24th sat June 7:15

Last Saturday I had a 90km crit, 2km a lap. I placed 14th which I was very pleased about; I got about 3rd or 4th in the bunch sprint. In every race about a 3rd of the way threw the race there is a break of about 6-10 riders which I’m soon going to get in. Yesterday I placed 6th, it was a 70km crit lap length 1.1km. I stared about 15th in the bunch and that was my mistake which I thought would be fine. The straights over here are so short that it is very hard to pase people most of the time, and in this race the break had been made and I was unable to get into it. In every race there are usually 4 bunches I was in the 4th and bridged it up to the 3rd by myself, road with them for awhile. In every race the attrition rate is huge and in this race people where popping every two laps or so. We then caught up to the 2nd bunch and this is the bunch I road most of the race in. It is very hard in these races to know how many laps there are left in the race or where you are in the race, because people are getting lapped all the time. We had about 10 laps to go, in by that stage I was keeping an eye on any attacks. I made an attack which has been one of my first as I am just starting to build up a little bit of strength now. Then there were 3, of us and then I made an attack with 4 to go with my team mate, but with two to go he hit the other guy’s wheel and ended up rolling off into the ditch. The bunch was coming so me and this other guy worked together for one lap, then I could see the bunch getting closer so I made and attack with one lap to go thinking pretty much I was winning the race. It was lucky because just going over the line I could see the other riders ahead. Having those kind of thoughts in your mind are really good sometimes not knowing where you are in the race can work for you as you push yourself harder. If you think you have like 10 laps to go instead of 20 which I thought we had left in the race than we makes you work a whole lot harder. I went with every break and was smashing the peelton to bits, man its great to know that you were the one who caused all of the carnage in the race. I’m getting used to understanding the racing, buts its still hard to keep track of how many laps and If your bunch is the front bunch or if there are riders out the front. Really need race com. Sometimes like yesterday you cant have to much strategy, but just race up the very front and race hard the whole time and not bother out being a pelleton parasite and seating backing and waited for the sprint, because if you are not right at the front you don’t know if riders are out the front or what. I know that you should try to stay up the front in all races but over it is the most important thing I think you can do. The racings is hard out from the word going all I can hear is my HR monitor going beep, beep and if I get the chance to look down I will see it at 190HPM plus for just about the whole race. The corners on all the courses are either tight or extremely tight with, usually lumps and bumps and bad seal. We go around 90 degree corners at 15km and reach 55km after about 3secs leaving the corner. Or if we get not such a tight corner we will take it around 50km and be sprinting hard out of the corner. With such an uneven road surface a lot of the time the wheel is half airborne and literally bouncing around the corning trying to keep traction and stay on the road. Over here people are a lot more skilled at riding there bikes and now I’m enjoying taking the corners in the bunch which is a big change from a lot of the riding back home, where people usually crawl around the corners. Today two team mates and I went for a 5hr training ride, went out to a climb called the Copinburg, I think that is how you spell it. The climb is where the tour of Flanders goes over, really steep, lots of cobles like you see in cycle mags, your wheels literally are riding not on the surface but in-between the cobbles. If you try to sprint which you can only do for about 7secs as the resistance on your legs is enormous. Its about 800m long, if your riding at about 85% you would b riding up at 5kmph, I was going full out and was just barley keeping the Speedo over 10kmph, I don’t want to brag but I’m not slouch on the climbs either so you can imagine what its like. When you sprint your back wheel bounces all over the roads it’s like riding up a creek on a MTB. It was lots of fun and a good experience.

