Back To Belg

Just dusting the cobwebs off this blog, it's been a while.

Ah yea so I finally arrived back to Belgium late Friday night after 25 hours flying, 14 hours of waiting at airports and a 2 hour train ride. I still hate flying. Such a long hard trip and not having an isle seat on any of the plane rides meant I was stuck in my seat for most of it. The hardest leg was definitely the Melbourne to Dubai, 14 hours of boredness. I luckily managed to sleep for quite a bit the journey though so it didn't seem to long and I was feeling pretty fresh for the rest of the journey and it helped me stay awake on the train ride down to where I am staying. I'm living back in the house I lived in last year in Lendelede but this time 6 people will be living in it. The place has been 'renovated' but it is going to be very tight living with 6 people. At the moment there are 3 other guys living here; one Aussie and two Poms. I want to move to one of the other houses but my mate from back home who is riding for the team arrives here on the 19th May and he's staying here at the house and I don't want to ditch him cause it's his first time in Europe so I'm not sure what I'll do at the moment. I think it's gonna be way too tight living with 5 other guys, cause it's pretty cramped as is at the moment. She'll be interesting.

I had a good sleep the night I arrived but I woke up just before 7am the next morning and felt fresh as. Mum told me to take these jet lag pills cause she kept saying "They are amazing!" and they are pretty amazing, felt so good the next day and felt good for the whole day. I just had to build up my bike cause it was in pieces so that took up a bit time and I went down to the supermarket in the morning to get some breakfast and lunch stuff. Seems quite funny how quickly I have picked up on things again like with last year I was sort of scared to go outside cause I didn't know where to go or what to do and it was freezing cold but now I know everything. I just woke up, got my things, hopped on the bike and rode down to the supermarket like I had done just yesterday. I didn't even have to think twice what side of the road I had to be on. It feels like I was here not to long ago.

Went for a nice ride today. First time in a few days so the old pins where a bit stiff but the loosened up after an hour. The wind is pretty cold but the sun is really warm so still have to dress warm. Really keen to get some racing under my belt, just have to wait maybe a week so I can fully recover from the flight and everything.

I think I might have a little jet lag because it was my time to cook tonight and after my ride I was about to head down to the supermarket to get some stuff and one of the boys at the house asked me if I was going to the supermarket and that it was closed, everything closes on Sunday. I remember this from last year but I had no idea it was Sunday today. I thought it might have been Saturday or something but I had no idea what day it was, all I know is that it's the 4/05/2014.

The renovations to the house is there is now an upstairs. Andrew has cut a hole in the roof and put some pretty dodgy home made stairs in that creek super loud and the hand rail doesn't have sanded edges it's just a square 2X4 so it's a pretty sharp hand rail. I have my own, sort of, room with a double bed so I'm not complaining about that at all. So you go up the stairs and there's a small room with cupboards and a drying rack in it then you go through a doorway with no door and that is my bedroom. My bed is just a mattress on top of a homemade wooden stage sort of thing. It's really high up and it's got no bottom so there's a heap of bike bags and things under it. Then if you keep walking straight there's a door and that's where the rest of the guys are staying. There's two single beds and a bunk bed in there. So yea it's pretty nice that they gave me the big bed in my own room. I do snore a little bit so I think it was a smart choice for me to have my own room. Where we slept last year is now the dining room so you get a nice view of the bog while eating your food.

Yea, everything is going alright at the moment. Keen to get riding and racing again. Really want to smash these races and pay off all the training I have done. Weather has been pretty good too, just blue sky days. Still pretty cold in the morning and then it slowly warms up by midday. Oh yea, I'm pretty sure I saw David Bain at Auckland Airport too with his Mrs. He wasn't wearing a snazzy jumper so I'm not entirely sure it was him but I'm 80% sure it was. Nice to see old Uncle David.

