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any large jackets and medium bibshorts?Originally Posted by e-RICHIE
yes, I'm a poseur
thanks for the Dugan files. Good to see a fellow cat(amount) takin it to the streets
any large jackets and medium bibshorts?
yes, I'm a poseur
thanks for the Dugan files. Good to see a fellow cat(amount) takin it to the streets
thanks for posting that pic.
it reminds me will has missed a couple of payments on his shoe lease.
Ronnie:
It's a skinsuit, always straight. Like wearing cloraframs.
I love this thread. Go, Will, go
a one bike believer
loenhout gva and rest day update from 1 jan 09
good afternoon/good morning everyone. I?ve been sitting around neglecting my entries and i made a point to pay extra attention to it today. i first would like to make sure that everyone understands that on rest days there is a song of the day (SOD). i will now have to update you on a few songs of the day. the update extends to when i first came up with the song of the day idea for rest days which was the day before the loenhout gva, a spectacular race. ok, so the day before the loenhout, the SOD was jewel's "you were meant for me." it's a very restful song, and i had a great day listening to her soothing voice. jewel. adorable. moving now. the race!
i've been putting off writing because it is hard to stick myself in a room for a while, but here i am resting again (if you're wondering about the SOD for today, it's "everybody wants to rule the world" by tears for fears). i went for a snappy 55 minute ride this morning after breakfast before massage. it's -1C today. oh, nick is snoring above me again. this is typical for this week apparently. there were a few nights where a wink was hard to come by. the Baal race will be on in 5 minutes and i will have to turn on the ol' tele and watch as the U23's are mixed with the elites. also, Baal is sven's home town. i think niels lives a few doors down. the venue is across from his driveway. he's won 6 times since the race was first presented in 2000. encroyable!. he's quite the machine. this stybar character has been outdoing him, though, recently. anyway... the race!
it's easy to get off topic with these. i want to just tell you everything, like that we only use straight blocks to train here because there ain't no hills. the race!
there were 107 starters in the loenhout gva (Gazet van Antwerpen). a hefty U23 field! how many espoirs (beloften) do i get to race against in the verge series? maybe 3-5 mixed in with the elites. it's pretty exciting also, a side note. the spectators don't really cheer a whole lot. they just watch. it's a social gathering for them, and then the riders come by. people make a point to come out to these races to see their friends, much less than to heckle riders. i should change what i said a bit...there's yelling when names like, nice, boom, wellens, stybar, thijs all, and erwin roll by, but less for the rest. so you've got these people watching for the social effect, and then you've got the supporters, and then you've got bike riders or racers that are in the area that come to watch as well. it cost me 8 euros to race in loenhout. when we returned our numbers with the electronic chip taped to the back, we got 5 back. that's 3 euros. question: how many euros does it cost to race a usgp. well, i'll tell you. it costs 45 dollars or so, sometimes 50 to register, then there's the fee of 2 for online registration. 32 euros is 44.8 USD. so, in the US, it costs 10.7 times as much to participate in a race as it does in europe. and also, the races here are all within 3 hrs. and they're all huge, and have tons of spectators to make you drill your brains out. new question: how much does it cost for spectators to get into a race venue because you all know that you have to pay to see fantastic athletes give it their all, correct? maybe 10-12 euros. holy moly! people pay 15 bucks to watch me, the juniors and the elites race!? correct. that's the difference. there are a few more ins and outs that give reason for these things, but those are the basic facts. i also wanted to include that for race promoters to read and understand a bit. in europe, people come to the races, because the races are the event. how can we get that to happen? first, we should bring the event to the people. we could hold races in conjunction with other events where people already exist. coordination. and build from there. oh yeah, the race.
i've got to point out that the courses here are sweet. every race i've done (3) i say, this is the coolest course i've ever ridden. there were woopdy do's at loenhout before the finish. it was icy in some of the turns. quite a few crashes on the two slick grassy turns by the pit before the runup. there were a lot of turns. 2 ride-overs! so it was a little bit technical, but it was dry. i started near the back again, but not too far away. there were crashes behind and ahead, but not on the pavement, only in the turns, which made it hard to stay with the front group. the separation happened quickly, but the front group was large. maybe 20 guys or so. the course was flat and narrow. hard to pass people. noel told me that i was 10-15 seconds off the front group for the first 3 or 4 laps, and then i started to crack. it was an 8 lap race. i started to blow after 3 and tried to keep it going by myself for the rest of the race with 5 to go. i was solo. after 1 lap, there was a group closing in. i wanted to stay away, but i knew i couldn't i kept going, though, hoping i'd keep them at bay. i rode with a german on a stevens who must've been 6'4" or something tall. very powerful. i tried to work with him, but i was used and abused and learned my lesson well. i thought i might have learned in the first race, but, as bjarn riis said in that csc movie, "if you don't screw a screw too tight 10 times, you'll never know how tight you can screw." lesson of the day. europeans only want to screw you over in races.
