Belgium Day 1

A big crew of us made it into Brussels early this morning (6:30am). We must have had a strong tailwind as we arrived almost an hour early, cutting into my already shortened night of sleep. I think I slept maybe two hours total but it was really nice because my whole row was empty and I was able to completely lay down across it. Who needs to pay for an upgrade when you can take a whole row? It's not often it happens that way anymore so it was pretty nice to happen on a 6 hour flight.

Lion of Flanders

It was raining pretty hard the entire drive to Izegem and extremely windy. We ventured out on a ride after lunch and no kidding were blown completely off the road several times. Tonkin came the closest to death when we came out from behind a building and he was pushed over into the middle of the road and almost into car. After that we hit the canal bike trails and although it was just as windy, it felt a little safer. Tomorrow I'll bring the camera, today's focus was on getting the flight out of my legs and getting some blood flowing. The entire house is shaking and they say there are 70kph gusts which I totally believe. One of the jrs held his bike by the top tube and it swung almost 90 degrees out from the wind!

Seems like we have good internet here at the USA cycling house in Belgium so I should be able to keep the site updated frequently. Right now I'm just trying to keep my eyes open until 8pm, then it's lights out and hopefully a full nights sleep. We shall see.

TODAY'S RIDE BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

• Today's title donors:

• Ralph Pulver
• Al and Jennifer Krueger - Milwaukee, WI
• Bill Larsen

Today's other great donors!

• Glen A Jones
• Craig Manthe
• Bill & Barb Litscher - Whitefish Bay, WI
• Keith Wolf - Wauwatosa, Wi
• David and Bonnie Justice
• Francis Vandeloo

Previous Donors:

(Special thanks)

• Scott & Laura Cole
• Christopher Cronin
• Ryan Wondergem
• Steve and Maryann Manthey
• Andrew Klumb
• John and Connie Holcomb
• Jody Meyers: The bells team supports you 110%. GOOD LUCK!
• John Meyers - Bells Brewery Quiring Cycles Race Team
• Jason LaBella Chicago, IL WORS Comp #1111
• Joseph Lekovish (SPONSOR: South Lyon Cycle Racing Team / Tailwind Michigan UCI CX Double-header Sept 2007)
  
• Jesse Rients - MN
• David Ziemer - Greenfield MN
  
• James Jones - Sheboygan
• Joseph Brzuchanski: On behalf of the Bells Brewery/Quiring Cycles MTB Team (Jason Lummis, Mike Simonson, Scott Quiring, John Meyers, Jason Jones and myself).
  

• Rod Olliver http://www.ontariocyclocross.com/fccr
• Kelly Niquette
• Michael Martens: Working on Wisconsin's first Twilight Crit in 07' (June 16th 2007 in Grafton, WI.) Check us out. www.graftonbikerace.com
• Ian Stanford
• Greg Heck
• Andrew Kruse
• Todd Pittman, Ellicott City, MD
• Mark Beck
• Tony Wagner - Glenbeulah, WI
• Jeremey Rodriguez
• Brad Verstegen - Appleton, WI
• Paul Belknap
• Scott Roehrborn:Make sure to throw down some Belgian Waffles for the guys back home on the Sat. Breakfast Ride!
• Ronald M Stawicki
• Scott, Alla & Ayla Shapiro
• Mitch Graham
• Maryann Pitner
• Guy Schutt - Oconomowoc, WI
• Jay Moncel
• Brian Conant – Dekalb, IL
• Daniel Backley
• Kenny Dretzka
• Carl Voss - Eyota, MN
• Rachel Steele
• Chris Henning: This is from the henningboyz- 2 little crossers- from northbrook. congrats and we're pullin' for ya.
  
• Steve Ferguson
  
• Jason Fryda - Boulder, CO
• Eric Peltier
• Featherman Kids
  
• Rachel Kilmer
• Christopher Zacharias
  
• Christopher Plummer
  
• Randy Arellano - Dearborn, MI
• Chris & Melanie Nystrom - Ellicott City, MD
• Jennifer and Brian Smith
• Mark A Lalonde
• Lil'Jane of Capitol Velo in Madison. Note: Jane is a 10-year-old cyclocross racer in the Wisconsin series. Good Luck! Richard Moran (Madcross-Garner) Jane (Capitol Velo)
• Andrew Weir
• Joe Doyle
• Sean Grady
• Michael Phillips
• Amy Dykema - Evanston, IL
• Sonja Schouten (this is a good one, she donated her leftover euros from her own trip -nice!)
• Bill Schneider - Green Bay, WI
• Chad Dean
• Wayne Prescott
• Brian Hammer
• Chad Melis