A BALANCE OF WORK AND PLAY

Stormy weather, perfect lets go fat biking

Wow long and behold I'm back, after a long hiatus it's time to get this blog up to speed. Truly a year of ups and downs but really what year isn't. After my last blog post, my season has been on rocky ground, From what was coming to be a great season with  the legs finding fine form, a spanner was soon thrown in the works and saw all that building come crumbling down. A heavy crash whilst racing left me unable to walk almost 3 weeks and off the bike for 6. I am only now finally getting back into racing almost 3 months down the track. It wasn't just a physical battle but really a huge mental battle. Why do i do this? do I want to be left in a wheelchair or better yet worse in the sky? over and over in my head reasons to just stop. So finding the motivation to get back on the bike was hard, making things worse was the timing, right in the main part of my season...

THE CRASH:

Placing me smack down on the cold tarmac. Krommeie crit just above Amsterdam. A fast and technical course only 1k in total with stones + speed bumps ( in the corners) this was going to be spicy. "Let's do this" off the front hard charging. Countered by a break of 6. Damn missed it!! Ok lets bridge the gap, another rider and I, jump from the pack. Coming hot into the corner. BANG my tyre explodes,  Ah shit there comes that speed bump at 45k a hour. Ah shit there comes the ground......

Yep that's me doped up on Morphine after getting flipped from my bike and landing straight on my head and hip. From the initial pain and look of my watermelon sized hip, it was initially thought that I had a broken hip. Though after further scans and 2 days at the hospital. I was cleared YYEWWW no broken bones just carted out on a wheel chair and told I had some  weeks of bed time to deal with. 

THE DOWNTIME:

Following the crash, I made my way back to Germany as I needed full-time care and that just wasn't available here in Holland. I am most grateful to have my girlfriend who put up with all the complaining and moaning, bloody bed sheets and stinky wounds, gee what a handful I was.Though sure enough over time I got better, 3 weeks in I was walking again and almost 2 months later I was back in the saddle. In this time I still tried to move as much as possible even be that a  10-minute walk around the block or some extremely slow tentative yoga. Coming from exercising every day to being bed ridden, any bit of movement was like a gift from the gods.  Anke and I did a road trip to Switzerland as an excuse to get me out of the house. That was bliss, huge mountains and just  fresh air, a shame I still couldn't ride though.

But I needed that time to just stop, get my state of mind right and take a look at where I was and what I was doing, to be grateful for the opportunity.  I mean really I live in Europe in my new home Den Haag such a beautiful, happening city. I race my bike all around Europe and over the past months have been working as a Barista at Lola bikes and coffee and Totzo Den Haag which has been a great side note to my cycling.

There has been a lot of new friends made, beer drunken, Concerts raved at and just all round good times.

Some sneaky alley cat racing:

THE COMEBACK

Once I was back on the bandwagon I returned to Holland to try sort out some things. Upon returning I resumed work at the cafe and made small steps back into training. As all eager cyclists do I returned to racing much too fast, lining up for a  UCI 180k road race, sure enough, I was blown out the back quick smart. Really I had lost all speed and lacked base work. It was time to go back to basics. After a few more small criteriums I took a 2-week trip going through Belgium to do a few Kermesse's and touch base with the coach along with some stealthy wild camping. The weather was just too good to pass up the chance to camp and in Europe you never know when your next sun dose will be.

Monster crit, keeping active up front

Beverwijk crit

Deinze Belgium

Da Fest Germany (Milky Chance)

Afterwards, it was straight on to Ludwigsburg, Germany. Being back in Ludwigsburg was a perfect setting to get those base k's in the legs, finding no struggle to hit the road for 3-4hrs. It was unfortunately too Anke and I last week before handing the keys over from our apartment, our lease was up. 2 years done and dusted phew that went fasssstt.. it will surely be missed. Nonetheless, we soaked in as much as possible, visiting our favourite eateries,bars,parks, exploring and catching up with friends,it was a nice farewell. A quick race in Belgium and I was back on the road to Holland.

Lommel Belgium

Here is a picture of me at my last race in Belgium Lommel, I was stuck between the break and the peloton. The late break of 4 went 80k in,  I hesitated but eventually jumped after another rider though we were about 50m apart and 2k or so off the break.  Edging closer after chasing for 10k I was red lining, time trialling is definitely not one of my traits, with just 20m to the group, the rider in front of me made it and then the 5 picked up the pace and left me flying solo, I just couldn't go up a gear anymore. 30k still till the finish I had a good gap on the peloton so I tried my luck at taking it to the end but eventually got caught with 10k to go, my lights were out. Rolled in for 33rd in the bunch and the other guy who made the gap went on to win..... cruel sport. Although upsetting, it was a good tester of form and I'm happy that the legs are finally getting some fire back in them.

