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| Tales from the Woods |
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| 25-04-2008 |
 Hallerbos Bluebell ride |
Met up with G. from Latvia today at 3 Fontaines. Together we rode to the Hallerbos where she was clearly awed by the bluebells in bloom. Yes, they were still in full splendor and with the sun peeping out of the clouds every now and then the blue/purple hues were amazing. But Hallerbos is also a very hilly region and we managed to get a good ride in. It had been a while since I was there and I had to get out the map very often to make sure I didn't miss any of the most beautiful spots. We started out as usual at 7 Fontaines but we chose the 'cobbles from hell' instead of the "muddy blob" to make it up to the hilly crest overlooking Hallerbos. A little bit of tarmac brought us to the Colpain area where we dove into the forest and were surrounded by millions of bluebell flowers amidst the trees, their scent sweet and overwhelming.
From there I was trying to find my way over to the southernmost parts of the forest, with some really steep downhills and tricky uphill sections. Still following more or less the track that "Moster Blond" pieced together during her numerous reconnaisance rides of the area. I really missed her today, the last time I was here was with her and it brings back some sweet memories. But my current company was also very pleasant. G. is a strong rider, and she is quick to learn the technical trickeries of mountainbiking. She also knows by now that my favorite tracks usually go uphill  . Today we rode some 60K and nearly 800 heightmeters together. We said our goodbyes in the Rouge Cloitre area, me thanking her once again for her company and wishing her the very best for the LCMT next week. It will be quite an experience for her I'm sure.Ride Stats : 116K and 1145 heightmeters in 6h09mins2635/21330
25-04-2008, 21:13 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 22-04-2008 |
| Meerdael BLOSO |
Another lovely day with sunshine and temps reaching 20 degrees C. Who can resist going out in such conditions?? My legs felt a little better and I decided to ride out today. I took the Moots on a ride around the Meerdael BLOSO routes, some 55K in total and just shy of 500 heightmeters. After a few hectometers I fiddled a little bit with the pressure in the Fox RLT80 shock, which seemed too soft initially. It just came out of maintenance and its making sloshy sounds on big bumps.. hmmm..I need to keep an eye on that.
I had a good ride, even though I felt a little tired I managed a good average speed , especially considering the fact that I took some extra hills along the way. I rode the trails in the opposite direction , opting for alternative downhills and avoiding one mud-trap along the E40 highway. Although it might have been rideable, the trails were amazingly dry .Ride Stats : 56.5K and 495 heightmeters in 2h35mins2520/20185
22-04-2008, 20:25 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 20-04-2008 |
| Houffalize Worldcup weekend |
Friday April 18th
Unlike other years I decide to leave during the mid-afternoon to arrive in Houffalize around 4.30pm. First I went to the Press Centre but - unlike other years - the organisation had not foreseen anything for the Press until the next day. So I checked in at my hotel - the Ol'Fosse d'Outh - and got my bike ready for a ride before supper. Since I didn't fancy a tough ride I decided to ride the road to La Roche and back again. But don't underestimate this ride.. the wind was out in full force and with a 2K and 3.5K climb it was quite spicy. Furthermore I left my drinking bottles at home so I had to make do without water along the ride. And in La Roche I couldn't even find a beverage machine so all I had was a Power Bar and the dry air. made it home allright and after enjoying supper I settled in for the night
Ride Stats : 55.5K and 560 heightmeters in 2h29mins2463/19690
Saturday April 19th
Damn, it more or less rained the whole day. Not good for biking and with the cloudy skies the light was bad for taking pictures. First I went to the Press Centre to get my Press pass. Met up with some acquaintances of mountainbike.be and I also met Fons who has a great website with lots of pictures and movies . After chatting up with him I decided to check out some of the races and practice my photographic skills a bit , concentrating on the Ol' Fosse d'Outh downhill. Today the amateur races were taking place and there were a lot of accidents - fortunately mostly without much harm. One of the girls came screaming down the hill, no doubt that was her way of conquering her fear . And by god, she made it, brave girl ! The day passed by and the drizzle subsided. I waited for it to clear out but it never did. So my bike stayed inside - no ride for me. Bugger.
Sunday April 20th
World Cup Day ! Got up around 8am , had a good breakfast and headed out to the towns' centre to check the entry lists. After that I browsed through the exposition area where some of the girls were already warming up on the rollers. Later I strolled to the starting area to snap some close-ups. When the girls were shot on their way I made my way to various points around the race, trying to capture the essence of mountainbiking - the suffering, the pain but also the joy and elation after the race. The Womens' podium might very well be the one at the upcoming Olympics. Chengyuan Ren took first place again - she also won last year - followed by World Champion and 2007 World Cup winner Irina Kalentieva of Russia. Third place went to Canadians' Marie-Helene Premont.
