sorry, i sort of fell off the blogging wagon for a bit. Without doing a recap of the last month and a half, I had some terrible form, some decent form, and bad form again. Not surprisingly that meant a bunch of bad racing with a couple weeks of solid rides tucked in between. Now I'm done for the year after Univest, a race that I love and hope I can do well at one day. I'm pretty run down and happy for my off season to have started. Soon it'll be back to the grindstone for 2010. I'll try and keep this thing updated more often as well.

bland

sorry about the boring updates lately. maybe i can get some pictures or some good stories going.

I start tour of Namur tomorrow. 5 day stage race in Wallonia (french speaking part of belgium). Mid-length stages with plenty or 2-3 kilometer climbs and supposedly super hard. I'm excited to kick off what should be a good block of stage racing.

I've done some good training around here lately. I think I'm finally learning my way around well enough that I don't get lost as easily, and I'm starting to find the good training. It takes some effort but I've found some beautiful, traffic free roads and even some nice little climbs out in the flemish countryside.

crits with crosswinds

aka kermesses. done a few of those since i got back to europe. the form is good, but tactics, so far, aren't up to par. Missed breakaways by being too conservative, and by being too agressive. Frustrating since I have the legs, but kermesse racing ain't always about the legs. These belgies are just so crafty.

today, as a consolation prize, i smashed around the peleton and eventually got away in a group of 6 or 7. Then, i shocked myself by winning the sprint (and don't worry, the other guys were sprinting. They sprint for 30th here. actually, i think they sprint for 100th).

can't wait for some stage racing soon. first time i see a hill i'm going to be a happy bike racer.

just like that

and it's time to get back at it.

some mid season time off racing was a good thing, I have to say. Good times with family and friends? Check. A couple days off the bike and a few more pretty relaxed? Check. Getting back to training on my old roads? Check. Mini-camp at my home away from home in the Gaps? Check. Motivation to go hurt myself some more? Check. Bags packed? no, of course not.

Thursday afternoon I'll be back at the now very familiar Atlanta airport, Friday morning I'll be in Izegem ready for some more euro racing. Time to make the second half of this season count.

home

Back in Macon. Enjoying time at home and a little rest. Soon it's back to work to prepare for the rest of the season.

"Hey USA, you like Belgium?"

Pulled out of Fleche-Ardennaisse. Was in the winning move 75k in but had some problems with my knee after a crash a little bit earlier. When I first hopped up the adrenaline was pumping and i was ok, but once that wore off i was pedaling with one leg. Bike racing has a lovely way of stomping on the soul sometimes. But, I did get some cool pictures.

I love the roads and hills of the Ardennes. This race took in some of the same climbs as liege-bastogne-liege, and I hope to get a shot at the u23 version of that Monument in the next couple years.

I'm battling a case of insomnia right now so I figured I'd do a quick update on the last week's events.

Race Saturday-a 7 man breakaway got away early. I tried to bridge with two others. Went really, really hard-I could tell that was the winning move and if we'd gotten across I had a guaranteed result. Unfortunately all three of us blew up about 5 seconds from catching the move. Faded back to a second move of 10 guys or so. We were way out front and should have been gone but the breakaway got seriously dysfunctional and after 2 laps of attacking each other, then sitting up and coasting, we were caught by what was rest of the field. I paid for my early agression and blew up with three laps to go, placed 32nd.

Tuesday-big field, 200 riders on a very tight 12.5k course. We had wind, cobbles, no hills bigger than an overpass, small roads, and 12 laps for 150k total. The race was fast but never super hard. I did a good job of staying at the front but kind of raced like a wuss since I was having some stomach problems and didn't want to go to deep and dnf. Missed the breakaway with 2 laps to go but had a teammate in it. Just finished in the field. To prepare for the race sunday Noel had us do 50 more ks after the race. With the warmup I had 210k in. Really tough day.

Thursday-No race, but we did a solid training ride in the flemish ardennes with tyler farrar of Garmin/Slipstream. He lives nearby in Gent and is a former National team rider, now in the Protour and gearing up for the Tour. He was a really cool guy, easy to talk to and super down-to-earth. He even bought us pastries and coke. I'll definitely be rooting for him to take a stage win at the tour.

Now I'm resting up for Fleche-Ardenaisse. It's a 172k top competition race in the Ardennes, on the same climbs as liege-bastogne-liege. The numerous 2-4 kilometer hills suit me well so I hope I can have a good day, ride smart, and hammer out another result.

Then next week I switch gears back into classics mode-for the IWT Classic on Wednesday, a 1.2 with Professional Continental teams like Topsport-Vlaanderen showing, and then another top competition race Saturday at the Omloop Het Niuwsblad for Amateurs-(formerly Het volk). Both races are Belgian classic style-numerous bergs, both cobbled and paved, including the infamous Muur de Gerardsbergen. Not necessarily my style of racing, but I'm excited to race on such legendary roads.