Sooner or later...

This post was going to happen. I still have no clue how to race . I feel like I am just riding around, pulling too hard when I don't have to, closing the wrong gaps and following the wrong wheels. My fitness is not nearly holding me back as much as my tactics. How many years do you think it takes to actually learn how to race a bike? And I don't mean get a win here or there with luck but always being in the right spot to win?

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Yesterday after the race I was beat. I grab a couple of those bad boys on the bottom row and my 1.5 hr ride home was a sweet numb blur
I am starting to get tired...

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I come home to Minnesota the 10th and will be back in "da Falls" around the 16th. I have a bunch of races still to do here and will be hitting up Birchwood before leaving MN and hopefully going well at HHH. then a little break.

I know I had 1 day off the bike after the failed tour but I can´t remember before that... No time to rest!

What the heck is going on at Bikethrow.com?

Come on dudes...

Fotos

TSV van.
My cute little sister.

My hero!

Breakfast, JB Cycling Academy was the last team to arrive.

My view for only one night. :(

18th today.

Always a "but." Facebook post:

"Are the races getting easier here? After being stopped by a crash, my one minute interval into a head wind to catch back on left little in the tank to fight and unleash the Choncey sprint for 3rd. So I kind of sprinted and got 18th. Tomorrow and Sunday should be interesting races."

It's my best place but also one of my most disappointing races.

What I have seen and haven't.

Seen:
- 1000s of people on bikes.
- 1 fool on a TT bike.
- 3 aero bar Freds.
- 40+ year olds in his races ripping it up.
- USA Team riders getting f'ed on a regular bases... I only contributed a few times.
- Lots of oily legs.
- Stupid old women with cell phones on the back side of the course controlling the race.

Haven't seen:
- Those hooky roTo rings.
- Silly "Category" racing.
- The Anti Doping van.
- HED wheels. Why?
- Random dogs running around.
- A ghetto or bad area.

You can add your own if you want.

Wedren Fotos

D u d e, nothing is fu$ked.

Wow, that was a fun 5 day tour!

I'll be back.

Off to go up some hills fast and sleep at a school for a few days.

In the mean time answer me this Batman. You know you're in Belgium...

Fotos

All the women and the cop dude are my family. The guys are their boyfriends and that’s me in the middle. FYI I just shaved…
My new jeans. And yes that’s a butterfly and a Fcuk- ing TIGER and a bunch of messed up stuff. They fit well and are soooo eurooo! Fcuk is the brand of the weird one. Both only cost me 25 Euro.

This is by my bed... STEP AWAY FROM THE CANDY BOWL.

Nothing

Except for easy 1-1.5hr rides, that's what I have been doing this week.

I did see these sweet race cars though. These are all for Peter. This is the Fiat 500 and is the best selling car here. If I lived here I think this is what I would be rolling in.

Francis's dream car.

Dude is that a Civffari? Pimp! He had a hot chick with him too... Retarded.

My sweet new team bike!

I like the pink one. Thanks to Adam's Bike Shop. You can get yours here.

GODELIEVE PRIJS - PITTEM

I was going to write a report but there is no way I can describe what I went through today. So here is my Facebook update:

"Well, I made it up the famous Tour de Flanders cobbled climbs with the front main pack in the rain. Hit the local circuits with the highly reduced peloton about 50 dudes and lasted two laps. Next week I'll be doing a 5 day tour. Time to get some beer."

I guess the tour is "Tour de Liege." (edit) I think it's but am not sure all I know it's 5 days long.

I am beat to hell right now.

Here are some photos.
Nice eh?
This team was a Continental Team last year and lost some funds. So they are at most of the races I do. Even the local ones.
Some of their team cars... I think they had one more car there. They also have the current Belgium Elite National Champion and he was there.
Here's how we roll... Our Sprinter Van was at a Topsport race with our fast guys.
Me warming up for the 166km race looking forward to all the cobbled climbs, closed highways, super small roads and a lots of cow poop!

SCHAAL SCHOETERS - BEVEREN-WAAS

This race was in interclub race. So it was bigger with stronger riders. After our warm up massage by the team massage dude we all went to sign in. I think around 200 guys were at the start line. The race started with a neutral roll out of town then it was game on. I started towards the front because I didn't stage with the other riders. So I had a front row seat for a while. There was attack after attacks and we had guys in every move but mostly it was Tom (who got 13th) and me. After one of our riders got brought back maybe 70km in I took a dig off the front solo for awhile for some camera time. I was joined by 4 or so dudes and we stayed away for a bit. I then went in another move bridging across with a dude who jumped me... so I got on his wheel after my super hard pull... then jumped him to make the front group my HR it seemed never went below 180bpm for a long time. After 100km it was still together when we hit the local laps. I was sitting pretty in the top 10 for 4 of the laps. With 4 to go the attacks came and I found my self in the front group with 3 teammates. But I couldn't stay in it. I did a lot of racing earlier and was starting to feel it after 150km. I went back to the peloton and then was whipped off the back. I stayed in the caravan for a little then made it back up to finish in the peloton.

I almost died about 4 times... I put my front wheel in some dudes derailleur. Some how I unclipped one foot and jumped up the curb to save it. Man was he yelling... something.

Our team took 5th, 13th and a solo effort for a top 20. We had a sponsor there and he was happy. The guy who took 5th then was motor paced home.

It’s an amazing sight to see 150+ dudes single file. It takes like 30 min just to move up towards the front. Then when the road narrows there is no way to move up unless you attack on the side walks, cut corners through yards, stores or jumping up on the round about. I also saw two riders who had to be pulled from each other at the finish. I like racing here.

Next race GODELIEVE PRIJS - PITTEM. This race will be hard.

4th of July.

The race went ok today. My “easy time” was good and the legs are fresh. I was with the lead group when I hit the wall with 3 laps to go. I was in a break about half way through for a lap.

I should be good for the interclub race next week.

FYI I am not ready for this heat.

It'll grow back right?

I got lost today.

Todd, Bruno and I are going for a ride next week. He asked if you were coming back?

I like it here.

Why does it cost around $30-35.00 and sometimes a lot more to race in the U.S. When here it only cost 3 Euro no matter what and doing interclub races they pay YOU!?! Over here I can easily pay for races almost every other day. But if I had to pay for races in the states...? I wouldn't race that much. Thank you MSU/Hotter 'N Hell for your support!

So...

which one of you turned on my suck mode? I had a great race last Friday, now the last two races have been HORRIBLE! I need a Jupiler.

Jason remember these buildings? They just started to rebuild them. I like the gray on in the middle. It's right next to the pub and canal. I don't think it would cost that much either.