Cal Giant Euro Cross

It All Comes To This

2012-01-27T12:17:00.000-08:00

The Entire Season's work comes down to this race. The World Championships! Everything that I have put in. The highs, the lows, all of it. Tomorrow it's go time! The gun fires at 3:00 pm Belgian Time, Thats 6:00 am PST.

Today we went out and rode the course and it is still as sandy as ever but it has become easier to ride with all of the rain that we have had. I was able to get a few hot laps in and it felt good. The few sections that were difficult to ride in November have become easily passable. I am really looking forward to, things have been looking up since I've been here in Koksijde and I am hoping things end up well. I have a 3rd row start position and the first 2 rows are based on World Cup standings so I am as far up as I could be. All I have to do is remember to breathe and rely on what I have done. Let's Giv'r!

I appreciate all of the support you guys have given and continue to give!!

HUGE THANKS

KID KAISER

Laying Low (4 Days Left)

2012-01-25T13:03:00.000-08:00

There hasn't been too much going on here for the last few days. Yesterday I took a nice rest day and hung out at the house. My teammate Tobin and I busted out some sweet flips on the trampoline at the house. We were also able to go and do some exploring of old WWI trenches and bunkers right near the house that are still intact. VERY COOL!!!

Today we made the drive over to Koksijde and are now settled into the Team USA Hotel where we will stay for the rest of the trip. Tomorrow everyone is looking forward to getting out to see the track. Luckily I have a good memory of it after my trip over here in November!! It will still help to get out there before the big day on Saturday!!

It's quiet, so that means plenty of exploring on the World Wide Web. If you haven't already seen it, check out this SUPER RAD Specialized Shiv Tri that has been converted into a drop bar Road Bike!! facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150554663672579.409175.107067687578&type=3

And As always don't forget to follow on twitter.com/thekidkaiser . Follower #400 gets a signed Jersey.

Pink CRUX

2012-01-24T08:28:00.000-08:00

I was able to snap a few pics from Zydenek Stybar's new rigs before the World Cup in Hoogerheide. I was pretty stoked on these things and hopefully you guys are as well. These bad boys have a special name "Bunny Hopper." They are painted just for him and the pink is to represent the 25th Anniversary of the first cross bike that Specialized came out with. Fully decked out with Zipp 404 Firecrest Wheels, Service Course Bar, Stem and Seatpost. Full SRAM Red Group, Avid Shorty Ultimate Brakes and Specialized Cranks!! Oh and he has 4 of them.

Down To Business

2012-01-23T06:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the last round of the World Cup series in Hoogerheide, Holland. This year was the third year that I have returned to this Province for some bike racing. And this year was by far the hardest conditions I had raced. I think the right term for this mud is "tractor pull". The day started off with a little rain shower and slowly but surely became nicer. I got off to a good start from the fourth row and was filed into 40th or so off of the start stretch and into the mud. The mud seemed to get progressively thicker as you huffed and puffed through the first section. From there you punched it through the pits and hit a sweet descent into the tractor pull section. As soon as the descent ended the mud turned back on and the goal was to get as far as possible and then start running without losing any momentum. Lots of running...lots of running! It's amazing how there are no barriers or stairs or obstacles over here. There was a ridiculous steep run-up on course though. The courses are difficult enough that they don't need to add those in. I ended up finishing in 46th. Not Great, but not terrible... I just didn't have a great day.

I am already looking forward to having a better race next weekend at Worlds. I learned so much from the first trip over here for the World Cup in November. We have 4 more days of training and then the big day!!

Follow on TWITTER at twitter.com/thekidkaiser

Europe Round Two

2012-01-20T14:00:00.001-08:00

I am back in the Motherland of CX for the two biggest races of the year!! BELGIUM BABY...The first weekend is the World Cup Finale in Hoogerheide, Holland and next weekend in Koksijde, Belgium, the World Championships.

There was a bumpy start to the travel day when United Airlines decided they wanted to charge me $600 for my bike case...slow your roll there homey. "Well it's a bike so thats 200 and since it is over 70 lbs that an additional 400...but if you can get it below 70 it will only be 400 dollars." Your kidding me, WTF, so I stuff my shoes and some extra food into my backpack and get that bag down to 69.5 lbs. $400

Once I got past the ticket counter, the trip went smooth. No security line, a semi-full plane and most importantly the Dulles Airport Chipotle run.

Chicken Bowl, Brown Rice, No Beans, Fajitas, Corn, Light Sour Cream, Cheese and Guacamole!!

Next time your in there, get the Kid Kaiser Special, "it's delicious."

I hoped aboard the International Bus, grabbed the in-flight dinner, and was hoping to grab some shut eye. That didn't happen, so rather than tossing and turning the whole trip, I figured I would watch some good TV shows and read some awesome Magazines, thanks to the iPad.

This year we are staying near Antwerp, very close to the Dutch Border. It is within riding distance to the World Cup course and plenty of sand around the area to train for the Worlds course. Today was the day to get all of our ducks in a row. We got all the bikes dialed, was able to go ride out in the woods near by and get the groceries gathered so we have some good food.

For up to the date action with pics and youtube videos. Make sure to follow @thekidkaiser on Twitter

www.twitter.com/thekidkaiser

and keep it locked in hear for all the details!!

Race Day

2011-11-26T09:31:00.000-08:00

Saturday, 6:00am,

Making Breakfast, Making post race sandwiches, Preparing bottles, Packing clothes

Cold, Rainy, Belgium...

We are off to the races.

A little pre-ride of the course shows that not much has really changed. There is still plenty of sand and if anything it has become harder to ride than when we rode out there yesterday. The course layout flyer was quick to point out the fact that there was only 500m of pavement and 1200m of sand with some grass sections along the way. That's a large chunk of running... and those who know, know how much I hate running. I think it's time to change that thought!!

The race started out well, moved into the top 30 through the first sections and then at the base of one of the fly-overs there was a large pile-up that I was caught behind. I was feeling comfortable on the shorter sand climbs that I was able to ride while others weren't. The only problem is that I would find myself running into the back of them as they jumped off and then I would get stalled out...

I ended up catching a few and getting dropped by a few, others were dropping like flies, while I just tried to settle in. I ended up 52nd. It was a serious learning experience. I know what I have to do to be ready come January, both in training and how to read the race and how to tackle the race. Where to go hard and where to conserve. Oh, and I have a new outlook on all of the minute sandpits in the US races(not a dis but just a realization).

