Fun in the Sun???

As most of you know I am down in AZ enjoying a little time away from the Wisconsin winter. However I just spent the last hour with nurse Andrea pulling stitches out of my head. The Arizona sun isn't always the best for you. About a month ago I went to the doctor and he noticed an odd spot of skin on my face. Long story short it was a small spot of skin cancer. A couple days later I was on the operating table as the doc was cutting a nickel size hole in the side of my head. There are three types of skin cancer and luckily for me I had the least damaging type. All of the cancer was removed and now I'll have a solid 2 inch scar as a reminder.



















The first thing that came to mind was this article in Velonews a while back. The doctor told me that most likely the damage to the skin was done between the ages of 10 - 20 years old. When I was a Jr. and the next few season of traveling the country racing in the mini-van it was more important to become a bronzed god than to race fast! I guess I was young....over the past 5 or 6 years I have been very very aware of the sun intake while training, but it was too late. Lesson learned....SPF 45 is your friend.

So here I am back in the sun, but this time around I'm being extremely cautious. We left Wisconsin 8 days ago and spent 3 full days in the car and 2 nights in some shady hotels. Rosco, 3 bikes, and some food all loaded into the little Hyundai Accent 3 door! The only bummer was the lack of cruise control.

We rolled into town last Friday evening to the sounds of Coyotes howling and some snorting Javelinas in our backyard. The next morning we headed out for a ride and saw a Bobcat within 15 minutes of leaving the driveway...pretty awesome.

I only have my cross bike down here right now, but its getting the job done. I've got in 5 solid rides, the new Bontrager Classics w/ Saris Powertap can pretty solid and am having fun studying the power data! Yesterday I found out my new Fuel 9.9 SSL is available and its shipping to Trek Store of Tucson! Can't wait to build 'er up and rip some desert singletrack.

We are planning on staying another 2 weeks and then heading over to visit mom and dad and partake in the Gravel Rouser Classic! Until then we'll be enjoying the sun with plenty of SPF 45.

Rainbow Colors

I wonder why the Olympic Rings and the Rainbow Jersey stripes are the same colors? Looking forward to opening cermonies and some XC Skiing!

Plans are slowly coming together for the Tucson trip. It looks like we finally found a good place on the west side of town off of Silverbell Rd. I can't wait...the first year (back in 99) I was in Tucson I trained on the west side with the guys from Slovakia and The Czech Republic. I bet they were pretty pumped on Stybar winning!

This is a pretty sweet video you should check out....

I've been doing a little more skate skiing, should hit up the breakfast ride this weekend, doing some Yoga, and before I know it should be in Tucson clocking some miles on the new Bontrager Classics wheelset laced up with a Saris Powertap Hub!

The Dungeon

Well the work on our basement has almost come to an end. It was pretty much a 4 step process. Scrape the old paint / calcium deposits off with a wire brush, scrub the walls with an Etching solution, patch the wholes and cracks, and finally paint. After 3 weeks straight of at least 2 hours in the basement we have 2 coats of paint applied. I'm happy to be almost finished, but I think its going to need a third coat...now that the basement is pure white it looks more like a looney bin than a dungeon.

I started doing a little cross training after a month off. 2 times out to Greenbush for some skate skiing, a couple runs, and some yoga. Nothing serious....I like to ease into things! It's looking like less than a week and we head to Tucson! Things are not busy enough at the shop, so I figured I'd head south for some spring training.

I just finished a batch of my famous Guacomole so its time to go find the recliner and watch the big game. My call....Colts in a half. I'll be fast asleep before the halftime show is over...

WORLDS

Are you ready for the WORLDS? I am...although this time around I'll be riding the couch! I'm a little bummed not to be racing this year, but the US team is the strongest ever and the best 5 riders are representin'. I was pretty well spent by the end of the season and am definitely enjoying a little time off the bike.

I am however looking forward to next season. I'm already got a new Saris Power Tap SL +. I'm dialing up new sponsors, and dialing in a place for some spring training. A new Madone 6.5 Project One has been ordered, a new Top Fuel 9.9 is on the way, and the motivation is starting to come around.

First we better finish off this past season with some predictions.

