Arnhem-Veenendaal Classic 1.1

The course map

My final race in Europe would be the most prestigious of all the events on my calendar.  Arnhem-Veenendaal is a UCI 1.1 event that consists of nearly 130 miles of racing. The race starts in the city of Arnhem where we would do circuits in a major park before heading west to Veenendaal to finish the race. Unlike my other races during this Euro trip, the race organizers only allowed 6 riders per team. This cut down the number of overall race starters from the normal 200 racers to just 105. Also present would be three World Tours teams: Cannondale, Belkin, and Movistar. I had no idea what to expect for a race of this length with riders of such caliber.

Zottegem UCI 1.1 My first UCI race with some World Tour Talent

Since I have no pictures of Zottegem. Here's a photo in
Amsterdam!

Going into my first ever UCI 1.1, I had no idea what to expect. There was rain and cobbles on the horizon.  Many teams were eager to get their bit of glory, and with 205 starters, the talent rode deep into the peloton.  There was no telling how things were going to shake out.

Format of the race: a neutral rollout through town to showcase the peloton to the host city, a large 75 km loop which would include many long stretched out crosswind sections, a 4km cobbled road, and one cobbled climb that was part of the tour of Flanders this past year. This was then followed by several smaller laps closer to town which included a very narrow technical section at the end and start of each lap.

Getting the swing of things at the "Kermess World Championships"! (Huesden)

Chris in the break

Heading to our third race here in Belgium, the team was fully motivated to improve on our last efforts the UCI 1.2 race where we swam to the finish line, just a few days prior. Huesden (another pro kermess) has been known in the past as the “ World Championships of Kermess.”  It has a history of over 200 starters, several World Tour teams showing up and boosting full rosters, all on a fast smooth course. Unfortunately, due to other races that have grown in the area, such as Eneco Tour, the number of World Tour teams has declined over the years. Nonetheless, Lotto Belisol was fielding a small team of riders along with several other pro-conti guys.

Wind, Rain, and Cobbles Havenpijl 1.2

Brecht, myself, Clay, Chris, Max, Cortlan, Matt from left to right

Heading to the team’s second race here in Belgium, I did not know what to expect. Matt has been telling the team about his marred past at Havenpijl where he has crashed out on every single one of his starts with terrible injuries. This course is about 172 km long consisting of 2 large 50 km loops followed by several smaller “in-town loops”. The larger loops consisted of about 1400 meters of cobbles per lap accompanied by long crosswind sections through one of Belgium’s largest shipping yards. The smaller loops were a bit more technical for we raced through downtown Antwerpen. With 200 starters and a forecast for heavy rains for most the race, the nervousness of the peloton could be seen on everyone’s faces.

Making Friends (and Breakfast Tacos) in Belgium

The Team for Europe
(Matt, Chris, Sven, Brecht, Max, myself, Cortlan, Clay. From left to right)

Since landing in Belgium, I cannot stop smiling. I've always dreamed of coming to the country of bike racing, fries, beer, and overcast weather. As a Junior racer, I have watched many close friends go on racing trips here to get their fix. Every single one always returns speaking of the wonders racing in Belgium has done for them, and how it has strongly changed their perspective on how to ride and race a bicycle.