Track Racing, Training Camp And My Thoughts On Motor Doping

So it has been long overdue that I have written an entry, coming in to a new year and with lots of exciting opportunities it is something that I will really try and keep on top of.

So I signed for a new team in Belgium, Going back out to Europe.  Goma Dakwerken VDB Steenhouwerij. (Doesn't get more belgian than that!) It looks to be a really exciting opportunity for me, with the team riding lots of interclass, and french races whilst also doing the Lotto Beker Van Belgie (Belgian Cup). Check out the teams FB page http://www.ict-parike.be/

I rode my last ever UIV cup in January in rotterdam, (U23 six days for anyone that doesn't know) I went into it with good legs, having kept off the pies over christmas... sort of... It did not go the way that I wanted it to. Getting sick on day 2 was definitely not part of the plan. So I only rode 5 nights and spent the other one in bed throwing my guts up. It became all about just getting through each day. Still have no idea what caused it but thats how it goes you know! I have really enjoyed riding them and who knows what is to come but that is my track racing done for the winter.

Me and Tom, spending many hours in the sun, turning the pedals, good sensations

 Came back from that trip on a bit of a low, but picked up the training again for a week away with the team in Benicassim. I was a bit apprehensive going away, It's the first time I've been on a team where my language has been the minority en mijn vlaams is niet so goed! But the weather was good and we got a good mix of rides in, lots of climbs, some TTT training and then some long rides, managed to get my first 200km ride in since my little adventure with Hamish Haynes a few years ago in northern france.

Have a look at my starve to see what I got up to https://www.strava.com/athletes/4175236

Blue Army!

I was rooming with the other 2 brits on the team. Tom Bracegirdle and Peter Meritt. Tom has come across from Team Handiness last year whilst Pete is fresh out of pre school and ready to race! It was good to tell stories of Belgium and just get excited about the season to come. Tom has ridden in Belgium for a few years now and has a decent little blog going, definitely worth a read, the "55 things I learnt from Belgium" being one of the most accurate and truest things I have ever read.

http://tombracegirdle.blogspot.co.uk

When I was away, The whole issue of Femke Van Den Driessche being caught with a motor at the cyclocross world champs surfaced. I read this with a bit a bit of bemusement.
I guess it all really started back in 2010 when Cancellara put the hammer down and smashed everyone out of the park in Paris Roubaix.

Now that is one hell of an attack. and everyone argued that you can't do that sort of acceleration un aided after 200km etc etc. But I look at this and he did attack in the sheltered side of the road and this was the period where he won the ITT world champs every year until 2011 except 2008 where he won the olympic tt and placed 2nd in the road race. Could it just be that he was a the tip top of his form. I believe that he was 26 in 2006 which means he is entering the supposed best period of his career.

I want to believe that it was 100% him. he is a rider I have respected and looked up to for years. I couldn't face another armstrong disappointment. and why did no one say anything about the 2012 Roubaix when Boonen rode the last 60 odd km solo for the win. pulling away from the group on 1 set of cobblestones... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7xjsPqHg3o ) But then I have always loved the epic stories from cycling, the armstrong story and his duels with Pantani and Ullrich, the epic Roubaix races and even though it wasn't a motor but some hardcore epo Frank VDB's win in Leige in 1999 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bku_R2P3dzw if you fancy a flash back in history) just to name a few. Maybe I am biased and have some blinkers on, not wanting to accept that this is more wide spread than I want to accept.

My friend and all round tech nerd Dan Bigham wrote a piece on this. Although I love to wind him up about "aero is everything" and take the piss out of him when I found out he used to ride with a swimming cap on his lid, I respect his opinions on this kind of stuff because most of the time he has some sort of solid evidence to back up his claims. He made the valid point that most of the examples we have seen have been on downhills etc when some one has crashed and the bike continues moving, saying it wouldn't make sense to waste power were you couldn't get the most reward.

As he said the Excuse "its not my bike" was "Cute"  But I would bet a lot of money on the fact that her dad was involved. With her brother serving and epo ban and then her being caught in this. I would find it very hard to believe that a 19 year old and a 22 year old could both be caught majorly cheating within 1 year of each other and the family not to be involved. This quote from PezCycling news sums it up:

"It’s so unsubtle, so blatantly stupid and so easy to get caught that it smacks you as totally unsophisticated and in fact plain childish, like a kid at school cheating in a game in the playground"

plus... Look at him...

Have a quick look at Dan's Piece for some techy analysis of the issue http://www.danielbigham.co.uk/post/102d5l6/my-take-on-mechanical-doping

 Not only does the UCI have to work out a solution to deal with this problem but they also need to come up with an adequate Punishment. This presents the question is motorised doping worse than chemical doping. I would say yes, at least when you are on epo etc you still have to turn the pedals!  The whole issue opens up so many questions that we could debate it for a long time. I will leave you to make up your own mind! 

Tot straaks

Stephen