DIARY OF A LYCRA OBSESSED FLANDRIEN
BiciSport members Mike Lawson & Davide Browne have conquered the land of Duvel, Trappist, Merckx & Boonen. Mike Lawson is based at the usual BiciSport service corse at the Kokerelle B&B at Maarke Kerkem just outside Oudenaarde. Mike will be racing in local cyclo cross events near Oudenaarde in East Flanders in the lead up to the UCI World Masters Cyclocross Championships at Mol on 29 November.
Race Program in Flanders
* Nov 9 - Zottegem Cyclocross (Mike Lawson)
* Nov 11 & 16 - Flanders Championship Lichtervelde Cyclocross (Mike Lawson)
*Nov 12-17 - Ghent 6 Day (t’Kuipe Velodrome) with Davide Browne
* Nov 17 - Aalter Cyclocross (Mike Lawson)UCI Masters Cyclocross
* Nov 23 - Watripont Cyclocross (Mike Lawson)
* Nov 29 - UCI World Masters Cyclocross Championships (Mol) (Mike Lawson).
Website - www.wkmasterscyclocross.be
Ghent 6 @ 20 Nov - The Ghent 6 Winners Trophy from Kenny De Ketele
Ghent 6 @ 20 Nov - Eddy Ver Bust is the coach of Kenny De Ketele. Kenny kindly donated the winners trophy to the Ver Bust Museum
Ghent 6 @ 20 Nov - Eddy Ver Bust with the Ghent 6 sign on sheet. Similarly to any professional road race the riders have to sign on each night.
Kokerelle B&B @ Maarke Kerkem @ 18 Nov - Mike Lawson returning from a cyclo cross training session just outside Oudenaarde in steady rain & a balmy 4 degrees.
Mike’s cyclo cross race at Aalter on 17 Nov saw good progression through the Belge peloton but the good day was short lived with a puncture at half distance during the race.
Ghent 6 @ 17 Nov - De Ketele & Ghys took the win after a fantastic last session madison at the t’Kuipe Velodrome. Three teams tied on the last last lap, and two teams on virtually equal points. De Ketele won the last sprint & the Ghent 6 outright. Eddy Ver Bust (coach of Kenny De Ketele) was one happy fella …
Ghent 6 @ 17 Nov - Iljo Keisse (QuickStep) won the derny event & finished 4th overall with Mark Cavendish
Ghent 6 @ 17 Nov - The Under 23 Ghent 6 is held over 3 hours each night just before the main professional event. The winning English team took the Yellow Jersey as overall winners.
Ghent 6 @ 17 Nov - Moreno De Pauw (Belgium) was racing in the Ghent 6 for the last time, and his mum was also in the grandstand
Ghent 6 @ 16 Nov - for the Davide Browne peloton it was a brief 30 minute drive from Ghent into Tour of Flanders country and a visit to the Koppenberg Cafe at Melden
Ghent 6 @ 16 Nov - Davide Browne & Co at the famous Koppenberg cobbled climb at Melden
Ghent 6 @ 16 Nov - Karel van Wijnendaele was the founding father of the Tour of Flanders pro cycling classic and his memorial is located at the top of the Old Kwaremont cobbled climb
Ghent 6 @ 15 Nov - Day 4 at Ghent 6 and this time its a bird’s eye view from the very top row at Turn 1. Keisse & Cavendish didn’t have it all their own way with De Ketele/Ghys looking very strong and slight favourites for the win on Sunday.
Ghent 6 @ 15 Nov - Davide Browne at the Belgium Lotto sponsors booth under the t’Kuipe Velodrome.
Ghent 6 @ 15 Nov - the highlight of Day 4 being the Patrick Sercu Memorial one hour madison won by Iljo Keisse & Mark Cavendish. The madison was full gas from start to finish with always two or three teams chasing a lap.
Ghent 6 @ 15 Nov - a return to the Cafe de Karper for lunch near the Kuipe Velodrome was rewarded with a great meal & a chance meeting with cafe owner Ronie Keisse (who just so happens to be the father of the QuickStep professional, Iljo Keisse).
Ghent 6 @ 14 Nov - A big thank you to Eddy Ver Bust for arranging the Day 3 tickets right on the finishing line. Racing started at 8.00pm and finished with a 60 lap derny race at 1.15am.
Ghent 6 @ 14 Nov - Iljo Keisse (QuickStep) won the derny race & threw the flowers to the crowd
Ghent 6 @ 14 Nov - Michel Vaarten (derny pilot, left) and Iljo Keisse (QuickStep) were a formidable duo in the 60 lap derny race. The derny race was held over two heats with 6 dernys on the Kuipe velodrome at the one time.
Ghent 6 @ 14 Nov - Just 200m down the straat from the Kuipe Velodrome is the Cafe de Karper.
