Gent wasn't that far from Gavere, maybe 15 minutes in kind of heavy traffic.
Traffic in Belgium is odd; in a good way. Everything is so much more fluid. There really aren't too many stop signs. You just look for the yield at the intersection and act accordingly. It's like a continuous "no cop. no stop." zone. Add to that the roundabouts instead of light controlled intersections. It's like you brake, but never have to come to a complete stop - like some sort of automotive shark.
The driving on the freeways is better too. People stay out of the left lane unless they are going fast. If you come up behind someone, they pull over. The major roads have three lanes. The trucks stay in the two right ones. Did I mention there didn't appear to be a speed limit? Yeah, when you got closer to places, there were signs giving you a speed to consider, but out on the freeway, you could go as you feel. There were always a few Porsches or Mercedes or big Audis to remind you that you could go faster if you wanted.
So I didn't exactly know where I was going in Gent. I had looked at the location of the Cyclingnews Apartment on Google Earth, but the resolution of those satellite images is terrible, so I couldn't really tell much as far as the scale of the city.
When I was in Hasselt, one of the tasks I completed was e-mailing my Europhone number to Emma and Peter. Luckily, they called me on the way in. I had the apartment number somewhere if I needed it.
With Emma on the phone, I drove around looking for landmarks and streets to identify my 10-20, good buddy. It took us way longer than it should have. Street signs in Gent and most of Belgium are terrible. They're these white panels that get posted on the corner of buildings. Most of the names are really long and end in -straat. The font they use is blocky and non-serifed, so reading it as you're rolling by at 20 mph is impossible. Plus, there are two train stations and two Sint Peters to look out for as landmarks. It took us about 30 minutes, and I had passed as close as about 3 blocks from where they were. (It was across a canal though.)
She finally steered me into Koning (King) Albert's Park, where there's an underground parking garage. I grabbed my bags and headed for the apartment. Having to pee really really badly, (5 cups of beer at the race), I was very relieved to see the outdoor urinal there by City Hall. It's kind of like a small bus stop with wrap around "wings" for some modesty, but you're still out in the open. Stad (city) Gent's are really nice. Stainless, frosted glass, a little civic logo. Wonderful. The bummer was it doesn't look like they had been serviced all week. They were already overflowing with pee. I was too desparate to do anything other than add to the overflow. Rain would take care of it. There's no way I would have made it to the apartment dragging my bags around.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Superprestige Gavere - Postrace
So I had bought too many beer tickets. I headed into the beer tent at the front of the castle (not very impressive btw - newish. More estate like.) I passed on picking up some Jenever, and brought an extra beer back to the Bakers. Not surprisingly, Jon turned it down, but Cyndi and Bakerdad were happy to put it away. :)
It turns out that they were right across from Jonathan Page, so I went to say hi. He was talking to a young guy about the race and his situation. He wasn't very happy. I can't remember if he finished his race, but he definitely had a bad one. Apparently at one descent he had hit the blow-up barrier and got wedged under it with his bike on top of him. No fun.
During this time, a Sunweb-Projob apparelled dude tried to get JP to step into his mobile home to discuss things. Jonathan wouldn't have it. It was his space, and his family was inside. There was a bit more talking around. His wife Kari was there with a baby in a front pack. She was chiding me (not really joking) for spending vacation in Belgium in the fall to watch bike racing. "Aren't there sunny and warm places you could have gone?" The serious talks were going on around, and someone says something about Mario, and I turn around and I'm standing next to Mario DeClerq. It took me a second to sync the photos to the man I was looking at. He's a cross racing legend, and seemed to be the only one on the SW/PJ team that was being supportive of Jonathan.
Unfortunately, their mobile home was stuck in the mud. About 10 of us pushed on the back and got the JPmobile and another SW/PJ rider free.
The younger guy that was there was Cyclingnews correspondent Brech DeCaluwe. If I had known, I would have told him that I was going to be staying in the CN apartment in Gent that night. He ended up writing a report on the blowup between JP and SW/PJ.
Once they were underway, I knocked on the JPmobile and asked for a ride back to my car since it was about 1.5 miles away and I had been on my feet all day. They were happy to oblige me. I spent the time chatting with them about me, my boys, cross racing, and their situation. At that point in time, they were "off" of the SW/PJ team. Willing to be poor in order to be in control of their situation. Good for them. I expected them to actually follow through, but a few days later, things were patched up somewhat, and the contract was shortened to end after the current season.
I really hope that Jonathan can get some good results and salvage his season. He's been sick, and had some bad accidents, and has been under the pressure of a nightmare team boss. Apparently all the other riders feel the same way, but haven't been the focus of the pressure. After all, JP was the runner up at worlds, and is the foreigner on the team. He's not allowed to slide the same way that Sven Vantourenhout or Tom Vanoppen is. The thing is, he's an awesome rep for a sponsor. Even with all the turmoil going on around him, he was focusing completely on 3 little boys that had come for autographs. Genuinely enthusiastic high-fives for them. On the way back to my car, we got stopped in front of a busy restaurant with big windows. It's not like he could hide or sulk in the camper. It's plastered with SW/PJ stickers and his name on it. Instead, he was hamming it up and waving for the restaurant audience. Incredible.
After wishing them well with his future career prospects. (Everyone in the camper expected him to be "unsponsored" for the next race at Koksidje.) He let me off and I shuffled back to my car and steered for the shortish drive to Gent, the Cyclingnews apartment, and Emma and Peter. What a fun day!
It turns out that they were right across from Jonathan Page, so I went to say hi. He was talking to a young guy about the race and his situation. He wasn't very happy. I can't remember if he finished his race, but he definitely had a bad one. Apparently at one descent he had hit the blow-up barrier and got wedged under it with his bike on top of him. No fun.