We're BAAACK

2011-11-25T00:42:00.000-08:00

It's 2011 and we're back, across the great Atlantic Ocean, in the little country they call Belgium. back to do a little bit of riding around in circles and we are here for only 72 hours. Wait, what???

Yeah thats right we are hear for a short 3 day trip and it is already the end of Day 1. The best part, is that I made this trip with all of luggage and everything accounted for. Winning!!! On Saturay we are racing the World Cup in Koksijde. The source is full of sand, and more sand and some more sand. It won't be like anything I have ever raced before.

This trip I'm the lone Cal Giant'r, but I have a few of my USA teammates. I'm over here with Drew Dillman (Junior), Luke Keough (U23) and Katie Antonneau (Elite Women). It's an easy crew and so far it has been fun. Tomorrow we are going to be out at the course to get a feel for it and learn to the ride sand just a little bit more! Stay tuned because there is plenty to come!!

Kid Kaiser

Over The River and Through The Woods

2011-01-26T13:31:00.000-08:00

This afternoon we had an awesome ride through a rather large forest just outside of Kalmthout near the Belgian/Netherlands Border. We meet up with a local coach Paul van Loon as well as Katie Compton and a few others and we rode some of the sweetest trails I have ever encountered in the Belgian Region. They can't compare to those in the States, but there were rippin' on a cross bike and had some really good flow to them. We ended up killing about 2.5 hours out there which made the day fly by.

We drove to the USA National house in Izegem later in the afternoon where we meet up with the rest of the team before we drive to Germany tomorrow morning. The days on this trip are flying by and I cannot wait to race Worlds on Saturday. This is when it really counts.

Thanks for following.

Countdown to Worlds

2011-01-26T01:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the typical Belgian, rainy day that you would think of. It was cold and windy and practically raining sideways. So all three of us decided to ride the rollers. It made it a bit more enjoyable to have company in the garage but at the same time they were still rollers and you were still staring at the same wall for an hour. At least it was an easy day for me which meant only an hour ride just spinning.

The countdown to worlds has official begun. Three Days until race day. Training today is going to be in the forest near Kalmthout with a local who has put together a little training course as well and Mark and Katie Compton. Then we will be driving to Izegem to stay overnight at the national house, because tomorrow morning we are up early and on our way to Germany. Today our team director, Anthony flies into Frankfurt and on Friday my dad is arriving in Frankfurt. They will both be heading down and meeting us in Saint Wendel before the racing begins. We are getting to the good part and this is going to be fun!

6 Days

2011-01-24T14:58:00.000-08:00

Today was a completely lazy day. None of us rode, and for the first few hours after we got up we just sat at the table on our computers. We hung out some and we went to the grocery store to get things to make for dinner and that is about it. I cannot believe how lazy the day was but at the same time it was so nice. There was nowhere to be, nothing that had to be done. I haven't had time like that at home in a long time either, although I do have a feeling that I will once I get back from this trip.

Monday Morning

2011-01-23T15:03:00.000-08:00

It is now official Monday Morning, the 24th 12:04 and I'm not tired, wow. I also just realized that I have got 1 week left, like 7 days here or 168 hours or 10,080 hours or 604,800 minutes or 36,288,000 seconds... Okay thats too much, I'm going to bed.

Race Day

2011-01-23T12:59:00.000-08:00

Today was the final round of the World Cup series for the 2010-2011 season. The race was in the Netherlands and the weather was like where were in Belgium. HAHA It was already going to be a better race and day because I wouldn't have to get up at 5 to be on the road from the USA National house to our destination. From where we are staying, here in Brecht it is about 35 minutes to the course. So we were out the door by 8:30 and to the venue.

We jump in a hot tub time machine and we are now at 11:10, on the start line and the gun goes off (actually the light turned green). The start was a bit hairball, I started fifth row and was able to have a clean start but the guys in front of me we bouncing around and jockeying for position before we made the hard right turn and into this little drop in, onto the mud. The conditons were not super muddy but muddy enough to pit and I ended up pitting every lap because the pit exit set you up better for the corner. I had a great race, stayed upright and was able to ride impressively well on the course for my standards. I ended up being 2nd American in 40th position. With a race like today's I am feeling confident and looking forward to next weekends race.

Tomorrow is a nice easy day so let's hope the weather is go so we can go for a spin outside.

World Cup Pre-Ride

2011-01-22T22:08:00.000-08:00

The theme this trip has been doing and seeing things that are completely different from the usually Europe. Today was another new exciting day. In the morning we woke up to somewhat of some warm weather and we headed over the the town of Kalmthout which is were Katie Compton lives with their host family. That part of the country is nothing like Izegem. Granted it is still cold and grey but they have green grass and big trees and nice parts of town...

We rolled with her over to the World Cup course in Hoogerheide, Holland where we got to get a feel for the course. It's a fun course, super similar to last years. It is mostly hard packed sticky mud and some fun sandy stuff in the trees. It is super fun. I am looking forward to seeing how it goes. Hopefully it all goes well. Stay tuned for race results.

Smooth Sailing

2011-01-21T01:38:00.000-08:00

I am back across the pond for round two of european racing. This trip will include one World Cup in Hoogerheide, Holland and the World Championships in Saint Wendel, Germany. The trip this time is a little different, for one, it's a short trip, over here for only eleven day and this time I am staying with my teammate Meredith Miller and Danny Summerhill in a house in Brecht. Usually Danny and I always stay at the USA National House in Izegem but we decided to try a new spin on Belgium.

The flight over was the best I have had and was one of the easiest even though I flew United which has the worst customer service available. I am curious if any of the employees even want to be there?? Since I have yet to receive my bags from the last incident I decided to pack as lightly as possible and just use a carry on. I still had to check my bikes but I was luckily enough to get those over here on the first round. The travel day started off great when the lady behind the ticket counter forgot to ask me to pay for the bag so I got my bikes on for free!!! The trip took me from Sac to Denver where I met up with Danny and Meredith and then onto Washington Dulles and then to Brussels.

I got into Brussels around 7:15 this morning and we had some running around to do. First we went to the Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com house and pick up Meredith's bikes that she had left from the last trip. Then we headed over to the USA National house and pick up Danny's bike that he had left there and then up to Brecht which is about 1.5 hour drive from Izegem. We got in and went to the store to grab food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We cooked up a good dinner and hung out. Then I crashed and slept for about 11 hours!!

Alright the trip has begun, stay tuned for all the details of the trip.

