Road rider O’Regan gets stuck into the Belgian cyclocross season on a recent trip there
With his plans to ride a full cyclocross season in Belgium derailed by finding a job at home, DID Dunboyne rider Tim O’Regan decides to take his chances with a shorter racing trip. He quickly learns some big lessons the hard way.
After a very successful and enjoyable road season, it was time to sample cyclocross racing on the Continent; something Irish riders have rarely done.
Having planned a full season of ‘cross in Belgium I ended up getting a job at home; effectively postponing my plans to go abroad for a long stint.
But I have my eye on Alender Revell and am a big fan of what he is doing at the moment. The aim is to follow in his footsteps. So before my working life was about to start I left Ireland to sample the Belgian ‘cross scene.
Advertisement
I travelled with one bike, a Specialized Crux armed with Specialized Terra Clincher tyres and a set of spare wheels. I quickly found you need to forget the spare wheels, it’s a spare bike you need, a pit crew and of course luck doesn’t go amiss.
I’ve been asked many times: ‘Is it harder than racing at home?’ The simple answer is no. But there is more depth in the fields, with 20 to 30 guys at Robin Seymour’s and Roger Aiken’s level in every race.
There are also several levels of racing; UCI C1 and C2 races, B races (standard kermesse type events) and D cat races.
Arriving over on Thursday October 25th, I unpacked and prepared for my first race that Saturday; the Interprovincial Championships of Brabant. It’s a course described as muddy and hard. I was nervous. But I was here to enjoy myself and to gain experience so I wasn’t too concerned about results.
Race day, Saturday 27th. Camper vans, tents, turbo trainers, music, frites, and Dugasts as far as the eye could see.
Screw the nerves, it was time to ride the course and warm up. Muddy wasn’t the word; it was a bog, but rideable. But with three more races to take place before mine, the course would deteriorate.
It was a well-balanced rolling course with an uphill tarmac section to start and a small forested area to negotiate each lap. I cleaned my bike and hit the car for food and a quick warm-up, during which a heavy hail shower passed and dumped a white sheet on the course.
Arriving at the start it was cold and I was gridded about 55th of 60 riders. The gun went and we were off. The start was intense with shouldering, elbowing and fighting for inches while sprinting up a hill a few hundred meters and into the muddy course.
Hitting the course was like a grenade had been thrown into the bunch; bodies everywhere. Off the bike and running, mounting, riding where I could; I battled through the mud for the first two laps, making my way up the field passing some Belgians on a downhill muddy section, getting a kick out of it, with these incredible clinchers.
But the elastic soon snapped and by lap three the bike was clogged with mud and grass. I was in groups but with my opponents changing bikes twice per lap I was constantly losing ground.
I faded after the midway point and kept pushing on, relishing the experience. With four laps to go I was walking a small drag up through a forest, riding as much of the course as possible. The bike was caked with mud and I was spent.
I was lapped with three laps to go and pulled in the following lap. I was exhausted and covered from head to toe in mud but smiling. Some Belgians were very interested in the Irishman eager to impart some common sense advice; a second bike is required to be competitive.
But having just one bike didn’t bother me. I had ridden a ‘cross race in Belgium and that in itself was incredible
The second race, on Sunday October 28th, was a completely different outing; a sandy, technical course through a hard-packed forest with some soft sandy sections. It included some uphill and sharp downhill stretches, where you just had to let the bike go.
Related News
The race was in Hoogerheide on the Dutch-Belgian border; a similar course to the Superprestige race that takes place there. The Belgian guy putting me up, Harry, was commentating on the race so we arrived six hours before the start because he had a whole programme of earlier races to cover.
I relaxed, drank some coffee and got quizzed by very interested and friendly Belgians as to what on earth I was doing there. I rode the course for about two hours and as I chatted to riders and parents I discovered some nice lines through sand and the time quickly passed.
We lined up to get going and after a rocket start I was in 10th position. But after a pile-up in a sandy section I was down to about 20th. I nailed it for some tricky sections and I soon started passing riders; my legs were very good today.
I passed riders and got back up to 13th; no riders ahead and a clear view behind. I did, however, get a little shock at being lapped by three guys on the second last lap. The speed these guys corner at both on and off road is phenomenal.
Race over, 13th from 28-30 starters. I was happy. I showered in a truck and went into the café for the presentation where I was greeted with such hospitality. Beers and food were thrown into me. Most of these guys were shocked an Irishman rode ‘cross.
They were delighted that I made the trip over, asked plenty of questions about my previous ‘cross racing and road experience.
I went from the race on a high.
My last race was at Zaventem on Thursday, November 1st, right beside Brussels Airport. Harry and I went to check out the course the day before the race. Again I was shown the same hospitality, the Belgians delighted an Irishman was riding their race. There were Americans, Japanese, Italians, Dutch and an Irishman riding.
On race day I awoke to the sound of rain. I arrived out at the course and chose not to pre-ride because I wanted the bike to be clean and I had already checked it out the previous day. This decision was to backfire.
The first thing I noticed was the number of torn rear mechs around; about 20 in each race so far. I knew that simply finishing would be the aim; the rear mech was to be treated like gold.
Lining up at the back of the grid there was a fantastic band playing. The scene was set. The calm before the storm; the start gun, mayhem, bodies everywhere off road and the race thinned out on the first lap. The course I had mastered the previous day had completely changed and ruts had formed, some quite deep.
Coming through the first two or three laps I was on my own in 34th with about 10 riders behind me. I was making stupid mistakes as I struggled in the deep mud.
One thing I found useful was the rope and poles at the side of the courses. You could pull off them and catapult around a corner if you were lucky.
With five laps done I was feeling good and was hammering out a nice rhythm, closing in on a small group in front.
I threw caution to the wind and I rode a 300m stretch of mud that I had practiced the day before but most of the riders ran it.
I got half way and halved the gap between myself and the group. I was laughing as the legs were coming around. Off the bike and struggling to lift it onto my shoulder I pressed on. Remounting, I hit the gas and heard a sound I have heard before this year, the rear mech pulling into my wheel; race over and bike on shoulder, refusing to give up.
Then I jogged what was my last lap, encouraged by the crowd and crossing the line, popping the bike on the ground. I was annoyed, but to be honest I knew there was a very big chance of this happening.
I went to the pits to wash my bike and I witnessed the two leaders barging and shouldering into the first corner of what was a tricky section. Shower time, and my DID Dunboyne gear was covered head to toe in mud; the only thing that didn’t come into the shower with me was the helmet.
Everything cleaned, it was time to wash all the clothes again, get them dry, pack the bike and head home to start my job in Pfizer and continue the ‘cross scene in Ireland.
Some trips to Belgium and England will be on the cards for sure though. I’m highly motivated to train harder and to commit to ‘cross. I will see where it takes me.
Cheers
Tim
Topics
