Antwerpen etc.

On Tuesday I decided to take a day trip to the last unexplored Flemish city on my map. After a quick hour and a bit on the train I arrived to a newly renovated Antwerp central station. With three levels of trains, it is quite the sight and marvel of engineering. The station set the tone for my visit in this port city. Antwerp is known as a business center and traditionally served as a barge shipping destination due to its location along the wide banks of the Schelde. Antwerp reminds me more of Holland than other Flemish cities with its mix of modern and old as well as the extensive bicycle lane and path network even in the bustle of the city center.
With only a camera and a few Euros in the pocket I made a day of wandering along a route which included the Meir shopping street, several quiet squares, the banks of the Schelde, a couple of cathedrals, a baguette and an ice cream.
It was a pleasant outing and you can see the best of it here.
Yesterday I had the good fortune of working as team mechanic for Pictoflex-Hyundai at a pro race in Geraardsbergen. Just as with last weeks race in Erpe-Mere my duties included preparing the spare bikes and wheels, sitting the in back of the team car during the race ready to jump out and change wheels when needed, pay attention to the race radio and alert the director as to the composition of the breakaway and our riders. After the race I got to drive the team van through Brussels back to home. I love driving in this country, and Brussels in the late evening is a magical place.
This evening is my last in Belgium for this time around. One more evening in the Sportzone, but never fear I will be back...

The Day I Found The Eneco Tour

Last week I embarked on a 5 hour spin just to see what I could see. I was riding along one of my regular routes when I started seeing Eneco Tour signs marking the course for the days stage from Antwerp. I decided to follow the signs and was delighted to find that they where guiding me in the direction of Brakel and some of the best climbs in the area. Just before Brakel I pulled over to witness a full fledged Pro Tour race pass on a road that I know like the back of my hand. As the last moto past I hopped back on the Granville and followed the crowds to the Falkenberg coming out of Brakel. With 500m of pavement pointed straight up to the heavens it proved an ideal mountains prize test for the riders. Coming over the top of the climb I was fortunate enough to take part in bottle picking, cleaning up after the pros as they receieved fresh fluids. With 6 bottles in my jersey and a sign ripped off a lamp post I took the long way home.
Another day, another ride.
Yesterday I took a trip to Antwerp, I will post some pics later.
Only 46 hours to in Belgium. In an hour I leave to play mechanic again in a pro race in Geraardsbergen for one of the legends of Belgian cycling. Then its a day of goodbyes and a quick trip to Van Eyck to stock up on supplies to cope with overpriced Canuckistan. Friday morning I board a train to Amsterdam and then on to London for the final skip across the Atlantic. Back to school, back to my other life. This wummer has passed like a dream, leaving me with enough stories and experiences to last a lifetime. The best part is I know I have alot more coming.

Lost Race

On Saturday I was back in racing mode and ready to challenge a hard course in Lennik. This town is only a half hour ride from the house and I have ridden in the area a great deal over the past three seasons. I had a time and I had a town, so I set out early to once again compete in the famed kermesse scene. I arrived in Lennik down a familiar road knowing that the race must be starting at a point just outside the center as the town is currently undergoing road construction in the core. Normally races are relatively easy to find. The key is to follow cars with bikes on board, look for riders, look for police or other volunteers standing at intersections or find the distinct signs indicating prohibited parking the day of the race. After searching for these tell tale signs for a while I began to become worried that I might miss the start, so I began to inquire with the locals. With literally tens of races in the area over a short period of time it is difficult for even the locals to keep track of what is going on when, as was the case with those I spoke to. Some simply said that they had no idea a race was going on, and others attempted to be helpful giving me their best guess as to where to go. After 45 minutes of endless loops I finally stopped and could here in the distance the distinct sound of a race announcer and music. I followed the sound, but eventually realized that the sound must have been deflected and I was no closer to finding the race. With five minutes until the start I finally gave up and started the short ride home.
On the main road to home I came across two points where the race was to cross, two points I had ridden past an hour earlier... So much for that race.
On my way to the race that never happened I had tentitively decided that it would be my last in Belgium for 2007. Its been a long stay, my form is shifty and my motivation is hovering just above nill. The weather is currently garbage and with only just over one week left until home time I will spend my last days here in relax mode, enjoying the people and country off the bike.

Tomorrow I am scheduled to work as team mechanic for Pictoflex-Hyundia at a pro race in Erpe Mere. After the race I am hosting the next stop of the "Regio Culinary Conquests Dinner Party Tour" with a gastric trip to the far east. Then on Friday I think I might hop on the train and check out Antwerp. It is the only major Belgian city worth seeing that I have not yet experienced.

Quote of the day

"Dont leave your blogger account open when you leave the computer"
Thanks to Sammy for taking responsible advantage of such a situation an posting a fake Quote of the Day yesterday. P dot productions is not about to start a Quote of the Day feature, but this one can stay up as a tribute the ever sharp mind of Sammy.
On a serious and related note the blonde ones are better than the brown ones and I do not endorse or practice overconsumption.

Quote of the day

When you can't get blonde ones,
don't give into the brown ones....

You'll be sorry

Père Leffe

Flemish Culinary Delights

Flanders has some incredible culinary specialties, many of which are not widely recognized internationally. One of these are mussels which makes sense as Belgium shares a mussel rich coastal region with the Nederlands. Mussel season is synonymous with mid to late summer and thus it being that time of year again I had the pleasure of endulging in this tasty sea creature last week. I ordered the 1.6kg version and after a long wait was presented with a piping hot pot of shell fish in a soup of onions and celery. Of course being Belgium no traditional meal is complete without frites and mayonaisse. Finally rounded off with a conservatively chilled Jupiler it was the perfect way of ending another summers eve in Flanders.

