Formed in June 09, Here Come the Belgians is a non-elite anti-team celebrating all things cross, cobbled and Belgian.
Seeking a different experience to the traditional cycling club, its aim is to harness the energy of a vibrant internet cycling community with grass roots racing and riding based around Cyclocross and Spring Classics. There is no race programme in the style of a racing team, more a collection of individual experiences through rides and racing, in whatever location a member may be, that all can share in and contribute toward.

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Hier Komen de Belgen Bradley Woods

Well after the disappointment of missing out on Boggart Hole Clough due to illness I was looking forward to Bradley Woods. My cold was all but gone however almost a week off the bike left the legs and lungs feeling under prepared. I did
do a little skills training with Mark on the Saturday but this was interrupted when he decided to ride into the only set of goal posts in an otherwise empty field - I was paralysed with laughter for several minutes!


The course was excellent, technical with a little bit of everything; steps, tight and rooty, soft loamy/muddy, uphill, barely ride-able uphill, fast descents, a bomb hole, trees, in fact the only thing it lacked was flat sections!


Despite being gridded I had a poor start (need to work on that!) which was further hampered when I decided to go wide to pass a rider and collided with the rather obvious large tree - I shouldn't have laughed so much at Mark! The rest of the race was thoroughly enjoyable and absorbing - especially the bomb hole which was perfectly ride-able providing a) you carried your speed b) the rider in front didn't stall... The technical nature of the course was a reminder that there's always lots to work on in cross, I was well down compared to recent races maybe because of post viral malaise or a lack of flow/fitness, something that was emphasised as I crossed the line by a couple of fellow competitors asking "What happened to you?" If only I had had the wit/breath to reply! Still it was a very enjoyable race. Elsewhere on the course Mark and Nick had both taken different diversions to lengthen the lap, two of the leaders had had a 'heated exchange' following a collision resulting in a long run to the pits for one (no names, no pack drill) and Chipps had rolled a tub (I feel a crossjunkie tutorial coming on!) altogether a grand day out! There were no Belgian representatives in the seniors race though Tom Jolly (Jonathon and Flandrian Nicole's son) riding for Pedalsport won the Juniors - top effort! Jo captured some excellent photos again, check them out on http://www.flickr.com/photos/hanglebads/sets/72157625238625164/

2 comments:

  1. well done Rich and nice write up
    the heated exchange sounded right interesting!

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  2. sounds a good circuit and race. I hope its a little while until I come across something very technical....

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