Ronde Van Vlaams Brabant

The bunch in full flight through the streets of Liedekerke during Stage 5.

Over the top of the cobbled climb early on in Stage 5.

In a world of hurt. Top of the cobbles Stage 5.

I suffered...
The racing started on Wednesday with a 155 km on rolling roads with two significant climbs per lap. From the beginning I was at the front and got on race radio in the first lap in a small break, but the speed was super high and nothing got away in the early stages of the race. Midway through, on the rolling section before the biggest climb a significant split happened, putting about 40 riders up the road. Fortunately the team I was riding for, Josan-Mercedes, had three guys up in the front so our day was looking good. Despite missing the major split, I managed to bridge to a group with 2 small laps to go and we eventually put several minutes in to the peleton, but never managed to bridge to the break which by now was in three pieces. I the end I finished in the 60's and our team was 10th on team GC with close to 200 riders and 30 teams I was satisfied with day one.
The second stage was another road race. With 7 laps of a 22 km course it was a long day and the howling wind and 80% narrow winding field roads made it an incredibly hard day in the gutter. I was on the rivet constantly, giving 100% effort just to stay in the wheel of the rider in front riding single file in the gutter. Riders who couldn't follow would pull out leaving gaps which resulted in surges, its hard enough going 100% let alone having to go 120% every couple of minutes to close the gaps. After 4 laps I was still surviving and just focusing on staying upright, out of the wind and finishing...and then I flatted. I got a really fast change from the team car and after 15 minutes of sucking exhaust in the cars I was back safe and sound in the bunch. In the end I finished around the same place as the day before. Our team had a rough day, but one of our riders got in the break putting him firmly in the top 25 on GC. For a first year espoir he was doing an incredible job.
Friday saw an 11 km time trial in head and cross winds. With no ITT equipment I was in the minority and I feared that my top 65 GC placing was about to vanish. I managed to ride the course in 16'28, over two minutes behind the winner from Davitamon-Lotto who road the course with only one gear, a 54-11, it was ridiculous, super talented rider.
Then came Saturday and the Affligem-Asse stage. One paper this was the hardest stage with 3 climbs per lap and 6 laps to cover. My legs were absolute junk and I couldn't stand up to pedal and crest the climbs without my legs screaming and stiffening up. I was forced to sit and spin up everything, which worked for a few hours. At the end of lap 4 the bunched surged hard over the last climb and I flew backwards in the bunch as I had to remain seated in a low gear. Over the top and into the false flat everyone was in the gutter and I cracked. I road another lap in a small group and then got pulled and given a predicted time. It was the beginning of the end of my Ronde.
Yesterday was another hard day with cold temperatures, plenty of wind, lots of corners and again three climbs per lap over 6 laps for just over 160km in my "home" town of Liedekerke. All the climbs came in succession making it a crucial section. But before the climbs was a pile of corners to make things interesting and make finding a good position that much more of a challenge. I survived a few laps and then on the long cobbled climb I was completely finished. My legs were completely seized and at the top of the climb when the pace accelerated hard into a flat section I couldn't hold on any longer. I also managed to develop an nasty cough and tight lungs in the two hours I lasted, it was rough.
All in all the race was a good experience and a great chance to ride with a bigger team. I am disappointed in my performance and would have liked to have been actually able to race the last two days. Apparently my bad legs are due to a bad massage I had on Thursday and Friday evening. The person giving the massage, despite me clearly stating I was not used to getting massaged, gave a really deep massage. This is not good for the legs I was told afterwards, even though it felt like my legs were loosening up nicely at the time. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Now I get to race with the really big guns in Aalst this evening. Look for an exciting report soon!

Aalst Crit Update

Het Nieuwsblad announced that two more high profile riders will be lining up in the Aalst criterium on Monday. Christophe Moreau (French National Champion and recent Dauphine Libere winner) and Cedric Vasseur (Stage winner Tour de France 2007).
A full list of riders will be published in the next week as contracts are finalized, but you can be sure I will represent well. I plan to take this opportunity to promote "Dopers Suck" and rock my armband in the name of drug free sport. With company like DiLuca who is currently surrounded in a thick cloud of controversy and EPO Moreau I should get some reaction.
For the next week I will be busy racing at the Ronde Van Vlaams Brabant and may not have regular internet access. I am staying with the team at "the villa" so be patient and look forward to lots of Aalst crit picks and an insider report on a post tour crit experience next week. I have a feeling you may be somewhat surprised...

