Barely There

Vermont, USA 26-27/07/2013 Pre/post shots of the Six Gaps ride, 220km, 4500m alt. All of the above were shot by the talented Antoine Coquard.

Hey man,Welcome to Ghent. You can hook up with the Scheldepeleton.I take it you have experience riding in peleton/large groups?Make sure you pay attention cause the path is used by other cyclists and pedestrians as well, make sure to signal fellow cyclists. Nowadays because of the good weather the peleton sometimes reaches up to 70-80+ riders, it's vital everyone knows what's happening.Rides are everyday starting from Zwijnaarde bridge (google maps: Adolphe Della Faillelaan crosses the river and, it's underneath the bridge, 'Zwijnaarde brug' just makes it easier)During the week every morning at 09:00 you can assemble for a ride along the Schelde to Eine (Oudenaarde) and return. Distance about 50km, up and down as much as you like.Tuesday night there's the Macpudding ride leaving at 18:37 at the Mac Pudding Tavern in Eke (about 10 k from Zwijnaarde bridge), groupride along the river and into to the countryside hills. The peleton waits on top of the 'climbs', avg speeds around 32 km/h. Depends on who's leading and the time of year, spring rides around 65 km, lateron might be 80 or 90kmWednesday night at 18:30, departure at Café The Meersbloem (google) 2km from Zwijnaarde brug along the river next to the Wouter Weylandt memorial. Race up and down the river. Expect breakaways, heavy chasing, echelons, avg speeds between 42 - 45 km/h. route distance around 45-50 km I thinkWeekends:Saturday and sunday, start at Zwijnaarde Brug at 09:15. Usually nice up tempo along the river, turn of at Zingem to head out to the Zwalm region (3-4 hilly sections). Racing start here in most cases, beware we ride on open roads (no trafficlights tho) which aren't secured and there's no motards or whatever blocking traffic. Sat and sunday parcours take on different hills. Return route is the same, exiting Oudenaarde ending up along the Schelde for the finalé, finishline on all the rides the whole week is at Café the Meersbloem.avg speeds depending on the season, 38-40km/h. Route distance +-75 km.if you have Strava, just explore segments and you'll find them really easy to find as well.Maybe see you soon, rubber side down!

Enough with racing in the sun, koala's and camels. Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is kicking off tomorrow and so is Spring Classics Season, time to embrace the suck. "Vo widder ist alle doagen koers."

Montreal, CAN August 1-17, 2014 Here's some pictures from my Canada trip, all of the above were shot with either a disposable camera or my phone camera so don't expect anything high-res. I think back often to these 2 weeks of cycling and hanging out with amazing people in the great outdoors of the 'True North'. I want to thank Amanda for putting up with me for 2 weeks, JR for showing me around the city and the surrounding countryside the guys in the Martin Swiss team, Croix De Fer CC, Bikurious, and anyone else I met along the way. Pictures from our 2 weekend roadtrips to Vermont are up next.

Kortijk, BEL January 19, 2014 After grabbing third place last year at Velofollies for riding up the Muur van Geraardsbergen on Tacx rollers we decided to try and compete every year, and so we did this year. Very happy to see Brecht showing up as well! I rode the qualifier in 2:15 and the finale in 2:16 taking second place this year (so hopefully first place and bringing home the bike next year). Brecht rode the qualifier also in 2:15 but lost some valuable seconds in the last meters up the Kapelmuur finishing around 2:20. Happy to see a 2/3 Scheldepeleton podium this early in the season :-) Good investment after all, the FxM podium cap!

Looking back on 2013, self-reflection was the key. I am glad that in the end all the negative things I had to deal with in my personal life had such a positive effect on an athletic and professional level. You could say I was saved by the bike. I would not be the person I am today if I hadn't met the people I've met and work(ed) and raced with. Life is a lot like bike racing, it involves a lot of losing and little winning but when you do, those small victories last the longest and will get you through losses like nothing else will. I've given up a lot of things in the past year but have been rewarded in return with new friendships, new experiences, a new job, a new relationship. This year I did not sat back quietly in the metaphorical peloton but took the initiative and went on several break-aways. I traded my retail management position and all it's benefits for a life on and next to the bike as a self-employed courier and mechanic, along with all (financial) risk and uncertainties. It took me halfway across the world to ride with an amazing bunch of guys. I ended up riding over 20.000 km's, in road/cross/track/TT. A lot of those kilometers I did on my own because of work, but it's the bonds made on the bike that got me out to ride even more on the weekends with some of the greatest and most talented guys I've met. It taught me a lot about myself and made me realize that the end is not nearly in sight. Barely there, and I can't wait what 2014 will bring. "I’d also been surrounded by a lot of other Cyclists who had delved a lot further into the sport than I ever had, and who had their own personal battles to fight. Some were up against alcoholism, others drugs, depression, or failed relationships. And on more than a few occasions, I heard the term “saved by the bike” quoted. Among all the turmoil, in the maelstrom of a life gone awry, their constant saving grace, the rock on which they could rebuild a solid foundation for happiness, or at least some form of normality – contentment, perhaps – was the bicycle. It was always there for them, silent, trustworthy, reliable, even if many other aspects of their situation weren’t. I wouldn’t hesitate to wager that it still is there for most, if not all of them. I know it is for me, and always will be. Whenever I need saving, I know where to look."

It's been a long while since I've updated this thing but I'll be sharing some pictures and stories soon. Here's a picture of our last ride of 2013 finishing up the Rapha Festive 500. A 30 year old Scheldepeleton tradition that still stands, cycling from Ghent to the seaside and back, this time we went all the way up to Cadzand, The Netherlands facing 6 beaufort headwinds and rain, jolly good fun and echolons. Left to right: Steven, Ron, Danny, Brecht, Thomas, JP, Bram, Yves, Jari, David, Michiel, me, Yann, Wim and Pablo Strava activity

TTT Geel. I was asked to join in on TTT in Geel last saturday with team Wielertoerist.be We were set out to start in a 6 man team but half an hour before the start one guy just didn't show up. We started out with 5, giving each of us less time to recover in the draft. We didn't have the chance to do course recon and 3 of us nearly got wiped out in the first hard corner, jumping over curbs, screwing up our starting order. Because of that Patrick tried to hang on as long as he could but being behind Jari, a semi pro racer (who won La Laurent Desbiens road race in Northern France the next day!) accelerating hard after every corner he had to let us go. We quickly recovered tho and kept pushing it hard and crossed the finish line in style, 4 in a row. Team Wielertoerist.be 04/40 teams 12" from the podium. 22km - 28'05" - 47km/h avg http://www.strava.com/activities/77209959

Team FxM, WAOD race Zomergem, Belgium June 2013

Seaside ride with steamtrain Ronnie http://www.strava.com/activities/74880562

This on repeat, all day.

Canada, I am in you. Hanging out in Montreal and riding around all day, every day.  Thanks to JR to for showing me around, siked to ride some more.