For those who care about my Holland/Belgium stint.

[PeZulu]

You guys must be gay. Whose lookin at the guys arms when in the background there's a sort with the best set I've seen in ages.

Crack up Al... since your reply the number of times that photo has been viewed went from 15 to 46!!!

Checked out photo before I had scrolled down to read posts. Went back & looked again, how gay is that!

[csfive]

Im Back. Took some advice from those greater than me and chilled out for a week (5 of those days with no bike at all   )

Anyway, in between these days off I jumped back on for a crit. Wouldn't have done it but was told the course was one of the hardest and best crit course getting around so couldn't resist. And riders on the Rabobank roster were entered.

The course did not disappoint!

1.8km, rough, tight, REAL* cobbles, a hill   and 85 starters! Add rain to that and i was turning my knicks different colours.

I knew i probably wouldn't be able to cut with the guys today so went for broke. I was right about it not being my day but had a blast while it lasted.

I made the winning front group of 15 (race was in 4 groups by the 10km mark) and was chuffed.

Rolled through and did my bit and had great delight in lapping what remained of the 85 entrants. I had to call it quits at the 55km mark of the 80km but loved every sketchy, wet, cobbled corner the cause through at me.

Eventual winner came from the original 15 group that lapped majority of riders twice therefore leaving 55 of the 85 starters watching from the side line.

Had another few days off after that and now back into what will be a massive August. I have the option of riding 23 race in the next 26 days. Ill have to sit down and start selecting some.

Club race today then into big crits starting tomorrow with 4 in 5 days. Bring it on! Ill keep you posted, dont expect too much in the first few but hope to be flying in a week!

* real cobbles apposed to tiled cobbles that are much easier. Artson wrote a very good summary of cobbles to me but i managed to delete all of my PM's so lost it. Basically, some cobbles are flatter and more compacted than others making them easier due to no gaps between them and less raised.

[csfive]

Not a bad blog about one of our races from one of my Canadian teammates:

http://keirp.tumblr.com/post/899621428/blimey-that-was-one-hell-of-a-bike-race-tonight

[Matt]

Hey Mick you've given us a great run down on riders and courses over there but what about the equipment?  What are the frame/groupset weapons of choice?  Are there any discernable popular brands and how is the Merida holding up?  Do many (any) people run compacts?  Are there DI2's about?  Would be interesting to know.

[csfive]

Interesting Question.

Doesn't seem to be one 'stand out' brand. Teams ride sponsors bikes. Alot more of a selection of bikes over here. Some we dont see are: Batavus, Gazelle, Stevens, BeOne, Snel etc

It is different, the gold piece of equipment are your wheels. They cop alot of hits in all different angles on all different surfaces. Since riding here i have broken 7 spokes (5 on my sram wheels which i refuse to use now)

Noone seems to be on compacts, Murphs would be the only one that would get away with a triple over here.

Weight is not an issue. There are no hills so many of the guys save $$ on running equally and smooth/fast group sets but the cheaper equivalent. i.e - force, ultegra/105 etc.

Shimano is the pick of groups sets and have only seen 1 Di2.

They don't spend anywhere as much $$ as we do on bikes.

Merida is rock solid, it has taken a beating and is still as strong as Whitey's quads.

[WHITE]

Well spotted!

[Matt]

Thanks Mick.  After yesterday's effort on Blood I've decided in my next life I'm coming back Dutch.

[RUBICON]

And about 55kgs in weight!

[csfive]

Lost in translation.

1.6km, mix between biggest cobbles ive seen and the smoother tiled ones. Only 20tms  of hotmix. (enough to realise I was on it then it ended  )

70 starters, raining on the line but cleared up after 20 sketchy minutes.

0-10km = Very different start to this crit due to impossible wet cobbled corners. Every 4th rider was unclipping, overshooting or falling. This was dangerous so got to the front and sat in top 15.

10km = break of 7 went, i reacted but was in no mans land by myself for 2 laps. My team mate was one of the 7 so didnt matter too much.

15-55km = thought i was going to be sweet just chilling in bunch not chasing team mate but could not be further from it. Attack after attack (which was good cause knew break would not be caught)

55-65km = after the flurry of attacks, inconsistent pace and very hard technical course i looked behind to find that only 30 of the starting 70 could handle the pace.

70km = this is where my day takes a disappointing turn. The lap board showed 3 to go so was looking forward to a bunch kick for the remaining top 20 positions.

75km = with 2 laps to go and 800mts from home the peloton erupted, turns out the commie made announcement in DUTCH that the peloton would be sprinting for our finish when the board showed 2 to go due to the break needing the roads to be clear for their finish in 2 laps time. 

Not an excuse but i was not ready for the finish 2 laps early therefore was not in the correct position. Ended up a disappointed 24th because i was pretty keen for a solid top 20 or even 10!

Live and learn, just happy to get through the first 10km of wet cobbles and finish in the top 30 ($$) Rode the 2hrs 10mins home and was spent.

* I have been given alot of advice on tackling cobbles but todays one worked the best, "close my eyes and hope for the best"

[Hodgee]

You make me very proud Mick! 