Racing Roundup

The week is over and after 4 races it has been a long one, but it should have been longer...
Thursday I went to the Ninove pro race to see what I could do with the big boys. With this race also serving as the pro provincial championships the big guns were out and blazing. The usual suspects of Chocolade-Jacques, Jartazi, Quickstep, Unibet.com and Predictor-Lotto were there Landbouwcredit and to add some international flair Skil-Shimano (Netherlands), Weisenhof-Felt (Germany), Murphy-Gunn (Ireland), Francais Des Jeux and Agritubel (France) rounded out the field. The course in Ninove is renowned for being incredibly fast and dangerous. Last year Mathew Gilmore effectively put and end to his career after running into a pole ripping through the technical section in town. With a couple of rollers, one climb and lots of corners in the city center per lap the race is hot from the gun and with 170 km of it the winner in Ninove is the ultimate combination of smarts and strongman. All was well for me in the first 50 km. I was on the rivet constantly through the chicanes and on the long cross wind section, but the climb was good and I felt that if I could survive the first 2 hours I just might be able to bring this one home. After about 65 km a break went clear and some of the teams were not having it so they started turning the screws and the field began to splinter. Gaps were flying open everywhere in the wind and through the turns and I was getting flashbacks from Puivelde and Gullegem. And then after 75km I was in the cars fighting like a madman to get back in, only to get back in have another gap open a few riders up, watch 25 guys fly past 10km/hr faster than me, fight to jump in a wheel, lose that wheel and be back in the cars. I was in the cars three times before I finally had to call it quits. I definitely noticed the difference in speed racing with the pros. I race elite races 3 times a week and they average 45 km/hr and I suffer like crazy, but with the pros here you are not just riding with 3 of 4 strong teams, but with 10 teams who all want the win. No one can control anything and thus the racing is relentless and the speed never slows. From km 0 to km 170 its full gas. Its a harsh reality.
After my misadventure with the big boys I went back to my own league and raced with the elites yesterday in Merchtem. The course was a relatively short closed loop with fast corners and good pavement. Only about 60 riders started and at least 10 of them must have been Irish with their national team here for the Ronde Van Vlaams Brabant next week and Murphy-Gunn. I started really well getting in the break immediately, but that didn't last long as we were caught after one lap and the counters started. After 5 laps everything came back together aside from 6 riders with a big gap and I sensed that the peleton was in the hurtbox with the break having worked hard and the chase being so intense so I lauched up the right side and opened a solid gap. To make a long story short that attack resulted in a group of about 12 going clear, which became 20 with some additions and once we caught the front group. Unfortunately with about 6 laps to go our group started playing games and we were caught by what was left of the peleton. I must have been in 75% of the moves that tried to go and despite going clear several times we never succeeded. In the end small groups up the road saw about 12 riders clear. In the final 1500m I went clear trying to bridge to two riders just off the front. I ended up in no mans land and knowing that I have no sprint I went for it, but that would have been too good to be true and i was caught with the bunch in full sprint with 150 m to go and ended in 36th...
Then we all went to Gent and witnessed the entire center packed with tens of thousands of people for Gentsefeesten, enjoyed some bevys and brought back the good times. Perhaps I will elaborate on that phenomenon later. It is a true wonder and makes Stampede look like a tea party for 8 year olds...
Today I received 100% confirmation for Vlaams Brabant so on Wednesday I start a 5 day stage race and then on Monday I do one of the biggest post Tour crits in Europe with DiLuca and friends. Over 700km in 6 days. Life is Beautiful.

Strom to Aalst Criterium!!!