Walking into de Karper by sheer accident its like entering another (cycling) world …. run by Drieka Keisse (the sister of Iljo Keisse from Team QuickStep, and Mark Cavendish team mate). There is QuickStep everywhere. Every night the bar stays open until at least 2am, and 4am on the last night of the Ghent 6.
Ghent 6 @ 13 Nov - Moreno De Pauw is racing in the Ghent 6 and his father Gino featured in Het Laaste Nieuws (The Late News) Flemish newspaper. Unbeknownst to Gino he was photo bombed by the BiciSport gruppetto …. in the blue jumper just behind to the right.
Ghent 6 @ 13 Nov - Mark Cavendish recovered after his big off yesterday & remains a big favourite
Ghent 6 @ 13 Nov - the Kuipe Velodrome Middelplein gives a great opportunity for getting close to the riders
Ghent 6 @ 13 Nov - teams pair up on the parade laps at 8.00pm before the official start on day 2. The Flemish commentator does the introduction for each team, they then peel off and go to the back of the peloton. The atmosphere in the tiny Kuipe track is electric with the riders lapping in just 9 seconds and the action never stops
Ghent 6 @ 13 Nov - the Plum Sport cycle shop in central Ghent has a longstanding history with cycle sport (see story below) and many champions have lived in the premises upstairs. Downstairs in the cycle shop lobby is a model of the Kuipe Velodrome and photos relating to past winners of the Ghent 6
Ghent 6 @ 13 Nov - a cycle shop full of the new, the old and the very very old. A well appointed cycling museum is located in the shop basement with numerous racing bikes dating back to the 1920’s.
Ghent 6 @ 12 Nov - the Kuipe Velodrome trackside in the Middelplein (track centre) with the mechanics hard at work sticking on tubular tyres with rim glue using a tiny paint brush
Ghent 6 @ 12 Nov - for the equipment fanatic the endless supply of n+1 candidates was everywhere
Ghent 6 @ 12 Nov - Iljo Keisse (Quickstep) was paired with Mark Cavendish which attracted fans both young & old. Access to the riders was relatively easy & relaxed.
Ghent 6 @ 12 Nov - the racing commenced at 8.00pm and by 9.00pm the Middelplein was standing room only and fully packed with nowhere to move … except towards the bar for a top up …
Roubaix Velodrome @ 12 Nov - Davide Browne (BiciSport Master) takes the victory salute at the Roubaix Velodrome
Roubaix Velodrome @ 12 Nov - Davide Browne & family on the Roubaix Velodrome banking
Flanders Cyclocross Championship @ Litchervelde @ 11 Nov - the small town of Litchervelde in West Flanders hosted the Flanders Cyclocross Championship. Conditions were challenging with steady rain and mud, mud and more mud
Flanders Cyclocross Championship @ Litchevelde @ 11 Nov - The Junior race had 70 starters in cold & wet conditions.
Flanders Cyclocross Championships @ Litchervelde @ 11 Nov - Mike Lawson leaves the finishing straight behind, turns left and begins lap 2 in the Flanders mud
Flanders Cyclocross Championships @ Litchervelde @ 11 Nov - conditions were difficult in the extreme
Zottegem Cyclocross Belgium @ 9 Nov - Mike Lawson (BiciSport Master) on the warm up lap before the race start, just after the short sandpit run
Zottegem Cyclocross Belgium @ 9 Nov - Mike Lawson on the steady uphill section. Weather conditions were nearly balmy for Belgium in November - sunshine & light winds and 9 degrees. Races were held for all categories from Under 9, Juniors, Women & Masters. All fields were fully subscribed.
Zottegem Cyclocross Belgium @ 9 Nov - Mike Lawson on the descent to the bottom of the circuit
Zottegem Cyclocross Belgium @ 9 Nov - Mike Lawson in full flight at Zottegem
The Middenplein at the t’Kuipe Velodrome … its too close to call what the punters take more seriously - the racing or the eating & drinking !. The only way to mark the passage of time is to glance at the floor of the Middenplein. At 9pm - the empty Primus beer cups can be toed aside. By 11pm its crunchy underfoot, but that’s hardly surprising as the easiest way to drink is a 5 beer cascade off a flimsy tray !.
Its all beer, burgers and hotdogs. Belgium is famous for its canals … that’ll be alimentary canals !!.
Racing concludes at 1.30am and then its where is my car and how do I go home ?. Where is home again ?.
The t’Kuipe (means Little Bowl in Flemish) is 50 years old. It groans and it creaks with 48 degree bankings and just 167m per lap. Riders hit the bankings at 70kph during a sprint lap. The velodrome contains 5,000 seats and the spillover crowd fills into the Middelplein in the velodrome centre. Where is my beer ?
UCI World Masters Cyclo Cross Championships @ Mol, Belgium @ 29 November - The Cyclocross Championship circuit includes several sand sections beside the Zilvermeer Water Park on both sides of the lake