Training with the Flemish Cycling School and CSC in Luxembourg

I’m back; almost I spent last week training hard. I was in Luxembourg camping with some friends Kenneth, Dina and Jimmy at Dina’s family campsite. Jimmy and I were training with the Flemish cycling school, where Kenneth’s father is a coach. It was an incredible week. We would ride twice a day over rolling train. The hills felt so good after spending all this time in east Flanders where it is flat terrain. I learned a look and improved my fitness greatly while in Luxembourg. The last day of the camp we rode with the CSC professional cycling team the riders that were not participating in the Tour de France. One of the coaches of the cycling school had ridden for CSC so he knew they were in town and arranged for us to ride with them. We met up with them while they were already training. They were training in two groups of five doing long individual efforts while the cycling school did a rotating pace line behind. We were unable to meet the riders but some of the more famous ones there where Andre Taffi, Tristian Hoffman and Julian Dean. It was amazing to see how the team trained.
On Friday the 18th I meet up with my Royal Antwerp team to start a Stage race in the Ardennes. Tour de La Province de Liege, what a tough race and I went into it tired. I was hoping to finish and gain some good fitness from it. The first day I was dropped on the second climb 40 km into the race but I was able to organized my group and we caught back up to the main pack with 15 km to go. The second stage I was able to hang in until the finishing circuits where the big team turned up the speed and “put the race in the gutter”. The single file riding at speed was to much and I couldn’t hold on with 22 km to go. The third day the race was fast and was in a single file line for most of the day I made it 85 km before I ended my race. I was disappointed with not finishing but after a hard week of training in the hills what should I expect when every one else is fresh. The final day of the race I trained for one hour and rode up the famous climb La Radoute. It was amazing to ride up a climb where many Liege – Bastone - Liege classic races have been decided.
I have returned home to Gent feeling tired and fit. Gentse Fest is also happening in gent and I have taken some rest time to see it. The Belgians really know how to party. I have never seen anything like it. a 24 hour party for 10 days, it is something that must be seen with your own eyes. I hope to be racing well soon but this coming back from injury is really tough on the brain and I am having a tough time mentally believing I will ride well again this year.