During this time, a Sunweb-Projob apparelled dude tried to get JP to step into his mobile home to discuss things. Jonathan wouldn't have it. It was his space, and his family was inside. There was a bit more talking around. His wife Kari was there with a baby in a front pack. She was chiding me (not really joking) for spending vacation in Belgium in the fall to watch bike racing. "Aren't there sunny and warm places you could have gone?" The serious talks were going on around, and someone says something about Mario, and I turn around and I'm standing next to Mario DeClerq. It took me a second to sync the photos to the man I was looking at. He's a cross racing legend, and seemed to be the only one on the SW/PJ team that was being supportive of Jonathan.
Unfortunately, their mobile home was stuck in the mud. About 10 of us pushed on the back and got the JPmobile and another SW/PJ rider free.
The younger guy that was there was Cyclingnews correspondent Brech DeCaluwe. If I had known, I would have told him that I was going to be staying in the CN apartment in Gent that night. He ended up writing a report on the blowup between JP and SW/PJ.
Once they were underway, I knocked on the JPmobile and asked for a ride back to my car since it was about 1.5 miles away and I had been on my feet all day. They were happy to oblige me. I spent the time chatting with them about me, my boys, cross racing, and their situation. At that point in time, they were "off" of the SW/PJ team. Willing to be poor in order to be in control of their situation. Good for them. I expected them to actually follow through, but a few days later, things were patched up somewhat, and the contract was shortened to end after the current season.
I really hope that Jonathan can get some good results and salvage his season. He's been sick, and had some bad accidents, and has been under the pressure of a nightmare team boss. Apparently all the other riders feel the same way, but haven't been the focus of the pressure. After all, JP was the runner up at worlds, and is the foreigner on the team. He's not allowed to slide the same way that Sven Vantourenhout or Tom Vanoppen is. The thing is, he's an awesome rep for a sponsor. Even with all the turmoil going on around him, he was focusing completely on 3 little boys that had come for autographs. Genuinely enthusiastic high-fives for them. On the way back to my car, we got stopped in front of a busy restaurant with big windows. It's not like he could hide or sulk in the camper. It's plastered with SW/PJ stickers and his name on it. Instead, he was hamming it up and waving for the restaurant audience. Incredible.
After wishing them well with his future career prospects. (Everyone in the camper expected him to be "unsponsored" for the next race at Koksidje.) He let me off and I shuffled back to my car and steered for the shortish drive to Gent, the Cyclingnews apartment, and Emma and Peter. What a fun day!
Superprestige Gavere - Race
I settled on a corner right before the muddy downhill. The crowds were way thicker than the Hasselt race. I'm not sure if it's a population difference, or if the race was just that much more important. The racers were all the same, so I'd just guess that it's closer to more people. Maybe it's a race with more "tradition". I'll never know.
My spot also had a view of the mobile jumbotron screen they had set up. Very good. So the racers made their corner without too much incident, but there were a few bumbles on the steeper and muddier section just after where I was.
I hung out there for the first two laps and then headed out for other vistas. The people were so thick that I couldn't really improve on my previous location. Bleh.
I did what I could, and started thinking I needed a beer. There was a nifty little tent with an elevated floor and a decent view of two spots on the course. The bad news was that you needed tickets for stuff. And they didn't sell them there. So I hiked around the corner to a different (and bigger) beer tent and bought my tickets and two beers. Due to a math error, I actually bought more tickets than I wanted.
Armed with beer, I headed back to the course to watch the battle. I set up in view of the jumbotron and at the corner right after the pits on the way to the finish.
I saw the critical part. There were 6 of them. Klaas, Sven, Bart, Ervin, and Mourey, with Niels dangling off the back. Sven hadn't had the best start, so much of the race he was working his way to the front. He got there just in time. I don't think he joined these leaders until the last lap. Would he have enough matches to burn after working so hard? The five desended, and then single file along the bottom of the course, Vervecken attacked. He got a lead of about 5 bike lenghts ahead of the group. Bart was in second position. Francis M was kind of patrolling the front. And then came the attack. Sven came from 3rd or 4th position and then just killed them. KEEELED them. In the last 1/3 of the last lap, Sven put nearly 30 seconds into the best riders in the world. He just stormed up the hill. Bart was last one through, went into the pits, grabbed a fresh bike, and was able to make the podium by getting around Vervecken and Vantornout at the top once things got flat. Mourey was able to hold Bart off in the avenue to claim second.
Based on his poor start, I was optimistic that Sven Nys might not win this race. That this would be the one to unseat him. Bart and Klaas had a decent amount of time on the front. Maybe they could have made a break. The funny thing about this race was that in spite of the mud and the climb, I don't think I ever saw a male racer get off his bike. They were strong enough to just power up the muddy climb. However, he just kicked everyone in the teeth and showed them his ass. I think on a course with that much riding and technical skills on top of it, Sven is near unbeatable. The crowd let out a big cheer when he crossed the line, but the race was over when he started his attack. Business as usual for Sven.
My spot also had a view of the mobile jumbotron screen they had set up. Very good. So the racers made their corner without too much incident, but there were a few bumbles on the steeper and muddier section just after where I was.
I hung out there for the first two laps and then headed out for other vistas. The people were so thick that I couldn't really improve on my previous location. Bleh.
I did what I could, and started thinking I needed a beer. There was a nifty little tent with an elevated floor and a decent view of two spots on the course. The bad news was that you needed tickets for stuff. And they didn't sell them there. So I hiked around the corner to a different (and bigger) beer tent and bought my tickets and two beers. Due to a math error, I actually bought more tickets than I wanted.
Armed with beer, I headed back to the course to watch the battle. I set up in view of the jumbotron and at the corner right after the pits on the way to the finish.
I saw the critical part. There were 6 of them. Klaas, Sven, Bart, Ervin, and Mourey, with Niels dangling off the back. Sven hadn't had the best start, so much of the race he was working his way to the front. He got there just in time. I don't think he joined these leaders until the last lap. Would he have enough matches to burn after working so hard? The five desended, and then single file along the bottom of the course, Vervecken attacked. He got a lead of about 5 bike lenghts ahead of the group. Bart was in second position. Francis M was kind of patrolling the front. And then came the attack. Sven came from 3rd or 4th position and then just killed them. KEEELED them. In the last 1/3 of the last lap, Sven put nearly 30 seconds into the best riders in the world. He just stormed up the hill. Bart was last one through, went into the pits, grabbed a fresh bike, and was able to make the podium by getting around Vervecken and Vantornout at the top once things got flat. Mourey was able to hold Bart off in the avenue to claim second.
