Best cycling trip yet

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Lance Haidet shows off his clean USA skin suit in the house laundry room.(Image credit: Dennis Crane/www.dbcphoto.com)

It's coming to the end of my trip with EuroCrossCamp and I have had a lot of fun. It's such a great atmosphere at the house, hanging with all the other riders. Especially when we are in a giant room of six people with a handful of other juniors in the room as well. It can get crowded and even feels like a party some of the time with the music and pranks that go on. Seems like we've grown a liking to messing with Tobin Ortinblad and almost feels like those beef jerky commercials "Messin' With Sasquatch". Even though it is a blast having six people in a room it isn't exactly the most ideal situation for sleeping. It can get a bit frustrating waking up in the middle of the night at times to Gavin Haley trying to talk to me in his sleep or Cooper Willsey snoring across the room. I'm not that innocent either. I've gotten complaints about my sleep talking and even snoring, which I didn't know that I did. With such a large number of people in one room it can be hard to keep track of your clothes and miscellaneous items like a left sock or glove. Trying to do laundry and organize your stuff that needs to dry can be difficult with 20 something people and only one washer and dryer. Or if you really don't want to wait to use the washer and dryer at the house you can go to the laundromat about 1.5 kilometers from the house. It's not the most pleasant place in the world but it's there when you need it. Probably the smartest thing to help the laundry dilemma was done by the Boulder Junior Cycling kids, Grant Ellwood and Chris Key, when they put up a clothesline across our room. At first I thought they were crazy and that it wouldn't be helpful. But they showed me wrong by having a place to hang a wet skinsuit or kit up after a ride or race. Last time I came to Europe in the summer, it was my favorite cycling trip I had done. But this camp topped that indefinitely. It's been a great trip and great season with just Nationals left. I hope to bring what I've learned here back the United States for Nats and crush it! All in all I feel very lucky to have been a part of this awesome room of people. I have loved this trip and hope I can be invited back next year. This has been some of the most fun I have had on a cycling trip yet!(Image credit: Dennis Crane/www.dbcphoto.com)

Even though it is a blast having six people in a room it isn't exactly the most ideal situation for sleeping. It can get a bit frustrating waking up in the middle of the night at times to Gavin Haley trying to talk to me in his sleep or Cooper Willsey snoring across the room. I'm not that innocent either. I've gotten complaints about my sleep talking and even snoring, which I didn't know that I did.

With such a large number of people in one room it can be hard to keep track of your clothes and miscellaneous items like a left sock or glove. Trying to do laundry and organize your stuff that needs to dry can be difficult with 20 something people and only one washer and dryer. Or if you really don't want to wait to use the washer and dryer at the house you can go to the laundromat about 1.5 kilometers from the house. It's not the most pleasant place in the world but it's there when you need it.

EuroCrossCamp Director Geoff Proctor will lead the eleventh annual cyclo-cross camp that will run through late December and early January. 10 juniors, four U23s and two elite women will make the journey to Belgium to train and race over the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

Racing for the campers will begin on December 22 at the Namur World Cup and run through the Baal Bpost Bank Trophee on January 1. A few of the EuroCrossCampers will stay a bit extra so that they can also compete in the Rome World Cup on January 5.

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 racers as America's future 'cross stars. Coach Proctor and his riders will take turns contributing diary entries.

2013-2014 EuroCrossCamp XI Roster

Elite Women Elle Anderson, San Francisco, CA, Cal Giant Berry p/b Specialized Courtenay McFadden, Bellingham, WA, Bicycle Bluebook/Rock Lobster

U23 Andrew Dillman, Fairdale, KY, Sophisticated Living p/b Bob's Red Mill Cody Kaiser, El Dorado Hills, CA, Cal Giant Berry p/b Specialized Tobin Ortenblad, Santa Cruz, CA, Cal Giant Berry p/b Specialized Logan Owen, Bremerton, WA, Cal Giant Berry p/b Specialized

Junior Grant Ellwood, Boulder, CO, Boulder Cyclo Sport Devo p/b BJC Peter Goguen, Hopedale, MA, RACE CF | racecf.org @racecf Lance Haidet, Bend, OR, Bear Development Team Gavin Haley, Louisville, KY, Red Zone Cycling Elite Chris Key, Boulder, CO, Boulder Cyclo Sport Devo p/b BJC Ian McShane, Louisville, KY, Sophisticated Living p/b Bob's Red Mill Ethan Reynolds, Boise, ID, Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team Austin Vincent, Simsbury, CT, RACE CF | racecf.org @racecf Josey Weik, Wrenshall, MN, Red Zone Cycling Elite Cooper Willsey, Hinesburg, VT, Cyclocrossworld.com/Cannondale

EuroCrossCamp schedule: Thursday, 19 December – Riders arrive in Belgium (fly in to Brussels) Sunday, 22 December - Namur WC Sunday, 22 December - Waremme (for racers not racing in Namur) Thursday, 26 December - Zolder WC Thursday, 26 December - Beernem (for racers not racing in Zolder) Friday, 27 December - Loenhout bPost bank trofee Sunday, 29 December - Diegem SuperPrestige Wednesday, 1 January - Baal bPost GP Sven Nys Thursday, 2 January – Riders depart for U.S. (fly out of Brussels) Friday, 3 January – USAC Selected riders fly to Rome Sunday, 5 January - Rome WC Monday, 6 Jan – Riders depart for U.S. from Rome