Reconnaissance Training

Yesterday Josh, Gus and I headed out to Geraardsbergen to recce the course for Sunday’s race. ‘Twas a characteristically windy and cold day in Belgium with intermittent rain doing it’s best to lift the spirits. I did the gentleman’s trick of sitting on the other two guys because I was feeling pretty empty and then attacking them up the Mur of Geraardsbergen and the Bosburg: all good clean fun! It’s going to be fun racing up such iconic climbs at the weekend and I’m sure I’ll be getting teary eyed and philosophical (for all the wrong reasons).

The mighty Mur

Today’s rest day has so far included such activities as foam roller self flagellation (supposedly for the gain of flexibility), trying to get Caruso the dog to jump onto the balcony from down in the garden and the staple diet of exchanging insults and seeing who can punch the chair hardest. Incidentally it was either Hunt or Yetman. It’s been a rich experience all round.

I hear that it’s been the wettest April on record in England which is nice to know because it’s been atrocious over here too. I’m beginning to get a little bored of horizontal hail - queue lectures from old boys about character building et cetera. A couple of us are off to France next weekend for a race which will be a welcome change of scene, and interesting to see how the racing differs. I’ll report back on Sunday after the weekend. Ciao!