Based on his poor start, I was optimistic that Sven Nys might not win this race. That this would be the one to unseat him. Bart and Klaas had a decent amount of time on the front. Maybe they could have made a break. The funny thing about this race was that in spite of the mud and the climb, I don't think I ever saw a male racer get off his bike. They were strong enough to just power up the muddy climb. However, he just kicked everyone in the teeth and showed them his ass. I think on a course with that much riding and technical skills on top of it, Sven is near unbeatable. The crowd let out a big cheer when he crossed the line, but the race was over when he started his attack. Business as usual for Sven.
Superprestige Gavere - Schmooze
The rider lots at Gavere were laid out in three sections, so it wasn't quite as compact as Hasselt. It actually took me a while to find the last section. It just seemed like some campers were missing - Nys, Vervecken, Vardaros. heh.
Since I threatened to come by after the race, I made good on that promise and once I found the Vanderkitten camper, stopped by. Christine and Jonas (her soigneur, driver, and companion - see blog) were there, and two other Americans - Gary and Betty from NorCal. They were in Yurp visiting a son in Germany and went to catch some racing. I think they knew Christine from the NorCal scene, because they were avid bikers and even racers. They were in Europe for a good while (months?).
Christine was awesome enough to invite us into her medium sized camper, and we hung out and chatted about the race, biking, and general fun stuff. Christine put on some squash soup and laid out bread and was dying to be the hostess. I didn't come there to mooch, but she was so insistent, and I never ever turn down pumpkin/squash/sweet potato soup.
Talking to her was pretty cool. She's done some cool things with her life. Living the dream. I'm totally impressed. She's also a sponsor's dream. She seeks out sponsorship opportunities for things that she believes in, and then really pushes them. She's vegan, and a correspondent for several health, women's, veg, and animal rights publications.
ProBar was the example of the day. She insisted that we have some samples, and talked at lenght about how great they were. "Like a different treat with each bite!" I tried the sample a few days later, and she was right. Vee-gun, yet still terrribly tasty.
After a bit, I checked out of mobile hotel Vanderkitten, and ran into the Baker clan prepping for the Men's race. More fun chats with Cyndi, Jon on the trainer, and his dad, prepping for the pit work. It was getting close to race time, so I headed back to the course to stake out a location.
Since I threatened to come by after the race, I made good on that promise and once I found the Vanderkitten camper, stopped by. Christine and Jonas (her soigneur, driver, and companion - see blog) were there, and two other Americans - Gary and Betty from NorCal. They were in Yurp visiting a son in Germany and went to catch some racing. I think they knew Christine from the NorCal scene, because they were avid bikers and even racers. They were in Europe for a good while (months?).
Christine was awesome enough to invite us into her medium sized camper, and we hung out and chatted about the race, biking, and general fun stuff. Christine put on some squash soup and laid out bread and was dying to be the hostess. I didn't come there to mooch, but she was so insistent, and I never ever turn down pumpkin/squash/sweet potato soup.
Talking to her was pretty cool. She's done some cool things with her life. Living the dream. I'm totally impressed. She's also a sponsor's dream. She seeks out sponsorship opportunities for things that she believes in, and then really pushes them. She's vegan, and a correspondent for several health, women's, veg, and animal rights publications.
ProBar was the example of the day. She insisted that we have some samples, and talked at lenght about how great they were. "Like a different treat with each bite!" I tried the sample a few days later, and she was right. Vee-gun, yet still terrribly tasty.
After a bit, I checked out of mobile hotel Vanderkitten, and ran into the Baker clan prepping for the Men's race. More fun chats with Cyndi, Jon on the trainer, and his dad, prepping for the pit work. It was getting close to race time, so I headed back to the course to stake out a location.
Superprestige Gavere - Women
I got there at the corner at the bottom where the course turns right and heads up the hill. There were big gaps between riders, so they were in straggle mode. A couple of girls went by, and then along comes Christine. Riding and running. Slowly, but not any slower than anyone else, mind you. It was a big hill. About as tall as Steilacoom, but not as steep. The lack of incline was made up for with mud. Rideability varies with strength, gearing, tires, and effort. Even though I was right there, I didn't cheer. Who knows how her race was going? Does she need some random American voice heckling her up the hill? I decided against it and trudged up towards the rest of the race.
The start/finish was down and back on a cool tree lined lane. I caught a picture of her there as she was finishing up. I never saw the front of the race, and it turned out that Katie Compton was there and crushed everyone. You go girl.
Since the race was ending, I did a bit more scouting and then headed towards the rider parking lot.
The start/finish was down and back on a cool tree lined lane. I caught a picture of her there as she was finishing up. I never saw the front of the race, and it turned out that Katie Compton was there and crushed everyone. You go girl.
Since the race was ending, I did a bit more scouting and then headed towards the rider parking lot.
Superprestige Gavere - Prerace
The walk to the race led me to the entrance of the race that it turned out was at the bottom of the hill. The people at the gate said something to me like I should understand it, but I had to be ignorant. I got there towards the end of the women's race.
I had prepped my visit to Gavere by looking at the start list. In the women's list, there was an American listed, Christine Vardaros. I knew Jon Baker would be there, but Jonathan Page wasn't at Hasselt, but he was on the list for Gavere. I wasn't certain who Christine was, so I used the internet.
I acutally remembered reading an interview with her on race.cx. She seemed pretty cool. A kind of high powered business background abandoned for bike racing. She was on the Breezer team of women that started back in the 90s, but was currently racing for Van der Kitten. "Clothing for women that kick ass." Yeah, right.
It turns out that she had spent time in NorCal, and mentioned knowing Andy Jaques-Maynes. I'd met him a few times on the arm of Josie Beggs - my homegirl from Tacoma, and the sweetheart of the cross racing circuit.