Back Home

2011-01-03T10:52:00.000-08:00

After a bit of time over seas and long day of travel I am very glad to be home. The travel day started at 3:45 am and got to Brussels airport. Checked in nice and easy and on my way to London again. I had a 5 hour layover so I decided to try and find my lost bag somewhere in Heathrow. I really thought I was going to be lucky and find it. But nothing, I found the same Oakley bag but in the smaller carry-on size and not mine. Bummer. So I found a nice bagel shop and sat down with my computer and watched the time pass. Next thing I know I am boarding the mothership, 777 airline and on a 10 hour plane flight to Denver. I got into Denver around 3 and had a quick turn around time to make a southwest flight at 6. The Southwest flight ended up being delay 40 minutes but nothing other than that and I'm on my way to Phoenix, then up to Sac o Tomatoes (Sacramento). All in all it was a 27 hour travel day and I was looking forward to getting a good night of sleep, that didn't happen. I went to bed around midnight and was wide awake bye 5 due to jet lag. Oh well, I am glad to be home and get back to everyday life. I am still keeping my fingers crossed on the worlds team selection. Let's hope we can go to Germany in a few weeks.

Thanks for following throughout the camp. I will post a bunch of assorted photos from throughout the trip today.

Camp Is Over

2011-01-02T02:11:00.000-08:00

I was a little bummed this morning when I boarded the 3:45 shuttle to the airport, man the camp is over. I had a blast this year. It has been different from previous years; the first year at camp I was a first year junior and wasn't really into being away from home, I was just trying to get through everyday, and counting down the days to get back in my comfort zone. Last year I didn't come to the camp, just the two world cups prior to the World Championships, and that was fun but a different experience and atmosphere at the house (smaller staff and smaller number of riders). This year I was the young gun in the U23 category but I was stoked to be there. I knew the run around of the house, how things worked and where to go and ride. I was still counting down the days to get home this year but not so much because I wasn't having fun, but more because I missed the fam and the daily living at home.

This year at the camp we saw every condition a race can be held in, snow, ice, mud, hard pack, oh but we didn't see any dust. I had so much fun, and staying hopeful on making the worlds team and continuing the season over in St. Wendel, Germany.

Baal Race Report

2011-01-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

It is now a new year and a new day of racing. Today was the GP Sven Nys in the hometown of the legend, Baal. The course is on Sven's "Secret Training Grounds" and is always known as one of THE races of the year. The course is basically along this ridge and you descend down one side and then back up and over to the other side and then back up and across to the other side. Back and forth for the entire race, in some of the craziest conditions ever imaginable. Today the mud was either frozen or in some spots a foot deep.

So I assumed my usually back row position and got off to an okay start, there was a bit of human pinball going on once the gun went of but pretty quickly we hit the mud and immediately off of our bikes, running. I shoulder the bike and ran the barriers and while everyone else decided to remount before this flyover, I decided to run to the top then remount and I ended up picking off about 6 guys and moving my way up. I settled into a rhythm and tried to just ride my own race. The course and conditions were so physically draining that you were better off to ride at your own pace for the entire race rather than chase wheels. I would see a group of guys come barreling past me on the wide open road sections then I would catch them on the long tractor pull mud sections and all of the techy sections. So I ended up finishing ahead of a bunch of dudes who just went out too hard. There were about 60 starters and only about 40 finishers, I ended up in 33 so it was was a pretty good way to end the trip and start off the new year.

I hope everyone back home and here in Belgium had a safe and Happy New Year and man am I excited to be heading home tomorrow.

All of the gear waiting to be cleaned after the races and then get packed for home.

The bikes on the USA Car post race in Baal.

What's That?

2010-12-31T10:06:00.001-08:00

Today was a down day, a good day to relax and take a short break from this bike racing business. I woke up around 10 which was really nice. I grabbed some breakfast and went out for a little cruiser ride to the bike shop to grab some stuff before I head home. I went to the grocery stuff to get those awesome belgian sweets. You have got to have your Speculoos and Honey Waffles. Then I came back and busted out a nice game of Monopoly with some of the junior racers, then relaxed for a while and tried to find out exactly what is going on with my bags that are still in London.

You know, originally I had some hope to get my bags before I left but now that I am leaving in 31 hours from now, I really don't think my bags are going to ever reach Belgium. As of right now I am going to start hoping that I can find them in London while on my 5 hour layover or they just make their way back to the good ole' US of A.

I got one of my bikes packed up into the smallest box I could make it fit into. I stripped the entire bike down and got it into a frame box. Awesomeness!!

The next thing I know I hear the dinner scream and it's time for dinner and there is this interesting looking pan of what looks like beef stew but it looks more like chicken rather than beef... Uhm, What's that?

That would be Rabbit.

Yeah that's Rabbit...

Really, Rabbit??

Yes.

So we had Rabbit for dinner and I had a nice ham and cheese sandwich.

Common Sight

2010-12-31T01:50:00.000-08:00

This is one of the all too common sights the house. An empty jar of nutella and crumbs on a plate, really sums up the down time at the house. Eat this stuff for breakfast, for lunch and even for dessert.

Loenhout Race Report

2010-12-30T10:22:00.000-08:00

Oh man, back to one of the classics on the cyclocross calendar. Loenhout is one of those races that is always shown in videos and youtube clips and all the media. All of these races have some sort of landmark that defines the race but none as big as Loenhout. From the long stretches of leg numbing, tractor pull mud to the numerous flyovers and of course the famous washboard. This one is probably the most known race over here.

The race starts with a long, I mean long start stretch with a 90 degree left turn at the end. I got a great start, slightly anticipated the light turning green and was into my pedals quickly, then about 100 yards into the race I pulled out of my right pedal and went for a nice top-tube surf session. I got clipped back in and started charging. At that point I was towards the back, again. And really, the only place I could go from there is forward. So I picked up as many spots as possible and was moving up into top 65. It was a huge start field was easily 80 plus riders. SO I kept moving up as much as possible and we get to the washboard which is set of about 10 mid-thigh high rollers which have zero flow to them. They are straight up and straight down. I start out slow and by the end I can get some pretty good speed going. I end up passing a few more guys here and am now into the top 60. The next group had 3 euros and my American friend, Steve Fisher. I catch that group on the next lap and move past them and onto 1 lap to go. I had a clean final lap and finished in 54th. No too bad but it was a hard fought finish. I felt the best that I have felt so far this trip. So it was a good day in my book. Had fun, no crashes and a respectable result.

More to come, keep following.

