Belgium 2006, entry 8

It's fairly common knowledge that nutrition plays a large role in a cyclist's performance. What I eat and drink several days before a race can have an effect on how I feel during the race. I like, personally, to eat pasta or rice 2-3 nights leading up to race day and on the night before I like to eat a well seasoned kip fillet (chicken breast) or kippenworst (chicken sausage) with my pasta and sauce. And don't worry mom, I always eat my vegetables. On the morning of race day I've come up with the perfect breakfast. Race day breakfast is obviously an important meal but isn't quite as important as what I eat the 2 nights before. Whatever you eat will burn in a 4 hour race. I actually can't take full credit for this discovery because I first saw Robert make this special breakfast: muesli packed pancakes! The number one rule to these pancakes is that you can't use any measuring equipment. They'll turn out a little different every time but will still be some of the heaviest most calorie packed pancakes you'll ever try.

This is the recipe:

1-5 eggs

A good amount of vanilla soy milk

A couple fist fulls of whole wheat flour

Baking soda, whatever you feel like or how ever much you can find

A dash or three of salt

0-5 tablespoons of sugar

Muesli, lots of it (if you can't find bag-o-cheap-Delhaize-muesli just mix oats, rasins, cornflakes, dried banana chips, sunflower seeds, and hazelnuts. Mmm)

Serves 1-8, yes that's right, you never know.

Note: Using a non-stick pan is almost mandatory because of the size and weight of these bad boys. Ideally they should have a 7 inch diameter and a 1 inch width. Top with whatever you have in the fridge: yogurt, jam, fruit, peanut butter, or honey.

These pancakes really did the trick for my last race! This past Sunday I raced Ruisbroek- Puurs, a UCI race close to Antwerp. Ron and I, from the Cycling Center did it with the USA National Team. The race was 160km... 3 big loops and then 8x8km local laps. The course was very flat with hundreds (no joke) of turns. Wind would have played a bigger factor but there weren't enough long crosswind sections to shred up the peloton. Just when the 175 man peloton would be single file on the rivet, there would be a turn. I raced smart and a little conservative in the 3 big loops, only shooting a few bullets to go on the attack with larger moves. I did expend a nice chunk of energy when I crossed a gap to 20 guys all by myself. Although when they saw the stars and stripes they seemed to sit up and of course the peloton caught us a few km later. We were racing without radios so it was difficult to know what was going on unless I was in the first 30 positions. Going into the local laps, I knew there was a break up the rode but wasn't sure how many and what the gap was. Ron and I raced very hard in those final laps. I felt very good in the last hour (pancakes??) so I was trying my hardest to get up the road. With one lap to go I was in a 3 man break (racing for around 25th at that point) but was brought back with 4 or 5km to go. I managed to finish in the middle of the peloton, about 50th for the day. I was happy with my race even though it wasn't a great result. I raced hard and I raced smart, plus I felt amazing towards the end which is a great sign. I was actually having fun suffering over the 500 meter cobbled section in the 8 local laps! The legs are feeling good and my fitness is there so I'm really looking forward to the next races. I know one thing's for sure, I'll be eating muesli pancakes for breakfast on the morning of the race.

Belgium 2006, entry 7

Good training, great weather, a hard race, and a few games of Monopoly have made this week at the Cycling Center quite enjoyable. The race I did this past weekend was Circuit Wallonie, a very difficult race in the hills of southern Belgium. It was not my greatest performance of the year considering the fact that I did not finish and made several 'stupid' mistakes within the race. It sometimes feels like I'm making so little progress from week to week here in Belgium, but I've learned to acknowledge my mistakes and look ahead to improving in the next race. I also know that the month to month and year to year progress is more important than the ups and downs from week to week. It's often frustrating and disheartening to race beneath your potential but staying positive and 'keeping your head on straight' are necessary to survive here in Belgium.

The weather has been very nice for the past couple of weeks, at least during the week. It's funny how the rain and clouds come along with the weekend and the big races. I always laugh when we drive though downpours on the way to a race and think how nice it was during the week. The more I think about it, though, I suppose it's better to train in nice weather and race in the cold and the rain. It just makes the races that much more epic and unique, right? The cold and the rain will permanently scar that race into your memory. 5 years from now, the races I'll remember are the ones where I couldn't feel my feet or the ones where my hands were so cold I couldn't squeeze my water bottle. Oh, how I love the weather in Belgium. As I was saying, the weather has been great during the week so going out for long training rides has been very easy and enjoyable. I've actually gotten some sun on my pasty white arms! The highlight of training this week was definitely on Friday when I won my first Hertsberge town sign sprint. Whenever riding in a group of 3 or more the sprint for Hertsberge really gets competitive. I was riding with Steven and Sean, both of whom have racked up many Hertsberge wins, and attacked 2km from the sign, taking advantage of the draft from a passing car. Steven and Sean caught and passed me, but I continued to ride. They sat up briefly and I attacked them for a second time and rode the final kilometer solo for the win. The sprints and attacks for the Hertsberge sign escalate from ride to ride and my prediction is that there will be attacks for the sign from as far as Tielt (15km) by the end of the season!