I was there in Colorado when Josie had her eye socket smushed in an accident. Well, I wasn't really there. I saw her at the start. Saw the big pile up not 10 meters from the start line. Saw Andy get her going again. Chatted a bit with Andy, and then watched the women's race. No Josie. It's unclear what happened next, but word is that she was charging hard to catch back onto the race and hit a kid crossing the course. Eyesocket smushed. Ouch. I thought she'd never be pretty again, but she actually healed up great and regained the bloom of beauty that she's always held. If it weren't for pix, no one would ever know how ghastly she was.
So anyway, I dropped Andy and Josie's name on Christine's blog and suggested that I might drop by to hang out.
I had prepped my visit to Gavere by looking at the start list. In the women's list, there was an American listed, Christine Vardaros. I knew Jon Baker would be there, but Jonathan Page wasn't at Hasselt, but he was on the list for Gavere. I wasn't certain who Christine was, so I used the internet.
I acutally remembered reading an interview with her on race.cx. She seemed pretty cool. A kind of high powered business background abandoned for bike racing. She was on the Breezer team of women that started back in the 90s, but was currently racing for Van der Kitten. "Clothing for women that kick ass." Yeah, right.
It turns out that she had spent time in NorCal, and mentioned knowing Andy Jaques-Maynes. I'd met him a few times on the arm of Josie Beggs - my homegirl from Tacoma, and the sweetheart of the cross racing circuit.
I was there in Colorado when Josie had her eye socket smushed in an accident. Well, I wasn't really there. I saw her at the start. Saw the big pile up not 10 meters from the start line. Saw Andy get her going again. Chatted a bit with Andy, and then watched the women's race. No Josie. It's unclear what happened next, but word is that she was charging hard to catch back onto the race and hit a kid crossing the course. Eyesocket smushed. Ouch. I thought she'd never be pretty again, but she actually healed up great and regained the bloom of beauty that she's always held. If it weren't for pix, no one would ever know how ghastly she was.
So anyway, I dropped Andy and Josie's name on Christine's blog and suggested that I might drop by to hang out.
Superprestige Gavere - Travel
I woke up, checked out, hopped in the car, and Jettaed off for Gavere. I skipped what was certainly a greatly overpriced Holiday Inn continental breakfast. Hasselt is in the eastern part of Belgium. Gavere is towards the west. I had a stout drive ahead of me.
I had to go essentially back to Brussels and then towards Gent, and then south. Lacking food, I pulled off on the interstate equivalent of a rest stop-gas station combo. I guess someone gets the license for running the thing. Anyway, it's the equivalent of a truckstop. I get a packaged sandwich and a Diet Coke and get back to rolling. It was pretty similar, but it's the little things that make it weird. I just can't remember what those were.
I get to Gavere, park my car where I'm directed to by the signs, and have a hefty walk to the venue.
I had to go essentially back to Brussels and then towards Gent, and then south. Lacking food, I pulled off on the interstate equivalent of a rest stop-gas station combo. I guess someone gets the license for running the thing. Anyway, it's the equivalent of a truckstop. I get a packaged sandwich and a Diet Coke and get back to rolling. It was pretty similar, but it's the little things that make it weird. I just can't remember what those were.
I get to Gavere, park my car where I'm directed to by the signs, and have a hefty walk to the venue.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
GVA Trofee Hasselt - postrace
Finding an internet connection in Yurp is harder than I thought it would be. I drove around a bit looking for anything likely. Drinking coffee apparently hasn't caught on there, so Starbucks hasn't invaded.
Nothing from the road, so I went back into the town center. They have a set of underground parking garages. This is something that seems to happen often in Belgium. More of the US could use these things.
Having ditched the car, I strolled through town some more looking for the precious internet. The day was starting to get dark. I was getting tired. My day was ending. No internet.
I strolled to the Holiday Inn Hasselt. I figured that the benefit of having someone that was certain to speak english behind the front desk would be worth the shame of having to reach for something so American. I paid for my ridiculously overpriced room (110 Euros?) , went upstairs to check out the room, (adequate), and headed to retrieve my car from the pay lot underground.
Once the car was taken care of in the Marina parking across from the hotel. (Free!) I went to bed and slept.
Day 1 has officially ended.
Nothing from the road, so I went back into the town center. They have a set of underground parking garages. This is something that seems to happen often in Belgium. More of the US could use these things.
Having ditched the car, I strolled through town some more looking for the precious internet. The day was starting to get dark. I was getting tired. My day was ending. No internet.
I strolled to the Holiday Inn Hasselt. I figured that the benefit of having someone that was certain to speak english behind the front desk would be worth the shame of having to reach for something so American. I paid for my ridiculously overpriced room (110 Euros?) , went upstairs to check out the room, (adequate), and headed to retrieve my car from the pay lot underground.
Once the car was taken care of in the Marina parking across from the hotel. (Free!) I went to bed and slept.
Day 1 has officially ended.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
GVA Trofee Hasselt - race
I picked a spot on a rising sandy corner. It looked tight and nasty enough. It's not like I'm a Nascar fan and are there for the crashes, but if there was going to be a first lap pileup, that's where it was going to be. I didn't have to wait too long and they came screaming through. I'm pretty sure Bart Wellens was the first rider, and most were able to ride this nasty little turn, but towards the end of the pack, bunching killed any momentum you'd need for obviously smarter to run. So they went through and I had 7 minutes to kill while they went around the lap.
What could be better than a beer? There was a Primus wagon right there, and they had pils on tap. Pils is just like Bud or Miller light - well, it's probably better, but it's not different enough to write home about. Still, it was cold, and it's beer in Belgium at a cross race, what could be better?
So I saw the second lap from the same spot, and then set off to see what the rest of the course was like.
An interesting feature they had was a mickey-mouse ear shaped section on a banked area. I got it on film, and it makes for good spectating and tv shots when they keep the interior free.
