Chasing Races - Part 1 (RVV)

The trip to Belgium was centered around several goals: Ride the cobbled climbs of Flanders and through the farmer's fields South of Roubaix. Samples as many local Belgian beers as possible. Eat Frites. And last, but certainly not least, take in 3 of the Spring Classic races. It turns out that we actually got to see 4 races. The first race was the Tour of Flanders (known in Belgium as the Ronde Van Vlaanderen). Rich got our jet-lagged carcasses out of the fart-sac on time, we piled in the car and headed over to the hotel where Rich Hincapie and the rest of the SoCar Posse was gathering for the convoy up to Brugge to see the pre-start activities. After a quick people shuffle, we got everyone into two cars and were off. We arrived in Brugge to a steady downpour. Since we had gotten there before the team buses, we stepped into a cafe out of the rain for a coffee. By the time we were finished and the teams started to arrive, the rain had stopped.

The start area in Brugge is fenced off. You had to either have a media pass or know somebody to get in. Thus, we were stuck on the outside looking through the fence. After doing a lap around the outside, I met up with the SoCar gang at fence outside the BMC bus. We got Ricardo Hincapie to hand us a course map through the fence so that we could plan our route to watch the race pass a couple times as it went along. A little later George comes out, takes one look at us outside the wire and asks his brother where the closest gate is. 3 minutes later, we are on the inside of the wire...... BAM!!!!

It turns out, that the crowd is just as thick on the inside as it is on the outside. But you can get up to bikes closer if you want to evaluate what the pros are riding.

After milling around for 30 minutes taking pics and ogling people and bikes, it was time to head out on the road as most of the riders had left for the sign-in/start area a couple blocks away.

We had decided to watch the race go by in two places. The first would be 100K into the route just past the 1st feed zone. After getting lost a couple times, getting the cars separated once and by some miracle meeting back up, we finally asked a local out on a training ride where the race was. Note to future travelers, when all else fails, ask the local guy out on a training ride where the race is going to come through. We did this twice during the week.

After watching the race go by, it was back to the cars and off again. The 2nd place was going to be the Koppenberg. During this next jaunt, it became very clear that both Rich Hincapie and Rich Visscher have driven way to much in race caravan. No road is too small and no speed is too fast. At one point, we were doing 90kph down a winding road/bike path that was barely wider than the cars.

We watched the peleton attack the Koppenberg and then headed down to a spot at the bottom of the climb that was serving broodjles (sandwiches), beers and had a 50" plasma.

Outside the wire looking in as the teams begin to arrive.

Team Sky even goes for the custom plates on the cars.... nice touch.

The line of team cars and buses waiting to get

into the start area went as far as I could see.



The crowds outside the wire were 5 deep. Except at Radio Shack
and Quick Step where Armstrong and Boonen drew crowds 10 deep.

"Lets go to the map." Rich and crew figuring out

the best place to watch the race.

GH stepping out to meet the hoards.

Alessandro Balan was in good sprites at the start. The BMC crew was saying that he was looking really fit and feeling good. Nobody knew that this was going to be his last race for a while.

How do you get a guy the size of George Hincapie

to fit on a stock BMC frame..... it's all in the stem.

These two had the Belgian Knee Warmers on so thick that

you could see the sheen from 300 meters away.

On the other hand, the little Spanish climbers who ventured away

from the warm climes of southern Spain choose to bundle up like Nanook.

The LA crush outside The Shack.

I took this pic for one reason. It shows LA knows how to choose function over fashion. Nike names a building after him, puts out entire lines of clothing around him, and is the major clothing sponsor of team Radio Shack. Yet... that jacket is none other than a Hincapie Sports eVent. Sporting a George Hincapie signature no less.