Sundays are for biking

Together with JS, I drove out to Bruxelles (which is West and bit North of St. Leon) for the first road race of the season. The roads were gravel. And there was mud involved. The course was a 10 k loop (rectangle) with hills on each leg of the rectangle. I rode my cross bike, with the straight bar, and it performed admirably. Shifts were smooth and the brakes responsive. It was dirty tiring fun.

This is my first year buying a license, so I'm a "Citizen" rider, which means I have to register and race in the lowest category. Today that meant two laps. Well after my two laps I rode another, just to make sure I could. My time was pretty good (46 min 32 sec), the fastest in the category (by about 5 mins), and my three lap time was reasonable too (around 73 mins). It was good practice, but if those hills are any indication, I still think Mt. Ventoux might just chew me up and spit me out.

It was a great day. The bike racing crowd is friendly and though everyone rides hard, the competition is as much with yourself as the group. It's a great vibe! Looking forward to the next one.