Just as I was putting the final touches on this post. I had a day off from the cafe yesterday and it was beautiful weather so I drove to Belgium again after 2 weeks to race in Temse Velle. Found myself in a 100k breakaway, with BMC and Cibel boys. Of the original 15 man break we reduced it to 10 after several attacks, it was awfully exhausting as nobody wanted to work together. Coming down to the last 10k I was drawing my last cards keeping up with all the counter attacks till I just couldn't hold anymore. I lost contact coupled with another rider and rode in for 8th. So was a little redemption after my last race in Belgium but at the same time frustrating.

Temse Belgium, leading the break

Now with only 2 months left of the season, I am just trying to recoup my season which was lost and cram as much racing in as I can hoping to finish with some nice results. Summer is fast disappearing, its already cooling down and starting to rain more often, was a shame there was no real Summer this year :( but as I said its Europe so you never know..

As for what's on the cards next that is totally up in the air at the moment. Tag along and just enjoy the ride ;) Thanks to all of you for your support and reading. It can get lonesome out on the road and I do miss knowing what is happening with all my friends and followers so leave me a message or comment, so I can do some reading too :)

A down under paradise

2016 well albeit 3 months in, excuse my late reporting !! with another season and a smoking fresh new team.
This year I'll be flying the colors for a Dutch-based team Restore Cycling another top competition team. So I will be privileged to try rub elbows with some of the pros for another season, hoping to make more of an impact.

So after the highs and lows of 2015. I spent a peaceful 6 weeks off the bike, extended a bit due to my crash out of last season. It was great downtime to get in touch with my social life and just kick back and think of something other than cycling. Amongst some weeks touring around Europe, I made a quick impulse decision to come back to my homeland Australia to spend my Winter training.

 It was quality time spent with family & friends whilst also being able to get a good solid training base in with no distractions of snow, rain and the whatever else the European winter throws at you.  Back down under I was usually found on the local group rides, down at the track, In the gym or just kicking it with friends.  Off the grind was usually spent working back  at Active Health clubs, for a little pocket change for the coming season.

Upon arriving back in Europe it was and still is a headspin, barely gathering the time to take a breath.

here's an example of what my schedule has been over the past weeks:

Arrived: Munich, Germany 3days
- Ludwigsburg, Stuttgart 4 days
- Holland 1 night, medical for cycling license
- Stuttgart 2 days
- Mallorca, Spain Team training camp. 7 days
- Stuttgart 4 days
- Belgium: Vollezele race. 2 days
- Holland - 3 week
- Germany - 1 week

So life on and off the bike has been, let us call it "turbulent".

Let's review:

Australia = 🚴🌞 🌴

Next stop Mallorca, Spain. Cyclist Heaven. 7 days spent with the team exploring the vast island from its rocky climbs to its coastal flats. It was a great block of training to feel out the legs and the new team. Although I was carrying a sickness over that period there was definitely some quality rides put in.

Spain: 🌄 ☕

LET IT ROLL>
12/03/16: Ronde van Zuid Holland 170k classic.74th/180 riders. The weather was bliss although a bit nippy, the sun made up for it. This would be my first introduction into Dutch racing best known for its winds, I was quite luckily though that it wasn't in full force. Besides a few rookie positioning errors and dodging crashes and road furniture, it was basically smooth sailing, coming down to a Bunch sprint which unfortunately the legs couldn't turn on the afterburners for. This was where the small positioning errors turn big and came to bite me in the ass. This happens when you have used all those little efforts making better positions or holding on in the echelons when you could be sheltered in the pack. Though all in all not a bad first Dutch race ;)

19/03/16 Rotterdam Championships Criterium. It was a frustrating 2nd. The legs were in fine form but once again the head was in the clouds. I missed the early break, then set sail trying to bridge solo, Realising too much energy was being spent I opted to go back to the peloton in which seemed to be working well.This was till I was caught and then, basically no one or less than I could count on one hand, were willing to do anything. With the break almost a half lap ahead, this was STUPID... It was just time to put the hammer down and drive the front not really the best way to save energy but there's no need to save energy if your not going for the podium. Eventually, as the gap shrunk the pack came to their senses and worked together to catch all but one of the breakaway members within 2 laps to go. The lone survivor managed to hold for the win, I came in 2nd with my team mate trailing behind for 3rd.

26/03/16: Ronde van Bruinisse. 33rd/120 riders.

short/tight/aggressive crit racing Dutch style. With a bustling field  of 120 fighting for position on the small cobbled town streets of Bruinisse, it was Hell stupid of me arriving at the start line late and starting dead at the back. On a 1500m short course, there wasn't much room for overtaking so  I basically used over half the race getting anywhere near the front again. Coming into 5 laps to go I had finally gotten back near the front but the candles were already burnt. The final gallop to the line saw me falling short in the middle of the peloton. So some good feelings in the legs but a lot of tactical work to be done.

Next race on the cards will see me racing back in Germany at schwarzbräupreis zusmarshausen. This was a race I competed in last year but was of no success, so ill be hoping to get some revenge. So till next time thanks for reading, hope everyone is enjoying the new year and are out on there bikes :).