Race Report 7/28/2003

Hello again. I am back at it again, I hope that all of you are still enjoying the updates. I have truly enjoyed writing to all of you after each race. I feel very fortunate to have so many supporters at home, it makes Belgium feel a bit closer to good old Madison.

I am writing to update you all on my last race, GP Wallonie. First, I need to give a big thank you to the ISCorp cycling team. I have forgotten to mention my team back home in maybe all of my diaries. That is a true shame. Last fall when I looked into coming to Belgium this summer, ISCorp…specifically the members of the board, were more than willing to allow me to race with ISCorp for the spring. My friends at ISCorp knew that I would not be in the states for the entire summer, yet their support was just the same as if I had been racing for them all year. Their support, not only morally, but also physically (a nice Colnago frame), has allowed me to focus on whats important this season…racing my bike. I cannot say thank you enough, I will not forget what everyone at ISCorp has done for me.

I also need to give a quick shout to my friend Nick Reistad. Nick is pretty much a superweek-freak. He is and always has been a HUGE fan of the entire series…this season he set out to get some big results…I think he had three top-tens…inlcuding a sixth place and two 8th’s…that would definetely be considered big results. Great Job Nick. One of these days you will get your butt over to Belgium and really learn how to corner!!! By the way, I want a freaking update…so get on it!

OK…GP Wallonie. UCI 1.7 180km, US national team. The race was an espoir world cup so that means hard, big teams, and yesterday it meant one word….GUTTER. The race started out really fast and really hard from the gun. There was knowone who wanted to chill out for 40k…I mean it was balls to the wall from the go. The race took 4.5 hours and I think I was in the gutter for a full two hours. I was almost certain that I would be off the bike after the first hour…I felt like crap. On one cross wind section the field split…in half…and I was in the back. I assumed that it was all over at this point, but not long after the split there was a big decent followed by a flat stretch. The race had 9 or 10 GPM’s (hills…basically) and they included one on the finishing circuit that was 15% for about a kilometer. I needed the 23 to BARELY get over it each time.

Honestly, I don’t remember a whole lot before the local laps…other than I felt like stopping the entire time. Funny thing is that I rallied and on the locals I found myself in a decent group. Pat McCarty had gotten into the break of the day (finished 13th) and that let the rest of us just cover the attacks coming from the pack. The pack really didn’t stay together to long…and on the locals I was in a group with Saul, and Stu…I think. We tried to make something happen and after a group of about 8 got away, we tried to chase a bit. I think we were all a bit spent, and Saul finished around 20…I finished around 30. The day was only OK.

On a good note…that was the hardest race I have done, but my legs were pretty good for the second half. It is a good sign that my fitness is coming around again, and one of these days hard work will pay off. That might not mean that I win….or I get a top-five…but if not, hopefully I can help someone else win or get a big result.

Well you know I am trying to keep these a bit shorter…I guess for the sake of not writing novels….but I get to this point and I just don’t feel like I have done the job in giving a decent update of the previous days race. There is so much emotion and pain in a race. I really wish that I could put you all into my head for a race, then you might be able to see what I am trying to talk about! Never-the-less I hope that you are enjoying, and I am going to try to bring better news with the next report. By that I mean…writing about a win. I am not going to settle for a top-ten or a top-five…how about a win? Why not? No reason not to go for the gusto! I suppose I don’t have anything to lose, so I will try to hang ‘em (yeah those) out on the line and see what happens!

Thanks for reading. Until next time, enjoy the bike and don’t be afraid to get lost.

bryan