On the way to another spot, I had to get some frites, so I sidled up to the wagon, was handed a cone of fries. Now what kind of saus to get? Well, I went with what the guy had in front of me - andaluze saus. It was mayonaisey and orange, and had a curry flavor. It was pretty good. Oh yeah, and another pils.
The rest of the race was kind of fun. Niels Albert got away, but then the charge came. Nys and Wellens bridged up and then left him. Apparently Bart made a mistake somewhere on the last lap, and it was enough for Sven to get away. I watched them come through the pit area one last time, and then had to wait for all the other riders to pass through the course crossing. There was a mad dash as everyone with me sprinted for the smoky tent to see the finish on TV. There was a huge cheer as Nys crossed the line, with his familiar fists raised in the air. That place was packed! I had to glimpse the screen at a really oblique angle. It's a good thing I'm tall.
Jon was one of the last riders to come through before the leaders, so I went back to the pits where his dad was waiting for one last 1/3 lap bike change if Jon wanted it. (He didn't) It must be tough to keep racing while everyone is packing up, going home, and generally ignoring you. I wouldn't be shocked if he got held up at the crossings, but the good news is that he held off the national champ that he was fighting off for the entire race. (His jersey was red, white, and light blue, so I'm guessing it's either Estonia or Luxembourg.)
Well, not much else to do. I never heard from David, so I went back to the car and drove around a bit looking for an internet connection.
What could be better than a beer? There was a Primus wagon right there, and they had pils on tap. Pils is just like Bud or Miller light - well, it's probably better, but it's not different enough to write home about. Still, it was cold, and it's beer in Belgium at a cross race, what could be better?
So I saw the second lap from the same spot, and then set off to see what the rest of the course was like.
An interesting feature they had was a mickey-mouse ear shaped section on a banked area. I got it on film, and it makes for good spectating and tv shots when they keep the interior free.
On the way to another spot, I had to get some frites, so I sidled up to the wagon, was handed a cone of fries. Now what kind of saus to get? Well, I went with what the guy had in front of me - andaluze saus. It was mayonaisey and orange, and had a curry flavor. It was pretty good. Oh yeah, and another pils.
The rest of the race was kind of fun. Niels Albert got away, but then the charge came. Nys and Wellens bridged up and then left him. Apparently Bart made a mistake somewhere on the last lap, and it was enough for Sven to get away. I watched them come through the pit area one last time, and then had to wait for all the other riders to pass through the course crossing. There was a mad dash as everyone with me sprinted for the smoky tent to see the finish on TV. There was a huge cheer as Nys crossed the line, with his familiar fists raised in the air. That place was packed! I had to glimpse the screen at a really oblique angle. It's a good thing I'm tall.
Jon was one of the last riders to come through before the leaders, so I went back to the pits where his dad was waiting for one last 1/3 lap bike change if Jon wanted it. (He didn't) It must be tough to keep racing while everyone is packing up, going home, and generally ignoring you. I wouldn't be shocked if he got held up at the crossings, but the good news is that he held off the national champ that he was fighting off for the entire race. (His jersey was red, white, and light blue, so I'm guessing it's either Estonia or Luxembourg.)
Well, not much else to do. I never heard from David, so I went back to the car and drove around a bit looking for an internet connection.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
GVA Trofee Hasselt - prerace
I got to a gate, paid my 10 euros and I was in crossland. The U-23 race was going on. There were a handful of Fidea punks in the lead, all on new X-knights. A few people yelled "Go Jempy!" so I presumed that one of them was Jempy Drucker.
GVA is the Gazet Van Antwerpen. The venue was a fairly general city park that was adjacent to a sports complex(?) There was sand, there was mud, but the course was flat except for one kind of kick-up about 3 meters high. The riders had a straight run at it, so no problem. The rest of the course was flat, but for a few bumps. I wasn't that interested in the current race. People were watching, and lined the course, but no one really cheered, so I set off for more sights.
On the drive in, I saw where the racers' parking was, so I headed there to see what would be going on. It's a cool scene, and I recommend it for any euro cross pilgrims. The teams tend to cluster together, but it's all about who shows when, so there are no guarantees.
Sven Nys had the biggest pimpin'est rig there - all intimidating in black and grey with a big signature and a logo. No Rabobank or anything else on it. Just Sven. (Maybe there was stuff on the back I didn't see.) Sven also has an exclusive line of clothing with a cool logo, most of it in khaki and black. The tent dispensing it was quite busy. Fidea also has a table selling lots of soft goods for the whole team, so each rider didn't have to be distracted by a separate vendor/manager in the entourage. All the Fidea riders had a camper there except one - Petr Dlask. He was in a minivan sort of VW. Maybe his contract didn't cover the camper. Maybe he just pocketed the money and wanted to travel lightweight. I probably should have said hello.
On the lap of the parking lot, I came across Jon Baker. I noticed the van with the Primus Mootry Stickers on it, and this chick there was speaking english to two locals. So I said hi, and it's Cyndi Baker, wife of Jon. She was super nice and we got to chatting while Jon warmed up.
Their story is pretty cool, but it's not mine to tell, so I'll just give you the breifing. Jon was a super strong amatuer that was invited to the Nationals team and then decided to leave work for 6 months or so and "do" Europe. Cyndi somehow didn't talk them out of it, so they packed up the kids and set off on a euro adventure. Cyndi works remotely, so they won't have to sell plasma, and Jon is taking a beating in the races in the small picture, but in the big picture, he's scoring awesome points right and left. He's right on the cusp of being on the lead lap, so if he has a good race, he'll get to do those last few minutes the winners never see. If he's slow, he gets lapped and gets to quit right after the winner. Maybe he'll even see the finish. I think his goal is a top 15 or so, which is a huge task. The top guys are all so fast. Maybe things will line up for him and it will happen. Another nice part is that his dad is over here running the pits for him. It must be fantastic to have that kind of family support.
So Jon finished warming up, and I headed off for the course. I caught the sign-in, and was surprised to hear the announcer speaking to someone in english. It was Zdnek Stybar, I guess he doesn't speak Vlaamse, so English is the lowest common denominator. I had to scout more of the course to make sure I was in the best spot for the first lap.