Yo So Get This

2010-12-29T14:43:00.000-08:00

So Get this.... When my bike bag and wheel bag actually arrived in Brussels last week and were delivered, the baggage carrier service marked that two out of three bags had arrived. They said that my clothing bag and bike arrived rather than the wheel bag and bike.. So for the last week they have been looking for a Zipp Wheel bag in London Heathrow Airport that is nowhere to be found because IT'S IN ANOTHER COUNTRY. Oh man, this has been an awesome experience!!

The Three "R's"

2010-12-28T13:22:00.002-08:00

Today was a off day, no racing and really not too much riding. I went for an easy 30 minute spin on the rollers as I watched the mountain bike movie Follow Me for about the 50th time, yet it always makes me pumped to go for a ride. So I finished up my spin and then chilled until my first massage of the trip. That was super nice. Then had a nice dinner and a relaxing night. The three "r's" relax, recover and, and... okay only two "r's".

Tomorrow is Azencross which is in the town of Loenhout. This is a race that has been around for a long time and always has huge crowds and huge numbers of riders. I am looking forward to it. Thanks for following.

Diegem Race Report

2010-12-28T02:08:00.000-08:00

I started out the day by getting an update on my bags... they are on a flight that was supposed to show up last night and I was to be able to pick them up at the airport today. So I leave with Geoff early to go to the airport to get my bags prior to the race. I get to the airport, go through security and get to the baggage reclaim area and talk with the customer service agent at the baggage counter. "I am sorry sir you bags didn't make it onto the flight from London Heathrow last night." You killing me smalls... another day with no bags.

So I go to the race and get ready. The course is a big sheet of ice and hard packed snow. The course in Diegem in basically in downtown Brussels and through this little medieval part of town. It is the most urban race on the calendar and it has a large amount of climbing.

The race was a fast start that files down into a narrow downhill back road that opens up to a sheet of ice. Luckily there were no crashes; For me it was a ton of running from the back to get past as many riders as possible. I just found a rhythm and tried to catch as many riders as possible throughout the race. I was doing great for most of the race until two laps to go I came into a corner a little to hot and down I went. It was a light crash and a pretty quick recovery. I got up quickly and started running through the u-turn and then remounted and caught the group again. I ended up finishing 57th and on the lead lap which is good. That is my goal with all of the races over here. Just gain as much experience as possible.

Here is a link to the last two laps of the Elite Race, it gives you a good sample of the course and how fast these guys go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s28N34wZyZs

Zolder Race Report

2010-12-27T11:59:00.000-08:00

This years World Cup in Zolder was indescribable. I honestly don't think I have come across a race that gave some many riders so much trouble. The course was ten times more challenging than the World Championships last year in Tabor, Czech Republic.

I started out by being the second to last call up and chasing all the way down the salted road start. In the first corner there was a big crash and was able to move up about 15 places and then had to run some a good amount of time and moved up a bit more then finally settled on the bike and was moving up. From there I just settled into a rhythm and tried to move up and catch as many guys as possible. I ended up finishing 35th which is respectable consider that I started at the back of about 60 guys. So I am definitely happy with the entire race and glad that I am getting better with riding in the snow. I think the other good part about the race is that I was probably one of the only ones who didn't go down. More to come with the race reports.

Kid Kaiser

Broken in Belgium

2010-12-26T12:24:00.000-08:00

On the pre-ride of the Zolder World Cup course on one of the descents, I went too far into the snowdrift and jumped off my bike, only to look back and see some belgian ass ride over my rear wheel and crash onto it. I heard a nice crunch and some swearing in Flemish and then he just rode off. Brand new tire and basically new wheel. Stay tuned for the race report.

Christmas Dinner

2010-12-25T00:34:00.001-08:00

Tonight was Christmas Eve Dinner and I think they got the holidays mixed up because we had a full on Thanksgiving feast. It was nice to geteveryone out of the rooms and get to sit inthe living room/dining room. The staff bought everyone sodas so all of the riders were pretty happy. Once we were done having the christmas drink we sat down and had dinner.

The hot topic of discussion on the table was this Christmas Tree that Els had gotten from USA Cycling. Supposedly they received a package this past february and at the top of the box there was this tree sitting there and she thought it was some sort of joke... Ever since, the tree has been in the house and waiting for the Christmas dinner. Merry Christmas to all back home. I really wish I was there with you guys because as far as this house is concerned it is December 26th. We basically just passed right over Christmas Day.

Tomorrow is a race in Beernem and then the World Cup in Zolder so keep watching for more updates.

FINALLY!!!!!

2010-12-24T11:46:00.000-08:00

Finally, Finally my bikes arrived. Today about 5:00 they showed up at the door and it was the perfect gift on Christmas eve. The only that could have been better is if all of my bags showed up. I am still missing my clothing bag but bikes showed up so I am going to race a local race in Beernem as a warm up and opener for the World Cup in Zolder on Sunday. Zolder will be the first time I race the Big Boys over here cross the pond. The U23 race will be a fast one and I am super stoked to be reppin' the USA. The steads are prep'd

Podium Insight EuroCamp IntraSquad Race

2010-12-24T03:10:00.000-08:00

Here is the story and some photos from our Wednesday Scrimmage that Lyne from Podium Insight came to. You probably can't recognize me because I am not wearing Cal Giant. Look for the Specialized Factory Race Kit.

http://www.podiuminsight.com/2010/12/23/having-fun-at-eurocrosscamp/

Glad To Be Out Of The House

2010-12-24T02:47:00.001-08:00

I have been having some complaints of not posting enough on the blog so I figured today is a good day to start. It was the second day that I have been able to get out of the house and go for a ride. Normally I am not super stoked about riding here in Belgium just because every direction you look is a boring road covered in cow stuff/mud. So the ride is cold and at the end of it you are covered in a word that starts with a "s" and ends with a "t". But after being locked in the house I was so glad to get out and exercise. We went to a nice spin to Kortrijk is our usual everyday ride. usually it takes no more than 30 minutes to get there but yesterday we went the most indirect way to get there and we made it about an hour ride. Once we got there we made a stop at the coffee shop and the waffle shop. Oh man, a nice, fresh, hot waffle tasted so good when it was below freezing yesterday. On the way out of town we came across this truck that probably shouldn't have been on this walkway due to it's weight and things didn't turn out so good.