ok so now i was angry, but sat in with the group that caught up. the german was away, but that was alright. i'd sit in the top 5 of the group. this was tough for me because when i'm in a group in cross, it's easy for me to hang on and get blown by the end, so it's something i need to work on. this was a good opportunity. i knew we were still racing. with 2 to go i was in the group and still alive. there was walsleben kid (his older brother is really good, i found out afterwards) who was a pretty snappy attacker and made a couple of good moves, but never got away entirely. someone took a pull at the start of the pavement, and i attacked. all the way on the left side. i went hard. all the way hard. a good one. i didn't care if i got dropped or not. this was my chance to see if i could pick off a few ahead and see if i could leave that group behind. i looked back and i had a 5 second gap. sweet!
i got to the woops still with about 5 seconds and took it as quickly as possible. those things are tough! very scary the first time over them, let me tell you. i almost lost it a few times in the race because if you're out of control, you end up diving into the next hump. i watched a sunweb guy eat it in the elite race afterwards. didn't look fun. [side note: if stybar wins over sven for the 3rd time this week, and on sven's training course, i'll be pissed]. so you have to pump down the humps for speed, and absorb so you don't crash. pump-absorb-pump-absorb. maybe 12 times or something. i even passed that littler walsleben once. but this time i was ahead. i got on the pavement and just wasn't going to catch a dangler in front of me. i looked behind and there was that german, spinning up! i tried to kick but it was too late and he crossed the line a half a wheel in front of me. damn. i know i could have gone have beaten him. 37th was good. 36th would have been the best. i was psyched during the race. i was doing it. that was my best race yet. and then that happened, and i won't forget about it soon. it was frustrating, but not as frustrating as the time the no-name kid with the hemp necklace attacked at 60k/hr in the tour de quebec to drop me out of the chase group. i ruminated on that for months. i still am! ask jake hollenbach, he was there. we still don't know what happened. you know what it would have been like? it would have been as if mini me kicked the crap out of austin powers in reality - quite an unexpected event.
anyway. i can live with it for now, but i know what to do in the future. it's a little better to race in the group than to drill it solo and blow completely, and the race isn't over until it's over- sprint to that line!
i enjoy reading the messages here, please don't stop. i'm also glad to announce that the day before loenhout, my pit bike arrived in the mail as well as the wheels for it that were lost from the flight over here. they had them for 9 days or something. a lot of guys have been racing on file treads or standard grifos. i've been on the fango mud tire, which i actually have nothing to complain about, but i wonder if the grifo would have been a little faster. 2 more races to go. one tomorrow, and one on the 4th.
and, to complete the update, yesterday's SOD was "ageispolis" by aphex twin, to which i took a nice nap.
well, i've got to get ready to ride the rollers for a little while before dinner. i'm glad that nys won Baal. also, happy new year everyone, happy birthday dad.
willy is a hoot.
very good racer.
watch the progress.
these races are brutal for the record.
the top 100 aspiring u-23 cross riders in the world trying to make the front group.
damn its hard.
its a boxing match out there, or a hockey game. best analogy i can come up with.
great race for will.
The updates are essential reading...... very appreciated.
Bon Chance for the new year
Another great report I enjoyed reading. Happy New Year to you too. :)
-Jeff
Will, that's lame but it's all I got this late. Thanks for the posts, gives a good visualization of what it might be like to race in Europe. Motivates me for my little 'winter cup' that starts here tomorrow. Continue to enjoy the 'tropical' climate there cause it's all of 1 degree in Burlington tonight.
Will must've attended Peddie, atmo.
Fit is directly proportional to fitness.
Will,
Thanks for the great updates! Keep 'em coming. Congrats on your race, sounds like you learned a lot and that is always good.
If you ever find yourself in Colorado, I'd be honored to buy you a berverage of your choice :thumbs_up:
love this stuff
this should be compiled into a book later on
from 4 january 2008 -
hey everyone.
it was a great race today! the legs were pretty good. not perfect. i ran around a little bit yesterday afternoon, but they felt ok. it was relatively dry with slick corners in the grass. a little ice, a little bit of thin slick mud. i rode a fango in the front for traction and a grifo rear. off the start it was slow. i got off balance and screwed up when someone bumped me, which actually put me about 2nd to last off the line even though i was 3rd row (we were mixed with the elites today). bart was there. he was too fast. there were a bunch of good guys. well anyway, after that, people were crashing all over the place and i weaved my way through and fought hard, breaking the top 35. 34th today. 16th U23. summerhill (we call him summerschool) was 21st, 8th U23 and he didn't get caught in all that crap. i had a great race. i even beat some rabobank guy, which was awesome. i found that balance between delusion and control during the race so that i wouldn't go so hard that i would crash, but that i was on the rivet the whole way. it was a good way to finish up the camp. how is everyone?
will
if i had a son - want him to be like you!
ronnie :)
great stuff will! especially like your observations about the people. that reminds me of time i've spent in antwerp & brussels for work.
keep'em coming...
I've got daughters. Stay the eff away from them.
VSalon Podium Boy
How is everyone?!
this is why this kid will go far!
To answer your question...i am doing great living vicariously through you and my homeboy Chris Wallace (little boy). You guys make us proud!