GVA is the Gazet Van Antwerpen. The venue was a fairly general city park that was adjacent to a sports complex(?) There was sand, there was mud, but the course was flat except for one kind of kick-up about 3 meters high. The riders had a straight run at it, so no problem. The rest of the course was flat, but for a few bumps. I wasn't that interested in the current race. People were watching, and lined the course, but no one really cheered, so I set off for more sights.
On the drive in, I saw where the racers' parking was, so I headed there to see what would be going on. It's a cool scene, and I recommend it for any euro cross pilgrims. The teams tend to cluster together, but it's all about who shows when, so there are no guarantees.
Sven Nys had the biggest pimpin'est rig there - all intimidating in black and grey with a big signature and a logo. No Rabobank or anything else on it. Just Sven. (Maybe there was stuff on the back I didn't see.) Sven also has an exclusive line of clothing with a cool logo, most of it in khaki and black. The tent dispensing it was quite busy. Fidea also has a table selling lots of soft goods for the whole team, so each rider didn't have to be distracted by a separate vendor/manager in the entourage. All the Fidea riders had a camper there except one - Petr Dlask. He was in a minivan sort of VW. Maybe his contract didn't cover the camper. Maybe he just pocketed the money and wanted to travel lightweight. I probably should have said hello.
On the lap of the parking lot, I came across Jon Baker. I noticed the van with the Primus Mootry Stickers on it, and this chick there was speaking english to two locals. So I said hi, and it's Cyndi Baker, wife of Jon. She was super nice and we got to chatting while Jon warmed up.
Their story is pretty cool, but it's not mine to tell, so I'll just give you the breifing. Jon was a super strong amatuer that was invited to the Nationals team and then decided to leave work for 6 months or so and "do" Europe. Cyndi somehow didn't talk them out of it, so they packed up the kids and set off on a euro adventure. Cyndi works remotely, so they won't have to sell plasma, and Jon is taking a beating in the races in the small picture, but in the big picture, he's scoring awesome points right and left. He's right on the cusp of being on the lead lap, so if he has a good race, he'll get to do those last few minutes the winners never see. If he's slow, he gets lapped and gets to quit right after the winner. Maybe he'll even see the finish. I think his goal is a top 15 or so, which is a huge task. The top guys are all so fast. Maybe things will line up for him and it will happen. Another nice part is that his dad is over here running the pits for him. It must be fantastic to have that kind of family support.
So Jon finished warming up, and I headed off for the course. I caught the sign-in, and was surprised to hear the announcer speaking to someone in english. It was Zdnek Stybar, I guess he doesn't speak Vlaamse, so English is the lowest common denominator. I had to scout more of the course to make sure I was in the best spot for the first lap.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
In Hasselt
Once in Hasselt, I was feeling awfully disconnected. No phone, no map, no money, no internet, no where to stay that night. I drove into town, to scout things out. Hasselt has this awesome old district with a tangle of streets that are way too tight to drive. I mean you could, but only at 4 am because there were tons of people out shopping for stuff. I guess xmas season is on. There was a one way ring around the old part that I just got swept up in, but that wasn't a problem. As I headed back to where I got on, it became apparent that having a car was the problem. What would I do with it as I got my act together?
The first plan of attack was getting money. None of the banks appeared to be open. Cash machines don't just jump out either. Hmm. The backup plan was getting a phone so I could get in touch with David. He lives nearby in a town called Limburg, but I didn't have the map resources to figure out where it was. If we got in touch, it would be simple to hook up at the race, and then I'd have a place to stay, people to see, etc.
So - a phone. On my initial lap of the stad zentrum, I noted a cellphone store with parking. I went in, asked for help and they checked my phone and found it was sim-locked. Dang. I then had to buy a phone and a prepaid plan for it. That knocked me back 55 euros. Double Dang. I was hoping that I could take care of my cash needs at the same time, but no such luck. They directed me to a cash machine in the stad zentrum. It was much farther than I thought it would be, but banks and cash machines weren't jumping out at me. I found one next to a big Parisian-style sidewalk cafe. The ATM card didn't work, but my visa card did. Phone, money - I'm in business.
I headed back to the venue, parked my car, and headed off for the race.
It was a GVA Trofee race, which is kind of big, and there was an image of Sven Nys on the promo stuff, but I wasn't sure if there was going to be any of the top stars there. Gavere was the next day, so I was wondering if they would rather be taking it easy.
The first plan of attack was getting money. None of the banks appeared to be open. Cash machines don't just jump out either. Hmm. The backup plan was getting a phone so I could get in touch with David. He lives nearby in a town called Limburg, but I didn't have the map resources to figure out where it was. If we got in touch, it would be simple to hook up at the race, and then I'd have a place to stay, people to see, etc.
So - a phone. On my initial lap of the stad zentrum, I noted a cellphone store with parking. I went in, asked for help and they checked my phone and found it was sim-locked. Dang. I then had to buy a phone and a prepaid plan for it. That knocked me back 55 euros. Double Dang. I was hoping that I could take care of my cash needs at the same time, but no such luck. They directed me to a cash machine in the stad zentrum. It was much farther than I thought it would be, but banks and cash machines weren't jumping out at me. I found one next to a big Parisian-style sidewalk cafe. The ATM card didn't work, but my visa card did. Phone, money - I'm in business.
I headed back to the venue, parked my car, and headed off for the race.
It was a GVA Trofee race, which is kind of big, and there was an image of Sven Nys on the promo stuff, but I wasn't sure if there was going to be any of the top stars there. Gavere was the next day, so I was wondering if they would rather be taking it easy.
On the road
So I'm loose in Europe and know that I need to head east through a town called Leuven to Hasselt, where the days cyclocross race was. Heading out of the garage, it lead pretty quickly to a highway, but a little too quickly I found out I was in the wrong lane for Leuven. Grrrr. So I get off a street and try and head back, but not really. I wanted to drive around and figure out where I was on the map. Bad idea. The street signs for the road that I was trying to locate turned out to be some sort of warning or speed limit sign. Oops. So after a bit, I started following signs to the Ring. Once there I knew I could find my way to the road to Leuven.
