Euro Racing

I'll try to catch everyone up on the racing over here. This morning Santa brought us all boxers and candy! Today we raced Christmas day on a course out in the fields. Pre-riding the course, I was pretty nervous about the race. The course had three really steep, rutted drops that had us all on our toes. Adding to the ominous air, Lionel broke his frame riding on the road. I don't even know how that happens. We rode some more on the course and then warmed up for about 30 minutes on the trainers. Most of us got called up near the back of the starting grid which was very narrow. We sprinted up the road and got down to business. The first few laps I felt good and passed a lot of people of the slick mud but as the race wore on the thick sod of the course started to really wear me down. I probably should have changed bikes sooner but only one had the mud tubulars so I was trying to stay on that one longer even though it was getting really heavy. With about two laps to go I slowed down a lot and a bunch of people passed me. I ended up getting 27th place and was the last one to finish without getting lapped. Sweet. Nate Morse did really well. Lionel had some more bad luck when he and John Fransisco converged into one line after taking entrances to a drop. Lionel broke his other frame and rode the rest of the race on it without realizing. Changing after the race the embrocation I was using was really hot and hurt a whole lot. Soon we headed back to Izegem to spend the rest of Christmas. Thanks to everyone who has supported me and I will try to post more soon!

Belgium

Our four days of rest are over and it's time to get back to business. Every athlete in the house is racing today in Diegem. We did some fun rides during our time off, got lost, and stopped at bakeries. I think I know every song on Jim now. By heart. And backwards.
The race today looks challenging and everyone is excited. Check back for a report soon.
Thanks for reading!

News from Belgium

http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/euro-cross-camp-ix/euro-cross-camp-ix-belgium-brigade


Thanks for your support!

For Latest News

For the latest news from Belgium, follow me on Twitter @StephenBassett1. I'll try to update the blog as much as I can from across the pond. Thanks to all my supporters who came to the bake sales and 865 Cycling! You guys are awesome!

Sponsor Spotlight: Princeton Tech Lights

Princeton Tech has generously provided the Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross team with bike lights. For the front we are using the Push light, which has a lot of really convenient features. First, the light is 100 lumens and has three modes: bright, low, and flash (optimal for high visibility in traffic). Additionally, the lights have a row of small, flashing red LEDs on each side to make you more visible to cars and other riders from the side. Another smart feature of the Push is that it detaches from the mount towards the rider instead of away from him, so the light never flies off the bars by accident when you are adjusting it. Overall, the Push is a great light in a reliable, compact form. The team is also running the Swerve taillight. The switch on the Swerve is simple and never accidentally turns the light off when you hit bumps. The light is the brightest and most visible rear light I've used. In addition to being bright, the Swerve has a unique rubber band mounting system. This system lets you wrap the light around any part of your bike in seconds, without having to use a screwdriver to install a clamp to mount the light on. The light includes two different sized rubber bands or you can clip the light directly to your backpack or seatbag. In conclusion, Princeton Tech lights are the most functional and powerful LED lights I have used and I would recommend them to any rider.

http://princetontec.com

Push Front Light

Push Front Light

Swerve Rear Light

Swerve Mounting System

Sponsor Spotlight: The Stick

This season The Stick has provided me with one of their products. The Sprinter Stick is the recommended stick for athletes who travel because it is the perfect size to throw in your bag. The Stick allows you to massage your own legs, aiding recovery between repeated efforts. The Stick helps during stage races or after any ride. I will definitely have The Stick in my bag for my trip to EuroCrossCamp this year and I will use it between all the races to help me be at my best!

The Sprinter Stick

http://www.thestick.com/

Knoxiecross 2011

A picture is worth a thousand words, right?