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?

Sponsor Spotlight: THOMSON seatposts and stems

Thomson has generously supported me this year with seatposts and stems. As I have said before, Thomson products are the best on the market because of their light weight, strength, durability, and adjustablility. Thomson is based out of Macon, Georgia and their commitment of excellence and customer service is unparalleled. The seatposts are lighter than many carbon posts but have much more strength and reliability. The secret to the light weight of the posts is that they are reinforced only at the areas of stress, the front and back of the post. The two-bolt clamping system is easy to adjust and never slips, something especially important for the demands of cyclocross. Another thing that makes Thomson Masterpiece posts the best for cross is the texture of the post. Thousands of tiny rings are machined into the aluminum to create friction in the frame so the post never slips down! I am using both the Elite X4 and X2 stems this year and they are both working great. The X4 stem has four bolts and the X2 has two. The stems are super stiff and perfect for pulling on the bars while out of the saddle. All Thomson products are available in a wide variety of sizes and are entirely made in the USA.

 http://bikethomson.com/

Elite X2 stem

Masterpiece Post

Elite X4 stem