Gullegem Koerse: Boonen vs Strom

My first dive into the real deep end this season turned out to be an exciting and frustrating day at the office. The papers here in Belgium were a buzz with anticipation of the event and this morning everyone in this fine country knew that Tom Boonen would be contesting the 63rd edition of Gullegem Koerse. They also knew that he was bringing 13 teammates, and when I heard that I knew this could very well be the most painful and incredible day of my life. Finishing today would have meant that I would have been one of a handful of non-pro riders to cross the finish line, it would have meant that I have some serious form and it could possibly have meant many other things, but the fact of the matter is that along with approximately 150 other hopefuls my day ended early about 70 km too early. But then again I did last longer than Boonen...
At the sign on I stood in line behind Davy Commeyne of Palmans surrounded by a who's who of Belgian cycling talent from all the colours of the pro peleton. I even signed an autograph in that line, right beside Commeyne's scribbled signature I placed my own in the stuffed keepsake book of a young fan. I went on to the change rooms and sat myself down in one occupied by the entire Jartazi team and Milram.
On my way to the start I learned something that would ultimately determine the outcome of the day. 263 riders were going to start. 263. That is unheard of, normally they cap races at 200 for insurance reasons, but not today.
The course was dead flat, but with lots of corners and wind 263 riders spent alot of time riding the gutter. That many riders makes and eerily long train. Early on crashes were frequent. After two laps of the 8 km loop on a section that went down to just one lane in a corner Rosseler himself lay sprawled in the grass with a Predictor-Lotto rider on top of him. I felt relaxed for the first hour even though we were averaging in the range of 47km/hr. On one particular section out of a corner and into a cross wind the pace would surge incredibly to what for me is a full sprint for almost a kilometer. After about 90 minutes I was sitting on van Petegem's wheel going into this section and promptly lost it as he powered away. I managed to jump in a few wheels later, but I knew at that moment that if my day was to end it would be there. Come to think of it I spent alot of time riding van Petegem's wheel. We always seemed to like the same place in the bunch. I also spent some time on Boonen's wheel and that was one solid draft. I just missed asking Robbie McEwen if he had been for pancakes lately before he bolted to the front.
Now we get to the part of the story that I hate telling. After almost 2 hours and 90 some kilometers of racing on the same section I just described, while sitting in the middle of the bunch hurtling single file in the gutter as Quickstep turned on the afterburners, the rider directly in front of me let a wheel go and we flew backwards as riders battled up our left side. I finally found a hole and jumped in again only to watch several gaps open up ahead of me. Within seconds 50 riders broke off what was left of the main bunch. In the group entire teams were left wondering what had just transpired, but reality quickly set in and the showers were the next stop.
In the end only about a third of the starters actually saw the finish. The harsh reality of one day racing at this level. Boonen stopped after about 80 km, my guess is he was not willing to accept the risk with the dangerous corners and numerous crashes.
Another day and another deposit to the pain bank. Experience comes at a cost, someday I will prove myself worthy of the world class company I had today.