Cross Worlds Y3 Report #3

Reports #1 + #2 are posted on the Frontrunners Blog: http://frontrunners.blogspot.com

January 21, 2005

MOL, Belgium. Masters World Champs

Post race. Simms and I decided not to do the long haul back to Zeddam tonight (and back here in the morning) and are in this great hotel/dorm up in Hoogerheide. This was a great investment.

This was my third year racing the World Masters Championships in Mol and every year that I have been here is has been exactly the same. The course has not changed. Starting with about 400m of pavement and then into the deepest and softest sand that you can imagine for 100 meters then a combination of a lot of turns, sand, 2 sets of 6-7 stairs and a narrow-narrow track with little to no passing room.

You pay your 12E and you are off to the race.

Despite what my final placing was I had a great race. The biggest part of this race is the start and I had a little bad luck at the start with a horrible call up 4th from last. This is totally random with everyone being called up in a totally mixed order. Great start from the back row and I moved up quite a bit before the chaos on the first sand section. There were endo's crashes and swearing (in four different languages). I was moving up most of the race but had one bad section where I made some errors and was passed. Wendy said that I was getting stronger at the end. I think I was in the 16to19th range but we could not stay for the final results. Bigger and more important for me was that I did not get passed by the first guys in the 30-34 group which leaves before us meaning I got to complete the whole race for the first time. I was pretty pumped. Did not ride the big sand section that I cleaned in practice as my handlebars kept slipping on the sidewalk to sand transition so it did not give me confidence. Was really pumped on my race though. The body really forgets how to suffer after not racing for 2 months.

Right after the race finished I found Wendy and we headed out to Hoogerheide to pick up race numbers and attend the managers meeting for the world cup race. We JUST made it in time and found Canadian Team member Ryan Hopping wandering around the parking lot hoping someone....anyone would show up from the Canadian team.

I decided to not race tomorrow at Wiljrik. The trip to the race without Corey as a navigator and with trying to fully help Wendy and the other Canadians it was just a bit too much of a push. My cross season has come to a close.

At the Mol race Wendy got Corey a great Flemish Lion Flag from a spectator.

Ryan has his own web site that you can check out his reports on his trip so far: www.hoppingalong.tk

You can check out a great photo collection from the Masters race in Mol at www.cyclocross.info There are a few pictures with guys just bailing in the background on the first sand section.

Oh yeah one last thing.....the rumour is that Masters World Champs may be held someplace in Canada next year after being 13 years in Mol. Do you think it would still be $12 if it is?

All for now.

Normon