Hi All Plane trip wasn’t much fun what was supposed to be a 35hr flight turned into a 45hr flight. The flight was delayed for an hour to start with, and then while travelling over AUZ we had to stop at Darwin as someone needed to be taken to hospital, we waited at Darwin airport for ages & then received the news that they had died in the hospital. My original course was Aux NZ-Singapore -Amsterdam-Brussels, which ended up being Aux-Singapore-Frankfurt- Brussels. I flew in on Mon 7:30am local time, my bike and luggage ended up turning up the next night which was a bit annoying. When my bike arrived my big chain ring was wasted, completely bent, 4 of the teeth half worn off. I had to spend bout 30min straitening it with pliers and bashing it & then filing them smooth with a file so the chain would run properly. There are 25 people in our team (Kingsnorth International Wheelers), I have been given bib shorts, top, socks, drink bottles, & team caps all in all it’s pretty good for an armature team. We are the most dominant team in numbers and results at races. Most of the races we do are called a kermis which is usually120km in length, around a town consisting of about & 13 laps. It’s usually a 20km bike to & from the race, which gives a good warm up & warm down. Race entry is 8 euro & when you give your number back you get 5 euro back from your entry. Roads are absolutely shite here, it’s like MTB (Mountain biking) on the rd there seems to be road works everywhere which are un finished. Cyclists have right away over cars, if you want to cross the road cars will stop for you. There are cycle paths on both sides of the road which fits 4 riders to use it, plus footpaths beside them. Trainings really boring, but racings great. There are bike paths that go along the canals for ever and are hot mix which makes it all the more sweet. I went for a recovery ride today on the 9am canal bunch ride, wow its amazing literally thousands of people, in either big & small groups or by themselves. I was in a group of about 60, we averaged about 43km and in a fast race in NZ we will average 40km, but it is almost completely flat & hot mix. No hills really where I’m staying in Gent, but further south is a bit more like the Waikato. There are more people who bike than drive here. The whole country seems to be set up around cyclists. I’ve had 2 races so far and another tomorrow in Holland, which we will ride to race & ride home. The first race was a kermis which was 7.2km a lap in length, 120km total in length which was on thur. 68 starters, I didn’t finish got pull out with 3 laps to go all the other guys said I did really well and they only lasted about 30min in there first race, & I last about 2:30hr. All my training has been base and this is a huge shock to the system riding abut 30km faster than training, racing speed is about 50-60km, every 10secs there is someone attacking its insane. My second race was good I got 16th out of 45 starters and most races pay down to 30th place. I have been getting lots of help from team mate Andrew Wells. I got 10 euro prize money which you double to make it to NZ dollars. The race was 30 laps of a 3.3km circuit. We slow down heaps for the corners then its a sprint out of every corner like you are sprinting to the finish, then be time you got some momentum up your heavily braking for the next corner. The circuits are around towns on the outskirts of Gent. The atmosphere at every race is huge; its like going to the rugby back in NZ, there is lots of betting at the races. It’s like being at the Nationals at each race. Most races are between 3:30 and 6pm. We seem to race every 2nd day. There are 6 riders being selected to race in an interclub race on the 25th of June which I have been selected for which I’m stoked about because a lot of guys have been here for weeks racings & have not been selected. Originally I was going to be staying at a place called the farm which is now full so I’m boarding with a 65 year old couple who are the most cycling enthusiastic people ever meet. They have all the tem kit, pics, autographs from riders & are friends with some very top riders, & big tem team mangers. Christian is Belgian & speaks good English; Ansos is Italian & speaks no English. I’m quite close to the centre of the city, if I open the front door leads directly on to the foot path. It is a 3 story house, I’ve got my own toilet, kitchen ect & only pay 180 Euro a month. I’ve got stereo, TV ect in my room its mint & the beds are good. They have been taking cyclists in for 30 years. In my spare time I’ve been using the town bike & exploring the city it’s beautiful, hardly any traffic, everything is really relaxed no cars screaming past sirens boy racers ect I love it here. I’ve got to go to get ready for my race in Holland which starts at 7pm 2nyt. Please ask Qs if interested in anthying because it is so different here it would take forever to right it all down.

Cya

Thanks to all my sponsors

• R & R Sport Hamilton
• Buff
• Competitive Edge sports Nutrition
• Jamis Bicycles
• Coromandel Lions Club
• Alan James
• Jim Davies
• Hopper Construction
• Evans Homes
• Spirit of Coromandel Trust
• Harold Abrahamson
  
• My Grandma
• Mum
• Dad

Thanks Guys without you I would not be doing what I love most riding my bike all over the country. Thanks again

My first wheels
This is me at six months old.
Born to ride lol. 

Thanks Jamis bicycles & the Coromandel Lions Club This is my new speed weaponry for the coming season, Sponsored by Jamis Bicycles & the local Coromandel Lions club. I've given it a thrashing on the slopes of Coromandel & it checks out mint, downhill’s like no other and is very comfy, with the steel frame but still weighs less than 8kg. I'm looking forward to kicking some but on it over in Belgium.