Fortunately, after being on the highway a bit, a SunWeb-ProJob mobile home merged on. It helps a lot because it gets me from the highway to the venue. Cool.
Fortunately, after being on the highway a bit, a SunWeb-ProJob mobile home merged on. It helps a lot because it gets me from the highway to the venue. Cool.
The flights
The flight to NYC was uneventful. The time difference and staying up made things kind of weird. I had about 4 hours to kill, so I wandered around looking for juice for my laptop. There weren't many places to go, but I finally managed to sit at a table for 5 in a Sam Adams shop with a reach to an outlet. I had 3 big beers and a bread bowl of chowder. I was wishing that the bread was better and sourer. I was bored and I couldn't get the internet to work, so I played Diablo for much of that time. I took the best guy that either I or anyone else had saved and went into the dungeon. It was cool going toe to toe with the Butcher. I was just a bit faster, but he hit me a few times. I made it down to level 5 or so and picked up some nifty items.
The NYC-BRU flight wasn't fun. I got on with the three Sam Adams in the system, hoping it would help. I was able to get my own set of seats, but it was incredibly uncomfortable, even with two pillows and a blanket. I actually did fall asleep for a little bit, but when I woke up, we were still on the tarmac! We waited for an extra hour. Bleh. Comfort was really really hard to find, and then there was a 4 year old behind me kicking the chair. I read Harry Potter and it took me a looong time to fall asleep, but they were kind enough to wake me for breakfast. The sun was up and Belgium was sunny and cold looking, but not like there was frost.
Once on the ground, the gate was at the far end of the terminal. Seriously long. I think it was about 1/2 mile to get to the customs desk. The girl behind the counter asked where I was from, and when I said Seattle, that wasn't good enough. She wanted to hear where I was connecting from. Feh. Then I grab my bags and head through the customs checkpoint. It was super weird. They make you walk through this snake sort of thing, and around one corner was a gang of customs agents chatting about last night's drinking or something. The thing to do, because I just did it, was to walk straight through. They looked at me, but didn't break their conversation.
Next comes the rental counter and getting a car. I was lucky enough to score a Jetta, which seems pretty big compared to lots of others in the garage.
So I hit the roads in Europe! This was before having a car, any euro money, and no real way of communicating with someone via phone or internet. I was bummed to find that my phone didn't work, by the way.
The NYC-BRU flight wasn't fun. I got on with the three Sam Adams in the system, hoping it would help. I was able to get my own set of seats, but it was incredibly uncomfortable, even with two pillows and a blanket. I actually did fall asleep for a little bit, but when I woke up, we were still on the tarmac! We waited for an extra hour. Bleh. Comfort was really really hard to find, and then there was a 4 year old behind me kicking the chair. I read Harry Potter and it took me a looong time to fall asleep, but they were kind enough to wake me for breakfast. The sun was up and Belgium was sunny and cold looking, but not like there was frost.
Once on the ground, the gate was at the far end of the terminal. Seriously long. I think it was about 1/2 mile to get to the customs desk. The girl behind the counter asked where I was from, and when I said Seattle, that wasn't good enough. She wanted to hear where I was connecting from. Feh. Then I grab my bags and head through the customs checkpoint. It was super weird. They make you walk through this snake sort of thing, and around one corner was a gang of customs agents chatting about last night's drinking or something. The thing to do, because I just did it, was to walk straight through. They looked at me, but didn't break their conversation.
Next comes the rental counter and getting a car. I was lucky enough to score a Jetta, which seems pretty big compared to lots of others in the garage.
So I hit the roads in Europe! This was before having a car, any euro money, and no real way of communicating with someone via phone or internet. I was bummed to find that my phone didn't work, by the way.
The lead up
I'd better start this part and hope that I can catch up. If I don't start it now, things will get fuzzier and fuzzier, and I'm here to regurgitate the entire trip detail by detail.
The night before leaving (11/15), I had Evan and Henry over. You know, to let them know that I loved them and all that mushy stuff. They had to leave kind of early because it was a school night. After they left I had to get laundry going. It wasn't oppressive, but the weekend before was the Ft. Flagler trip weekend, so I didn't have time to do it then. The plan is to stay up all night anyway, hoping that it will help with the jetlag.
Part of the plan was to get a ride in while in Belgium. Rent bikes and then ride the 25 miles from Gent to Oudenaarde on a path and then back. The big question is how do you pack for that? I have enough stuff for a ride in Seattle and the weather isn't different at all, but lugging it all across the Atlantic for one ride? Well, I managed to get my regular clothes in a big bag, so I had a bag that I could fill with bike clothing. The shoes were the key item, since they are hard to fake. I decided that I could skip a helmet. I've managed thousands of rides with only one brain injury, so I don't feel like I'm risking death riding on a riverside trail without a helmet. Besides, it's europe, right? Does anyone wear helmets here? I'll find out.
During laundry, I threw songs together. Wes said that David A. is culturally starved in Belgium, so I wanted to bring him lots of stuff. A few weeks ago, I replaced a stolen iPod with a new 80GB one. I could fit my entire collection on it. Cool, yes? Well, it would be. But Apple is the Nazi party of the electronics world. iPods are wonderful. iTunes was designed in the dungeons of hell. I shouldn't go into a rant here, but my question is - why can't you just use an iPod like a nifty portable hard drive that also happens to play music? You could move files on, off, all over. But you can't. Yeah, there are ways to do it. I have foo_pod, but it should be fully featured and developed by now. It turns out that it was just a project that once it was finished, the creator dropped the ball, and no one else bothered to pick it up. Apple seems to have busted that little game up anyway. Their constant iTunes updates probably have turned it into an arms race that some college coder just won't win. I got my brick from work and moved everything I thought he might ever like onto it. It still took some time and I don't know how much is on there. I had to bring the power cord and all that other stuff with me too.