Elite Men:

1. Nys

2. Stybar

3. Vantornout

Elite Women:

1. Nash

2. Compton

3. Vos

U23:

1. Meeusen

2. Jouffroy

3. Szczepaniak

Jr.

1. Boros

2. Van Der Poele

3. Lasak

Super Sunday 2 weeks in a row for me!

Keepin' Busy

More time in the basement scraping the old paint and efloresence off of the cement block walls and full time at the shop doesn't leave much time for anything else. Thankfully I didn't have to work this weekend, but I was still busy as can be...

Saturday morning breakfast ride on the commuter cross bike in 37 degrees and a light mist. It was the first time I have been on the bike since the race in St. Niklaas. That's three weeks off the bike and the legs were feeling it for sure.

After the ride it was Granpa Hildebrands 90th birthday party! The entire Hildebrand clan was there in full force to celebrate. After the party we hit up Lakeshore Lanes for a Bacon Cheeseburger and the big after party.....7:00pm. We bowled 2 games and I rolled a 140 and a 146! Andrea rolled a 97. Much better than in Izegem!

This morning was an early trip over to the in-laws so I could watch Hoogerheide WC live. It was an awesome race and after Prince Niels got the W, next weekends Worlds is wide open.

This afternoon might be a little more work down in the basement......but I think I'd rather ride the couch and watch some football......I'm catching a slight wiff of Belgian Waffles with the last of the Belgian Chocolate so I better head downstairs!

hmmmm

Cowboys or Vikings?

This looks like fun doesn't it....

FOR SALE $2350 w/o wheels $2500 w/ wheels

The New Year

I'm back.....back from Belgium and back from a mini vacation up to the cabin in Eagle River for some much needed r & r...

I made it home with little troubles from Belgium. Needless to say the last 7 days and 5 races had me pretty hurt. The 8.5 hour flight and the all nighter after the last race didn't help things either.

My best cure for the jet lag was a quick trip up north for some perfectly groomed XC ski trails. Andrea Elicia and I slapped on the striding skis and went and got all the fresh air one

needs.

As far as the racing goes....I'm happy to be taking an extended break and calling it a very successful season. The WORLDS team is pretty stacked this year and its looking like I will not be on the team. The camp was a lot different than last year. The racing was twice as hard due to a different schedule and the conditions. Things started a lot faster with a race 2 days after arriving instead of a week to get adjusted like last year. The mud made for a lot less recovery time and much more time cleaning and doing laundry. Overall my results were very similar to last years camp, but again I learned a ton and will come back to next cross season with more confidence and more knowledge of cross.

Now it's time to get some sponsorship dialed in for next year, get back to work at the bike shop, and come up with a plan for next race season. Oh yeah...I have about 9 months of home improvement projects that I need to cram into the next 1.5 months before I start up the base miles again.

I will be selling both of my cross bikes from the season so anybody interested in a Blue Norcross 56cm should send me an e-mail.

Thanks again to everybody who helped along the way in 2009. Can't wait to give it another go in 2010!

Sint Niklaas

My final race of camp is complete. The bags are packed. The bikes are packed. Hopefully they are underweight. 6 or 7 of us leave tomorrow at 3am. 5 hours from now. The others are going up to Holland to race Boom and then leaving on Monday. I'm hoping for an all nighter and then full 8 hours sleep on the plane. I arrive in the US at noon and then to Chicago by 4:00pm. Needless to say I'm pretty pumped to head home and see Andrea and Rosco.

Earlier 9 of us cruised up past Antwerp to Sint Niklaas. The race was pretty good. Last year I struggled on the big loop around the lake. Maybe it was my tire selection last year, but this year I had a full arsenal of tires and wheels to choose from. I opted for the EC90 Aeros with the Dugast Rhinos. I was happy with the selection. The course was a little different than last year and I like it much better. Instead of a full loop around the lake we made it half way around and then looped back. There was a huge flyover, some steep icy climbs, steep muddy drops, slick off-camber sections which shot you towards the frozen lake, sand, beach, steps, and of course cobbles.

