Last 2 races summarized.

My last two races in Belgium were GP Hassalt and Superpresige Asper Gaverè. Here are my thoughts and reports on both.

Saturday - GP Hassalt.

     I had watched this course before and new it would be very fast because it was so flat. The course had several 180 degree corners, 2 logs, sand pits, a ditch almost a bike length long that people ran/hopped, and a set of logs with a muddy section after, making the logs near impossible to hop. Near impossible ;) I pre-rode the course and felt very confident with what I could do. The first lap I was back in the high 20s because the race didn't use UCI points so I was at the back of the staging grid. I picked my way through riders and made it to a group of 3 battling for 13th. I stayed there, kept attacking and attacking. Top 10 was just 15 seconds up the road. Going into the last lap I felt fresh and knew I could get the group sprint if that was what it came down to. 

     I have never been more in shock like I was moments later. While riding up a slight climb my left pedal ripped off. I looked down and couldnt believe it happened. I was thinking "please be an allusion... A dream... COME ON!" I ran to the pits because the threads on the pedal were stripped, I couldn't screw it back into the crank arm. Just like that I found myself in 30th. A very emotional day for me because I was having my best race all trip and to have such a freak mechanical like that... was crushing. I finished the last lap and decided I would be a crowd pleaser. Remember when I said the logs were "near" impossibleto hop haha. Well the last lap I hopped them, I just had to live up to my twitter name "@Hoppin_Haley" 

                                          That ditch I was talking about...

Last race in Belgium - Asper Gaverè 

     I had the chance to pre-ride this course a couple days before with a local friend. He showed me helpful lines, where I should be at the start and such. He knew what he was talking about because I used everything in the race. The funny thing about the these courses is how hard they are. All trip I kept telling myself... "Ok, that was the hardest" one race later... "Ok, now that has to be the hardest it gets". I can now say, this was the most brutal course I have ever ridden. Mud that would rip your shoes off, make your bike 30 pounds, and flip you over the bars if you got out of line by an inch. The course had a lot of running, climbing, and descending. There was one decent that was famous on the course. It was off camber, steep, and turns all the way down. In fact, years back at this race Niels Albert put himself in the hospital for 2 weeks from a crash here. My good friend Tom gave me some advise for the  decent. He said "just close your eyes.. It will be over soon" haha that's about what I did. This was yet another feature that has made me scared. 

     I was 2nd row at the start. I found myself in the mix right off the bat. In top 20. Belgian and European champion Yanick Peters didn't have the best start so I sat on his wheel. He deserves the jersey he has. The man child ripped my legs off. I went into the long climb in 20th and got to the top in 12th. After the first lap I was 10 seconds back from the lead group with 7 guys. Yanick had slipped away from me and I was alone with 4 guys right in front of me. I have never been this close to the lead of a big European race. Down the pavement stretch I latched onto the battle for 8th but wasn't going to let the lead group get away that quick. I passed the 4 man group on the first mud section. I told you about how think this mud was, that was no lie. I took the wrong line for a second and found myself face first in mud. I got up quick but the 4 guys were already around 10 seconds up. A big difference about racing here is you can't make mistakes. I feel like in America you have time to recover, but here in an instant you can lose 10 spots. I was back in 16th on the second lap and stayed there for another lap. After my first wreck I couldn't seem to have a clean race, I kept making stupid choices and it bit me in the butt. I finished 21st. Although the placing wasn't what I wanted this race was mentally, very strong for me. I saw the lead of a Belgian race and I know what I need to do to make it there. 

     I have training on and off the bike to do if I want my goals to be a reality. Honored to go back In a month for EuroCrossCamp XI. Excited to do more European racing soon, and see that top 10!

Stay classy

-Gavin

My Trip to Belgium

    The past three weeks spent in Belgium have been incredible. Being able to have this opportunity to come here and live, breathe, and sleep cyclocross has been crazy. Coming into this trip, I was focused just on the racing, spending all my time and energy thinking about how I could go faster and finish better. The more I stressed about it, the worse I would race. After my finish at Zonhoven (27th), I told myself I needed to stop worrying about racing so much and just have fun. I spent more time at races finding new people to meet, and having a good time. After my first three races here, I really started to enjoy my trip.

