why belgium?

Many people wonder why a 20 year old American would want to go to Belgium to race a bike. I hear this inquiry all the time. Why Belgium? Why can't you race in the US? Of all the places in the world, why would you go to the tiny country (the size of Maryland) sandwiched between France and The Netherlands?...A country most Americans associate with waffles and chocolate and beer. Part of the answer is that bike racing is deeply ingrained in the culture of Belgium and it is the most respected sport of the country. Belgians love their bike racing. When roads are closed for a race, drivers get curious instead of angry. They might even get out of their car to watch the race caravan pass. They'll cheer and scream and when the road opens after the race passes they'll get back in their car and continue on their way. Nearly every road in Belgium can be ridden by bike. Many roads have bike lanes and he ones that don't are shared equally with autos, tractors, and mopeds. I'd be willing to bet that for every car in Belgium there are three bikes. Just about everyone rides a bike. I've seen first graders ride their bikes to school and grandmothers ride their bike to the market. It's awesome.
The other answer (and probably the most important one) to: Why Belgium? IS THE RACING. The fields are bigger and stronger. The races are faster and longer. And the distance from home to the races is shorter. For those of you who are familiar to the racing in the US: It's like having all the NRC races and then some condensed into an area the size of Maryland. Plus the level of racing is higher... in my humble opinion. Most of the UCI races here are 160km (100 miles) and usually end in about 3.5 hours. The fields are always larger than 120 rides, sometimes as big as 200...and the amateur races are filled with guys who will be pro in a year or guys who have already ridden professionally. Racing in Belgium is big business. There's money and potential contracts at stake in every race. Bike racers in Belgium aren't fooling around. It's not a hobby over here... it's a job. And that's why I'm racing my bike in Belgium.

Next race: Tuesday 1 May, UCI 1.2, Hoboken

Laarne Kermis

Well, it was nice to get back on the kermis scene. I raced well but unfortunately did not finish. I was feeling good for the first half of the race but it was as if my legs just turned off after that. The field was very large because this was the only midweek kermis in Flanders. I think there were about 150 starters. I made the lead group of 16 on the first lap and that was pretty much the race. The top 10 came from that group. Unfortunately I wasn't there for the finish, but I know on a good day I could finish with that group. It's disappointing to think about that but I also need to stay positive. I raced well, I raced hard, I was where I need to be. I've only been here a week! things will only get better as I continue to adjust and get over the jet lag. I don't quite feel as good as I did on the bike 2 weeks ago in MI. So I'm confident good things will come. Plenty of racing to come, too. There are 3 UCIs: Saturday, Sunday, and Monday and I'll do one of them for sure.

Thanks for checkin in! Vince

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUU7sqm_Nwk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5Vj2WIfIg

I had the choice to do a U23 kermis today but I decided not to race. After all, it's only my 4th day in the country and I want to be fully recovered and adjusted from travel before I race. I've been feeling better and better as each day passes and I think I'll be fine after the weekend. It's looking like I'll do a mid-week kermis and hopefully I'll be selected for one of the 2 UCIs next weekend. In the 2 weeks leading up to my flight I was riding very well and feeling quite strong on the bike. I'm confident that in a few days I'll have that feeling back and be ready to suffer... and hopefully put the hurt on some Belgians.

This is what's going on at the CC:
U23 Kermis today for 5 riders
Elite/ U23 Kermis tomorrow for 5 riders
Zellik- Galmaarden UCI tomorrow for 6 riders

For results:

http://www.wielerbondvlaanderen.be/

Click on "Uitslagen"
Then "Weg- Piste- Veld"
Then chose the date.

over here

I made it safe and sound to Hertsberge. The journey is not my most favorite day of the year but I survived and got through it with little stress. Check out the worst part of the trip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlrdzgJXSVY

This week is all about getting over the jet lag, into daily routine, and staying healthy. I did a short ride yesterday and today and it feels great to be back on the narrow roads of West Flanders. I was really missing these canal roads. I probably won't be racing until mid next week or next weekend. I have to say that the CC looks great and the guys that are here make up a good group. I'm feeling like this is going to be a great season.

The last few days stateside

Well, it's nice to pick up a win every now and then. I was the first to cross the line this past Saturday in Waterford. A great way to end the winter before heading off to Belgium in a few days. It was a surprisingly fast race due to a higher field quality, in my opinion. I remember when I first started doing these races several years ago, it seemd like a group ride with a sprint at the end. Now, there is attack after attack and the peloton can be strung out for multiple laps. I heard the promoter say that our lap times were some of the fastest he's seen. A good sign for Michigan racing. The first half of the race was filled with attacks and attempts to create a breakaway. As fast as it was, no group could distance itself from the peloton. It was as if the breaks were never the right combo of riders and the peloton was never happy with letting it get a gap. At some point after the middle of the race, I again attacked... seeing who I could draw out of the peloton. No one! Finally Tony Brule (sp?) bridged solo to me and we worked hard to hold a gap of between 15 and 25 seconds until the finish. He led the entire back straight of the course and with 200 meters I jumped for the win.

