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Getting back the confidence
The return to the road.
The moment I was looking forward to, first road race. And not just laps this time. My first Interclub race. I had no idea what to expect but I was sure it was not gonna easy.
The moment we arrived at the start in Diegem you could see this was again one level up. All the team cars standing on the plaza, hundreds of bikes, busses etc. Our vans were standing next to the BMC team, already that fact made it more exiting: the real deal. After getting changed in the van there was bit of time left going a bit around, the guys from the neutral Mavic support asking if you go 10 or 11 speed, putting some warming up oil on the legs, checking what you gonna wear. They predicted gnarly weather, I silently hoped for rain...
The start went good. It was a big peleton and for me a bit scary in the beginning. I've spent max. 15 hours on my road bike this year and the carbon wheels were new to me so I first had to get used to the braking, specially in wet conditions. Everybody was well dressed and myself starting to get warm. After 24km the first climb: Smeysberg. My family and girlfriend was standing there to support. I didn't see anybody but I recognized the voices screaming. After that it was looking forward to my favourite section. We were gonna pass trough some narrow roads between the fields. We had already bit of rain but nothing crazy although it made my favo road like I wanted: covered in mud. riding 2 by 2 it was still possible to pass and move a bit of places once we come to the big road again the peleton got pulled in one line it was sprinting to stay there and then it was time for the first natural selection: Kauterhof, check the video HERE ( Lotto-Soudal leading, myself passing at 38sec. )
One that passed we hit the 80 km mark. I missed my refueling so it was playing safe but my bottles were pretty empty. I still felt pretty well and had no issue with the cold or the rain. At appox. 105 km it started to hail like crazy, I just took of my sunglasses cause they were full of mud and it also started to get dark from the clouds. Al of a sudden the temperature dropped like crazy and started to hail. Soon started to loose sense in my fingers. I again missed my bottles, I could not shift anymore due to that frozen hands. The peloton started to go downhill and I got stuck on my 52 x 16. It was time to say goodbye.
Good that there was still a cobble section to fly over and getting some warm blood to the hands. But at the and of the cobble section another surprise! My girlfriend, who was not supposed to come to the final suddenly stood there that gave a good boost!!! Bit further her father with a bottle. I feld saved! But I was already between the team cars. Tried to make the best out of it and try to make it till Zepperen. On that last lonely 15km I passed lot of people who were about to crack from the cold. People on the side cheering you up and clapping there hands. When finally arrived I was so happy to see the van and time to get all that clothes of. Ive never been so dirty from cyclocross then I was from that race. 3 coffees later and fresh clothes it was time to hit the car home and look back on this amazing event. I'm never gonna forget this. Next race, this Saturday in Perwez at 14h30, 14 laps. RESULT DNF - STRAVA Pictures3x 1It has been a while since last post! Result of being a lot on the bike! Kick ass team trainings and lot of work at the 'office'. But all that lead to good results. 3 last races were won and except from the last track they were pretty muddy. Not really much my favorite but I managed to take the lead and won those with a good 25 seconds. The last race in Maleizen was the one to look forward. Last year I took 11 place after a few chain drops and only one bike. This year the wind had been blowing for 3 days with no rain so that was good for me! Arriving early that morning in the full sun and 3 degrees. Lot of parts were frozen and and soil was hard. The sun was slowly heating up the surface but it took till the start to make it all a bit more slippery. The race itself was overal the heaviest. The announced battle became truth. With Stijn, Me and the 2 Feyaerts brothers in the lead. You just could smell that is was waiting for me or Stijn to open the gas. Honestly I was thinking that it was gonna be a sprint. On the half of the race he placed his shot by jumping the barriers. A few lengths were won and it took me half lap to get back to him but I had to go in max! in the 3 th last lap it was time to place my move. And with result, the gap got bigger and bigger and when I heard the last lap bell only a crash could hold me from victory. A last little sprint on the asphalt section and 1st place was in. Below a little photoset I made a selection of all the people around me who made this all happen. Big Big thanks to everybody!!! What I learned from this season is my progression. Coming from average 10th place and going to average 2nd this season is that road training is key. Get that base, go to do some amateur races and victory will come. This Sunday Road season opens: Brussel - Zepperen 155km! See you! 07 February: Vollezele - RESULT 1/56 - STRAVA 21 February: Hennuyeres - RESULT 1/53 - STRAVA 28 February: Overijse - RESULT 1/78 - STRAVA Photoset from Ivo Trappeniers of victory in Hennuyeres
Proud to announce to get sponsorship from the guys from Pilot Cycles. Got a big load of gear to make the Ritchey logic race ready for the season. Soon I place a picture with the new setup and specs!
Cx Win #2
Grimbergen was on a new location. We got to see a little plan of the racetrack a few days before and it looked damn fast. Long straight parts and no crazy zig zagging.
