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January 30 January 29 January 25 January 23 January 22 January 15 January 12 January 10 January 3 January 1 January 1 December 31 December 28 December 23 December 20 December 19 December 17 December 14 December 11 - GvA Essen December 6 Sinterklaas day here in Belgium! We asked Emma to explain to us what the kids do as a tradition. She said "I don't understand it...they put 2 beers-no wait-maybe more than 2-in a shoe for Santa and Zwarte Piet and a carrot for his horse, but ummm...is that a good idea? Because won't Santa be REALLY drunk to leave presents and ride a horse?"
Grand Prix Julien Cajot in Leudelange, Luxembourg 12/5 - 3rd place Had a great weekend! Aachen Christmas market on Saturday with the family then raced today in Leudelange, Luxembourg in the snow! I sucked the first half, for many reasons, some of which were my own (dumb) fault. Once I finally got going, I felt like my old pre injury/infection self! I actually rode fast and hard! It was great! BIG thanks to Franky for making the trip down today!!! Next up: Italy. Wednesday.
December 2 I went sledding down the Koppenberg with Emma, Milo and Cori today! WAY more fun than biking up or down it! THAT is why I am happy about the snow!
December 1 There's snow on the ground here and it's STILL snowing and it's cold enough that the snow will STAY! I can't believe it! I'm very happy!
Superprestige Gieten 11/28 Lots of guys went down hard today on the icy course. I was one of them. Bruised but I think I'm ok. I'll be sure tomorrow. Thanks to everyone for cheering me on and also for all the messages asking if I was ok! Guess you could see how bad it was on tv...ouch.
World Cup Koksijde 11/27 hmmmm. more cramping today in the world cup. i'm looking forward to gieten super prestige tomorrow...i think.
Asper-Gavere 11/21 A step in the right direction today at the Super Prestige: Despite 24 hours of um, er...intestinal problems, causing 4 laps of full leg cramping, I raced 2 laps in the lead group before I was dropped and joined the chase group (at first, place 6-12, then 8-10) until the final lap where I made one huge mistake which cos...t me a few spots and plenty of time! It'll all come together soon!
GvA Hasselt 11/20 Today's start was a MESS! I flew out of my pedal a split second before another guy right in front of me did and we both narrowly escaped crashing in the 1st corner pileup!...and then there was another soon after! guys were trying to make up places too quickly. I opted for safe and passed a lot of guys but just could no...t close the gap to the 2nd group. Shut it down toward the end. Hoping for better tomorrow...
Hamme-Zogge 11/14 3 HARD races in 4 days were too much for me...as seen today! but i am still happy with the weekend and still happy that my back seems to be healed! and i'm also happy that even though half of oudenaarde is under water, we seem to be ok! thanks for all the cheering today...a very tired jonathan. A step in the right direction today at the Super Prestige: Despite 24 hours of um, er...intestinal problems, causing 4 laps of full leg cramping, I raced 2 laps in the lead group before I was dropped and joined the chase group (at first, place 6-12, then 8-10) until the final lap where I made one huge mistake which cos...t me a few spots and plenty of time! It'll all come together soon!
Dottignies 11/13 - 4th place 4th place in Dottignies today!!! Another muddy, rainy day! Very happy with the result. Very happy that I am coming back. Hoping I continue on this good path! Thanks to Franky, Willem, Anthony, Cindy, my family and all the supporters out there today who endured the nasty weather to help me!
Niel 11/11 Phew. An ok result on an epic day. I finally got going midway through the race and made my way to 12th. Could see 10th and 11th. Wind blew a plastic barrier into my derailleur and snapped it off so I got to do a little unplanned jog with 2 laps to go...I lost some places and finished 14th. But I FINISHED and my back is... in 1 piece so I am on the comeback! Thanks for all the support today!
My Blue bikes "It's electric!!! (booooogy woogie wooogie!)"
11/8 Just got back from what I hope was my last doc appointment for a while for my back and hips! Had more problems than first thought a few weeks ago (pelvis, L1 and 5 and a couple of the T's) but I am really hopeful that everything is back to normal now, just in time for Niel, Dottignies and Hamme on Thursday, Sat. and Sunday!
11/4 Just finished a photo shoot for Great Britain's Cycle Sport and Cycling Weekly, together with Helen and Stef Wyman, at the good old Donk in Oudenaarde! Good fun! Good people! Nice falling leaves. Perfect start to the day.
11/2 Despite the result yesterday, the Koppenberg was a success. I started well, and was able to finish- even though I am far less than 100% and even though like most, I had plenty of mechanicals and a good crash. But the greatest part was that I had a big turnout of good friends and loyal supporters at the tent afterward! ...Thanks to everyone who supported me! Hard time now but I will be better soon. Niel is next. Nov.11.
First race report of the season 2010-11! The first Super Prestige was yesterday, in Ruddervoorde, Belgium. Sunny, warm weather, you can imagine the turnout!...or maybe you can't. Lets just say it's lucky that racers have their own parking passes and parking area because a friend of mine that came to watch the race, had to park about 3k away from the entrance to the race! There were people packed along the entire course, sometimes rows deep. Pretty incredible. They had TV cameras on booms, sliders and ATVs as well as on a helicopter that was flying REALLY low to the ground! YIKES! I didn't have time to notice much else other than that. I had my hands full. I had planned to have a great start there and not have to play catch up like in every other year there since I can remember. I had a second row start and managed to hold that without a problem. BUT, in the very first corner, I had nowhere to go as a couple of people colided and crashed, and I was forced into the barriers and had to stop. I wasn't hurt and I think I was the first one out of the crash but by then, there was a gap between me and the leaders and I was somewhere around 25th I was told. Within a half lap, I managed to pass enough people to be about 20th and by midway through lap 2, I was riding alone in 12th, chasing hard to catch a group of 3 chasers. I had a really good ride through the beer tent sand pit at the beginning of lap 3 and closed the remaining seconds on that group of 3 right then and there. They sat up and appeared not to want to work to try to catch the lead chase that was within sight so I attacked and went for it. I was in 9th, alone, and remained there, trying to chase down the next group. Soon, Klaas Vantourenthout, Enrico Franzoi and 2 others, joined the group of 3 behind me and were chasing me down hard! I held them off until a lap and a half to go and then they all passed me and I found myself at the back of that group, in 16th. I fought to 11th, 3rd in the group at one point but just kept slipping backward. I stayed ahead of just one guy, who got dropped in the last half lap. In the final sections, giant whoop-de-dos, a difficult section for me, I was just hanging on to the back and so I managed only last of the now group of 6, for 15th place on the day. I am really happy that even though I got stuck in the crash at the start, I was able to catch back up to where I did. I'm also really happy that despite having a group of 3 and then later 7, chasing after me, I was able to hold them off alone, until the final lap and a half. Overall, it was a good performance, just not the result I was hoping for for the effort. This week I race in Aardooie, Belgium on Thursday and then Friday, we're off on a family road trip in the mobilehome to the World Cup in Aigle, Switzerland! It's Emma's 6th birthday on Sunday as well, so we'll have a crown and a cake along for her. Any of you there at the race should stop by the mobilehome for a slice! Thanks for reading. Happy to have the site up and going again! Until Thursday...
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