My First World Cup!

Hofstade!

I have to tell you that it's going to be really difficult to put this experience in words. This World Cup in Belgium existed on a bigger scale than I even imagined. I could hardly believe the whole scene, and my pictures simply don't do it justice. Beyond that, while watching the men's elite race, I was amazed to discover perspective on just how good the Belgians are at their sport. It really is unbelievable how fast Sven, Lars, and Bart were riding. Watching gave me goosebumps. Feeling the intensity of the crowd screaming for their heroes as they flew by honestly almost brought tears to my eyes. I love this sport. They made this course look so easy, this same course where I had lost a lung, my legs, and very possibly a year off my life just an hour earlier. Watching my "hometown heroes" such as Tim and Jeremy get lapped by the three leaders racing at double the speed (well, at the moment they were lapped, anyway) has altered my whole perception of cyclocross.

After watching today's race, I am officially a Bart Wellens fan. Nys displayed amazing power and fluidity. Bart also has incredible power, but just seemed to have more heart and deep determination. (While pre-riding the course today and making my way through the end of the first long sand section, lots of people started shouting all around me. I knew immediately that a Belgian hero was coming up behind: it was Wellens. As if my heart wasn't pounding from grinding through the sand, now it was in my throat! "Make it through the sand, make it through, don't crash in front of Bart!" I made it and continued up the next rise, flat, turn around the tree, run up the stairs, and he was still there. "Ah! Bart Wellens is on my wheel!" Well, it was an exciting moment. I entered the sand again, and he disappeared. He was gone. Or maybe he passed me, for some reason I can't remember. I will be sure to take home some Bart merchandise as a souvenir, and I am hoping to get Bart to sign my "Bart Wellens Kickboxing Academy" t-shirt or to get a photo with him wearing it. We'll see if I can work up the nerve for that!

Okay, so on to my race. At staging, the announcer called my name: "From the United States, numero vignt-deux, Rebecca Wellons." Then he made some comment en francais demonstrating how my last name is pronounced slightly differently than "WellEns" (which it isn't). But the crowd and myself at least got a chuckle out of it. I rolled up to a spot in the third row. But really the second, because I played the game of jamming myself up as far forward as possible. I was right next to Christine and diagonally behind Lyne. Several other North Americans were nearby, and I felt strangely comfortable. I jammed my wheel right on up so my hands were basically on the butts of the two euro girls in front of me, and when the gun shot, I did not hesitate. I successfully started the race without being sketched out. I held my own in what was a decent start, not excellent, but a big improvement on the past 3 races. After the first corner, the track was all muddy and slick, and went into a muddy and chewed up hill that would prove to be unridable for me and most others (even the men) all race. So, there was the first dismount, and there was another short steep hill soon after that I had to run because the girls in front of me couldn't ride it. I headed into the sand, and did my best to keep my weight back. I find it difficult to drop into the sand with good speed and keep my weight back at the same time. I tend to be quite far forward like a roadie a lot when I'm trying to keep speed. I will have to work on my position for next season. The sand was hit or miss for me, and I say that to mean I would often hit or be hit by someone (and consequently crash) or I might miss riding into the woman in front of me (often going slower) and pass several others. Alone while pre-riding, I could clear it pretty consistently, but as everyone knows who has raced cross, all that pretty much flies out the window in traffic during a race.

I went down many times. One time I fell running in the sand, and I didn't trip. A Belgian woman rode into me from behind as I was running the end of the first long sand section. I have her chainring imprint in my left achilles. I was pissed and got up and ran past her and put myself right in front of her. Then a French woman dove into the next corner inside me and caused me to dab. That made me mad, too, and I wanted to catch her and give it back in a bad way, but I just had no legs today. I had absolutely no power, and such is the story of my last month. I rode the first lap okay, but that was all my legs had in them. If I had a powermeter, I'd bet it would show numbers lower than my first training rides last February. I would stand, but just couldn't pump. I am cooked, and know it. (I was actually able to fall asleep in the car, in the parking lot, 2 hours and 15 min before my _WC_ race today... not a good sign.) Regardless, this is still all an amazing experience for me, and I'm so glad I'm here. I know inside that I could have been racing 10 places higher. I know that it's possible for me. Those are just words, but I intend to make it happen in the future.

I spent the last couple of laps battling with the Japanese national champion and the Belgian woman whose chainrings are my body's souvenir. I would often gain time on them in the sand, which I rode pretty well when in less traffic. I could also consistently outrun the Japanese woman. But my power was uncharacteristically poor on the flats and pavement, and I could not match the Belgian woman today. I finished 34th in the hardest cyclocross race I have ever done, and I'm very happy to have had the experience.

I wish I could stay, rest for a week - well, I may need two, then continue racing. If I could race here more, I believe I would improve dramatically as a 'crosser. But I have only one more race here - Loenhout on Friday - and then I'm home for New Year's and back to work and reality. I'm really looking forward to Friday, it's got those washboard-like BMX style bumps where you have to push and pull your bike and you gain speed as you go through the section! I can't wait to try it.

Some pics of the race:

So many people that it was hard to see the racers go by! Some people got creative and built sand mounds to prop themselves up higher.

Powers rocks through the end of the second time through the beach where many could not ride.

Tim runs the same section this lap.

There were lots of Ridleys at the race.
Here's mine all happy after the sand:















I still haven't had any beer. It sure wasn't in the cards while doing 4 races in the past 6 days, but I'd like to have one before I leave. I haven had lots of chocolate, though! After a huge dinner tonight, I treated myself to crepes filled with Meli, which is the delicious chocolate and honey spread I am now addicted to. I think there's half a pastry waiting for me in the fridge, too....

