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.