So yea

Thanks for reading

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Yea, sorry for the late blog. I was out all day yesterday at a race and I didn't get home till late and I still had to have dinner and then I was too tired to write this. It's a rainy day today so it's a good opportunity to clean the house and bike and write a blog. So yesterday I had another Pro Kermesse yesterday in Viane which is just over an hour drive away from where I live. I checked weather the night before and they were calling for rain so I packed all my wet and cold weather gear but it turned out to be a pretty stunner day. Cold but the sun was out. I hadn't been riding too much this week because the weather has been pretty bad with rain all day and real high winds and also a bit of lack of motivation. It's getting pretty boring being by myself so I am moving up to the other team house soon. But yea, at the race I wasn't feeling to motivated and my legs were feeling quite meh and heavy so I wasn't quite sure how I would go. The first couple laps I just cruised in the bunch but I was just not motivated at all. As the laps ticked over and a few things started happening like splits and break aways, I started to feel more motivated and excited and my legs started to come right. It was a real windy day and the course had a few long hills in it (well long for a Belgium so the longest was about 400m) so there were a couple big splits in the bunch. I decided to try have a crack at catching a split up one of the small climbs so I tried drilling it on the front and I formed a small bunch with about 5 other guys but we got caught pretty quick. That attack I did though cracked me a bit cause when I looked down my heart rate was at 202bpm and my lungs and throat were screaming! I think the cold air was effecting me a bit cause my lungs and throat were so sore and then I started tasting blood and had lots of mucus so I might be starting to get sick which is not ideal. It took about 35min for my lungs and throat to stop hurting. While I was trying to recover, a small group managed to catch up to the break up the road. Later on I tried having another crack to try and catch up to the break with a number of other riders but no one was working in the small break and we got caught not long after. We all got pulled out not long after cause the break wasn't gonna get caught. Luckily one of the riders from the team had bridged across to that break and finished the race which is a good result for our team in a Pro Kermesse. Just a couple more Pro Kermesses and then home time. In the mean time I'll just do some local kermesses.
But summer has definitely disappeared. All of last week was pretty much rain. It would constantly rain all through the morning until later that afternoon and it would be too late to go for a ride and I just wasn't motivated to ride in the wet. It's gone freezing cold now too. Last last Thursday it was boiling hot at over 30 degrees! And within a week it has well halfed that temperature. At night it gets down to single digits.
Gave the house a solid scrub down today cause I was bloody bored. Never seen this place this clean.
Just gonna do a local kermesse on the weekend cause there's no team race this weekend.
So yea. That's basically it. It's just bloody wet and cold and windy here. Sucks. Not long though until I'm home. Counting down the days.

Thanks for reading

Nick

Hectic But Awesome Week

This week has been a pretty fun and hectic week with 2 races and a music festival.

I went out to a race on Tuesday to try and win some money cause I'm nearly out of it. I had learnt from other races that a breakaway very rarely gets away in the first couple laps so I had decided to stay in the bunch and do nothing for the first couple laps. Sure enough, a bunch of guys smack it right at the very start of the race. I just thought "psssh, this isn't gonna work. I'm just gonna sit here and let everyone chase it down." But the break kept getting further and further. After a while I thought "shit! This break is gonna stick so I have to catch up to it!" The bunch was never working together to try catch the break but everyone wanted too attack the bunch and go solo which never works. So I tried doing that... I tried going solo and stupidly enough, some guy was sitting on the front of the bunch and chasing me down and once he caught me, he and the whole bunch sat up. It's so frustrating and stupid because the bunch is willing to work together to catch some lone rider who is trying to bridge to the break but they won't work together to try and catch the breakaway. I don't understand some of these Belgy riders. They frustrate the hell out of me sometimes. I tried a couple more times with some other riders but we just kept getting caught. The break was long gone so I just thought "screw it, I'm just gonna use this race as some good training" so I just sat on the front of the bunch and rode the front. Yet riders were attacking each other and other riders would chase that person down... Don't get it at all! Ah well. I came out with more money than I went it there with so all good. It was good training leading up to Thursdays Pro Kermesse in Izegem. 

It was a bloody hot day on Thursday topping over 30 degrees. It was so hot riding especially with our kits that are black. Had my shirt unzipped for the whole race. It was a bloody tough race too. Legs weren't feeling to fantastic at the beginning of the race and the pretty much stayed like that. Only managed to last over 70km but in that 70km we average 45kph which is fast for a kermesse that has a lot of tight corners. There were about 230 starters and I think when I dropped off there were only about 130 left. Managed to avoid a big pile up to that took down about 30 riders. It was a pretty hectic race but good fun.