Yesterday I received word from team management on a couple of really exciting developments. First off I will be racing the post Tour criterium in Aalst on July 30th. At the press conference yesterday they confirmed Giro winner Danilo Di Luca, Belgian champ Stijn Devolder and many other top pros as participants. The post tour crit is a 100km highly exclusive affair attracting tens of thousands of spectators to the medieval city of Aalst. I watched the race two years ago and the atmosphere was unbelievable. The event is by invitation only and as with all post Tour crits organizers shell out considerable sums to secure big names. I managed to get a spot through some brilliant work by team owner Tino and his father Willy. I even get 100Euros just to start! This could perhaps be the biggest day of my cycling career and if you are in the area make sure you show up. I will bring you more news on further developments as they come in, but in the mean time check out the offical Aalst Criterium Website for details.
Additionally I have also been confirmed as added to the roster of the Josan-Mercedes team for the upcoming Ronde Van Vlaams Brabant. This 5 day stage race through Flanders attracts top continental and elite teams and since our team is quite small I was fortunate to get a spot on one of the areas bigger elite teams. For more info check out the Ronde Van Vlaams Brabant website.

Racing Roundup

Well if you are following my schedule you know that I had a couple of races this past weekend.
On Sunday the race was in the village of Borsbeke on a tough circuit with a climb, lots of super fast field roads and a technical 7 corner final km finish with some cobbles. I felt somewhat off from the start and despite doing my best to get in the winning move I missed it as a strong counter went from a group I had found myself in. The heat was also a factor with temperatures in the 30's on the climb which was a shock to the system after a week of 16-20 degrees during training. Eventually my teammate Bart attacked and we formed a strong second break that quickly began to close in on the break. By the final laps however the break proved too strong and we ended up well outside bridging range. Going into the final lap Bart attacked hard out of the technical section and established a small gap over what was left of our second group. I worked hard to break up the pursuit and get in the counterattacks ensuring that Bart was able to stay away and claim 14th. With the efforts of the final lap and not being willing enough to take considerable risks in the final corners I ended up 23rd. That seems to be my number with at least 3 23rd place finishes in the past 3 weeks...
On Monday the race was in Strijpen close to Zottegem. I raced this course two years ago and remembered it as one of the most challenging courses on the calender. The course includes a significant climb, countless narrow corners, two cobbled sections and plenty of rough roads per lap. I found myself again in good position early on, but I lost both my bottles on the first lap over the cobbles and from there knew it could be a rough day. I got in the early break of 8, but we were caught about half a lap later and then as the counters were flying I broke my wheel on the 3rd lap over the cobbles. I have had lots of trouble with my Fulcrums, but have been able to finish races on them even when they go to pieces. Monday it was different though as one of the spokes was completely out and thwacking my frame and my tire was rubbing the frame as well. In a kermesse there is no hope of getting back in after a mechanical and I had to call it a day.
Today I race with the pros in Ninove. 170km of Jacques pain train.

Royksopp

It has been far too long since my last installment of "Tune of the Week", but I have been searching high and low to find something shocking, something so incredibly good that I may never be able to top it. I believe I have finally succeeded. I frequently tune in to DJ Friendly on the NRK broadband network. His selections are based on a laid back electronica philosophy, but they remain considerably varied. Being on the Norwegian national network a good 50% of the music played has Scandinavian origins with an obvious weighting on showcasing local talent. It is on this program that I first heard the music I am about to share with you.
Bergen, which I just had the great pleasure of visiting a couple of weeks back, is a hotbed for culture and music. Aside from being the birthplace of the likes of Grieg and Ole Bull it also widely known for its black metal and electronic scene. In the mid to late 1990's a great number of underground electronic acts matured in this coastal paradise and managed to achieve success both at home and abroad, the phenomenon was coined the "Bergen Wave". One of the most notable artists to emerge was Royksopp, a duo comprised of Torbjorn Brundtland and Svein Berge. Royksopp directly translated is "Smoke mushroom", although it is tempting to connect this name to hallucinogens it has nothing to do with that at all. A royksopp is a mushroom commonly found in Scandinavia that, when trampled on, emits a cloud of seedlings which resemble a puff of smoke. Far from being a quick puff of smoke, Royksopp has made a lasting impression on electronic music. I actually first discovered them some time ago without knowing it as a component of live sets by Oakenfold and Bonobo which I had acquired and didn't have the track listings for. Some of you may recognize the first track "Eple" if you have purchased an Apple computer recently. This cut has been licensed by Apple to be used as the official song welcoming you to the Apple experience on your initial boot. The song has also been used as the intro track for the BBC's Click television program.
I love the Royksopp sound, but what makes this artist so incredible and unique is their ability to amplify their sound by producing perfectly complimenting music videos. Unlike far too many artists who's videos do nothing for the overall musical experience, Royksopp is a stronger experience with the video than without.
In this first video for "Eple", which is "apple", look for everything typical of life in Norway. You will see Easter skiing in the mountains, camping (Scandinavian flags in foreground), Fornebu airport, a Norwegian Christmas tree, lettmelk and O'Boy, skjaergaard, tur til syden - Spania, furuskog, boat life, newspaper reading, Oslo cityscape, a traditional bunad, the zoo in Kristiansand and of course fjords.
Eple

