A week in between

We had a week in between racing so we've been and will be in Sittard for the remainder of the trip - Fitland to be exact:)  The days have been filled with food, yoga, riding, food, laundry, small excursions into town and just getting rested up and prepared for the next block of races which start on Sunday with Gelderland.

We race Fleche Wallone on Wednesday, then Borsele on Saturday before flying home on Sunday, so lots of racing in a week.

Here are some pictures of the fun....I mean work I've been doing....

 Heading into the square for some shopping...

 Cruisin the streets....

 My room...

 Breakfast, lunch and dinner....

 All smiles...

 This is just what we do....

 House planning in her spare time...

 The square..

 We had dinner out one night, Thai food, it was amazing!!!! Hopefully heading back the middle of the week....

 More shopping...

 Dinner supplement....

 I'm a happy gal...

 Dinner party...

 Walking out of the square back to Fitland...

 Walking...

 Kendal and I...

 This isn't a tree, it's art...

 Signage...

 Dunno?

 People gettin around...

 Beautiful buildings...

 We are headed that way...notice no sun?

 Scooters!!!!

 Skate park...

 The view of Fitland from the road....

 Walking...

 Common area of Fitland for us....

 Common area....

 This restaurant area is connected to the our eating area...

 A USA Cycling function...

 Important people....

 This was the press conference announcing the USA Cycling commitment to Sittard for the next years...

 Steve Johnson - USA Cycling CEO

 Official signing...

 Peter Winnen - he was telling a story about an American cyclist that he was second to in a race and basically talking about the connection of countries with the love of the sport as a binding factor.

 I thought it was cool....

 Staircase in the hotel - beautiful!

Rental

 More of the staircase...

 Awkward Euro cycling photo:)

 Signage...

 Massage room...

 These were at one time the same color.....wash fail....

 Birthday celebrations are always fun!

Birthday BOY!!! 

So yes, that was a lot of pictures, I'm trying to capture it all!!!

Watching: Eurosport - all kinds of different sports on!

Listening: Ron White, Behavioral Problems

Eating: Burritos! Good job Fitland kitchen.

Reading: Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Website: race guides.... http://europeanwomenscycling.wordpress.com/raceinfo/

Energiewacht Tour

 Wednesday started the Energiewacht Tour for us with 109k of crosswinds and so much more.  The entire bunch was stopped twice due to a train running on the tracks we raced across, then a draw bridge was raised due to a boat going underneath - there are lots of dykes here with lots of barges and tugboats.  THEN we were taken off course and into everyday traffic and we had to turn back on ourselves, it was all crazy! AND the funniest part - we almost took out some everyday grandpa going out on his bike for groceries and never heard us coming - poor guy!!!

  Usually you have to worry about big Dutch girls, crosswinds, how close you can ride to the side of the road before teetering off the edge at high speeds, road furniture(curbs, pedestrian crossings with poles in the middle of the road and round about things) and crazy girls just taking wheels out from underneath you but that first day added so much more....you just gotta laugh at it sometimes. I finished in the 3 group of the day - not great/not bad.

Day 2: more crosswinds, more gutter riding for 103k.  Today I made it to the second group, progression, baby steps.  

Day 3: Double DAY! We woke and left the house at 7:15 and made it home at 8:30 - long ass day.  Kmac and myself went to recon the tt course just to have an idea of what to expect.  I really enjoy the tt’s over here, more technical, not just uphill and you have to really plan your ride right - it’s just harder.  Plus small roads, crosswinds, bike paths, paver finishes - FUN!  Another cool thing, you have your very own moto, so you don’t have to think about were you are going, just follow that guy in front.  I finished 26th I think, I was mostly happy with the performance.  Then it was time to warm up, get changed, start recovering, transfer to the next stage - 77k road race.  

The road race was narrow and more crit like, big laps with a fast finish.  I think by the photos on twitter, 2 girls crashed into the canal - full of water!!! COLD!!!! Poor things.  Anywho, I surfed to the front on the last lap and it was an intense finish, my life was in my hands it felt like! hahaha!

Day 4: 134k of crosswinds, gutters and big girls.  Bad positioning = 3rd or 4th group, then we worked to catch the next group and just worked it till the end to get the race over with, other wise it would’ve been a 5hr day! But it was still good racing and good for me in the long run - I know it.

Day 5: 99k - 7 laps of a cool circuit, mostly through town.  We tried like hell for a break and Ruth got away and a group bridged to her - SUCCESS! She was 6th on the day and tickled to death as were we.  She is a good kid and a great teammate.  

