January 21, 2007

World Cup #11- Hoogerheide, Netherlands

That's for real!
My ride today sponsored by:
  • Jay Richards - UCI mtb race at Maplelag on May 12th
  • Madcross fundraising ( Renee Callaway)
    • Mark Badger
    • Lewis Clark
    • Joe Doyle
    • Dave Erickson
    • Eric Knuth
    • John McNeill
    • Linda Seamars
    • Chris Strout
    • Heidi Ploeg
    • Matthew Block
    • Kevin Kiddle
    • Mark Harms
    • Tom Palmer
    • Travis Goodlund
    • Glen Jones
Definitely jumped in feet first today for the real deal. My first taste of world cup racing was nothing shy of completely brutal and couldn't have been harder. The course itself started out quite easy, when we prerode it was fast in sections, grassy in a few, and 4 muddy slogs that would be tough, but for the most part is was pretty easy and not very technical. That is until 3/4 through the womans race when it started getting cold, then hailing, lighting, and then the rain. It rained and hailed for a good 30 minutes before our race and at the start is was hovering around 40 degrees and absolutely pouring rain, only occasionally stopping to hail.

prerace warmup

I started back row and no more than got my rain jacket off with 30 seconds to go when they started. Straight down a cobbled street into a 90 corner in pouring rain. I survived the first few laps and worked the cobwebs out, but by the time that happend I started loosing feelings in different part of the body each succeeding lap until with 2 to go I couldn't feel my feet, legs, hands, or arms. None the less I wasn't about to quit and went for the full experience. Got lapped at 1 to go but they didn't pull me or even look twice at me so I did the full loop again for no reason other than no one actually told me to stop. I probably didn't need to to keep my placing, but about the time you stop, three other guys pass you and you loose 3 spots, so I kept it going and finished as Vervecken went across the line. If you look close, you might see me behind in some photos.

The caveman Tonkin in his pain cave...

...and the rest of us

It was straight to the heated van where Trebon and Tonkin soon joined and the three of us sat and shivered uncontrolably for 15 minutes as the blood came back to our feet and hands. You know you look bad when people keep looking at you and asking if you're alright. Painful times followed, trying to pull fully soaked clothing off with fingers that have no feeling, but 30 minutes later after a shower at the local gym I was feeling good and happy to have finished in the top 30. Mission accomplished. What more can you say? Heck, I just raced a cyclocross world cup in the Netherlands in the worst conditions possible. I'm still alive and finished with a decent result, I'm pretty darn happy even. I should even mention they do a lot better with my name over here than they do in the US, every lap they were dead on with pronunciation! Guess it helps when you have a Dutch name.

Glad I'm not the mechanic tomorrow

Previous Donors:

(Special thanks)
  • Diana M Wyatt
  • Cara McCauley
  • Elmer and Naomi Schouten
  • Ralph Pulver
  • Al and Jennifer Krueger - Milwaukee, WI
  • Bill Larsen
  • 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).
  • Schwaller's Painting and Staining LLC (920) 918-3711
  • Robert Letson
  • Brian Eppen
  • Scott and Sara Kylander-Johnson
  • Carolyn Senty
  • Glen A Jones
  • Craig Manthe
  • Bill & Barb Litscher - Whitefish Bay, WI
  • Keith Wolf - Wauwatosa, Wi
  • David and Bonnie Justice
  • Francis Vandeloo
  • 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

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great job on your first World Cup!
Race conditions you described are the ones the Iceman Cometh in TC is supposed to have!
It is nice to know your last name is pronounced correctly! Maybe I should come over to here my last pronounced correctly.

Best Regards,
Chad SCHUT

Anonymous said...

Congrats Tris! Rootin' for ya from
Stateside.
~Sonja

joe1265 said...

Great race Tristan! Can't wait to hear more reports and the World Championships!

Good luck on Sunday!!!