Pretije Kerstmis!

We all went to the town church service last night. It was great to see some people riding their bikes to church at night! Blauberg is a small country town, and it seemed like everyone attended. For me, the highlight was the band. They sang in nice harmony and kept everyone engaged in the service. The bow ties and suspenders were charming. After the service, everyone stayed and drank cups of warm wine, soup, or cecemel, a drink similar to chocolate milk. We wanted to talk to people, but the language barrier is difficult. You can't just go up to someone and start speaking in English! Vicki knows how to count to ten and name the days of the week in Dutch, but those aren't exactly good conversation starters.

There were lots of fireworks right after midnight, but I didn't pull myself out from under my warm covers to check out what was going on. Celebration, I'm sure.

This morning, Shaun and I walked down to the bakery for some bread and treats. The place was packed! I think everyone in town went to the bakery this morning for fresh bread and pasteries and chocolate treats. The bread here is delicious! There is no Pepperidge Farm preservative-filled crap you can buy in any store in the US that sits on the shelf for weeks without molding. This is real bread, fresh baked, sliced for you when you buy it, and delicious. I am really going to miss the bakery when I go home. Oh, and the pasteries! Here is Shaun enjoying one. I am still not sure how it is possible that Belgians are not fat.

Well, I've got to go do some bike maintenance. Then this afternoon I'm off for Hofstade, the site of tomorrow's World Cup race, to preview the course and pick up my race number. I am so nervous and excited! I hope I will be able to sleep tonight!

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.

Christmas Eve and a Day Off

It's getting late... I decided to post pics and write tomorrow. These were all taken today on my ride or at the church service tonight that we attended in town. Merry Christmas!

Zeddam

Did you know that cyclocross is a full-on contact sport? I didn't, either. But it is over here. I was determined to start more aggressively today, so I could show I am better than pack fodder, but it was a similar story to yesterday through the first few turns. It doesn't matter where you get called up here, girls jam themselves in between you, those in the 3rd row jam themselves up in between and onto Daphny's wheel, so everyone starts pretty much touching each other. Elbows are out. When the gun goes off, it's mad. Girls take all sorts of risks like a mob in a crowded burning opera house. They'll do anything, cut you off, elbow you, push you, pull you, whatever to get in front of you, then they are completely out of control and take themselves out right in front of you and cause a pile up. If you're not in front of it, you're out of luck. In the second pile-up of the first 1/4 lap today, I had to pull some girl's pedal from my spokes, and I basically came to a stand still for several seconds as bikes and bodies were all around me and we were trying to navigate a 180-degree turn. The first 20-25 places got far away up the road. Then we had a long, fast descent that transitioned into a very long stair climb - 100 stairs!! Again, I came to a stand still, since the first 2/3 of the stairs were narrow and single file, and the wankers in front of me were going so slow. It was like frantically trying to walk up a crowded escalator at the mall on Christmas Eve. I lost so much more time. Apparently, part of the traffic jam was caused by an actual fight somewhere on a stair up ahead of me. Review sentence one.

I rode reasonably well in similar fashion to the past two days: picking off riders in front of me, one by one. I have noticed a strange paradox in race behavior here. In the first lap, everyone's out for blood, but when you pass someone later in the race, they don't even seem to attempt to challenge you. Maybe it's because I have been stuck at the back with riders compared to whom I am significantly stronger, and I pass them with enough speed that it crushes their spirit. Maybe that's wishful thinking. I ended up 18th, I don't know how many starters. I know without doubt I am stronger than that result shows, but the start is so important, and I have to learn to add anger, aggression, and fearlessness to my bag of tactics. Honestly, I think maybe those things are not in my nature. But frustration is building, and it may tip the scales of my temperment.

Zeddam was another incredibly fun course. Apparently it was a totally different course than when World's was held there in 2005. Not overly technical, lots of power sections, a 100-stair leg busting run-up, and grassy turns. I loved it. Even though I was not riding further up where I wanted to be, I was having a blast on the course. I can't wait to do it again next year, because I want another try!

Post-race, I decided to play avid fan. I watched the men's race, took some pictures, ate my first frites with mayo, and talked to some spectators. This trip is about racing, but it's also my vacation! The scene is fun. The crowd is much quieter than I expected. They watch you intensely, but don't shout often - well, unless you mess up! Just like inebriated Nascar fans, they are definitely excited by race carnage.

Erwin!

The race pits. Notice how low the sun is on the horizon? It's about 2:30 pm in this shot, and the sun never got much higher. It sort of skims the treetops then sets. It also likes to sleep in, taking until 8:45 to rise.

The band and the frites!

Snapped this on the way home. Anyone want 98 octane? The cheapest octane is about 1.20 Euro/liter. There are 3.8 liters in a gallon. That's a little over 4 Euros/gallon, and one Euro is about $1.65. You can do the rest of the math.
Well, today marked three races in a row. The legs are now tired, as is the rest of me. I am really looking forward to sleeping in and having a rest day tomorrow. I think we're going to visit the second largest bike shop in all of Europe tomorrow afternoon! I might bring my camera, but I think I'd better leave my wallet at home.

Oh, does this adventure and the racing ever have to end?!? I am loving this so much. And I am already excited just thinking about all the training and preparation I'm going to do to be faster and stronger next season!