After the Womens' victory ceremony I was joined by a dear friend . We kept each other company during the Elite Mens' race, taking some pictures and generally enjoying the awesome super sunny weather and a nice race. It was nice to see Julien Absalon take his first ever win at Houffalize
My picture gallery of the Womens' Race: LINK
Fons Moors' impressions of the World Cup at Houffalize: LINK
20-04-2008, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 12-04-2008 |
| Latvia |
 Today I wanted to do a long ride, so I contacted someone whom I had been wanting to meet up with for quite a while now, and asked her if she fancied joining me for a few loops through the Sonian Forest. She did and we met up at the Trois Fontaines area. I had a bit of a scare before the ride because when I checked out my Moots the damping adjustment knob on my Fox fork didn't work. It got stuck in the slowest return position. Hmmm, call to Filip Sport and yes, I could ride over and have it looked at. So I was a bit more stressed than usual and barely made it on time. My biking companion was originally from Latvia - one of the Baltic states - and I must say, she is a pretty strong rider. It was her first serious ride out on a new - very beautiful and well equipped - Trek Ex 9.0 full suspension bike and that took some getting used to, but she impressed me in a positive way both in the technical sections as on her physical stamina. When I checked our average over the combined loops - the BigM beginner loop and the Nero BLOSO loop - we were around the 21kph mark which isn't bad at all.
The trails were wonderful, almost completely dry and the sun was warm on my skin when it broke trough the clouds. On the way over I felt that the wind was blowing quite hard but once in the forest we could enjoy windfree conditions for most of the ride. I think we both had a good workout and I want to thank her for her pleasant company. I'm sure we will get together for more rides later this year.
Ride Stats : 100K and 820 heightmeters in 4h50mins
2331/1816012-04-2008, 18:06 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 06-04-2008 |
| Volderke |
I had to take a few days of rest because I suffered an allergic reaction to 'something' I ingested last weekend. That was a blessing for my overall fitness level since it allowed my legs - and the rest of my body - to recover completely. After a few days on Cetrizine I felt sleepy but nevertheless I was wide awake when I set out for a ride which would take me on the same roads as last wednesday, but in the reverse direction. I felt immediately that my legs felt strong and so during the ride I made very good progress. I did an extra little loop and somehow managed to stay ahead of some menacing clouds. The temperature was around 8 degrees C but the wind was quite cold from northwesterly directions.A few hours before I witnessed Stijn Devolder win Flanders biggest road race, the Tour the Flandres, in a majestic way. I also saw a very good Tom Boonen, which looks promising for next weekends' Paris-Roubaix, a race that even appeals more to me. This is probably due to the fact that I competed twice in the Paris - Roubaix VTT, an offroad version taking place just before the main event. Ride Stats : 37K and 320 heightmeters in 1h31mins2142/16675
06-04-2008, 19:05 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 22-03-2008 |
| Murmurs |
Its been a while since I participated in the LCMT, a 4-day 400K offroad bike event in the Belgian Ardennes. Last week someone raised my interest to participate again . They have a new formula now, allowing 2 bikers to form a team , their common time being clocked during certain parts of the ride, so the element of competition is there as well. It would certainly give me some incentive to enter , otherwise I would not bother. The formula is certainly pleasing and if I would yet find a partner I might still consider entering the LCMT - or another event of the same envergure - again. Today saw a more quiet period on the weather front. It was not too warm, with 5 degrees C and a northerly wind that was blowing , but the sun came out and it stayed dry long enough to allow for a ride outside. Today is also the first big one-day racing event in cycling with the Saint Joseph classic Milan - San Remo. I look forward to the grande finale, hope that a Belgian will clinch the ride (Boonen, Gilbert ) but my favorite trio is still Oscarito Freire , Alessandro Petacchi and Philippo Pozzato. Ride Stats : 41K and 295 heightmeters in 1h45mins1824/14395
22-03-2008, 14:18 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 20-03-2008 |
| Taking it easy |
Outside it is cold, wet and windy. The Easter weekend has a promise of cold days, a northerly wind and hail, sleet and snow. Hopefully there will be a quiet gap to allow some outside biking, but it is not looking good.So another ride on the rollers this evening. Started a new book, my Bruna 1975 edition of the SF classic "2001 - A Space Odyssey". I lost count of the amount of times I read these, and I always enjoy seeing Stanley Kubricks visionary masterpiece, on which the book - written by Arthur C.Clarke - is based. Had a quiet ride enjoying my usual Nightwish mix on the MP3 player.Ride Stats : 29K in 1h22mins1759/14100
20-03-2008, 20:22 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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