Business time in Belgium
It's Sunday. It's Belgium. It's business time in Tervuren.
It is Sunday, Jan 2nd, and you know that it can only mean one thing, we are going to race bikes, it is business time. How do you know when it is business time, well because it is Sunday, and that is usually the time when we go to bike races. There is nothing good on Belgium TV, none of your friends want to Skype because it is too early in America, and Geoff has written your schedule on the business. Ah yeah, it's business time.
You wake up and go downstairs to eat some breakfast. This is very important for business time. Then Els tells you that you need to take out the recycling, this is not part of business time but is also very important. You come back in and Sean says some thing very sexy like, "I don't think you are going to get lapped today". He is wearing his cx camp shirt, "EURO CROSS CAMP NUMBER EIGHT!".
You stumble towards the truck and you trip, nobody notices, so you turn it in to a dance move. Glen then finds the keys and you turn your dance party to the road. It is business time Tervuren. You find yourself only wearing a skin suit and business socks. You know those socks mean business, that is why they call them business socks.
We take to the start line and wait for the stop light to send us into the muddy woods, wonder what Robert Frost would say about this. You look up and see you are running right behind Sven Nys. Then he gets down to business. Sucking wheel for two, sucking wheel for two seconds. When you are sitting on Sven's wheel you only need two seconds because he is so intense.
Its business time, ooh, yeah, next thing you know you are riding in the woods when you sink your front wheel in the deepest rut, endo and slide face first down the course. The crowd is silent, ah yeah, business time. You get up and say "Is that it?" Ah yeah that's it. You say, "I want some more", well I am not surprised, but I am quite tired. Two weeks in Belgium is better then one week in Belgium.
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This year's Euro 'Cross Camp will feature a total of 20 riders including four elite, seven under 23 and nine junior cyclo-cross racers. Some of the riders are veterans of previous camps while others are new.
It is the eighth year that Camp Director Geoff Proctor is taking young (mostly) American cyclo-crossers over to Europe to gain more experience racing in and near Belgium. The opportunity gives them the chance to experience cyclo-cross at its highest level with races at two World Cups. They'll also get to compete in several national-level events.
"Domestic racing is great, but you still have to go to Europe for the highest levels. If you want to be the best in the world, you have to go race the best," said Proctor, who is a school teacher in Montana. He's also a member of the UCI's Cyclo-cross Commission.
Riders will arrive on Thursday or Friday, December 16 or 17 and depart just after the New Year. Expect daily blogs from the riders on their vacation adventures.
Euro Cross Camp VIII Roster
Elite men
Sean Babcock, 28, (Kona) Ryan Knapp, 27, (BikeReg.com) Ryan Iddings, 27, (Redline) Mitchell Hoke, 23, (Cliff Bar Development Team)
U23 men
Danny Summerhill, 22, (Garmin-Holowesko) Jerome Townsend, 22, (BikeReg.com/Joe’s Garage/Scott) Steve Fisher, 21, (Rad Racing NW/Hagens-Berman) Chris Hurst, 21, (Unattached) Joe Schmalz, 21, (KCCX/Verge/Challenge) Zach McDonald, 20, (Rapha/Focus Cyclocross Team) Cody Kaiser, 19, (California Giant/Specialized)
Junior men
Yannick Eckmann, 18, (Hot Tubes Development Team) Jeff Bahnson, 18, (Van Dessel Factory Team) Gunnar Bergey, 18, (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes) Bjorn Fox, 18, (Clif Bar Development Team) Kolben Preble, 18, (Clif Bar Development Team) Jeremiah Dyer, 18, (Champion Systems/Cannondale) Zane Godby, 17, (Clif Bar Development Team) Cypress Gorry, 17, (WEB-OP) Andrew Dillman, 17, (Red Zone Cycling)
Euro Cross Camp VIII Race Program (subject to change)
Wednesday-Friday, December 15-17: Riders travel to camp Saturday, December 18: Lichtervelde Sunday, December 19: UCI World Cup-Kalmthout Sunday, December 19: Maldegem Wednesday, December 22: Team Training Race (Ardooieveld) Saturday, December 25: Beernem Sunday, December 26: UCI World Cup-Zolder Sunday, December 26: Balagem Monday, December 27: Super Prestige-Diegem Wednesday, December 29: Azencross GVA-Loenhout Thursday, December 30: Sylvester Cyclocross-Bredene Saturday, January 1: GP Sven Nys GVA-Baal
