EuroCrossCamp VII in the books.

As usual, I’m wasted.

This year, maybe moreso. Seems like we had more adversity than other years. Weather, mechanicals, crashes, logistical challenges etc.

To get us through, as always, I called on a few reliable sources of inspiration to rally the troops: books and heroes.

During one tough moment at a team meeting after our race in Baal, I found myself quoting Bill Simmons in his fresh and fascinating first chapter from The Book of Basketball.  With a nod to the source, Isiah Thomas, Simmons encapsulates The Secret.

That the secret to basketball is that it’s not about basketball.

Having spent each and every day of the Camp emphasizing a trait of character, I seemed to put my own spin on the Simmons/Thomas nugget.

It felt like an epiphany at the time–theory conjoining with reality.

That the secret to cyclocross is that it’s not about cyclocross.

That it’s much larger than that. Much broader.

Leadership, Perseverance, Making Good Choices, Discipline and so forth.

One each day.

These are the traits that, when correctly applied, make all the difference.

I told the guys that in muddy races like Baal, even the top guys are making three and four mistakes per lap.

That, in the end, it’s these character traits that enable these guys to minimize their mistakes and control their outcomes.

And, for affirmation, I had to look no further than Sven’s post-race commentary from Baal.

There’s something special about reading a top rider’s comments in the newspaper, next day. So full of color, RESONANCE, idiomatic cultuur.

Prose Poem:

TheBattle of Balenberg

“It was all about character.

Who was the freshest cadaver.

Super hard lap.

Slippery bikes, weighing thirty kilos.

And due to the repeated racing days,

This end-of-the-year period with cold, snow, mud,

Everybody at the limit.

In the race, we [Stybi and me], we could never close the tap.

[The faucet] always going full.

It was like we were in slow motion.

Lots of mistakes.

Never stable on the bike.

My spool of thread pretty much done.

Thank goodness I had a little bit of thread left.”

The line breaks and enjambment are mine. The words, of course, are boss.

From the boss of ‘cross.

The freshest cadaver.

If that doesn’t keep you motivated through the winter, then there’s no hope for you.

Thank you to all EuroCrossCamp coaches, sponsors, teams, parents, industry, and supporters, and to all the riders.

You guys were Character. Keep up the good work. Keep up the vision. Keep some thread on your spools.

Until next time,

GP

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