Holy deficits Batman! Sven just crushed yesterday in his hometown race, leading from wire to wire. With at least six elite guys canceling due to illness, and another few like Niels Albert starting and then pulling out due to sickness, Sven just keeps rolling along. That makes four victories (Hofstade, Middlekerke, Diegem, and Baal) in the past week with only non-series race in St Niklaas today before the Belgian Nationals on Sunday. Hard to say if Wellens is really sick or playing it up in the press to come out fresh Sunday.

Zach McDonald rolling through the mud at Diegem. Photo ©: Cycling-Pics.be

We’ve had a good track record in Baal for the juniors (with Summerhill’s podium last year and Selander’s 4th in 2005) and yesterday was again a good one. Zach McDonald moved up through to 8th and Gavin Mannion rode very solidly for 9th. Both guys got some good air time on the PA with the announcer even making the bold claim that Zach McD was the grandson of fast food tycoon Ray Kroc. Or something. Solid imagination anyway. Junior Eric Emsky was pleased with his race (13th), making no real mistakes which bodes well for Worlds. And Andrew Llewellyn (17th), Clayton Omer (18th), Jeremy Ferguson (20th) and Ian Terry (34th) all drove hard in the Baal slop and slide.

Gavin Mannion, Hot Tubes, fights through the legendary sand at Hofstade. Photo ©: Cycling-Pics.be

Just getting over being sick, elite Tristan Schouten, the morning of, decided to race and it went pretty well. He had a good start, then kind of blew up and only just got lapped by le patron to finish 26th. Remember Nys was a minute up on the entire field and five minutes ahead of guys like early-to-mid-season strongman Klaas Vantournout.

Now getting ready to head off to St Niklaas for the final race of the camp. I’m already back from 4 am airport trip for departing Jeremy Ferguson and now, 15 riders, 30 bikes, 6 vehicles, 8 staff to St Niklaas. A bit like Napoleon’s army. Jonathan Page is the sleeper today, not having raced since Sunday night.

The juniors are weathering pretty well. The camp basically programs in learning to be tough. In simplest terms, coming from America where you’re finishing top-ten every race to races here with 90 starters and poor start positions, for sure, the deck is stacked. But that’s the starting point they all need to experience at this age. I always tell them that a few weeks here is worth a few seasons in the US, in terms of measuring one’s stock in the open markets. Then comes the real work: investment.

Tonight, it’s team dinner out and then serious packing for the trip home tomorrow. A job well done by the guys. Tot ziens!

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