On The Road Again

2010-12-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was an interesting day. The three of us that don't have any bags decided that we would go to Brussels Airport to see if the bags we there and we just hadn't been contacted yet. In order to get there we had to take the vast belgian train system(not sarcastic), this thing is amazing how it all runs smoothly. We started in Izegem and slowly made our way to the airport. We got there and no bags...BUMMER!!!!!!! So we headed back and on the way home we went to the wrong train station and it was not the bestone to stop at... Quick take this train and Izegem is the second stop. So after being slightly worried about where we were everything got back on track.

Today, the Cal Giant / Specialized Rider Support was HOOKING IT UP and got me dialed with a box of goods and finally allowed me to get out and really ride. We had a little intrasquad scrimmage race and man it was fun. I am missing my BG Fit but it's all good. Man I have been super stoked all day. Thanks Again to everyone that made this happen and I am looking forward to getting to race!

Kid Kaiser

Just Another Day in Paradise

2010-12-19T10:51:00.001-08:00

I am living the dream over here in Belgium. HAHA... NOT!!!

I have tried ever which way to contact British Airways and the baggage carrier and still no reply. The airports are closed and causing a complete shutdown of everything.

There is some hope of flights coming out of London Heathrow tomorrow but we shall see. I am getting tired of wearing the same clothes day after day. Maybe tomorrow will be good?

Cody

Oh What A Day(s)

2010-12-18T11:48:00.000-08:00

So the travel day started out well and only went downhill from there. So my travel day started in Sacramento with a Southwest flight from Sacramento to Denver. From there I grabbed my bags and boarded a British Airways flight to London Heathrow. That was the easy part. Once I landed in London I got through Security by 9:20 and was supposed to board a flight to Brussels at 12:50. Then it started to snow, the flight was delayed until 1:35, then until 3:00, until 4:45, then until 6:00. We finally boarded the plane at 8:30. Since the plane was delayed so long and the airport was closed for so long that 60 planes had to be de-iced so we sat on the runway for two hours. I finally took off at 9:45 and arrived in Brussels by 11:00.

From there I go to the baggage area to claim my bags and I find out that all three of my bags have been lost somewhere between Denver and Brussels. Great, now the hour and a half drive to Izegem. I finally get to the house by 1:30am on Saturday and started on Thursday. Oh man what a day or two days or three days!

Keep following for some more funny stuff and hopefully good new on my bags.

Cody

This was the amount of snow in London Heathrow, Hardly anything.

The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)

2010-02-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a long and full day. I was up at 6:00 AM in Prague which was 10:00 PM here in California. Travel took me from Prague to London then onto Denver and finally to Sacramento. I got home at 10:30. So literally it was an entire day of travel.

I haven't posted in a while so an update as to how worlds went. The course in Tabor was sold ice and covered in snow. It was true bike handlers course. As a rider you needed to be patient and have good handling skills. Yet you needed to be able to put the hammer down and cover anything that was thrown at you. Pre-riding the course on Friday gave a good insight to how the course layout was but the course would change drastically Saturday morning.

Saturday morning, race day came and it had snowed the overnight and the temperature dropped and everything turned to ice again. I started on the third row and was able to get a good start and move up into the top twenty for the first lap. From there I was able to hold my position until I took a hard spill on the downhill section. I decided to take a bike to make sure everything was working good. Those two things dropped me back into the 30's and that is where I would hold it until the finish. I finished in 33rd. the race went well and this trip was an awesome experience.

So the cross season is over and it is now time to take a break for at least a week or so and then it is time to get into road and mountain bike season. So this is the end but the energy of riding never slows down. I am already looking forward to the 2010 cyclocross season and racing in the U23 category with all the rest of the Cal Giant Berry boys.

Thanks for reading and following the journey. Until next season...

Cody

Cyclo-Cross Worlds Coverage

2010-01-26T11:19:00.001-08:00

So this Saturday I want all of you to go to www.universalsports.com and watch Cross Worlds. I'll be the one rockin the pimp suit (USA skinsuit). And then once that is all over, get a good nights sleep, click on that link again and watch the Elite Men and Elite Women battle it out for the title. Meredith Miller will be in the Women's race. Should be fun. Check it out and kept following on the way to worlds. We leave tomorrow afternoon after a morning training ride. Today there wasn't much going on.

Cody

Podium Insight Article

2010-01-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

Podium Insight wrote a sweet article on my past season. Pretty cool.

http://www.podiuminsight.com/2010/01/25/as-far-as-it-will-go-for-cody-kaiser/

Load Em' Up

2010-01-25T10:34:00.000-08:00

Today was a good recovery day after the World Cup yesterday. A couple of us rode out to the Ardooy forest ad ripped some trails and then spun back. It helped me unwind after yesterday. Once we got back I went to business packing my bags for the trip up to Tabor. I don't leave until Wednesday afternoon but there is a van full of bikes and gear leaving tomorrow morning so all of the non-essential stuff had to go. So one bike is loaded and the second will go on Wednesday morning. We are almost there. This the finishing touch on the bikes before Worlds. Representing the U.S.A. beyotch.

Well That Sucked...

2010-01-24T14:21:00.000-08:00

Today was a little more than frustrating. it was the last World Cup of the series and the last race before Worlds. Today the race was in Hoogerheide, Holland. I had been training all week to prepare myself specifically for this race for a couple of reasons. One, I needed a bit of a confidence booster after the race in Roubaix. I needed to make sure that I still had it. Two because it was the last race before Worlds and I wanted to see how I could stand up against these euro guys. And finally I wanted to test my warm-up routine for Worlds. So I had an awesome warm-up I felt great the last night and even better this morning. Got to the race and the course couldn't have fit my style any better. The Warm-Up went good, got to the line and was able to move up into the second row. Light goes green got to the first corner in the top 20 and then in the second straight I get caught up in a crash with about 5 guys and I hit the deck. Grab my bike and the handlebars are crooked, no big deal, just pit. So i jump on my "B" bike and the rear tire is so low that I almost rolled it. Come around on the second half of the lap and come into the pit and my "A" bike is still being cleaned. So there is one full lap of a super low rear tire. Come back in on lap two and my "A" bike ready but the handlebar are still crooked. At this point there is no reason to come back through the pit again and have something else be wrong. So I just rode the whole race on a bike with a crooked handlebar. Chased from as far back as I could have been and ended up finishing one spot out of the top 40. A terrible race for me. I felt great but everything went wrong.

So on a positive note, I am looking forward to Worlds and hopeful a clean race for me. I would really like to end the season with something positive. Alright, 6 days and counting, keep following. Thanks for the support.

