I think that the Belgian gambling mafia is on to Mr. Webber as he continues to demonstrate that the Americans take the sport we all love VERY seriously. He by this point is completely screwing with the odds. Pete pulled off yet another win on Belgian soil, this time in Balegem. Have a read and a view of the photo essay…

Za Webber Trip: Balegem Race Report

The Balegem circuit is great, and the atmosphere is even better. I raced here last year, and was really excited to return to this icon of the Flemish Cup. It is situated around a cafe, a farm and a forest in the countryside outside the village of Balegem, just 20 minutes from our base in Oudenaarde. The cafe - The Feestzaal Steenput - is well-known and managed by former Tour De France rider Rudy Colman.  Although I have not done many Belgian races, I think Balegem defines the awesomeness of grassroots Belgian cyclocross. All the elements are in place, and the result is simply a thing of beauty. Sally and Heidi Vandermoere did a wonderful job snapping photos, and I'll let those images tell the story. Check out my 1-minute video of the 17-18 junior race here:

And now for the Balegem photo essay:

I Love Veldrijden (Cyclocross)

There are 21 races in the Vlaamse Cup, all within about a 1 hour radius. This year, Balegem also served as the Provincial Championships for East Flanders

The cafe Feestzaal Steenput is also race headquarters. Inside is registration, rider's changing area, and of course food and drink.

Registration is very professional and efficient. No paperwork needed. The first official scans your bar code, you sign next to your assigned number, pay a couple euros, and collect your number.

The numbers are re-usable. Return it after the race and get a deposit back.

Bike racing is a family activity and part of a healthy lifestyle ;-}

Vans, campers, sprinters, and all sorts of customized rigs are essential when dealing with the frequently horrible conditions.

Every racer has a couple of mechanics, helpers and plenty of supporters.

Like the cars, bikes are new. While cars tend to be shades of gray, white is the most popular shade for fiets.

The spectators gather at the technical steeps. I'm guessing that plenty of them walked from home.

This gentleman is a local legend and races every weekend. I talked with him after the race and we traded stories. He has ridden Mont Ventoux over 100 times and toured from Belgium to Moscow this summer. The fellow in the background looks like he's been to a few races as well.

Ella loves bringing my spare bike to the pit and often insists on holding it during the race too.

The rider's changing area is full of interesting rituals. In this photo, a rider has arranged his gear very precisely for his post race clean up.

Steep drops and deep ruts are the crux at Balegem. There are 3 of these drops in a row.

The Jenever (Dutch gin) vendor is ready to provide both types of warmth for his customers.

A discerning spectator.

Mini-supporter ready for the afternoon.

Now for some racing action. Choose a rut and stay in it.

Mario and I take different lines on the run-up. Neither one provided much traction.

Horsepower.

Cornering.

Mario focused on the task.

I'm in full attack mode, trying to gain time on this long power climb.

Victory. The newspaper Het Laaste Niews (The Latest News) is the title sponsor of the race series and countless other bike races over the decades.

Flowers are essential.

Family and friends.

Our van was easy to find ... behind the cafe, beside the chicken coop at the base of the climb.

Bike washing station.

The results.

Post-race cold beer and hot soup in the cafe.

Fresh off his National Championship win in the 40-44 Masters group…oh, and a top 20 in the Elite race the next day!…Pete Webber is back in Belgium and already up to his antics. Pete, wife Sally and daughter Ella are braving the massive cold and snow front bringing Europe to a grinding halt for their second year running. The best part of it all is that 365 days later, I swear there is a “Supporters Club Webber” over there now, including one of the true ‘good guys’ of the sport, Mario Lammens…the current Belgian Master’s National Champion in Pete’s Age group. These guys couldn't wait to get into battle with one another…as evidenced by their loving Facebook exchanges.

I LOVE it! Such great sportsmanship and it is awesome to see how this sport is making such great friends and sporting rivalries. It’s the way it should be!

And without further adieu, let me let Pete take over the keyboard and tell you about his first race back in…Za Motherland!

Za Webber Trip 2010
Christmas Cross at Beernem

Racing on Christmas day? Only in Belgium!

Today I tackled my first race of this winter's Belgian adventure, and it was a proper snowy Christmas cross.
To back up a bit, I am at the start of a month-long Belgian cross adventure. Following the path of last year's "Za Webber Trip" to za motherland of cross, I am extending the USA race season by visiting Belgium with my wife Sally and 8-year-old daughter Ella for an immersion in Flemish culture, food, beer, cobbles, and cross. The family will stay for the first two weeks, and then I'll be joined by a group of notorious racing buddies for two more weeks. Stay tuned here and on FB for regular updates thru out the month!

Now to race report #1. I did this same Flemish Cup event in Beernem last year, and was lucky to take a win after masters World Champ Marc Druyts missed a step on the last run-up, an incredibly steep muddy wall. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous and excited to attempt a defense. Epic packing, travel, jet lag, German autobans, and wintery conditions were having me feel beat up, but a memorable string of Colorado races plus good results at Nationals created some confidence too.

The Beernem course is difficult to describe. Let's just say it has a bit of everything: grass, ice, snow, mud, singletrack, bike path, roads, alleys, driveways, cobbles, and most importantly, crazy technical steep rutted ups and downs. As is typical for smaller events like this, the course was not wide UCI style, instead it is totally fun jungle cross and lightly marked.

No call up at the start line since I have no points here, but today's field was very small, only 3-rows deep for my age group. I had a good start and hit the first turn in about 5th place. Belgian legend and all-around good guy Mario Lammens took the hole-shot and was riding very well. For about five minutes he had a small gap off the front, but our group thankfully closed it down before the first lap was complete.
The crux of this track are a series of four technical drops followed by four steep climbs. Two of the climbs are ridable if you hit them perfectly, and two are impossibly steep, with deep foot-holds. There was a lot of super fun twisty singletrack, but each section was short and plenty of places to pass. A few minutes of each lap were on hard-packed snow or ice. You had to stay smooth and not touch the brakes at all or else you'd be down in a split second. Fortunately, the steep stuff was not too icy.

As the race progressed, I figured out how to tackle the technical stuff and what to do on the steep run-ups. The trick was to really carry your speed, dismount without slowing down, and then stay focused on finding those essential foot-holds. The lead group was down to 3: Mario, an Italian rider, and myself.  With two laps to go, I punched it going into the trees and nailed the run-ups. A five-second gap opened up and I kept the pressure on for a whole lap. The gap grew to 20 seconds and I rode the last lap all alone, keeping the hammer down. A fun Christmas win.

Tomorrow's another race at Balegem, just 20 minutes down the road. My bikes are washed, gear packed, and a delicious Belgian pastry is waiting for dessert.

Thanks for reading!