Afterwards, it was time to change, then head back to Sittard - 3hr drive.  Once here at Fitland, unpack, eat dinner, get the plan for the week, shower, BED! We will be based here for the rest of the time here in Europe.  

 The hallway for one area of the Fitland hotel....

 Service course....

 Another room of the service course...

 Ruth's vest post crash....

 Resting in the Bungalow...

 Our mechanic, Mirerat....

 Our swanny, Andrew...

 Team car, friend's t-shirt(mudbugs) representing the dirty south!

 Patriotic beet juice;)

 Double day lunch in between the races at one of the hotels in town....

 The Bungalow bathroom....

 Bungalow living room....

 Entry way....

 Kmac and I roomed together....

 Stairs to rooms....

 Kitchen.....

 Another room, 3 bunk beds;)

A very important piece of clothing so far....it's cold.

Reading: Wild From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Listening: Sarah Jarosz, Come on Up To the House

Watching: the wind blowing! 

Eating: whatever they serve us here at Fitland - yum!

Website: Skype! 

Flanders/Dottingnies

We arrived on Friday, flew from the US on Thursday morning which didn’t leave a lot of room for recovery before THE biggest race or ONE of the biggest races of my year - Flanders(Sunday) but that’s ok, go with the flow and see what happens, you never know.

We drove from the airport to the Holiday Inn Gent Expo, got in a ride, lunch, dinner and just general figuring out where I am and what time it was.  Saturday we rode in the am and recon’d part of the Flanders course, I forgot about some of those cobbles;) hhaha.

Sunday was the big show, lots of excitement and nerves and back in the Euro peleton which was a small shock but once you relax and take what is given to you, you just deal with things better.  I almost ate shit 2x’s, heard lots of crashing, hauled butt down the sidewalk on a descent, then figured how to bunny hop back into the group - the usual over here.  I had poor position going into the Molenburg which meant running a bit of it.  Try that, cobbles, cleats = slipping a lot and loosing precious wheels and time and that about did it for me for the day.  I made connection with a small group and held on as long as I could, which was when we hit the last climb with about 20k to go.  I lost contact and it was just myself and Edita(Pasta Zara, we raced together on Colavita in 2011) till the finish.  A real shock to the system but that’s ok, it’s Flanders! And even though we had a touch of snow, cold temps and I felt like I could’ve fallen asleep while putting out 350watts - it was FUN!!!!

Janel and Kmac had a great race(in my mind), they finished in the front group and worked together  - from what I could hear on the radio in my ear.  Emily and Ruth were right behind me in a group.

The good thing, there is lots of racing in this block - 6 races! And one was the very next day after Flanders.  We stayed at the hotel Sunday night and drove to the race on Monday - Dottingnies, Belgium(1hr south).  We arrived to sunshine and hella crosswinds - oh boy!  We previewed the first ‘climb’ and the last 1k of the finish just for an idea and after seeing the start, we knew that the first 5k would make or break the entire 115k race due to narrow roads, climb and crosswinds.  Sure enough, that’s what happened, I made it across to the break and lasted till the last lap and missed the attack from that break - game over.  I’m still searching for my Euro peleton balls;) to put it very impolitely:) but I will find them, I’m confident. 

Ruth crashed unfortunately, Kmac pulled the plug and it was just Emily and I that finished.  Hey guess what, one day off, then we do it all over again:)!!! Today is Tuesday, we are in Sittard, Netherlands at Fitland - USAC home base but we leave in an hour to drive 3hrs to the Energiewacht Tour bungalows for racing starting tomorrow till Sunday.

Photos....

Headed to LAX to start the trip *note the time*

 Welcome to Brussels...

 My view for a long time....

 Recon for Flanders...

 Race profile...

 More studying....

 Camera shaking cobble section....and that's IN A CAR, can you imagine on a carbon bike, carbon wheels?  This is a trip worth taking and riding the course if you ever have the time and money.

 The fans, reminds me so much of Nascar!

 Breakfast #1, cereal, fruit, yogurt, milk, coffee.  Breakfast #2, eggs, bread, more fruit, more coffee

 Pre race smiles....

Race bible and number....

Listening: The Allman Brothers Band, Soulshine

Reading: Silver Linings Playbook

Eating: WAFFLES! When in Belgium right?

Watching: The wind blow and tulips grow;)

Website: google maps of Sittard