So I finish packing at around 4:30 am, shower up and head to the airport for my 6:45 flight to New York. The rest of Seattle and the flight was uneventful.
The night before leaving (11/15), I had Evan and Henry over. You know, to let them know that I loved them and all that mushy stuff. They had to leave kind of early because it was a school night. After they left I had to get laundry going. It wasn't oppressive, but the weekend before was the Ft. Flagler trip weekend, so I didn't have time to do it then. The plan is to stay up all night anyway, hoping that it will help with the jetlag.
Part of the plan was to get a ride in while in Belgium. Rent bikes and then ride the 25 miles from Gent to Oudenaarde on a path and then back. The big question is how do you pack for that? I have enough stuff for a ride in Seattle and the weather isn't different at all, but lugging it all across the Atlantic for one ride? Well, I managed to get my regular clothes in a big bag, so I had a bag that I could fill with bike clothing. The shoes were the key item, since they are hard to fake. I decided that I could skip a helmet. I've managed thousands of rides with only one brain injury, so I don't feel like I'm risking death riding on a riverside trail without a helmet. Besides, it's europe, right? Does anyone wear helmets here? I'll find out.
During laundry, I threw songs together. Wes said that David A. is culturally starved in Belgium, so I wanted to bring him lots of stuff. A few weeks ago, I replaced a stolen iPod with a new 80GB one. I could fit my entire collection on it. Cool, yes? Well, it would be. But Apple is the Nazi party of the electronics world. iPods are wonderful. iTunes was designed in the dungeons of hell. I shouldn't go into a rant here, but my question is - why can't you just use an iPod like a nifty portable hard drive that also happens to play music? You could move files on, off, all over. But you can't. Yeah, there are ways to do it. I have foo_pod, but it should be fully featured and developed by now. It turns out that it was just a project that once it was finished, the creator dropped the ball, and no one else bothered to pick it up. Apple seems to have busted that little game up anyway. Their constant iTunes updates probably have turned it into an arms race that some college coder just won't win. I got my brick from work and moved everything I thought he might ever like onto it. It still took some time and I don't know how much is on there. I had to bring the power cord and all that other stuff with me too.
So I finish packing at around 4:30 am, shower up and head to the airport for my 6:45 flight to New York. The rest of Seattle and the flight was uneventful.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Commencement
So I really should have started this earlier. How much earlier?
Well, I guess I'm towards the end. I'll have to back up.
I guess I should have started when the bikes showed up. These aren't just any bikes. I have the two coolest cyclocross bikes in North America that aren't being ridden by Jonathan Page at the moment. Yes. Both of them. If anyone thinks they have a cooler bike than either of mine, I'd like to hear about it. I'll have to fill the rest of that story in later.
The next best time could have been when I started Cross Boot Camp at Cycle U. That was good but not that exciting. Who wants to hear about sprints and intervals? This isn't going to be that good anyway. Why would I want to make it worse?
Maybe the first cross race of the season? Oh Boy Oberto/Redline's Labor Day Cross Race at South Seatac was lots of fun. I did just well enough to delude myself into thinking I'd be better this year at cross. The truth came out later.
The next starting point might have been the first SCC series race. It was tons of fun, extra muddy, and I felt good racing and might have done pretty well.
So if all of those were good places to start, I missed 'em.
So why now? Uhh, I'm in Belgium. In the cyclingnews apartment. I went to two big-league cross races this weekend. I won't be here forever, but the blog will go on because I have travels planned to Portland for the GP, and then KC for Cross Nats.
I guess the key to all of this was getting a camera. I did that last week. I wish I had set this up before leaving, but I was busy with laundry, hanging with Evan and Henry, and work as well. I have a good cameraphone (2.3 megapixels), but it isn't fast enough and just doesn't have the horsepower for good action shots that cross requires. Nothing quite like having the right tool for the job.
In the next couple of days, I'll get the trip going, put pictures up, and blah, blah, blah my way through the minutiae of each day. I don't care if you get bored. I'm doing this for me as much as anyone else. After that, I'll try and go back over the high points of the season so far.
Anyway, thanks for joining me. Either from the start, or maybe you're reading this at some point in the future. The super distant future. Like next month.
Well, I guess I'm towards the end. I'll have to back up.
I guess I should have started when the bikes showed up. These aren't just any bikes. I have the two coolest cyclocross bikes in North America that aren't being ridden by Jonathan Page at the moment. Yes. Both of them. If anyone thinks they have a cooler bike than either of mine, I'd like to hear about it. I'll have to fill the rest of that story in later.
The next best time could have been when I started Cross Boot Camp at Cycle U. That was good but not that exciting. Who wants to hear about sprints and intervals? This isn't going to be that good anyway. Why would I want to make it worse?
Maybe the first cross race of the season? Oh Boy Oberto/Redline's Labor Day Cross Race at South Seatac was lots of fun. I did just well enough to delude myself into thinking I'd be better this year at cross. The truth came out later.
The next starting point might have been the first SCC series race. It was tons of fun, extra muddy, and I felt good racing and might have done pretty well.
So if all of those were good places to start, I missed 'em.
So why now? Uhh, I'm in Belgium. In the cyclingnews apartment. I went to two big-league cross races this weekend. I won't be here forever, but the blog will go on because I have travels planned to Portland for the GP, and then KC for Cross Nats.
I guess the key to all of this was getting a camera. I did that last week. I wish I had set this up before leaving, but I was busy with laundry, hanging with Evan and Henry, and work as well. I have a good cameraphone (2.3 megapixels), but it isn't fast enough and just doesn't have the horsepower for good action shots that cross requires. Nothing quite like having the right tool for the job.
In the next couple of days, I'll get the trip going, put pictures up, and blah, blah, blah my way through the minutiae of each day. I don't care if you get bored. I'm doing this for me as much as anyone else. After that, I'll try and go back over the high points of the season so far.
Anyway, thanks for joining me. Either from the start, or maybe you're reading this at some point in the future. The super distant future. Like next month.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)