Cody

Locked and Loaded

2010-01-23T08:38:00.000-08:00

Today was downpour all day so I decided to keep it clean and dry. Rode the rollers as my ride today. Had a really good time trying all of this different tricks, more like gimmicks on them. I rode no hands, no hands with one foot, bunny-hoped off and then back on. I tried to wheelie but that didn't work. Anyways, we have the World Cup in Hoogerheide, Holland tomorrow and a bright and early 5:30 wake up call. God, I feel like I am back at home waking up to ride in Auburn with the guys. Man I am stoked for tomorrow's race. So everything on the bikes are dialed and I am STOKED!! BRAAAPP

A Once In A Lifetime Opportunity

2010-01-22T02:30:00.000-08:00

Today is a once in a lifetime opportunity in Belgium, but it may have happened once before. The sun is shining in beautiful Belgium and there was no early morning wake up call. Wow I can't believe these two things have happened, let alone in the same day. WOW

Urban Assualt

2010-01-20T08:15:00.000-08:00

Playing around with iMovie and starting to get the hang of it. Check it out.

Post 1 of 3 new ones

2010-01-20T03:27:00.000-08:00

Bikes hang dry after being washed
The washing station at the house
Good, hot, fresh Belgian Waffle

World Cup #7 Roubaix

2010-01-20T03:22:00.000-08:00

The Famous Roubaix Velodrome
The strip of cobbles that ever ride crosses to enter the track during Paris-Roubaix.

Pit Row, each pit spot is picked in order of nation.

Jersey Shore

2010-01-20T03:10:00.000-08:00

So, there is this show on MTV that has got to be on the top of the list of funniest shows of the year. Jersey Shore Basically it is a bunch of meat-head Guidos who go to Jersey for summer and have an entire house to themselves. In a one hour show I don't think I have laughed so hard in my life, consistently. It is the best way to pass the down time here is Izegem. The characters, (all names need to be pronounced with a New Yorker accent) DJ Pauly D., Mike "The Situation", Ronnie, and Vinny. The girls, Nicole "Snookis", Angelina, Jenni aka. "J-Woww"with three w's and Sammi "Sweetheart". Just watch a little clip and you'll be hooked on it, especially when you in Belgium. I will also post some pictures of things happening around here.

Thanks for following.

Cody

Make it Rain

2010-01-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

When we are bored and its raining. He's what we do.

Kiss the Cobbles

2010-01-17T12:24:00.000-08:00

Well today was an awesome race in a historic arena or velodrome. Todays race was at the Roubaix Velodrome. The same velodrome that Paris-Roubaix finishes on. The course was ridiculous, super hard and super technical. There were two downhills that were crazy muddy and were ridable but were faster to run down. I ended up struggling my way to 37th. It was a good race but some things went wrong. I am glad to have the first race jitters out of the way. in the words of Jay-Z "Onto The Next One"

Yesterday 4 of us went for a ride in the rain and well that was not worth it. I started out on the rollers and then decided to go out and then decided that it wasn't. It was raining so hard that it even soaked through a rain jacket. Plus the awful smell and things picking up from the road that smell, all of it made a good combination. Well that is about all that is happening in Izegem, wow, not much.

Cody

The Eagle Has Landed

2010-01-15T10:09:00.000-08:00

So landed in the lovely country of Belgium about 3 hours ago and lets just say it is depressing. The airport was so slow I didn't know what to do. The monotone sound of the luggage carrousels turning was enough to drive you insane and then add the fact that no one was there made it even worse. But I am here after a quick pit-stop in London Heathrow. That airport is so sweet. They has the sickest soccer/shoe store ever. I am definitely go back on the return flight. Time to make some dinner.

Cody

Here We Go Again

2010-01-14T13:22:00.001-08:00

Okay, so this is the first post since last year at camp as well as the first post for the 2010 trip. This time it is myself and Meredith Miller going.

This morning was a bright (it was actually pitch dark) and early 5:00 wake up call to head out to the airport. Flew on Southwest form Sacramento down to L.A. and then out to Denver. Picked up my bags from domestic baggage claim and headed over to the British Airways ticket counter. No one there for check in yet so I am sitting have an alright burrito bowl and waiting for Meredith to show up. Traveling alone kind of sucks. So this weekend is the second to last World Cup in Roubaix, France. Should be cool, get to see the actual Roubaix velodrome. The following weekend is the last World Cup in Hoogerheide, Netherlands and then it's off to Prague for Worlds. This is the first of many for the trip so keep following.

Cody

Over and Out

2009-01-04T14:12:00.000-08:00

Euro cross camp six has come to a close, Cody and myself are safely back home in Cali after a long 24 hour day starting in Brussels at 6 and arriving at home around 10.

Camp was an absolute succes for both of us, with no major mechanicals, ingeries, or illnesses, not much could have gone better. We ended the trip Friday in the GP st Niklass, were we finnaly got a small tast of some Belgian mud, Cody was able to put a good cap to the trip as he was able to capitalize on his competitors mistakes and get a well deserved second place on the day, while I started in the Eliet mens field lined up with many of the cross super starts like Albert, Wellens, Al, and all the top US guys, in total we had 13 US guys on the line it was a pretty cool thing to see and take part in, some highlites to my race included passing Driscoll, Powers and Thijs Al (Zolder WC winner) on the first lap and finishing as second U-23 behind Summerhill. It really was a grat way to end the camp for both of us.

All in all, this has been a great experiance for the both of us, the racing, the new friends, all of it was a blast, thanks to everyone who made this trip possibal and help get us that much closer to our overall goals.

Thanks for reading till next year,

Jeremy Ferguson

Home Stretch

2009-01-02T00:21:00.000-08:00

We are finally on the home stretch. Today is our last race, and after that we get to go out to dinner with the team and staff. The camp is almost over. It definitely sucks to see it come to a close, but its nice to be heading home. Will update after the race today, and will hopefully have some pictures.

Cody

HomeTown Champs

2009-01-01T12:07:00.000-08:00

So today was the GVA race in baal hometown of Nys, Niels Albert, and another fast u-23 fidea guys, the reality is that this town is like a mile wide and probably only holds 100 people, but some how houses some of the best cross talent in the world. Maybe its the tap water, maybe its the local training grounds, whatever it is i need to move over here cuz i want some of that magic. And yes the local boys dominated today all of them were in the top 3. crazy

JEREMY

Hitting the Washboard

2009-01-01T09:12:00.000-08:00

I forgot to write about yesterdays race in Loenhout, where there is the famous washboard. It is a section of rhythm bumps that you have to pump to get over. That is the only way to do it. Like a pump track, but only bigger. The course also had a few sections of jumps, and three fly-overs. I got to a great start from the second row, but had some trouble on the solid ice course. The first few lap were going well and I was catching the group in front of me, but over a lap or so, i wasn't catching them, so I started to push it a little harder than normal. I ended up falling twice with laps to go. It was rough for me, but I still finished well at 34th.

