Belgium, December 28, 2007
Eric Emsky, Rad Racing NW, stands at the start line ready to go. Photo ©: Joe Sales
Time for coffee and racing
Yesterday, we went on a nice ride to Kortrijk. The roads were wet and wind was present for the first time that we have been here. All of this did not matter to us, for we were on a mission to find some delicious Belgian pastries and coffee. Bakeries are easy to come by, but finding coffee is another thing around here. Coming from Seattle, it is definitely easy to find four places to buy coffee in a two block radius, but here in Belgium, you'll be lucky...
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As many of you know, I'm on sabbatical from teaching this year, and in the process of trying to write a book about modern cyclocross. I emphasize the "trying", because it's not an easy undertaking! Anyways, during my research, I've gotten to know Sven Nys pretty well.
At our team meeting last night at the camp, I was sharing with the guys that Sven told me a few months ago he was considering using a cross bike to race in the mtb Olympics. He won a mtb UCI earlier this fall in Gieten on a cross bike. After he told me, I asked Adam Craig at the Louisville USGP if he thought the Olympic mtb course...
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Tristan Schouten gets a fresh bikes in the pits at Hofdstade from Director Geoff Proctor. Photo Courtesy of Cycling-Pics.be
Hofstade WC is always a crusher for us. Yesterday, no exception. While the sand is more rideable than last year, the course still provides a formidable challenge. The first two uphills taken at warp bottleneck speed from the start, the loose sections of sand off the waterline, and the sapping sand sections right on the beach demand finesse and speed. At one point, when Nys and Boom are off the front with Wellens chasing, Wellens rides the 2nd pit section like a rocket...
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UCI Cyclocross World Cup #7 - Hofstade, Belgium
Elite Men
1 NYS Sven RABOBANK 1:06:25
2 WELLENS Bart FIDEA CYCLING TEAM + 00:14
3 BOOM Lars RABOBANK
4 VANTHOURENHOUT Sven4 SUNWEB PRO JOB + 02:05
5 VERVECKEN Erwin FIDEA CYCLING TEAM
6 GROENENDAAL Richard + 02:12
7 VAN GILS Wilant + 02:19
8 AERNOUTS Bart RABOBANK + 02:23
9 VANTORNOUT Klaas FIDEA CYCLING TEAM + 02:27
10 DE KNEGT Gerben RABOBANK
11 VANTHOURENHOUT Dieter
12 AL Thijs
13 STYBAR Zdenek FIDEA CYCLING TEAM + 03:01
14 FRANZOI Enrico LAMPRE-FONDITAL + 03:07
15 PEETERS Rob LANDBOUWKREDIET - TONISSTEINER + 03:16
16 SIMUNEK Radomir PALMANS...
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Belgium, December 26, 2007
Racing and Shopping Adventures
Mitchell Peterson (Mona Vie -Cannondale)
Photo ©: Cycling-pics.be
'Cross Camp V had a rough start. Laarne was a course that was best suited for a full suspension mountain bike. The constant bouncing on top of the tractor holes and ditches that were completely frozen except for the top 1/8th of an inch (a little over three millimeters - ed.) made for an interesting ride. The one section of note was a one-foot wide irrigation ditch. It was something that any junior mountain biker would not look twice at, but a shocking number...
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