People believe the most difficult part of coming to Belgium is the racing. I now know this isn’t true. Although the racing is top notch, the best in the world, it’s the everyday part that is hard. Finding roads to train on, trying to get the right food, being homesick, and other details most people would overlook. Some guys can handle it, others can’t. For me, it’s been an adventure. I’ve loved exploring how to talk in Dutch, and living the life of a typical Belgian teen. I walk into the town of Oudenaarde, Belgium, at least once a day, usually at the time all the kids get out of school. I try to eat at the places they eat, shop at the same places, and meet new people at the same time. It’s been enlightening to meet so many people who all know about cyclocross. I haven’t had to explain the usual, “Well, it’s mostly a race in the grass, and sometimes there’s sand and mud… Oh yeah, and you run over these planks called barriers…” Every kid already knows the sport and even have favorite riders and courses. Crazy, right? Above all, the training in Belgium is one of the best things. Bike paths are on every road with cars passing safely, and the drivers even give you thumbs up occasionally. It’s just awesome to live in a place where cyclists are respected.

Just out for a ride. © Gavin Haley

With my trip coming to a close, I’ve been racing better and enjoying it more and more with every race. American Juniors and others are having trouble because they expect coming to Belgium to be an easy transition. The truth is, it’s not. If you can handle being away from family and friends, you’ll excel here. Personally, it’s been fairly painless for me. I love the culture, rain, food and of course, the racing. I could live here one day for sure, and this is where I need to be if I want to be great. My time in Belgium has been stellar, and I hope I can come back in the near future. So when you hear people say “Belgium is an experience,” well, yes…yes, it is, but it’s up to you to make it amazing or terrible. My trip has been amazing.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

First 3 races in Belgium

Superprestige Ruddevoorde-

     This was my first ever race in Belgium and I couldn't wait to get to it. The course was awesome! It had several turns, flyovers, whoops, and staircases. The day of the race it was wet and windy. The tempature around 45-50 degrees. The race was  at 1:15 so at 1:00 sharp the call ups started. I was 4th called up in a field of 60 juniors.. Great! Nobody was expecting an American to be at the race. The race was started by a "green light" the officials said within 30 seconds it can turn green whenever. It began. I was having an amazing start, 3rd position when all the sudden I missed a shift, although It was a quick fix, there were still around 15 guys that passed me. The thing I love most about racing over here is how much contact you make. I bumped a kid off the course and after he was like "that's just racing man!" It's sweet. The first lap you couldn't pass to much, it was really just stay with the group because it was so fast. The 2nd lap I past a couple people moving up to around 18th. I ended up catching a group with 7 guys all fighting for the top 10 I was with them until 2 to go when the group just split apart. I stayed in 14th and finished the race strong. Was happy with my first result in Belgium. Josey ended up 19th.

B post KoppenbergCross-

     Koppenberg was probably the hardest course I have ever raced on. When talking to Niels about it he said sarcastically "ohh it's not hard, half up and half down". Which is true. You start at the bottom of the cobble climb (koppenberg), go 1/3 of the way up on cobbles, go back down, then go all the way back up in a grass field. After the grass climb I'm pretty sure you have 0 oxygen in you're brain, then you go onto a crazy decent with several 180 degree corners that are off camber. You're supposed to "recover" on this decent... Whatever. Then you are at the bottom again, ready to start another lap! 

     I had a bad hole shot considering the  front row call up. After the first corner I was maybe 20th, but after the first mud section I was top 8. Right were I wanted to be. We got onto the koppenberg. I passed maybe 2 people going up the climb sticking right on Yanick Peters wheel. When we made the corner off the climb some guy flew by me. Seconds later he slid out, I hit him and flipped. When I got back up my bike was attached to his and he was dragging it away.. I chased my bike down and got back on. The leaders were gone. I just fought the rest of the race finishing 19th and out of breath. Josey had some problems too and ended up 27th,

Superprestige Zonhoven-

 

     To describe this course all I'm going to do is give you a picture. I have never been scared to ride anything in my life until this day. Truth be told.

     

     I pulled up to that sand downhill and stopped. Just stared and took a deep breathe. I've learned with things like this you can't think to much, if you do you're probably in trouble. I turned around and just went into it as fast as I could. It was awesome. 

     I had an amazing start today, was 5th in the hole shot then passed two guys in the first corner. 

     After the 2nd corner... I looked up and I was in the pits. The rule is if you're in the pits you have to get off and take 2 steps. After that, once again I was 25 spots back. So instead of going into the sand downhill top 5 i was now 25 spots back. I found out half a lap later that my legs sucked as well. Josey flew by me the second lap and just destroyed me. I went back to 34th and stayed there until 2 to go when my legs actually started to feel normal. I made my way to 27th the last lap and finished there. I will be honest and say that i was disappointed with my race. I learned a lot though and that is important. I'm ready to go out and kill it Sunday at Hamme Zogge.