Belgium 2009

So last year I was going to blog about my 2008 week to Belgium. I posted one blog after my first race and then contacted my friend Kenneth and went out until 4am. The week of 2008 was full of great results, late nights, drinking and good times.

Maybe this year I will blog about my 2009 Belgian trip, it is the same week that I came last year so a chance at the same races. So far, it is a different trip. I am staying at Kenneth’s new apartment in Balegem, Be. It is located just north of the Flemish hills, perfect for exploring and training on the RvV (Tour of Flanders) hills and course. The town is a lot quieter than Gent.

Kenneth and his girlfriend have been taking care of us and it is an amazing trip, strait into the culture of the country. Catching up with Kenneth’s family has been great; they are some of the most generous people I have ever met.

Last year I was returning form my suspension and had been putting some huge endurance training, and I put out some strong results for my one week in Belgium. In the past, it took me two weeks to finish a Belgian race. I love racing in Belgium I feel the strongest rider always wins.

This year I have been going well in the USA, so the races in Belgium I felt would go better but the styles are to different and I am missing the fire I had last year. The weeks leading up to the 2009 Belgian trip were very stressful and my training was not as I would have liked. I thought I would be okay.

So far, I have been tired. The lacks of training and mistakes have delivered what I see as poor performances. Sunday we raced in Zele, Be. We left late to the race and I jammed up there. Then once in Zele I was unable to find the race and it demoralized me. We found the race 30min after I thought I started but they said we had 10min until the start. In the race I felt great and made, what I thought would be the break to the finish but I weakened due to lack of water because of not preparing correctly after being late. My final group was going for something in the teens but I did not contest due to the disappointment.

Monday I returned to Sinaai for the same course I place 7^th the year before, Kenneth drove us to the race so I felt the pressure was on but my mind was not in it and I was feeling the 140miles that I did on Sunday. I sat last wheel for the first four laps and then moved up to just miss the move. I rode until two laps to finish and I thought my group was going for something in the 20s so I quit. I was a bit upset with myself. The race was won by Guy Smet winner of the 2008 Tour de Faso, I would have been lucky to hold his wheel on a good day. Last year at this race, I had a norm power of 304 and average of 284. This year my power meter broke in the race due to the rough roads but it would have been lucky to have an average power of 240.

Tomorrow is another day