I had a good start and after a lap was battling in a good group. Pretty close to zero mistakes, perfect tire pressure, and pretty good legs considering this is my 7th race in the past 2 weeks and 5th race in the last 8 days. I'm also fighting a little bit of a cold, but have been pretty good at pounding the Zicam, Vit C, and Echinacea. I finished 26th. Less than 4:00 min down on the winner.

Final Ham & Cheese count is 20! Not too shabby!

Again I would like to thank all my sponsors and those who have donated $ and bought T-Shirts. See you back in America....

Sven Nys is the Man

Today was the Sven Nys Grote Prijs in Baal(home of Sven Nys). It was one of the hardest cross races I have ever done. Thick mud with some technical descents and steep drops. Slow thick muddy climbs. A lot of running and huge time gaps. Thijs Al a winner of World Cup last year was over 6 minutes down on Sven. The results might look a little off ..... I finished 29th and 4 laps down according to cyclingnews.com, but I know I beat the dude who was 28th and I saw the sign with 2 laps to go, but thats Belgian racing!

One more race to go....It's been a tough camp on the equipment and the body. A little bit of a sore throat brewing, but I can definitely make it through one more race. Tomorrow is the race in Sint Niklaas. I'm sure it will be broadcasted live, but I'm not sure where. If you know you should post the link in the comment section.

Time to go advance the laundry....then bed.

Thanks for reading....

The Warming Van

It's all about the warming van.

Here is the link to the GVA race in BAAL tomorrow. We race at 3:00 pm which is 8:00am central and 9:00am eastern.

It should be another good one...temps are dropping and snow is in the forecast.

Happy New Year!

When Cyclists Go Bowling

I have a feeling there are going to be a few sore bodies tomorrow. Today in Belgium we hit the lanes. It was funny to see the competitive side come out of cross racers, but in a different sport. Yannick the Jr from Germany was the big winner, followed by Wells and Steve Fisher. Zach McDonald won the Green Jersey for fastest ball at 39.09 kmh. Joshua 'Homeschool' Lehman won the Polka Dot Jersey for most gutter balls, and I won the most aggresive rider jersey with a 10th frame through the legs strike! A couple guys blew out their backs, some hurt their thumbs, and definitely an injured wrist or two.

Loenhout GVA

Another tough one today. I finished 43rd, but was pretty disappointed. I was way too tentative on the start. I really didn't want to go down. When we hit the dirt I couldn't go and instantly recognized the feeling from New Jersey....too much tire pressure. So I swapped bikes and ask the mechanics to let a little air out. B bike was the same as the A so I had to get another pit bike before I could start going any good. 2.5 laps later I was racing, but down the start stretch starting the 3rd lap nobody was in sight. I put my head down and started going and was closing gaps pretty good. With 5 laps to go I thought I would be lapped on the 4th to go....but then I started going even better. Passed 15 - 20 guys, but then the roar of the crowd started getting louder.

I think the legs and the fitness are good. I'm looking forward to Baal. I think it's going to be muddy and technical. Loenhout was just a muddy straight tractor pull. The drive home was long with construction, traffic and more Belgie Radio. We spent the evening with the power washer in hand and feeding euros into the laundry mat. Tomorrow is a rest day and the Thurs will be a good prep day for Fridays race in Baal and the final race in Sint Niklaas. Thanks for reading.

Matter Supporter

Matter Supporter T's are now available.....order yours today to help defray the costs of my euro adventures. Thanks to everyone who helps and everyone who has already helped along the way.

Monday Monday

We have reached the half way point of ECCX VII! 4 races down and 3 to go. This year has been significanly different than last year in that the equipment has been taking a beating! So today is a day to be grateful for my excellent sponsors and the Belgie mechanics. The Blue bikes have been outstanding. They are taking a beating and still performing top notch. The Easton Wheels are rocking and it is so important over here to have your stuff in top notch condition and interchangeable. I am so lucky to be able to have 2 identical bikes, and 4 identical wheelsets. I'm also lucky to have Mark and his crew of mechanics cleaning, prepping, loading, and lubing the bikes everyday. I can't imagine having to take care of 18 riders with 2 bikes and multiple wheelsets.

Another huge thanks goes out to the guys at Crank Brothers. The Egg Beaters are by far the lightest and best mud shedding pedals on the cx scene. Also Oakley for setting me up with multiple sets of shades and lens for all the different course conditions.