Arrived on spot you could already see the long stretch next to the canal. Strong cold wind was blowing strongly so on some parts that was gonna help, on some not. The week before was pretty wet and all the snow from the weekend before melted, that made the soil pretty slick. After one lap of easy rolling I had a bit of doubts about the track, cause I went the with the idea that it was super fast but it was just medium fast. Far out of spectators sight there was one road between two fields filled with huge pools of water. During the recognitoin I went straight trough one but it was freezing cold. So I decided not to go in that during the race but still kept it as an option. The start was hectic, immediately had to fight for a good place cause it went directly in a straight line. In the first 500m still in 7 position but went pretty fast to 3th. So there we where again, Me, Stijn and Jurgen.
The First 3 laps we were nicely rotating. There was a steep short downhill just next to the canal, I decided during warmup not to ride it. In de first lap Jurgen and Stijn were in front of me. I saw they drove down the hill and winning a few meters doing that. So my job for next lap(s) was to be in first place to force them stepping down the bike. That plan worked. The laps after that I also decided to take the pools of water! Pretty cold! Buts it was was faster. Lap 4 I took off, Placed an acceleration in a straight muddy part and the gap was made. The legs never exploded and the gap did not get smaller. Only a mechanical issue could hold me from the first place. The rest of the laps were done without technical mistakes and the second win of the season was in the pocket!
Big thanks to everybody who was around to help and to support. Really enjoyed the presence! I Promise some pics after the event Saturday. This weekend no cross but team presentation of my new team Hand in Hand Baal. Next cross: 7 February, Vollezele - Repingenstraat Result 1/64 - STRAVA
Photoset by ivo trappeniersThe Tricolor battle
Sint Martens Bodegem: My best result last year on that moment. 5th place. Frozen soil made it superfast. After hearing that the WVZ Belgian Championships were gonna be hold here I could smell victory!
That days before it had been snowing, but not a lot of frost. So there was a possibility that it was gonna be super muddy. With the car we struggled a bit on the ice roads but we made it. after one warmup lap could see that a lot of the hardened sufaces like the asphalt were full of ice. During that moment it was hardly impossible to race on. Good that the sun was shining and the organizers did the necessary to make the asphalt road safer.
The start was downhill in grass full of snow and then 180 turn and uphill in mud. A good combo to already screw it from the start. All went good and took no risk. We were with a nice group of 7. It was a bit searching the limits in the first lap to see what the sun did with the surface in the last 20 mins. Pretty fast we were off with the classic trio. After 4th lap my chain popped of and had to jump off the bike and put it back on. The two in front noticed that and lucky for me they did not open the gas. The mental damage was done. It took me half lap to get back to them but it costed a lot of energy and it was that energy I needed to take a try to make a gap. In the before last lap Jurgen hooked of and it became a neck to neck battle. Stijn tried few times but I could still get back but I felt he was stronger on the muddy parts. Before entering the last muddy loop there were a few meters in between. There he took his chance and I could not answer it. Still tried but he went as fist over the bridge and he took the win with 2 seconds ahead. So far one of the nicest races ever done. The track, the spectators, the supporters, the weather. Thats cyclocross!!! Result 2/59 - STRAVA
Photoset By Ivo Trappeniers and Philippe RagonnaudProud to announce that for 2016 I will join the team Hand in Hand Baal for the road and cross season as elite rider.
I will finish the cross season in WVZ and in march the road races start. until august / september. Then the cross season starts again. Going one level up. Race calendar will be updated later in February. READY FOR ANOTHER CHAPTER! Many Many Thanks to:
My Girlfriend - For the love, support and pictures My Mother - For the bread and laundry My Father - For offering the beers that I can't refuse Filip Peeters - For being the Manager! Ann Trappeniers - AKA as "Wiske" Ivo Trappeniers - For the quality pictures My Brother - For being an example Kardama - For putting Ritchey between my legs Yug from DEALER Bicycles - Thanks for getting me into all this! Nest Peeters & Anneke - For putting a 2nd Ritchey between my legs Simon Kayaert - For the garage and keeping my beers fresh Sam, Jan en Bram - For allowing me to spray the hotel full of beer DVVD Crew - For the fun during Luc Vanton - For the race reports after race support Gert Nys - For the tech support at light speed Michiel & Francis - For believing in the concept PedalBXL - For the distance training. PedalBXL Clients - For the interval training PedalBXL Crew - For the stress management training Genesis Bikes - For making Workhorses Ritchey Bikes - For making race and CX horses JIMS - For the recovery Maison Du Thé - For the espressos, doping Thé and chocolate cake Steven Benats AD Delhaise Hoeilaart - For the support THE LAST ONE OF THE YEAR
The last cx of the year and the last one as amateur riding in the jerseys of Teken-en Studiebureau Filip Peeters - PEDALBXL - Katoentje. Next Year I will still be competing in the WVZ cross but as elite without contract for the team Hand in Hand Baal. A next step in the cycling adventure and i'm already shure its gonna be a blast. Below a little foto report taken by Ivo Trappeniers. Enjoy
My girlfriend unpinning the race number for the last time and finishing another chapter. Thanks to everybody who is behind!
Result - 2/58 - STRAVA
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