Then on Saturday, Tom and I meet up in Antwerp South for the music festival 'Laundry Day'. Had been looking forward to this day for a while. The festival was all set up outside with about 6 or 7 stages including the main stage that had all the headline acts. It was awesome to be able to see all the famous artists that you see on the TV or computer play right in front of you. So yea it was a pretty awesome day.

My computer is skitzing out at the moment and it's taking ages to write this blog so I'm just gonna call it. 

Got another Pro race I think on Monday.

So yea. Sorry for making it short. My computer is not liking me at the moment.

Thanks for reading

Go the All Blacks and Team New Zealand for the sailing!

Nick

Pretty Lazy Week

I've started this blog pretty early today so I've got no pressure of writing and publishing it before everyone gets up. So yea, it's been a pretty lazy week this week. Haven't raced since last Saturday but I did some good training and I've two races this week. Racing tomorrow at a local kermesse and then another Pro Kermesse on Thursday. The race on Thursday is in the town that I basically live in. It's in the town of Izegem and I live in Lendelede but I live closer to the center of Izegem than the center of Lendelede. After the race all the guys from the team are coming over and having pizzas and just chilling out which will be pretty sweet.
So I've got nothing really to talk about this week cause I haven't raced yet so it could be another short blog if I can't think of anything to say. Well, Taylor is back in NZ so I'm ol' Nigel-No-Mates for the next little while. I'm going to head over to the Zottegem house with the other boys some time so I don't die of boredom.
Next week I think I should have a pretty good blog cause I would've had two races and I've also got that music festival this Saturday with my mate Tom so I'm definitely looking forward to that. Been counting down the days for that for a while now.
It's just over a month now until I get to head on home. A few more big races left in the season. Nothing too exciting has really happened in Lonely Lendelede. One of the chickens keep escaping and I think he might get the axe cause he's escaped so many times and I think he's ripped up a heap of the grass on the outside of the chicken fence so I don't think Andrew will be too happy. I don't think Andrew has seen it but he's just got home right now so he might see it now. There's some road works up the road that are quite annoying cause they've closed the road off... Yea, not a lot happens in my area and a small change in the town I think excites a few people cause they're not used to change.
I've been looking at the computer for about 5 minutes trying to come up with something to say but not a lot has happened this week so there's not much to talk about. Oh! New tv show is on; Modern Family. Better than Road Wars with the British Police. This kinda just made my day.
But yea, I'm gonna go finish off my mince pie that I made a few nights ago. Is good kai my pie.
So yea

Thanks for reading

Nick

It's been a pretty alright week this week I guess. Had two Pro Kermesses but it decided to bucket down with rain on both the days for some reason. The first Kermesse was on Thursday but on the Wednesday, Taylor and I went for a light ride and finished our ride at the cafe. We were sipping away our coffee in the sun next to the canal and it was a bloody nice day. Then the next day the weather decided to throw a curve ball at us. At the race it showered then stopped then rained then stopped then showered. It was a pretty tough race with a long 700m climb every lap (700m is a long climb in Belgium). The break got away in the first couple laps and none of our team was in the break so we decided to sit on the front and drive the bunch to try and catch the break. We weren't too successful and we got pulled out of the race because the break got too far ahead and we were definitely not gonna catch them. I wasn't complaining because it was pretty dodgy riding on the soaking wet roads. There were a couple crashes but I managed to keep out of trouble.
On the Friday we went back to the same cafe after our ride cause it was another awesome day. Sat out in the nice hot sun again, tried to work on our arm tan. Then the next day we had another Pro Kermesse and yup, it was pissing with rain. It was completely pouring with rain this time. It was a real scary race with lots of tight corners. There were only about 80 odd starters which is tiny for a Pro Kermesse cause there are normally well over 160 starters at a Pro Kermesse. My back wheel was sliding all over the place and I could often feel my front wheel slide a bit which is really bad. There were a couple crashes around the corners but I managed to avoid them. I think I might of laid a fresh one in my chamois a couple times after going around some of those corners a bit too fast. I slowly found my way at the back because so many people had dropped and pulled out. I didn't notice that I was at the back for a little while. I was getting a bit nervous around the corners and so were a number of other riders. The rider in front of me dropped the wheel in front of him around one of the corners so we lost contact with the bunch in the cross wind section. We didn't get back on. It was pretty scary race with barely anyone finishing. A lot of good riders pulled out before the finish so it goes to show how hard the race was. But I managed to survive both rainy day races without a graze on me.
All is going pretty good I guess. Watched the All Blacks defeat the Aussies again which was pretty awesome. Haven't watch any rugby in a while.
Went up to a big party in the town that I live in and they had set up a big main stage and the AC/DC tribute band called IC/TC played for a couple hours. They dressed up exactly like AC/DC and were dancing around like them. It was something different to do and it was quite cool to join in with the locals.
Yea, I left my blog a bit late so I'm kinda rushing it. But yea, nothing too exciting has happened this week. Just same old same old I guess.