Cody

Second to Last Race

2009-01-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

Today was the second to last day of racing for us. The race was in Sven Nys' home town of Baal and it was the Gran Prix of Sven Nys. It was a really fun race with a few technical sections and quite a bit of power riding. The course seemed to have a little bit of everything. One of the coolest things was this section where you came out of the pit, and up a long section of stairs, up a fly-over and down a long section of downhill. It was really cool because if you could handle your bike, you could rip down it. Today I finished 14th. My best result in a major race over here, 'cross the pond. It was also nice because the officials got the points right and put me on the front row with Zach McDonald from the camp as well. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures today, but our camp photographer Mario has some awesome pics under the cyclocross section of his website.

www.cycling-pics.be

Check Them Out

Cody

The Final Push

2008-12-31T03:08:00.000-08:00

Three days to go and two big races left. The trip so far has been great, we have both gotten great results and have been racing our bodies into the ground. This trip is seriously like a cyclocross stage race, 7 races in two weeks is nothing to laugh at especially when your racing the worlds best compition. I'v been trying my best to recover on our off days but I can definitely feel the fautige building up after every race, but now is the time to put it all on the table and go out with a bang whether the legs hold up or not over, the next two races will be interesting to see, but if I can stay at the level I'm racing at currently I'll be very happy.

Tomorrow, the race is in Baal the home town of Sven Nys. This race is appropriately named the Gran Prix of Sven Nys; and I get to race him at HIS race as I'm doing the elite race, so its going to be sweet lining up BEHIND the greats of the sport. They have all been racing just as much as we have so hopefully they won't be firing on all cylinders. After that race we will end it with Sint Niklaas a local race which usually pulls in plenty of fast guys so it should be a blast.

I'll let you guys now how 2009 feels since were 9 hours ahead!

Jeremy

Happy Cows

2008-12-30T12:27:00.000-08:00

So I found out the yesterday that there are also happy cows here in Belgium. It was originally thought that those were only in Cali, but nope. The cows are in fact he as well. I just thought it was a funny picture.

Cody

Racing on Ice

2008-12-30T10:42:00.000-08:00

Today was the Louenhout cross race, part of the GVA series, so the fields sizes were huge and the spectator turnout was just as big. My race was at 12:00 after the juniors and there was a 110 riders in the field with myself in the back row. Slowly worked my way up as Noel put it, "like a Diesel" slowly picking guys off, overall most of us had a good ride here in the icy conditions, almost every turn had to be taken with caution as some were just covered in ice sheets. This race also had the sweet woop-de-dos which the Amaricans seemed to accel at. Once my race was over I got my jacket from Els and saw the seas of people part as Nys road through on his way to a practice lap so I jumped on his wheel for a lap just so I could say I road with Sven Nys. Ya

Jeremy

Trails

2008-12-29T05:40:00.000-08:00

Today was just a recovery day for us, so Jeremy and I along with a few other guys from the house went out to ride some more of the trails in the area. We some cool trails and got some great pics. Tomorrow we race in Loenhout, that is known for the "washboard" on the course which is a series of whoops that everyone has to "pump" their bikes to get over. Should be fun.

Belgian Trainer

2008-12-29T05:26:00.000-08:00

This is how the Belgians warm up before their races. They find a nice patch of ice, and have someone hold them while they get warmed up. Awesome way to get ready for your race.

Ice in Diegem

2008-12-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's race in Diegem was an awesome race to both watch and race in. It was in this major city center where there was a lot of things going on around the race. We were going by flower shops and clothing places and all different kinds of stores around this little area. A large section of the course was around these two big, really nice soccer fields. Some of the nicest I have ever seen.

The officials kind of screwed us on the start. They reversed the order in which we were called up to the line. All of the slower guys from our team at the front and the fast guys getting called up last. There was most likely a bit of favoritism going on with the Belgians wanting there own to win. But that was the way it went, and I ended up finishing 29th. Which was much better than where I started. So that was good considering the only place you can go is up, when you start at the back. It is always a positive thing. The course had a handful of cool items that were put in place just for the race.This sloped bridge came off of the finishing straight down towards the lower part of the course. It was difficult because it was all icy. The course was really technical as well because the ground was frozen solid everywhere. It was a really fun course. It is amazing how the courses over here have all been really fun. We have good courses and bad courses at home, but these courses are all good. It is really cool.

Cody

Nice and COLD

2008-12-27T03:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, so how I said earlier "It might be a nice day". Sort of but not really. Jeremy and I went out by ourselves to find some of the trails on the opposite side of the canal and it was so cold, our faces went numb. We started out with 2 thermal layers and extra gloves and we were still cold. Even though it was cold we found some fun trails in the woods near Inglemunster. I really like the name of that town, it just sounds cool. It tuned out to be a nice day, with some sweet riding.

Cody

Maybe a Clear Day?

2008-12-27T00:51:00.000-08:00

Today I woke up and it has been about 2 hours and no sign of any clouds and it looks like it might be a great day in Izegem. Today is a rest day for all of us. We are going to be hanging around the house, keeping it easy because we have another big UCI race in Diegem tomorrow. I've heard the course tomorrow has a nice climb, but there the rest of the course is really technical. So it sounds like the course will have good things for both kinds of riders. We'll see how everything goes. Stay tuned for more blog updates.

Cody

Riding Into Kortrijk

2008-12-26T14:35:00.000-08:00

As I was sitting here, I was thinking that I never wrote about our ride to Kortrijk the day before Zolder. And since I want to fill this blog up. Why not, right?

So we, being Gavin, Manny, Chris and I decided to head out towards the town of Kortrijk which is a little more than an hour ride from the house. We headed out to the canal because we wanted to get a few openers in before the big day. So on our way up there, we found some cool, things and I wanted to share all the photography. Check them out.

-Kid Kaiser

This was just a cool little church in the center of town.

The four of us are riding down the canal.