Remind Me
This video for "Remind Me" is absolute genius. Remember going to school in the 90's?

Only This Moment

So many incredible videos and songs. The last one I would like to share is one you must have heard as some point, but did you know it was about a bear?
Poor Leno

I hope you have enjoyed your Royksopp experience and that some of you have discovered a new sound.
Be sure to visit Royksopp on the web at www.royksopp.com

Vive le Velo

These last few days have been somewhat irregular from what you might expect of a rider based in Belgium...I did a training block. This week was race poor with time trial provincial championships and top competitions occupying that majority of the calender. After my solid race on Sunday and a day off to check out the tour on Monday I embarked on a three day training block to spike the form for some big races to come in the next few weeks. Tuesday I started things off with a 3 hour blast in the Pajot, taking in some of the best the immediate area has to offer. Then on Wednesday I turned to Wallonia for my riding pleasure and discovered some incredible roads in the Edingen area. At one point I turned off the main road and up a narrow climb into a thick forest only to find myself in a seemingly endless grid of well groomed mansions along perfectly paved roads in what started to give me the sensation of an enchanted forest. It was straight out of a Cannondale television add, far to perfect to be real. After 4 hours of exploration I stopped by the Sportzone for an espresso and to witness Thor take his stage.
Yesterday I awoke to the prospect of 5 hours and began to formulate a plan to set an idea into motion. I had been looking at my map and had deducted that France was within reasonable pedaling distance from my home base. With a route planned to Ninove-Brakel-Ronse-Tournai and finally the French border I set out into a brisk headwind and gloomy conditions threatening rain. Within 2.5 hours I hit the French border and began to enjoy my first experience of France. Northern France with rain and wind, my experience was all too authentic. I saw a sign to Roubaix after I had passed through a few towns on the French side, only ten kilometers, but by then the ride time was reaching 3:45 and I had to head home. I will get to Roubaix and the velodrome before the summer is over. After precisely 5.5 hours I was back at the Sportzone to watch the last 30km of the Tour stage Belgium would sooner forget. 31.5 km/hr average speed over rolling roads with plenty of wind was confirmation of the incredible form I am starting to feel right now. Now to put that form onto paper with some results in the following races to come:
15/7 - Borsbeke 1.12B Elite z/c
16/7 - Strijpen 1.12B Elite z/c
19/7 - Ninove Elite m/c & z/c (pro kermesse)
21/7 - Merchtem 1.12B Elite z/c
25/7 - Kerksten 1.12B Elite z/c
27/7 - Dilbeek 1.12B Elite z/c
29/7 - Pollare 1.12A Elite z/c
30/7 - Itterbeek 1.12 Elite z/c
If we get the chance in there somewhere we are going to do a 200+km ride to the coast and back to eat Mussels.
To keep the suspense level high at p.productions this last week of my calender could be turned completely upside down and sideways by an exciting development, but that prospect hasn't officially landed yet so stay tuned...

Back in Action

The big man is back and Norway can celebrate yet again. For a while I thought he was back eating too many kjottkaker in the back of his parent's caravan. Now if only CSC would ditch that pesky yellow jersey and let Arvesen put his energy into something other than controlling the peleton at 35 km/hr....

