with a killer $3 Egg Muffin that Jesse discovered. 2nd breakfast was some carmelized banana walnut pancakes...mmmm

Then it was time to suit up....I rode two laps on the course changed wheels and tire pressure to find the best combo that I had to work with.....

I started on the red XO2 with Bontrager 34c's...I thought they would work a little better, but I was going nowhere fast on the first lap....I changed bikes and instantly a world of difference on the skinnier 32c tufo tires.

Right away I was cornering better and started to chase down Marko. Troy was having some bike problems and we changed positions a few times in the middle if the race. As Troy passed me the final time was closing in on Marko...

By then the brake pads were going going gone, and with 2 to go I crashed at the bottom of the Krumpet descent. I got cold and wet and the body shut down....the last lap was survival mode with thoughts of getting warm asap...

The hot showeres were a life saver...Thanks to Meehan and the rest of the Jingle Cross crew for a great race...Thanks to VeloGRRL for the awesome action photos, and Thanks to all my sponsors who make it happen week after week...

It was a brutal drive home in the heart of the snowstorm all the way home to 10" of fresh powder in Sheb. County....now it's time to let the body heal up and get ready for Belgium!!!

I wonder how many more time I'll look like this in 2008?

A Must see Grinch Superfan Video of Mt. Krumpet