Thanks for reading

Nick

A Really Really Quick Update

So it's just another quiet week here in Belg. This is probably gonna be a quick blog cause nothing really happened this week. Just been at home by myself cause Taylor was off racing. Pretty disappointed that I didn't get to do the tour because I've the bad race I had last week. It was a selection race so it was a bad time to get major cramp in my hamstring. Hopefully I don't cramp up that bad again cause that was the most painful cramp ever. Up and onwards I guess. I'm really looking forward to home. Starting to miss home quite a bit now so I'm just counting the days. There's no more Top Competition races now so we are just doing the Pro Kermesses. I'm going to a music festival with my mate, Tom, on the 7th so I'm really looking forward to that, counting down the days to that!
Taylor is heading home on the 28th so I'll be old Nigel no mates for a little while. I'll probably head over to the other house in Zottegem for a little while so I don't completely lose my mind. But yea that's pretty much it. Been a pretty boring lonely week. Got a bit lost when I rode my bike into France the other day but I managed to get back into the right country with all the weird people. When mum and dad were over here, mum and I were having a good laugh people because what the wear. Especially on the weekend, the Belgy's love to dress up and go into the city center and have a beer or wine at a cafe. We were sitting at a cafe in Kortrijk just people watching and mum and I were cracking up at the amount of guys that wear their fancy dress shoes, nice ironed pants with their crisp new collard shirt tucked in and a jumper on their shoulders. The thing that made us laugh the most is the jumpers they wear on their shoulders cause in the movies and stuff, the people that wear jumpers on their shoulders and the arms tied together around their neck are normally rich knobs that play tennis all day in their big backyards behind their mansions. So many people wear their jumpers like that even if it's 30 degrees.
But yea that's pretty much it. Just have another Pro Kermesse on Saturday so hopefully everything goes good there. Just looking forward to home now.
I forgot to put up a picture of the BnE pie I made when mum and dad were here. Mum told me to put it up so here you go mum.

Thanks for reading

Nick

Mum helped wrote the 'yum' 'pie' and did the 'choice' the fern just appeared somehow