Ronde van Frankrijk

Countless cafes in the city center were decorated much the same as this one.

Yesterday I had thought I might be doing day two in Ramsdonk, but instead I made a rash decision and boarded the train to Gent to witness history in the making. After 40 minutes of watching Flanders rocket past me as I rode the iron rails I tried to slow everything down and enjoy the experience upon arriving in Gent, but as it turned out Gent was a city overcome with a fanatical buzz unlike anything I have ever experience before. From the moment I stepped out of the station it was apparent that the worlds greatest rolling circus was about to arrive. I simply followed the masses, several kilometers, to the finishing straight of this the second road stage of the 2007 Tour de France. It seemed as if the entire center of the city had been shut down as people on foot claimed the street as their own.

Already and hour and a half before the earliest predicted arrival time the finishing straight was completely packed and as you can see the energy and anticipation of the riders arrival was well on its way to reaching a climax. I began to seek out a prime location to view the finish, but quickly discovered that with already tens of thousands of people cramming the narrow straight it could be an impossible task. I made my way to the far side of the road and settled in to a spot that got me a faint few of the road with 50m to go and a unhindered view of one of the many screens broadcasting the race as it unfolded on route to the heart of Flanders.But then the VIPs arrived and I could see nothing...

As the race approached I relied on regular updates from a guy sitting on his window sill above us who had the race going on his television. With every update the excitement escalated. News of the pileup a few kilometers out reached us and sent waves of speculation as to the safety of Boonen and the blue train through the crowd. I began to understand that today was Boonen's day, the day he was to win on home soil and pull the green jersey over his shoulders before the race officially entered France.

You got to do what you got to do...

With no sight lines to the course or television and with people pressed up against me on all sides preventing any mobility I soaked in the atmosphere that can only be created by the population of a nation so incredibly in love with the bicycle and all it brings. To my right the deafening roar of crazed fans filled the hot late afternoon air. And as the roar grew closer and louder and then eventually passed I managed to make out a blue helmet streaking passed and a fist pumping the air. Then the news spread like wildfire...Steegmans! Steegmans had overpowered his leader in the final meters and taken this historic stage to the center of the cycling universe. Belgium one two in Gent and Boonen takes green, the party began!
After the finish I wandered to a square to view the podium presentation on the big screen and witnessed the embrace between Steegmans and Boonen. The embrace was one thing, but the crowds reaction was equally as special, it was a moment that connected an entire nation in their love of sport.

After the race I set out to explore the center of this ancient city stumbled upon the Quickstep and Bouygues Telecom team areas outside their hotel. At Quickstep the mechanics were busy building Boonens new bike to celebrate his green jersey leading position. I even saw the green shorts being brought out and whisked into the the hotel for the man himself.
I still managed to wander the streets and see the architectural wonders that Gent has to offer before I had to call it a day and again return to the station and my home base of Liedekerke.
Two of three Grand Tours down, only the Vuelta to go.

Tour Exclusive - Per's Cyclingnews

The city of Gent in the heart of Flanders hosts the Tour de France for the third time in history

Tornado Tom. When you own a Lambo only this can be better...

Perhaps the first pictures of Boonen's new bike for tomorrow's stage celebrating his return to green.

I have somehow managed to find a wireless signal in my room, but I need to get to bed so please enjoy the pictures and brief captions and look forward to more pics and the complete story when the sun once again rises to greet cycling mad Flanders.Steegmans beats Boonen, emotions are high. Crowds

Ramsdonk

The story of my life...yesterday's race.
Missed the first break, got in the second one, broke my rear derailleur cable with 30km to go, broke my wheel with 25km to go, crossed the line 23rd in my 52-12 with my wheel tick-tacking away rubbing my brakes and frame.
Better luck next time. Collected my 10 Euros prize money, rode to Opwijk for a birthday party, ate lots of expensive cheese, drank a Chimay and called it a day.