Verviers

"So what ever happened to that trip to Verviers for the mtb marathon worlds?"
We deserted the flanderian urban sprawl early Saturday afternoon and set our sights on Verviers which is a city of fair size close to the more famous center of Liege. The area is famous as the gateway to the Ardennes region which means endless lush green rolling and semi mountainous terrain, plenty of lakes and rivers making for a outdoor enthusiast paradise only 1.5 hours on the highway from Brussels.
Upon arriving we pitched our tents close to the start and hit the trails to test the trails and get back in the mtb groove. The bike I had borrowed for the weekend was a hurting and half broken bright orange beauty of a hardtail with Spanish roots. The ride felt great and from the trails we rode the following day looked sure to be filled with fast rolling singletrack and breathtaking scenery.
We had entered in the Open category meaning that we would be riding the same course as the official World Championships only minutes behind the pros. With a wide variety of skill levels among the 500 riders on the start it was simply an organized group ride for some and a race for others. For the majority of guys from Sportzone it was the group ride feel that dominated the day with the exception of Gregory who lined up at the front and hammered his way to a 4th place finish!
You are only as fast as the slowest rider on a group ride so waiting was the name of the game. Some of us would ride off ahead only to wait for 15 minutes at the feed stations for the rest of the group. It was difficult to adjust to the non competitive atmosphere at first while having a number plate on the bike; but after a few hours i fell into the groove and began to truely enjoy the day. With constantly changing terrain, long climbs and both fast and technical descents it was easy to stay engaged . And with it being the worlds the level of organization was exceptional.
After 8 hours and 45 minutes of offroad bliss we finally road under the finishing banner into around the 250th place.
I have to say it was possibly the best 35 Euros and nearly 9 hours I have ever spent, even with the blown out fork and booted tire.
I know what I am doing when the opportunities on the road run dry...

Aalst 100

The biggest day of 2007 and perhaps of my cycling career. 100 km of pure adrenaline. Enjoy.

Next Stop - Verviers

The adventure continues this weekend with an incredibly surprising twist. From racing with Boonen and McEwan to Interclubs to Stage Races to Post Tour Crits to an mtb race!?! I did race mtb once. In fact I even raced a World Cup, the last one before our good friend Filip got busted for EPO, but that is another long story from before the blogger days. One thing I never did while racing mtb was race a World Championship so this weekend I am going to take care of that as I have entered the 2007 World Marathon Mountain Bike Championships in Verviers. Obviously I won't be actually racing with the pros, but in the Open race we will be racing the same course only minutes behind the pro start so it is as close as I can get at this point. On a borrowed hardtail I am looking forward to reconnecting with my dirt roots and experiencing a fresh challenge in the Belgian Ardennes. 105 km of bliss, I am shaking with anticipation.
Thanks to Sammy for setting up the bike and facilitating the entry. 5 Sportzone riders will be competing which is going to make for a fun weekend.
What a year this is turning out to be.

Relax, Take It Easy

In the spirit of the end of the last post I found it fitting to share with you a catchy chart topper that is rocking more than one world here in Europaland. The track is "Relax, Take it Easy" and the artist is Mika. This song is one of the most played on Belgian pop radio and music television for the moment and is sitting firmly at the top of various charts across Europe.
Mika is a Lebanese born artist based in London whose album "Life in Cartoon Motion" has seen incredible success. Although the sound is somewhat generic, I have to admit that it is very catchy and could inspire some creative remixes. The video is what struck me the most when I first saw it, and because of that it has earned a spot on the pdotproductions under the "Tune of the Week" banner.
Enjoy.

Relax, Take It Easy (2006)
Mika
Casablanca

Hekelgem

On Saturday I lined up for another race in the Flemish heartland. This time it was 11 laps of 10 km on lots of cobbles and broken pavement on a hilly circuit around the famed Affligem Abbey (where the beer originally came from). Before the start I actually ran into two Canadians who would also be racing. One had just arrived after a stint with a Spanish team that didn't go as planned and the other is riding for the US Cycling Center team and lives in Brussels.
From the start I felt very rough around the edges, but I knew that I could ride the race out in the bunch so that is what I focussed on doing. After 3 laps I almost had to call it quits when one of my contact lenses popped out leaving me half blind followed promptly by three spokes coming loose in my front wheel and the rim starting to rub my brakes. So with blurred vision and a mechanical handicap I rolled in to 27th place after missing the break, but content with the fact that 42 riders were still behind me.
I am starting to wind down the racing here as I only have about 3 weeks left of my stay. I am feeling the need to take my mind off my bike after living for that two wheeled contraption for the last 8.5 months. The longest break from training and racing I have had since late November is 5 days and although I am not going to see a break longer than that until I get home I plan to take the intensity level down a few notches for the last few weeks of my stay.
Don't worry, the Aalst experience will be brought to you in full shortly.

Aalst Criterium

Merckx is a good draft...

On Monday evening I took part in the biggest and oldest post Tour de France criterium in Belgium and seeing as it was one of the biggest nights of my life I want to ensure that I document it properly. I am in the process of creating a monster of a post to take you through the experience so be patient and look forward to a spine tingling story in the very near future. Spending over two hours riding in the wheels of the likes of Danilo Di Luca, Frank Vandenbroucke and Axel Merckx is not everyday material. How many Canadians have raced with Di Luca in his pink jersey let alone Vandenbroucke?
As for the result I did finish, but they have only published the top twenty. My final position should be around 25th or so, but until I find an official result don't quote me on that.
In the meantime you can see photos of the entire day of racing at jodeconinck.fotopic.net.
and at sportzone.fotopic.net.
For a television special on the crit check out TV Oost, its in Flemish but you can catch a glimpse of the blue streek if you are patient.
Stay tuned!

Twilight