My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard
hell, i'm old enough to be their gramps!!!!
ronnie :)
from 6, January 2009
So, I've made it to Nice. It is late now and I have a few things to say about it. 1) It's incredibly beautiful, even when it's snowing. 2) It snowed today in the hills. 3) I was stunned at what I was looking at every time I turned my head- the flora, the architecture, the people, the driving, the roads, the weather...
I rode for 4 hrs. I started out on the coast to Monaco where I found the steepest road I think I've ever found save that old man's driveway in Great Barrington near Joe's house on Rt. 23 that I think might compete. I managed to ride up this beast of a hill in my 42-23 maxing my HR, and entire body at about 40rpms. Then, I thought after 1hr and 15 mins, it would be a good time to navigate my way home. Well, as I climbed to the top of the ridge (I didn't want to lose any altitude I had already gained...) I got about half way and found myself on a road to Nice. On that climb, a rider in a Cofidis kit zipped on by. Now, in Belgium, I was quite used to the recreational rider in full Quick-Step uniforms (posers), and I made sure to check out the bike before dropping my jaw. Lo and behold, a Time VXR Ulteam. Hot bananas. I flipped it. He looked back at me as I turned and waited up. I introduced myself and asked his name. "Tristan Valentin," he said. He's a big guy. Been pro since 2003, crashed last year in Paris-Roubaix where he hurt his knee (I think we were talking about his miniscus) as well as breaking his arm at the elbow. He's a very nice guy and we had a great ride. I continued with him even though it was raining a little bit at less than 48F (8C). I didn't put on any booties today. After all, I was used to 28F weather, and 50F is heaven to me now. He said he would go for a few hrs more and I asked if I could tag along. He said that he was out of shape and had been off the bike for 8mos and that this was his 2nd week on. I told him that it would be alright and that I could help get him back into shape, without a problem. We discussed cyclocross, the worlds, Nice, his team deal, Tom Boonen who he rode with 2 days ago...the usual. He's "best mates" with Tyler Ferrar, in case you were wondering. I haven't met that cat yet unfortunately so that was the end of that string of conversation. Anyhow, I was riding with a protour rider, probably my first time ever. We went back through Monaco. He said he would take me to Italy, do a little climb, and then go towards nice, but do a climb to Col D'eze where I think Paris-Nice goes, he said. Well, it began to snow higher-up and my feet were frozen, but I couldn't complain. It was a 5+K descent into Nice and I was almost positive about frost bite, but I survived somehow. Riding with someone like that when you're frozen is basically like going into the cold outdoors when you're inebriated (which I know nothing about); You might know you're cold but there is a mysterious something distracting you from that natural feeling of the pain of dying cells. We shook hands and wished each-other luck. Unfortantely, when I told him I was bored and didn't know anyone around here after he asked if I was alone, he said that he had to go to a team presentation in Paris, and then a week-long training camp and that he was probably too out of shape to train with all of them and that it would be bad for his mentality to do it and I understood all of the pressure he is under of course because I'm a protour rider...but anyhow I assured him that he knows his body best and to be confident that in time he would be back in shape for Roubaix again and he then said that he wouldn't be race-ready until 2010. Imagine. It takes 1.5 years to get in shape? I'm on the 10 year plan. Wait until...what will it be now?...2013, then everyone will be screwed.
This was a great ride. I don't own a camera, and I intend on getting one tomorrow to show you of this fine place. It's an adventure here. I also, after one 24hr period must encourage everyone I know to go to the south of France. It's very nice. A warm baguette is .80Euro cents. My french is doing well. Thank you Madame for teaching me so well. What else is there? Oh yes. at one point during the ride, he waved to some riders and I did the same as they passed in the opposite direction. "Who was that?" "Pozzato and some friends" he replied quite nonchalantly. Well I'll be damned. Freaking FILIPPO POZZATO? Just another day on the Cote d'Azur, I guess.
It will snow tomorrow. It will be 58 and sunny the next day, my last full day here. I hope to be in shorts and a short sleeve jersey so that I can show up at the old apartment with a nice burn to brag about. Oh, and the water is actually blue. I was wondering about it for a while. Very exquisite, all of it is.
So now, worlds is coming up. I'm feeling a little better after racing in Belgium. It's tough there and I'm faster than I was. It will be good to relax and get in some long rides in a new place. I've been lacking in the endurance rides lately (4+hrs). The 3hr rides are pretty scarce themselves. It's an interesting thing to think about. When will I be doing base? I'll have to take a break for a little after the 1st of February when I return from Hoogerheide. The collegiate season begins March 7. It's always tantalizing, the collegiate racing scene. It's a blast, really. I encourage all of those young bicyclists that are eager to go pro before they graduate 12th grade to race Collegiate and learn the life skills of organization and build a functional social personality. I haven't even mastered it yet, but I have 1 more to do it. Good night all, it's 12AM at L'Hotel Pastoral, and I've got to get some rest.
I hope everyone is staying warm and eating well and treating their significant others with respect and kind warmth. It's hard to be away from the ones you like most for so long, even in such a stimulating environment.
Unreal. Like being granted access to the seceret world via the guide, in this case Will.
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