Zolder World Cup

2008-12-26T08:57:00.000-08:00

Today we had the world cup in Zolder, on the formula one track Circuit-Zolder. We had an early rising of 5 o'clock am, and were off and running by 6 for about a two hour drive from the little town of Izegem. We got there and immediately went out for a pre-ride to see how the course was. Super technical, but really fun. This was definitely the most technically difficult race I have ever seen. But on the flip side of things, he course was truly for the power racer, especially because the start/finish straight was a little more than 500 meters. As well as the rest of the course being really fast and dry with many long straights.

The start was crazy because there was no officials on the straight. No whistle, no gun? The announcer said to call attention to the lights, and a traffic light started us. It was 2 reds, then yellow and green. It was really similar to formula one. Oh wait, we were on a formula one track, no wonder why. The start was crazy, guys bumping and yelling all over, and then it filed down into this tight 180 degree turn to the pit. And my position was set. Starting towards the back of the field, I really had no where to go but up. I got an okay start ad just kept motoring and moving my way up. I finished 34th. One of the coolest things about the races over here is the amount of elevation gain in the race. There were some crazy downhills, one really steep, really steep uphill. As you were running up it, you were looking right at it. The only way we could get up it, were from all of the footsteps in it.

All in all, the race was awesome and it was the best race I have ever done. A super good experience. Not too many people can say they have done a World Cup Cyclo-Cross race.

(some pictures of the course are below, and stay tuned for race pics)

Cody

Sunshine in Izegem

2008-12-25T04:43:00.001-08:00

I haven't seen the sun since before I left to go 'cross the pond. The Saturday I left we had rain, and in San Francisco, there was rain. And in Newark? SNOW, and since I have been here there has been no sign of it, but as i am writing this, there has been sunshine for about the last hour and it is super nice. It is too cold to go outside but it is really nice to see the sun, almost as if I am back home... or not.

Speculoos

2008-12-24T14:21:00.000-08:00

There is this crazy thing here called Speculoos Pasta. It is similar to peanut butter but way better. When you buy a coffee they give you these little cookies with it and they are Speculoos cookies. So some genius decided to jar the stuff and make it a spread. It sells like crazy over here. It is also similar to Nutella. Either way, the stuff is so good. The guys in the house are starting to crave it. I haven't seen anyone go through anything this fast. The other day, I bought some of it, and let everyone try it. Somehow the jar broke and less than 30 minutes later, Nick had to run out to the store because it was so good. We don't even know what is in it, but it is gooood.

Merry Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T14:00:00.000-08:00

Today is the Eve of Christmas, and I have to say it sucks to be away from family. It is not fun. But other than that we had a "santa" come to dinner tonight. Els got everything all dialed with a turkey dinner and a nice set of appetizers. Then santa showed up, and it was really funny because when he showed up he was smoking a "cig" which I was unaware that santa did. I figured it was strictly milk and cookies. We had some laughs. Prior to that we went to the Flanders Museum, as Jeremy said. It was really funny because this one kid who we call "Kentucky" (Andrew Llewelyn) choked out Tom Bonnen today at the museum. I think he has something against dopers. You just look at the picture and it makes you laugh. Check it out.

Then we found this cool machine where it simulated riding on the cobbles, and Jeremy had to take it for a spin. He was charging. other than that it was pretty plain. We are all just gearing up for the World Cup on Friday. We got out USA skinsuits today, and we are stoked.

It was a good day to get out and have some fun.

So for now "Good night to all, and too all a good night!"

See you tomorrow

Merry Christmas

Cody

Koppenberg & Santa

2008-12-24T13:07:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Hope everything is well state side and the holidays are going well. Here in Belgium the days are short and the temp is dropping, soon to be Kansas like weather on Friday just in time for the world Cup in Zolder which is looking to be a crazy fast course this year with a lack of rain in the past few weeks and lots of road sections its probable gonna look more like a crit out there the a cross race.

Today we went to the Tour de Flanders Museum with the Belgian "burgs" in the background. We also got to walk up the Koppenberg which was a great experience, and was cool to see that great piece of cycling history. The museum was also fun to see, it had a lot of old cycling goodies, including some pre WWI race bikes. And lots of old school jerseys

Tonight we had a big christmas eve dinner made by Els, for those that don't know about camp there is 20 riders here and Els cooks every night for all of us its pretty amazing how she is able to wipe up all this food every night, but this one was special with some seasonal touches thrown in. Santa also showed up in the form of Mario the photographer, it was quiet the site.

Marry Christmas,

Jeremy

2008-12-23T12:54:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day for exploring around Izegem. In the morning, Geoff took us on one of his favorite rides, out through this super cool forest, on the outskirts of town. When we came back, Jeremy and I hit up the local skate park scene, and went back to the jumps with some real bikes. Then we just went around the town, and found some really cool things. Most of them are random, but cool. Check out the pictures.

Cody

Cruzin' in Izegem

2008-12-22T10:08:00.000-08:00

A few of the guys and I decided to go out for a little cruiser ride, and came across a little pump track/dirt jump area. We are all riding bikes that are from way before us and these things are the hooptiest things ever. We were all in a single file, and on the berm, my rear tide rolled off the rim, and now I am stranded. So I jumped on the back of nick's bike sitting on his rack. I had to carry my fifty pound bike on my shoulder, and about a ten minute ride back to the house. No fun but definitely some good times. (check out the video)

On another note, the races yesterday went awesome for the entire team. Chris was the best placed guy in the juniors race at 4th. Eric and I finished right next to each other at 6th and 8th, and Joe finished 9th, and Manny finishing 12th. Pretty respective for the first race of the trip.

We don't have another race until Friday at the World Cup in Zolder. So we have some time to explore around the town.

Cody

Cyclingnews Diary

2008-12-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

cyclingnews.com/riders/2008/diaries/eurocrosscamp/?id=eurocrosscamp0802

Check it out

Jeremy

The Wall

2008-12-22T00:09:00.000-08:00

Eric Emsky and I strolling on down to the wall. The wall is a huge vending machine that sell everything that you can think of.

2008-12-20T10:11:00.001-08:00

We are here in Belgium after a long flight, and being on ground-hold for almost 4 hours in Newark, NJ. Today went well, we landed around 12:00 and immediately got our bags and were on our way to Izegem. Once we got to the house we built the bikes and went out to watch Nick Weighall race a local saturday evening race. The style of racing over here is so different. The course today was an open field. The first corner, went through this small barn and inside the place was hopping. People we going crazy. You just don't see that in the States. Anyway, we race tomorrow in Gent. Jeremy and I are both racing.

We'll see how tomorrow goes.

Cody

Cody and Jeremy Headed to Belgium

2008-12-16T10:57:00.000-08:00