Of course Gear Grinder and Hyundai for the financial support and the use of the team car. Without them all the training hours and racing would not be possible. The Matter Supporter T-Shirts will be available on the website soon.

Finally to my family. 24 hours support 365 days a year. What more could you ask for? I miss them a lot. It is not only the racing over here that is brutally hard. Leaving your family over the holidays is pretty darn tough too. So a huge thanks to Andrea and Rosco, my Mom and Dad, and My In-Laws Mike and Chris.

Next up is the Azencross in Loenhout. The race is part of the GVA series(Antwerp Newspaper) last year was blazing fast and this year sounds like deep deep mud. You can watch the race on sport.be I think we race at 3:00pm which is 8:00am central time and 9:00am eastern time.

Thanks again to everyone who is reading and leaving comments. All the support helps. Plus whatever super fan was yelling for me in Diegem......"way to represent Wisco" Time to go be pro

like Troy...

ps check out that Ham & Cheese count...race days really help when you can get 2 or 3 down the hatch! I didn't count the Ham & Pasta we had for dinner!

Bright Lights Big City

After today I can officially say that Diegem is the coolest race I have ever done. At night, under the lights, tens of thousands of superfans, pouring rain, mud, sand, barriers, screaming fast descents and lung searing climbs. What more could you want? It all started when Josef arrived with a smile on his face.....he received a new GPS from his daughters. Now we will never get lost again! Maybe?

We arrived with plenty of time even though the UCI officials were giving us some looks. Pretty soon the head honcho started telling me we need to arrive 1 hour before the race. I said to him, "I know we are stupid Americans, but we are strong and Matt Kelly was our first World Champion, and we have 2 hours before the race." He looked at his watch and realized we really had 2 hours which was plenty of time and then apologized.

Then we went back to the warming van...I'll hold of on the warming van bit until thursday with the cyclingnews diary....

The course was brutal...it was pouring rain the entire warm up laps and my B bike front brake cable pulled through and back to the bars. I went for the A bike, but a valve stem had been ripped out of the rear wheel and the front shifter was blown....its tough communicating with the mechanics..... I opted for the B bike after a quick adjustment of the front brake.
I was a little cautious on the start circuit, but as I hit the lap I started feeling the good sensations. I was able to step on it and go. I was riding the mud sections good. I was riding the climbs fast and the bike was working good. I was suffering the good way and was pretty happy. Guys were dropping left and right and I was slugging it out. I had one bad lap with 5 to go and lost a group I had been riding with, but then got it back together and finished strong.

After the race the people were crazy. The disco was still rocking, the drunks were holding the drunks up, some crazy Belgian actually jumped into the front window of our van as we were driving(slowly), and on the other side of the van another drunk Belgie decided he would direct traffic for us be reaching in the window and wailing on the horn and waving people out of the way....it actually worked too.
The drive home was comical with the FOX behind the wheel. Then the real pain set in, I think I spent more time cleaning my stuff than I did on the race course. The power washer was a rocking spraying off the 2 pairs of shoes, 2 pairs of riding clothes, etc, etc.
Now I'm having a hot chocolate and waiting for the washing machine. Troy and I have not only been racing on the course but also racing to get the blogs updated. Check his out...its pretty funny.

Zolder WC

I was battling with Pauwels the last lap...unfortunately it was not for the win if you know what I mean. 56th. Not quite as good as last year, but I rode as fast as possible. After the race in Kalmthout I was really focused on having a good start and I killed it.....through the pits on the first lap I was 3 spots behind Page. I was pretty happy with this....then when it was time to put out the power I was lacking. Maybe I was too focused on a good start and after I accomplished my goal I didn't know what to do next??? Sometimes you can focus on one aspect way too much....or maybe I overcooked it and then suffered for the next 2 laps until I could recover. Not sure, but I think I'm still improving. Had I felt this way last year I think I would have been lapped. So I think in general I am stronger and my off days are better than in the past. I just hope I have a really good day in the next 4 races. At least I got some good TV time here in Belgium as I was holding off Pauwels at the line(stupid american)!

