what a muddy day!

Hello,

I hope all is well with everyone. Today I did my first ever cyclocross race, and let me tell you it was incredible. The race was an hour west of Brussels in the small town of De Pinte. We (my host father, mother and I) arrived at the race several hours before my race so I had time to watch some of the other categories and pick up a few tips. In-between the races there was time to ride the course, I took advantage and did a lap. Little did I know that the course was so muddy that after just one lap I had to use the pressure washer to clean my bike and get all the mud and grass out of my breaks and gears.
One lap was enough to get a feel for the course here are some pictures of the course











My race started out with a nice clean bike, but that wouldn’t last long. The race started with an astonishing 72 riders. The order in which you are placed on the starting line is random; unfortunately I started in the sixth row, sixty riders back. From the minute the whistle blew it was peddle to the metal. I was slowly able to move up, but was never able to catch the leaders. I was able to catch a lot of riders on the fast sections but lost time through the mud, which we don’t have in Bend. On the back section of the course the mud was so thick and deep that it was nearly impossible to ride. I found it faster for me to run, so that’s what I did. I rode a solid pace to the finish, coming in 24th place. I was hoping to do better, but there is always room for improvement and now that have done a race I know what I need to work on. As my dad always says “train your weaknesses and raise your strengths”. I hope to do another race in the near future and know if I practice what I learned today I will only become better.


The stories are true the Belgians really are crazy about cyclocross. And yes there is a beer garden in the middle of the course.

Pictures of the race

Ian

You can click on the pictures to enlarge.

no cars, no problem

That’s right today in Brussels there were no cars allowed. In promotion of trying to get people to commute in more environmentally friendly ways, all roads in the Brussels city limits were closed to cars. It was amazing, to be in a city of over 1 million people and be riding my bike down major road with no cars, but I wasn’t the only one. There where tons of other people enjoying the day as me. It’s astonishing to think that such a big city could do such a thing. I wish that I would have had my camera because it was shocking to see the amount of people on bikes.

It was awesome

Ian

Not Again.

Yes, today I crashed again. It was not bad; I cut up my chin again and landed hard on my already sore hip. I was going slowly and it was on the cobble stones so I’m fine. I actually thought that it was funny that I crashed again, I don’t crash all year then do it twice in one week, life’s ironic. But the ride and weather was great, there is a huge park in the south of Brussels where I have been taking my cross bike. I found a nice little course that has a bit of everything.

Here are some pictures of the course.

Ian

I had a minor crash today while riding home from school. I got my tire stuck in the tram tracks and just went down. It’s ironic because yesterday my host brother did the same thing and I was thinking about it when I crossed them today. The same thing happened to me in Portland earlier this year while I was staying a Jacobs. But as I told my host brother "shit happens", and it does. Just the other day I got a sticker that says "shit happens, flush it".

Watch out for train tacks
Ian

Here is the picture.

Long ride

Today I went on a super long ride with Roma, Roma's father and Roma’s father’s friends. Roma told me that the ride would be about 60km (plus the 40km to go to and from Roma’s house). I was thinking that it would be a nice easy ride, but it was not easy or short. It turned out being 170km (105 miles) and was very fast. It was good training, but I could hardly get up the stairs to my room. I think I’ll take the next few days easy before riding with Roma again on Wednesday.

Hope all is well
Ian

Pictures

Here are some pictures that I took on my ride today.

Awesome ride

Today I went on an awesome ride. It was 130 km in total, with a number of enormous hills. The guys that I road with are both very strong and pleasant. Roma (the shorter of the two) was the Belgian national mountain bike champion last year, and his friend is just as good.

Here are some pictures from the ride. And the weather was great.

Ian