Only home for one day and then back to Belgium. 3 of our athletes had been selected for the 3 world cups during the Christmas period. No physical support by the US Federation, so each team are on their own for these blocks .
A lot of logistics again to handle with lodging, vehicles, and schedules. The goal is to have a stress free block for our riders and for them not having to think about anything else than riding and racing.
We stay right in the forest of Lichtaart, the Mecca of Cross. Centrally located for everything and the famous training ground for most professional cross riders.
Since a very tight first week race schedule with the World Cups Hulst and Zonhoven back to back, we pre ride Zonhoven on Thursday and then Hulst on Friday during the official training combined with number pick, etc.
Some extra driving but since these two races are probably some of the most extreme courses technically it’s a necessity for the riders to be 100% confident on race day.
Hulst is one roller coaster of a course with some really steep drops and run ups. You have to be 100% focused all the time and a course with very little recovery. Some mud of course adds additional challenges.
Aidan started on the front row from his 6th place in Ireland which definitely is an advantage on this course. 17th on the day, respectable, but Aidan definitely was hoping for a top 10. Not an easy task with 90 starters. Jack unfortunately came down with Covid after the Nationals so had to sit this weekend out including any training.
Alyssa started on the 3rd row and after a great first half of the race slip back a few spots to 30th.
Zonhoven the very next day, it’s like getting punched twice. Two super hard races back to back and very short recovery time. We do everything possible to maximize that time between these two races.
Hulst has 2 very steep drops, Zonhoven has 2 very steep drops in deep sand, plus numerous other technical sand sections. 4 gradual up hills each lap so a very demanding course besides being super technical.
Aidan did not have a great start and a crash very early in the race, followed by a few more crashes and with very cold damp temps he eventually came to a stop at the pit and DNF’d.
Alyssa struggled physically and not feeling great even though she rode the course technically well she finally decided to pull the plug and also had a DNF. This sport is brutal and extremely hard mentally to start with, but when you add the pressure to perform, the extreme technical difficulties, and the skills at speed required at this level, it’s a humbling experience for most. Just have to pick yourself up off the ground and continue onto the next one.
Besançon, France was next for us, but not until next Sunday so appropriate recovery time- physically and mentally. Much needed.
We stayed 3 more days in Lichtaart. Refueling on all levels, cleaning, organizing, recovering, taking care of the equipment, and just having a few days to really get settled down before a long drive to France.
We even did some training in the Forest on Wednesday, skills and having some fun in the sand. I went to watch the Zilvermeers CX in Mol, one of my favorites and a very nice race, plus Mathieu even showed up.
Thursday morning we start the drive to Besançon. 7 hours with the camper and a car. Only Aidan and Alyssa with their dads. Jack stays behind and starting to feel better by now. His first race will be Loenhout on Friday.
Besançon is near the Swiss border so a very different climate than in Belgium. Colder temps and the ground is frozen. After we arrive at the B&B Hotel, we head out for a quick ride to shake the travels legs off. We managed to find a great route to the course/venue which was really helpful for the coming days. First impression was “a big course.”
Friday, we sneak in a lap on the course just to see the layout, very bumpy from the frozen ground and no one has really ridden on it yet, but pretty much fully set up. We also checked out some roads in the area, nice training roads, and a great day in France. By the time we got back to the hotel, several pro teams including Visma Lease a Bike were in the parking lot. The greatest female cyclist ever, Marianne Vos is staying at our hotel.
Saturday is the usual training on the course 14.00-16.00 and number pick up. Now everyone is on the course and it’s super greasy from the thawing. Just floating around and tricky conditions. The bikes got very muddy even just after a few laps.
Final dinner in France and then race day the next morning. Cold again and when the boys start at 9.30 still semi frozen, but the greasiness is appearing quickly .
Aidan gets a great start and in the top 5 on the first lap, a few mistakes and a chain drops puts him in 25th at the end.
Alyssa, again on 3rd row. Heavy course and now very muddy. Most riders are changing bikes every lap. 39th, not the World Cup season she has hoped for, but that’s being an athlete and coming back from setbacks often makes you stronger.
Quick clean up and 7 hour drive back to Belgium. An uneventful drive and everything went smoothly.
Jack is racing Monday night in Diegem, then Baal on New Years Day. Koksjide and finally Gullegem before heading home.
A successful race block logistically and thank you CycloCross Custom for the race support. A little rest now, then gear up towards the Hoogerheide World Cup and CX Worlds, another trip to France.