Tomorrow is the Superprestige in Diegem. The race is super cool and is held in an urban setting. You can watch the race LIVE here. Thanks for reading.

Special Post

Just before bed in Belgium....having a glass of tea thinking back on all the X'MAS mornings as a kid. My memories wouldn't be complete with some thoughts of my Aunt Marge who passed away this summer. I'll be thinking of her when I'm racing tomorrow.

Rain & Ice

Here is a pick from my 23rd place finish last Wed in Middlekerke. Again Merry Christmas to all back home. I hear the weather is pretty nasty. I love it that Sheboygan weather is constantly more brutal than Belgian weather. It makes it just a little easier over here knowing the weather is slightly nicer. Today is the day before a World Cup. Today is also Christmas. So the house is pretty quiet. Geoff Proctor spent the day in Zolder inspecting the course and picking up race numbers.

The rest of the staff was either busy preparing for the race or spending time with their families. Most of the riders went for an early morning trainer ride and only a handful of us braved the morning wet. The snow and ice is almost gone after the rain last night. I heard the course was very icy, but after a few complaints from the big dogs they managed to get 3 salt trucks on to the F1 circuit to help melt the remaining ice. Here is a quick video highlight from last years race.

Most of the day after the ride was spent relaxing and reading. Just finished up The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom and started A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins. In the afternoon we took a little cruiser ride in search of some fresh air and a good cappucino. My cruiser was in surprisingly good shape. Nothing was open though and it was a little chilly so it was a short lived ride. Now its time for a little snack and then an early night to bed. We will leave the house at 10am tomorrow and then race at 3:00. After the World Cup most of the races will be live online at sport.be Stay tuned for tomorrows race report.

Christmas in Belgium

It's Christmas Eve in Belgium and the 24th is when they celebrate here. We had a team meeting earlier and then Powers and Driscoll came over for some Q & A's and some free advice. Els has been busy in the kitchen all day cooking up some mean turkeys.

The champagne was flowing for the ECC toast and the JR's are drinking their Pepsi. Dinner consisted of turkey, belgian stuffing, peas, rice, cranberry sauce, and pears. Mario is dressed as Santa and everyone is in a good festive mood.

We even got a killer dessert!

Merry Christmas to everyone back home. I wonder what Andrea & Rosco are doing?

Noordzeecross

Race 2 is under the belts! I felt much better today than I did in the World Cup in Kalmthout. I finished 23rd and was on the lead lap. It was snowy, windy, muddy, but not too muddy. I crashed once, not paying attention as I was passing someone. After the crash I got a new bike and something clicked with the handling skills. All the sudden I could ride around corners 2x as fast. The gaps were big but I was able to ride from the mid 30's to the low 20's. Check out www.cycling-pics.be for some photos. This is one of the races that I considered not doing and I was glad I made the decision to race. I am pretty confident each race will be better and better.

The morning started as most mornings start here at Eurocross Camp. The JR's being really loud as they prepare to leave, then a little break in the action for a few hours before the Elites and U23's take off. During the 2 hour break I checked my e-mail 15 - 25 times, made some Ham &

Cheese samies, packed the race bag, and did a little reading. Josef was the driver once again. He is still, in my book, the unsung hero of the camp even though someone managed to lose the keys to one of the vans we were supposed to be driving. We were running a little late and in his broken english he said he generally knew where we were going. I think some of the guys were a little nervous, but we made it with plenty of time and only one wrong turn. Most of the races are held in towns that are half the size of Oostburg, WI and you can easily find the church in the middle of town and then find your way to the race.

After the race its pretty crazy in the house. Els is making dinner, guys are rushing for the hot water in the showers, mechanics are riders battle for the power washer to clean bikes and shoes, and the laundromat is filled with 'stupid Americans. With 18 riders and 10+ rotating staff its tough to keep the house clean. So there is a chore list and tonight I was on Pots and Pans duty which is the most despised. So pretty much what I'm saying is a race day in Belgium is a full day even though the race is 45 minutes from the house and only and hour long. Can't wait for tomorrows recovery day.

Broke in the new Gear Grinder skinsuit today it has much more white on it......good to get it a little dirty. Everyday there is a special message and a word of the day....Troy came up with this one!