[csfive]

Oops, 5 races since last post. 2 club races, 2 Big Crits and 1 Kermesse.

Quick no bells and whistles reports!

Club 1: 75mins + 3laps.
* lapped field with 2 others. Ended up 2nd.

Club 2: 75min + 3laps.
* lapped field with 1 other, ended up 2nd.

Crit 1: 80km
* Nothing but cobbles, the smoother ones on the straights and the chunky ones on half the corners  
* Started raining cats and dogs while sitting on the line. Sounded like 80 flat tyres at once when all the riders went diving for their valves to let psi out to gain better grip in the wet.
* lets just say that some didn't let enough out and didn't have the grip.
* It was sooooo slippery, I was taking no risks (felt soft). I can not afford a broken bone this far from home.
* the final straw that broke the camels back was a dude sliding out infront of me and narrowly missing my front wheel. I called it a day, a very rainy day.

Crit 2: 70km
* 1km short, sharp, rough circuit. Not even 1mtr of hotmix today.
* 8 x 90deg turns within the 1km lap   3 of them off camber claiming multiple victims.
* had to ride from front if there was any chance of finishing.
* Felt great today, attacked to stay at front. (not attack off the front, just stay top 20)
* like predicted, broke up early and 32 finished out of the 80starters.
* Didn't know if i was playing rugby or cycling at some points of the race, took (and gave  ) some big 'hip n shoulders' or "Renshaws" as i like to call them.
* got messy and broke up in the final laps and i got that elusive top 20 stepping stone. 16th in the end. Happy with that.
* great day out, rode to and from race giving me 170km day  

Kermesse: 110km
* easiest race report ever. But the most frustrating.
* Pi*#ing down all day. Rode to race from close by train station after 3 hours of travel.
* warmed up in heavy rain  
* began race completely soaked. Was not happy.
* 6km into race, after all that soaking warm up and travel I punctured  
* Neutral spares did not stop   think they were favouring the continental teams?
* that was my day, fixed tyre and rode to another train station somewhere (code for 'I got lost for 40mins in the rain') and headed home after a waste of a day.


Moving into the top 10 of the points scores on the various days at club.

http://velovrienden.nl/images/stories/downloads/Totaaloverzicht%20standen%20ZC%20NEB%202010%20Velosite%20.pdf

[PeZulu]

Translations R US:

Dinsdag - Tuesday
Donderdag - Thursday
Zaterdag - Saturday
Zondag - Sunday

[GrantF]

Oops, 5 races since last post. 2 club races, 2 Big Crits and 1 Kermesse.

Where's the wife while all of this is happening

[Patto]

I Pity the poor soles in A Grade this Crit season at Wyong... they are going to cop a serious flogging  

Oops, 5 races since last post. 2 club races, 2 Big Crits and 1 Kermesse.

Quick no bells and whistles reports!

Club 1: 75mins + 3laps.
* lapped field with 2 others. Ended up 2nd.

Club 2: 75min + 3laps.
* lapped field with 1 other, ended up 2nd.

Crit 1: 80km
* Nothing but cobbles, the smoother ones on the straights and the chunky ones on half the corners  
* Started raining cats and dogs while sitting on the line. Sounded like 80 flat tyres at once when all the riders went diving for their valves to let psi out to gain better grip in the wet.
* lets just say that some didn't let enough out and didn't have the grip.
* It was sooooo slippery, I was taking no risks (felt soft). I can not afford a broken bone this far from home.
* the final straw that broke the camels back was a dude sliding out infront of me and narrowly missing my front wheel. I called it a day, a very rainy day.

Crit 2: 70km
* 1km short, sharp, rough circuit. Not even 1mtr of hotmix today.
* 8 x 90deg turns within the 1km lap   3 of them off camber claiming multiple victims.
* had to ride from front if there was any chance of finishing.
* Felt great today, attacked to stay at front. (not attack off the front, just stay top 20)
* like predicted, broke up early and 32 finished out of the 80starters.
* Didn't know if i was playing rugby or cycling at some points of the race, took (and gave  ) some big 'hip n shoulders' or "Renshaws" as i like to call them.
* got messy and broke up in the final laps and i got that elusive top 20 stepping stone. 16th in the end. Happy with that.
* great day out, rode to and from race giving me 170km day  

Kermesse: 110km
* easiest race report ever. But the most frustrating.
* Pi*#ing down all day. Rode to race from close by train station after 3 hours of travel.
* warmed up in heavy rain  
* began race completely soaked. Was not happy.
* 6km into race, after all that soaking warm up and travel I punctured  
* Neutral spares did not stop   think they were favouring the continental teams?
* that was my day, fixed tyre and rode to another train station somewhere (code for 'I got lost for 40mins in the rain') and headed home after a waste of a day.


Moving into the top 10 of the points scores on the various days at club.

http://velovrienden.nl/images/stories/downloads/Totaaloverzicht%20standen%20ZC%20NEB%202010%20Velosite%20.pdf

[Chelsea]

Or who ever has to ride against him in the club championships

I Pity the poor soles in A Grade this Crit season at Wyong... they are going to cop a serious flogging