Norsk Grot Fest

Norsk-Belge Fusion

On Thursday I opened the diners club season officially with a Norwegian “Grot Fest” at the pad on Papenbergstraat. I imported some rommegrot, risengryns grot, flatbread and sausage from Norway on my last trip to bring the Norse kitchen to my friends here in Belgium. On the menu was the previously mentioned dishes which are in rough translation sour cream porridge and rice porridge. These two types of porridge are commonly served during winter holidays, especially at Christmas as well as on the occasional Saturday or other mass gathering. Although simple these two dishes reflect Norwegian culture and history in their preparation and composition. With simple ingredients we are reminded of a time when Norway was not as wealthy as it is today and a time when fresh ingredients were scarce during long dark winters. In modern times the preparation of these dishes also has a practical application. It is relatively easy to make large quantities of porridge which is why it is so popular when a great number of guests are expected. Another interesting note that is applicable to the rice porridge is that it can be left to cook without supervision for long periods of time. At home it is common for us to cook up the porridge and then place it in a blanket in the oven to simmer for several hours. In the meantime the family goes for a hike or Saturday outing and returns to a satisfying, warm meal.

Both of these porridge variations are served with cinnamon and white sugar sprinkled on top as well as a small dollop of butter placed to melt in the center of the bowl. Once the porridge is devoured flat break, sausage and boiled potatoes are brought to the table and enjoyed as a salty counter taste to the sweetened porridge dishes. Normally this meal is enjoyed with a few glasses of a berry or mixed red fruit juice, but being in Belgium my guests would not settle for less than a refreshing glass of Jupiler.

For the flatbread post porridge

Wide World of Sports

Wimbledon, the British Grand Prix and the start of the Tour de France. It's a big weekend in the wide world of sports for the UK and the world. It should also prove to be a good weekend for sport participation as I attempt to redeem myself in Ramsdonk on Sunday after Monday's disastrous racing attempt. I am now 95% over my cold/flu and feeling ready to compete again. After spending the beginning of the week on the spinning bike at the Sportzone and taking in a spin class due to the terrible weather, the last couple of days I have done some very solid training sessions and I am happy to report that I feel alive again. I could also be racing in Ramsdonk again on Monday, but that depends on whether or not we decide to brave the masses and check out the arrival of the Tour in Gent that same day. If I get to see the Tour then that is 2 of 3 Grand Tour views completed, and with the third and final event to see being in Spain it should be fairly easy to find an excuse to be in that part of the world one September in the future.
Tino and Co. are away for the weekend racing mtb's in the Ardennes somewhere. A bunch of the riders on the VWF team got set up with mtb's from Granville and have discovered the wonders of racing in the dirt as of late. There has been a great deal of talk of mtb marathon events which has got me thinking about that potentially being something that I would like to try in the future and with the prospect of relocating to one of the best places in the world for this type of event it could very well be in the cards for the coming years.

The Scoop

Alright, first thing is first. The race I did before I left for Norway went well. I spent about 100 km in three different breaks and finally found myself in the winning move of 24 riders. Being in breaks all day is hard, I cant sprint, I finished 23rd... I also rode 30 km to the race in the rain, and then home again in worse rain. Life is beautiful.
After that epic day of wind and wet I took of for a little breather in Bergen, Norway. It was incredible flying into Oslo and Bergen. To hear the language again, to breathe the air, the people, the food, it was an incredibly overwhelming feeling of coming home. I belong in Norway and staying those days in Bergen helped me decide in which city. I am done university in December and plan to leave the nest once and for all which leaves a door wide open to take up residence in paradise. You saw the pictures...
The only negative thing I picked up in Scandinavia was a nasty cold/flu. It hampered my trip somewhat, but the most drastic effect is on my moral. I tried to race on Monday after taking it easy a couple of days, but with a small field, rain, wind and narrow roads I had nothing. Compared to the week before it felt like my form was cut in half. It was a bit of a downer; especially after the whole antibiotic form sucking episode. With only about 7 weeks of racing to go I need some good results to strengthen the resume for next season, but the going for the moment is tough.
The weekend I have a couple of solid days of racing planned and the weather is supposed to be dry so hopefully I can find my good legs and install them before then. The nationals at home are happening in the next week and on that note I would like to wish those competing all the best.