My down time at the house this week has been spent playing Monopoly. I recently received a care package from my mom which included plenty of treats, magazines, and games. The game of Monopoly really brings out the tycoon in people and it's a great way to pass some time on a rest day and get to know your teammates. I just hope we all stay friends after all the backstabbing and cut-throat business of the game. I can see it now: 'I'm not taking you to the front of the peloton... you didn't sell me Boardwalk!' Thanks for reading.

pics from '06

post GP Waragem recon ride


the start of Tour of Flanders


Getting a little camera action


some wicked cobbles


CC staff Noel (in red), Geert (in black), Ann (in white), Wouter (light blue)

Belgium 2006, entry 6

U23 Liege- Bastogne- Liege

May 1^st 2006

What an opportunity I had yesterday to take part in yet another U23 World Cup Race! The field quality was certainly high, with teams from around the world present and ready to race this epic course. Teams from Belgium, France, and Holland were obviously there and were joined by Spanish, Swiss, and American squads. The Cycling Center Team was represented by Steven, Arne, Derek, Aaron, Chris W, and me. We arrived in Houffalize on Sunday afternoon and after spinning the car ride out of our legs we checked into our hotel. Bernard and the staff arrived just before dinner and as we loaded carbs into our bodies for the next day's battle, we listened attentively to Bernard's directions. There was no point in sugar coating this race: it was going to be hell and there was going to be suffering. With constantly rolling terrain, about 10 climbs of at least 2km, several open crosswind sections, and rain in the forecast we were in for a tough day in the saddle. Bernard expressed his desires for the race and made it clear how he wanted us to approach the day. Our preparations were good and focus was there. All we needed to do was race hard, race smart, and as Bernard says 'Do the right things, and do those things right.'

On the morning of the race, we gathered for breakfast and some pre-race pasta and laughed as Steven told everyone about my sleep talking and sleep gestures. Apparently I was talking in my sleep, which I am known to do on occasion, and was saying how we needed a higher cadence up La Redoute (a famous climb). I don't remember any of this but Steven said that I shouted the name of everyone on the team and ordered them to have a higher cadence. The funniest part is this: I was moving my arms in a cycling motion during the whole affair! I'm still trying to figure out if it's a good or a bad thing that I'm dreaming and sleep talking about races. Anyway, we drove to the start line a bit later and made all the final preparations. The weather wasn't looking too good so I grabbed my vest and long gloves out of my rain bag just before the start, something I would be grateful for later in the race. As the peloton rolled off the line for the neutral start I remember thinking how awesome it was to be doing this race. I wanted to do my best to make the most of it, I was ready to go.

The peloton wasn't too nervous in the beginning because the big climbs didn't start until kilometer 80. The first 80km, however, were by no means flat and was by no means easy. I tried very hard to race smart and save my energy for the big climbs, but made the mistake of racing a bit too far to the back. I know it sounds easy but position is the key and I am still searching for the balance of racing smart and racing aggressive. I'll probably continue to improve on that balance for years to come. I made it safe and sound to the first climb when things got messy. On climbs of 2-4km, trying to hold the pace of the leaders can sometimes cause you to 'blow up' so instead of jumping from group to group I climbed at my own pace and got into a small group at the top of the climb. We caught back onto the peloton on the decent and I knew that the next climb would be a lot worse. I did my best to move up into a safer position and at the beginning of the second climb I had trouble keeping in contact with the group. I wasn't the only one having trouble, it was more like a shattering of the peloton and from what I heard, by the 4^th climb (La Redoute) the peloton had been broken apart into small groups of less than 20.

I may have forgotten to mention that it was now raining and the cold, wet hell was just beginning. My teammate Aaron and I chased hard for a long time before finally the caravan of team cars passed us and the commissar waved us off. Our race was over but we continued to ride at a decent tempo to stay warm as we waited for the bus to come and pick us up. We rode and rode yet no bus came. We began to worry that we had been left behind and at the top of La Redoute we stopped to ask some police officers what was going on. They didn't help us at all but some racers came up the climb just after us and told us they were riding to the finish. We followed them towards Liege and heard the rumor that the bus had filled with abandoned riders long ago and had driven straight to the finish. We got into Liege and joined up with more racers searching for the finish. The finish line was in a small suburb called Ans but no one knew exactly how to get there. I just rolled my eyes every time one of the Belgians needed to stop for direction. The more we stopped, the colder we got. Aaron and I didn't have any food or water and were beginning to shiver. At that point it felt as if we were living a nightmare. We had been riding for more than 5 hours in the cold and rain. Somehow we made it back onto the course and rode the final 5km to the finish. Never have I been so glad to see a dirty Belgian kleedkamer (changing room) with a dirty hot shower!

It wasn't the most successful of races and it wasn't the most fun of races but I learned some lessons and it will be a great story to tell for years to come. As for the team, Steven made it to the line and Arne came very close. Considering over 110 guys abandoned, that's an accomplishment in itself. The race wasn't bad as long as we all apply what we learned to the next race we do. Thanks for reading.