Happy Holidays! If you haven't renewed your UCAC license it's time. For those racing this weekend's Boss Cross at Parkville and 'Cross Out the Old Year you'll be fine. But the next events are in 2009 and you need to be current or get tagged with one-day fees. If you hold an International license you probably won't be able to download a 'permission to ride' document while the license is in the mail.
The localcycling team has one bedroom left in our inexpensive World Masters trip. If you'd like to race in Belgium (or just have a great vacation) there's still a slot. Give us a shout (better be quick) if you're interested: mark@localcycling.com
The trip will also take us to both days of the UCI Elite Mens/Womens/U23/Juniors race in Hoogerheide: a chance to see local Chris Wallace in the 'big one'. Chris will also be racing on December 26th at the Zolder World Cup. We'll post results as soon as we get 'em. Click on the 'read more' for a little blog from Chris:
Hello all
Made it here to Belgium with easy traveling and been here for a few days
and getting settled into the Belgian life. Things have been going
really well: did a quick short ride the day all of us got here to a
local cyclocross race in a town close by. It was
like nothing I've ever seen. In the short time we were there, it was
getting dark and we had a little bit of a ride home, I saw racing like I
have never seen before. It was totally muddy or what looked like mud
and the spectators were not like ones in America, big old men all with a
cigar or cigarette in their mouths. After riding home we all ate and
then fell quickly asleep trying to get over our jet lag.
The next day was our first race, it was just a really small local race in an open field,
with tacky mud and REALLY bumpy. I was quickly thrown into the
differences that European racing present. We walked to registration and
right when as we opened the door and cloud of smoke came out of the bar
and I just thought " It actually is true", refrencing all of the stories
about Belgian racing I had heard. With all of us Americans receiving
back row starts, it was much mayhem on this narrow Belgian road even
though there were only 30 people in the race. The first few laps I
spent trying to make it to the front and after 2 laps made the front
group but it was quickly splitting up. Two riders were already off
a-ways and after it a few more laps it was another rider and me battling
it out the rest of the race on this bumpy flat course for third place.
Long story short it came down to a sprint and I chose to lead out and
he came around me with and quickly blew me out of the water and I
finished 4th, The last 2 days since that have been some training,
recovering, and bonding with the other racers. We have ventured around
the town we are staying at named Izegem, going to the infamous Wall, a
gigantic vending machine where you can buy anything you imagine.
Hope everything is well for everybody in Kansas City
Merry Christmas
Chris Wallace