To: coaching@cycling.org
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 17:06:41 -0500
Subject: Re: Racing In Europe
 

Belgium is the best country in Europe to race terms of number and location of
races. The weather won't always be great, but if you bring the right
clothes.... I'm sure you've heard that there are races every day of the week.
It's true. The level of racing varies, just like in the US. Some races are
slow. Most are fast. Almost every Belgian knows basic tactics like how to
ride in an echelon. They EVEN know  how to adjust the paceline according to
the constantly changing wind direction (yes, that is a jab at my fellow
American cyclists). You will learn there in two months what would take you 5
years to learn here! 

Start off slow. Pick slower races. When you first arrive relax and spin
around the countryside for at least three days before you race. After your
first race wait two days to recover while you continue adjusting to jet lag.
Once adjusted most riders prefer to race 3-4 days a week. You don't need to
train, besides active recovery, with all that racing. It might be good, if
you do race 3-4 days a week for a few weeks straight, to take a rest from
racing for a period. Ask some trustworthy Belgians about their racing and
training schedules.

Watch for tactical patterns in the first few races. After the first lap
memorize the critical sections of the course. Crosswinds, headwinds,
tailwinds, cobbles, downhills, tight turns, steep hills, all will play a part
in the unfolding of the race. Over there the best riders look at the course
in that way. Everyone hangs on for mercy while the smart and strong play
chess with the field. 

Learn about the local riders and teams. Teams are obvious, but there are
other less obvious groupings. It's fun to try and figure out if there are
combines. Usual suspects are those guys on different teams who always seem to
breakaway together. The same guys that you'll see hanging out together before
and after the races. It's normal to combine (we are social hunting creatures,
no?) and happens when your own team is ineffective, outnumbered, or
nonexistent. At the most basic level, you can simply agree with a friend(s)
that you won't work against each other and maybe work for the one with the
best chance of placing. This does not violate USCF reg. 1P2.(c)! Anyway
you'll be in Belgium, c'est normal. If you don't have a team over there you
could form your own combine of foreign riders! Combining is flexible. You can
do it at some races and not at others. As with a standard team you all should
agree upon prize splitting and general race tactics before the start. If all
that is overwhelming don't worry, you'll be fine racing on your own.
Especially armed with that knowledge.

In the races be humble and gracious, unless an obvious Belgian Butthead gets
too obnoxious. Then stand your ground. Learn all the dirty slang and use it
when you need to "express" yourself in the peleton. 98% of the riders will
leave you alone. Also be prepared to be refered to as  "hey Greg Lemond" or
"hey American boy." Just smile and ride them into the dust. Actually, if you
show any tactical sense, are smooth on the bike, generally friendly,  and are
not negative in your racing style (don't get a reputation as a wheelsucker)
you will get along with everyone.

Before you go over there prepare yourself by riding at 35mph in a gutter
while swerving at the last second to avoid parked cars (please don't really
try it and then sue me). Be ready for racing with almost incessant attacking.
Most courses are large multi-turn criteriums/circuit races. Hills are thrown
in here and there. You might race over some cobbled Classics climbs. Because
of all this you need to learn how to anticipate wind direction, cobbled
sections, etc. and know how to adjust your position in the pack.

Take a journal and write in it every day. I want to know what happens! Learn
some French or Flemish and take a few favorite books, food, music, etc. to
help with culture shock.

Oh yea.... get some really good bottle cages so you don't eject your water at
the beginning of the cobble sections. And go ride in some dry creek beds
covered with medium size smooth rocks for practice. I'm not kidding this
time!

Imagine being able to ride from your home to a local race with riders of
Cat.1/2/3 strength, but Cat 1 finesse and tactics. Five out of seven days you
could ride or take a short drive to a race and each time a different course.
Maybe we could get our clubs to turn the Bay Area into a "New Belgium." Every
town could have a Twilight crit or circuit race...

Shidosuru

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