Waver 1.2 Top Competitions
June 4, 2006
Fresh off training down in Monaco with my buddy Tyler Farrar, I arrived back at the packed U23 house in Belgium. I say it’s packed because we have 3 programs going for the U23 (15 riders), and 2 programs for the newly revamped junior national team program (10 riders). That’s 25 riders for a house that only has 18 beds. Yeah, pretty crowded.
Luckily 7 riders are in Spain racing so the house is just at 18 right now. Anyhow, Brandon McKeever, Ulrich Deyoung, and I were the national team riders for the Waver race. The race is 172k with 3 X 15k circuits at the end. With just a couple shorts climbs before the circuit, the race was basically just attack after attack. I was in several moves but nothing stuck. Once we hit the circuit, there were 20 riders up the road and we had no one in it. There was a 3k cobblestone sections just 2k before the finish of the circuits. After one lap of the circuits, I was sitting 15th wheel going into the cobbles. There was a big pile up about tenth wheel so I went hard right to avoid it. I almost did but just caught this guy’s wheel that jumped at me at the last second. I went down hard on the cobblestones. First my elbow hit and then my head. Damn, my head was ringing. I stood up and pulled the guys bike off me whose big chain ring had conveniently gouged into my left shin. Blood all over my leg. I got up and my bike still rolled freely so I got back on it. I rode eas
y until the whole peloton came by. With my head still aching I was pretty much just going to call it a day. After about half the caravan passed me before I finished the cobblestone section. Once on the paved rode, I took a sip of water and started feeling a little better. I decided to jump back in the cars and make a chase back on. After a few k’s in the caravan, I got back on the back of the main group. The 9 guys who were in front of the crash bridged up to the front group. Now there were 29 riders up the road and I was just looking to finish the day. There were also dozens of riders just up the rode from our group chasing the 29. I just rode towards the front and finished the race maybe top ten in our group. A few guys slipped away at the end so maybe I finished like 74th. I wasn’t hurt too bad but my helmet was from the crash. I guess it did it’s job though cause I cracked it in two places.
Next race is Sunday at Cras Avernas. I don’t know too much about it but it should be fun. Maybe some kermesses(local races) are on the menu for the week. Well see…
Then after some good times at the coffee/Pannekoeken house, we headed back to our town of Izegem. On the way we decided to sprint for the city limit sign.
Luckily I took it...
Tomorrow we are doing Cras Avernas 1.2. It's 200k's with pro teams like Lambowkrediet-Colnago, Unibet and Chocolade-Jacques. Should be a good time.
Waver 1.2 Top Competitions
y until the whole peloton came by. With my head still aching I was pretty much just going to call it a day. After about half the caravan passed me before I finished the cobblestone section. Once on the paved rode, I took a sip of water and started feeling a little better. I decided to jump back in the cars and make a chase back on. After a few k’s in the caravan, I got back on the back of the main group. The 9 guys who were in front of the crash bridged up to the front group. Now there were 29 riders up the road and I was just looking to finish the day. There were also dozens of riders just up the rode from our group chasing the 29. I just rode towards the front and finished the race maybe top ten in our group. A few guys slipped away at the end so maybe I finished like 74th. I wasn’t hurt too bad but my helmet was from the crash. I guess it did it’s job though cause I cracked it in two places.