One of the kermesses I did

Nice Holiday With The Parents

The last couple weeks have been a pretty nice, cruisey week. On the 31st July I flew over to London to meet up with mum and dad and spend a couple of days looking around London with them. Hoped on the Tube and headed in town and man was it hectic. Being completely squished in the tube with heaps of other people and the streets were just mental with people and cars and sirens. So many ambulances! We got on the double-decker tour bus and cruised around the London sites. Got to see all the classic things like Big Ben, London Bridge etc. So much walking too! Not used to walking so much, I sit on my ass for a living so my feet and legs were killing me. Also had a look around Winston Churchill's Bunker which was really fascinating. The next day, London turned on the weather for us and it was a clear-ish blue sky day (Bit of smog, not like NZ blue sky) and really hot. We went over to Buckingham Palace to say yo to the Queen and had a walk around some park. We couldn't stay for too long cause we had to catch the Euro Star over to Brussels at 2 so it we couldn't have more of a look around London. Had another pint with the whanau in a English pub, so I can tick that off my list, before we headed on the train. I really liked London, I wouldn't mind going over there for 6 months or so and working in a pub and travelling around Europe or something for a bit of fun.
Picked up the rental car from Brussels train station and we drove back home sweet home. The next couple of days I showed mum and dad around Belgium and we went to Brugge and Ghent for a look around. Dad and I had a few classic Belgium beers and we sat in some nice cafes next to the canals. It was nice to have a couple beers and be able to relax with the parents.
Then we made the big journey over to France for a couple days. Spent the first night in a small town just out of Caen in some creepy looking BnB. It was a huge old house next to a church with a big graveyard. Ghosts! The next day we headed out to the coast and visited Normandy beach. We stopped at Juno beach first where the Canadians landed on DDay. It's quite weird, 69 years ago that sand on that beach was covered in blood and bullets but now it's covered in locals and tourists sunbathing and playing. Like dad said, they had DDay so the locals and tourists can sunbathe on that beach. It just felt really weird cause it really did just look like another beach. We then had a quick look around the Juno Beach Museum which was pretty interesting. The museum also shows the brief history of Canada which was really interesting to see and also what the Canadians did during the war. I think dad was pretty happy to be able to see all this. Next we headed over to Omaha beach. The place was packed with people. When went over to the section where all the headstones are, it was pretty overwhelming. I got a really weird feeling in my stomach. Just seeing the amount of white crosses there was just unreal. You couldn't even see the ones at the back! It was pretty sad to see that many white crosses in one place. Then you look down at the beach from the top of the cliff and then you just think that the white crosses behind you were looking up at where we were standing, 69 years ago. It was again a very odd feeling seeing people enjoying the beach and playing in the sand and water. Again, they did it so we can enjoy the beach but it's still just really weird cause people now were so happy and enjoying themselves in an area that was once the last place you probably wanted to be. We headed down the hill and on to the beach and looked up the big hill where the Americans would have looked and fought up. It looks a lot nicer than when it did 69 years ago. Dad and I had a little explore around and found some big canon concrete bunker things (Don't really know what they're called) and a German Pill Box. Seeing the big bullet holes in the concrete or big chunks taken out of the concrete. It was all pretty overwhelming. We made our last stop at Pont du Hoc where the Americans had to shoot grappling hooks at the top of a big cliff and climb the ropes up to the top where they met the Germans. Before the Americans landed on the beach, the Air Force bombed the hell out of the top and left giant craters in the ground that are still here today. They managed to get a few direct hits on the concrete canon bunkers too with big chunks of concrete lying around everywhere and giant holes in the concrete bunkers. It was pretty cool being able to see all that and it was a pretty humbling experience too, I really enjoyed. Stayed another night in Caen and then the next day we headed to Mont Saint Michel which is a tiny city on a tiny Island. It's also where the Tour de France finished their first Time Trial. It looked pretty cool from a distance but as we got closer you could see it was jam packed with people. There were so many people who kept stopping and taking photos and holding up traffic so I just told mum and dad to be a Belgy cyclist and just stick your elbows out and tell everyone to get out of the way! It wasn't as crowded when we got up to the church but man was it high. You just stick your head over the ledge and there's a 50 meter drop right there. Dad was too much of a wuss to get anywhere near the ledge but it had pretty good view. Too bad it was low tide cause it was all just mud flats. We didn't spend too much time there cause we were all pretty knackered  so we just went and chilled in the town where our hotel was. It was nice just to chill out a bit and hang out with whanau. That's pretty much it. Won't say too much more cause the blog is pretty long as it is. Mum and dad headed off this afternoon so I will see them in 7 weeks again. Looking forward to it. It was real nice to be able to have some time off the bike, have an explore around a new country and be able to see my parents. It was a good few weeks but now it's back to business. Need to win some races to get some more money cause I'm broke as. So yea, I'll chuck up some photos from our adventure.

Thanks for reading

Nick

Dad and I having a pint in London

Omaha Memorial

Down on Omaha beach looking up to the top of the hill

Mont Saint Michel

The main walkway was packed as

The view from pretty much the top