It is now Thursday the 17th of June, I have been in Belgium for over a week and can honestly say I am enjoying the experience. Myself and my house mate Daniel have really gotten to know each other, he has shown me many training routes, local bike shops and many other things that will make my duration here pass with ease. To date i have ridden 3 races, Grangliese, Bavaghem and Zwyndrecht, non of which have been easy. My first race in Grangliese was a Baptism of fire, the course was mainly flat with just 1 drag of about half a km, it also had 1 quite sever cross wind section lasting about 2km. I travelled to the race with other Asfra racing team members, all of whom were providing me with the advice that would hopefully aid me in doing well. I got my warm up completed, stretched and lined up for what was going to my first race in Belgium in 2010, the whistle was blown and away we went, from word go we were lined out at 40+kph cross winds beating of the cosmics (The cosmics are the brand of wheel i own) making the bike hard to control. Feeling confident I moved up on the outside and made my way to the front, once there I began going with groups that were attempting to get away, was i being to eager?? the answer came pretty fast. At about lap 10 of 14 My legs were screaming and my lungs burning, I was totally juiced, no way could i continue, I dug in but came to a total halt on the Drag with 3 laps to go, it was my first race and i had been totally defeated. 3 of my team mates put in impressive rides, achieving 30th, 15th, and 2nd.
The following day i was set to race in Bavaghem, 30km from my house in Lierde. I woke that morning with a new wave of confidence, i was going to be more reserved in my racing today, hold back at the start and allow people to waste energy, and then the Cobra would strike and that i did. The trip to the race went fast, i managed to get signed on and pinned my number to my jersey, the route today went over two small inclines and had a number of sharp bends of which I would be expected to sprint out of if i was to hold in there. Once again the whistle was blown and out the road we went brakes screeching, people swerving, bikes clashing off each other, the echo of People roaring cuss words as they all jostle for position as we head into sharp turns and down narrow avenues. Racing in Belgium is far from normal, races generally consist of about 10 or more laps of a highly technical course exposing riders to Cobble stoned sections, Hills, Cross winds, surfaces coated in gravel and oil, and sharp bends, it is only through keeping alert and racing intelligently can you survive and if you manage to do that and posses mass fitness it is then that you can contemplate winning. I rode central in the bunch making sure I did not get caught out in any unfortunate scenarios such as crashes or splits in the bunch, by the half way point 2 groups had broken of the front and both had in excess of a minute on the peleton, I saw 4 riders attempting to escape the clutches of the main field and decided to take a chance and try and join them, i rose from the saddle hammered hard on the pedals and swiftly accelerated towards them making sure not to drag people with me, the moment I made contact I drove past them ushering them to follow me of which they did, we took turns pushing hard into the wind and steadily opening up a gap on the bunch. Our steady work continued lap after lap as we fought to keep the pace up, with 2 laps to go we were joined by a large group from behind consisting of nearly 15 riders, with there aid we closed in on the 2 escape groups that were still ahead, with riders from the U23 Kazakhstan national squad pushing hard in our group the first of these escape groups was soon hauled in. With half a lap to go people became dubious of working and attacks from riders present in the bunch began coming swift and fast, i struggled to hang in bit took the bit between my teeth and clung to the wheel in front of me. we went into the final bend riders were slamming into me and i was having to fight for every inch i could gain that would allow me to get a better place, we cam out of the bend and into the home straight, i kicked hard and managed to get 15th out of my bunch and 32nd overall.
On Wednesday the 16th of June I raced in Zwyndrecht, it was far from were I am staying so i decided to take the train to the location, with such transport being very cheap in Belgium and with the station being 100m up the road from were I am staying it made perfect sense. I rose at 8am that morning, devoured some muesli and bread, followed by sum natural yogurt, I then took my daily dose of supplements beginning with my Molloy's Pharmacy Energy+ Vit, Min and Herb tablet, I then downed a table spoon of Udo's Seed Oil, all of these are to provide me with the essential nutrients that my body needs in order to function and recover during such an intensive lifestyle. After breakfast I collected my gear bag which i had packed the night before and my bike of which had been washed serviced and prep for the event ahead. I boarded the train at Lierde and began my journey, after switching at Gent, I travelled to Zwyndrecht, Belgian trains are far more pleasant and easy flowing that the old Ballina to Manulla junction train that i am so used to. when I arrived I swiftly found sign on and there i got changed and prep myself for the race, I then proceeded with my racing license and signed on for the event. The race began at 2.30pm and it kicked off with a bang, the pace was frantic and i had to fight hard to hold my position in the savage cross winds that battered us each lap, it was on the first lap that the break escaped, it was to stay away all day leaving the rest of us scrambling in an attempt to make up the time that we were consistently losing to them each lap. As in the last race I adopted the tactic of holding strong and allowing others to tire themselves out and then i would attack, with 4 laps remaining the bunch split and i dug in deep to make it across, from that point on the pace was high insuring that the groups behind did not once again make contact. As we came onto the final lap the speed and the explosive sprinting out of each corner in order to hold the wheel in front of me was taking its toll, I suffered like a dog and as we hit the finishing straight I struggled in finishing at the back of what easily was a 40 man group.
So far I can only say the racing here is far more intensive than what i was facing in Ireland but with my first Inter-Club event taking place on Tuesday coming in at 160km, it will be nice to see do the Belgians posses there wicked speed in longer more enduring conditions....... most likely they will and most likely i will once again suffer till the end, but what doesn't kill me can only make me stronger!! (Below is a short video clip of my accomidation)
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