Balancing school, racing and a trip to Antwerp

USA's Chris Wallace racing in Belgium

USA's Chris Wallace racing in Belgium (Image credit: Chris Wallace)

My time here in Belgium has gone by very quickly and I am already headed back to the States on Sunday. I arrived here last Monday night/Tuesday morning and was unlucky like most of the other riders and had a long travel day with many delays. Luckily, I received all of my luggage.

Euro 'Cross Camp Director Geoff Proctor will lead the seventh annual cyclo-cross camp that will run through late December and early January. This year, seven juniors, eight under-23 and three elite racers will make the journey to Belgium to train and race over the Christmas and New Year's holidays in Europe. Of those, just seven are returning Euro 'Cross campers.

The riders will stay at the Under-23 House in Izegem, Belgium, and take advantage of all the infrastructure of the US Under-23 national road program run by USA Cycling's Noel Dejonckheere.

The camp has previously helped the careers of racers like current US National Champion Ryan Trebon, Jeremy Powers and Jamey Driscoll. Read these diaries for hints of who may emerge from this year's crop of three elite, eight U23 and eight junior racers as America's future 'cross stars? Coach Proctor and his riders will take turns contributing diary entries.

Elite Roster

Troy Wells (Durango, Colorado, USA) Team Clif Bar Brian Matter (Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA) Team Gear Grinder Justin Lindine (Maplecrest, New York, USA) BikeReg.com/Joe's Garage/IF

Under 23 Roster

Danny Summerhill (Centennial, Colorado, USA) Felt-Holowesko Partners-Garmin Zach McDonald (Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA) Stevens/Classic Cycle Jerome Townsend (Princeton, Massachusetts, USA) BikeReg.com/Joe's Garage/IF Steve Fisher (Bellingham, Washington, USA) Rad Racing NW/Hagens Berman Travis Livermon (Winterville, North Carolina, USA) Champion System/Cannondale Josh Berry (Portland, Oregon, USA) Unattached Joe Dombrowski (Marshall, Virginia, USA) Haymarket Bicycles/HomeVisit Joseph Schmalz (Lawrence, Kansas, USA) KCCX/Verge

Junior Roster

Chris Wallace (Shawnee, Kansas, USA) KCCX/Navigators Ins./Verge Skyler Trujillo (Fort Collins, Colorado, USA) Black Sheep Jr. Cycling Jeff Bahnson (Newark, Delaware, USA) Thule/Van Dessel Matt Spinks (Layton, New Jersey, USA) Team Plan C CX/Stevens Yannick Eckmann (Boulder, Colorado, USA/Ger) Clif Bar Development Team David Kessler (Littleton, Colorado, USA) Clif Bar Development Team Josh Lehmann (Weare, New Hampshire, USA) Sunapee/S&W/Continental Paving