Euro campaign round the corner

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I'm not sure how to begin a diary that lots of people are going to be reading... so I guess I'll begin by introducing myself. My name is Jonathan Page and my birthday is today! I'm 34!

While the road cyclists are winding down, getting ready to take a break, the cyclocross season, my season, is about to start! I've been racing cross for 15 years now! I raced many years in America, a season in Germany, one season in Switzerland and now, I live in Oudenaarde, Belgium (a few kilometres from the infamous Koppenburg) with my pregnant wife (due in January, just at the time of the World Championships in 2011), nearly-6-year-old daughter and three-year-old son.

We've spent bits of eight years here but five years ago, we made the leap and bought a house. My daughter and son were both born here in Oudenaarde and they both go to a Dutch-speaking school seven kilometres away. I ride for my own "team" of sponsors that I've put together with the help of friends and other sponsors over the years, the main ones being Planet Bike, Blue Bicycles, Edge wheels and Lazer helmets.

I've managed a win and several podiums in elite races in Europe, but the results I am most proud of in my cyclocross career are second at the elite World Championships in Hooglede Gits, Belgium in 2007 three consectuive national elite champion titles (2002, '03 and '04), eighth in both the Hoogerheide, Holland and Igorre, Spain, World Cups in 2009.

I left Belgium nearly a week ago to fly to Seattle, where I've done a few cross clinics, checked in with my trainer at HSP and organised all of my equipment that has been sent here throughout the summer, in anticipation of the start of my season.

I'll begin my season this weekend at Starcrossed in the States and from there I'll fly to Las Vegas where I'll be excited to see my family and friends again, see sponsors that I don't get to hang out with often, attend some fun sponsor events and race in Cross Vegas.

Then I'll go to Madison, WI, home of my main sponsor of three years, for the Planet Bike Cup. My last stopover will be a quick trip to Phoenix, AZ, to take my wife out for our eighth wedding anniversary before flying back to Belgium to begin my Euro cross campaign.

This year, I have a great opportunity. I've been given series contracts for each major series here: Superprestige Series, GVA Series and Fidea Series. In addition, I'll do all the World Cups and fill in with some of my favourite UCI races around Europe.

All these series races means that I won't be able to go back to America in December for the national championships this year. It was a hard choice at first but I am now confident that I've made the right decision to focus on my career over here and see what I can do.

I'll look forward to writing in every couple of weeks about racing and life in general over here during the cold stormy winters... cyclocross... ahhhh!

Thanks for reading,
Jonathan