July 20 Geluveld Kermiskoers
Geez, I spent 90 kilometers on the attack in one of the hilliest races in West Flanders. Last year, I attacked in the first kilometer and ripped out a 30 second gap before my heart exploded and the entire field passed me by the end of the next lap. Today I got in an early break with Baert and Tailleu from Soenens Germond, a Beveren 2000 (satellite team for Quick Step), Bodysole, and a Cerdi racer. Somebody obviously wasn’t happy to let the break gain much ground, and after forty-some odd kilometers of freedom and three primes to my account, the peloton brought us back. After about 500 meters in the field, I went with the counterattack, and the field let us go for good. Eventually rode across in 15th to end a good day. Go figure that by chance Gary Achterberg, my old director was there helping the US team and managed to get some sweet pictures from the race.
July 22 Izegem-Bosmolens Kermiskoers
Add another 80 km of breakaways to the tally. I got in with a giant breakaway of 15 or 16, and we rocketed down the road. I remember looking at my watch, and thinking, Are we going to do this for another two hours? An hour before the finish, the four Beveren 2000 and four Soenens Germond’s started attacking and the group blew up. I ended in a group of four going for 12th place. A short guy from Soenens kept attacking and I kept following, and finally he sat up and called me a klootzak. I attacked two kilometers before the finish and a giant Cerdi guy sat on my wheel. After yelling at him and swerving all over the road, he still refused to pull through and I decided losing a two man sprint was better than losing a four man sprint, so I did a two kilometer lead out for him. There was a turn 200 meters before the finish. I should have jammed on my breaks as we were going through the turn and let him practice some acrobatic moves. I’d have been 12th instead of 13th and one more guy would call me a klootzak. I hate it when guys don’t work.
July 29 Kermiskoers in the Ardennen
Drove to somewhere in Namen for a hilly race, only to flat after 15 minutes. My blood pressure doubled every minute I waited for the follow car and I was ready to throw my wheel across the cow field I was standing in. The rim’s already dented from the Pittem Interclub, anyhow.
July 30
Just for kicks, I came down with a cold last night while sleeping at the top of this mountain overlooking St. Hubert. Felt like the dead as we drove all over Western Germany looking for my ancestors. Ehlenz was a micro town in the middle of the hills that took three quarters of an hour to find. Later, while wandering around the chapel in Wolsfeldburg population 10 homes, a lady and her dog came fearing we were going to steal either one of the 9 chairs inside or the 3 euros in the collection plate. She turned out to know the history of the little mountain and a bit about my family that settled it two hundred years ago.
August 6 Oostnieuwkerke Kermiskoers
The Lithiuanians are slaughtering everyone now. Three times in the last week and a half they’ve swept the podium. It still bewilders me when we’re knocking ourselves out at 45 kph all day and one of them launches alone an hour and a half before the finish and wins by a minute. The second rode away from the break with an hour to go and the third—incredibly—bridges a two minute gap to the chase group alone in the final ten kilometers. Then wins the sprint for 10th. After making the breakaway, I killed myself trying to make the split when the breakaway started attacking each other, but it didn’t happen. At least I didn’t get dropped from the break. That would have been embarassing. 16th place; I’m starting to turn into the world’s most consistant rider—without a top ten yet.