Sunday was a blast too, even though I didn't win. For me these races are merely about preparing for Belgium and this past Sunday was a great day of training. I got on the bike in Redford at 8:45 am and headed west to Ann Arbor. I got there in time to pin my number and spin arouind with some teammates. The race started at 11:30 and was 40km long (40x1km lap). There were a handful of guys (including myself) who made this race a tough one. The peloton was strung out and with the wind it eventully shattered. It was awesome! Small groups, DNFs, echolons.. this crit had turned into a race of selection! Unfortunately I didn't make the front 3, but I was determined to still race for the win or suffer trying. I wasn't thinking about sprinting for 4th. I was thinking about how hard it goes at the end of a 160km race in Belgium. I think I ended up in the top 10, but my day wasn't over. After packing up some food and water I spinned my legs towards home... a solid 2 hours into a headwind. I was pretty wasted when I got home... but all I could think about was the hard racing in Belgium and how I'll be ready for it when I leave this Tuesday.

I don't know my own strength

Things have been good since my last post. The weather hasn't cooperated but training has been going well nonetheless. I don't feel like I have a lot to report on since I haven't raced in a couple weeks. The last training race was cancelled due to snow! Only in MI... and maybe Belgium. The one exciting/ scary moment I had was on a training ride when I was doing some sprint efforts. Check it out:


Yes, those are my handlebars. snapped a few cm's from the stem. They are not very old and although they have a funky shape I think the true reason they broke is this:


Well, I'm just lucky I didn't go down. All I can say is the ride home was the longest I've ever ridden one handed.

I'll be in Belgium in less than a week now. Lots of loose ends to tie up this week. Check ya later.

I've given in... I've created a blog

I've never been a fan of blogs. Maybe it's because they seem so cliche and that it seems most everyone has one. I guess I'm one to be different. In the past I've reported on my racing and training through the Cycling Center website (www.cyclingcenter.com) and that seemed to work pretty well. Although I would not update it very frequently and only did so during the season. Plus, I deleted them after every season. I want this year to be different. This will be my brainstorming notebook, my post race journal, and my photo album.

Maybe I should back up a bit and introduce myself to those of you who don't know me. I live in Michigan and my one and only passion is racing bikes. I started riding road bikes when I was 13 and began racing when I was 15. I'm now 20 years old and have spent the past two seasons in Belgium racing for an amateur team: Cycling Center. My goal is to race at the highest level I can attain. Whether that is Pro Tour, domestic pro, or Category 1 races in Michigan... I don't know. I've been racing in Belgium to find that out and I head back for my third season on April 17th. In '05 I was there for 3 months, in '06 I was there for 6, and this year I will be there for 4. By the end of this year I will have spent over a year of my life in Belgium. But I love it there and that time has been the best time of my life.

So Vince, what have you been up to all winter? Well, that could be two dozen blog entries in itself, but I'll try to catch you up with a brief summary. I got home from Belgium in September and went to school while continuing to train and work (at Starbucks, the best employer in the world). That was a busy time although training wasn't at the top of my list after 6 months of straight racing. I basically took October off the bike and recharged physically and mentally. I began training in November, building up my aerobic base and improving my overall strength. In late January and early February the Cycling Center team had our training camp in Albuquerque, NM. I was there for about 3 weeks. Our camp was held in conjuntion with the Navigators Insurance team and Team Lipton. It was great to be surrounded by so many great athletes and to be able to train in some decent weather in NM. I need to mention the Veloport Corp. who sponsored our camp and treated us so well the entire time. Check 'em out through the Cycling Center website. Got back from NM... trained, worked, trained, etc. Fast forward to the present.

This past weekend were my first races in about 6 months! All considered they went great. I raced in Waterford Saturday and in Ann Arbor on Sunday. They were both training type races and a good test for the legs after a winter of primarily low intensity and strength building. I feel like I'm on track for a good season in which my fitness will gradually increase throughout the season. I placed 11th Sat. and 2nd Sun. I love the Ann Arbor races because they are such a great day of training for me personally. I wasn't able to dothem last year because I was in Belgium but this year I will be able to do 2. I ride 2 hours to the race, race for about and hour, and ride 2 hours home. One of my all time favorite rides! Sort of like in Belgium when we ride to the kermis races (usally 30- 60 minutes... but the races are 2.5 hours). well, that't oficially my first blog. All of the entries prior to this were first posted on the CC website. They are from 2005 and 2006. Thanks for reading.