I finished on the Podium again today. This has been a good week. I will fill in the details a little bit later. I will say this I attacked in the first 1.5km and was gone for the rest of the race. So it was a very hard race.
Cheers
Matt
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Details
Ok, well the race in Baldagem was interesting. A majority of the guys caught a ride out to the race, something that is not usually an option. Myself and a few others decided to ride out that way we got a solid hour of riding before the race. Once we arrived we went to inscription then to the change room to put on the clothes that we were going to race in. On the way to the race it began to rain pretty good. The temperature was cool so the rain made it cold. So once dressed everyone was looking for newspaper to a under the jersey wind guard. I pulled out the flash Compliance Depot shoe covers. The race started in the rain and continued to rain pretty much the whole time (cant complain this is what the weather is like here). There were some spots on the course where the puddles actually caused enough drag on the bike you felt it slow down. This course had one short and steep muur at the start and finish of ever lap along with a long 1km climb which played to my advantage. The race was 13 laps.
Now with all needed info the races played out like this. On the first lap the group split and all nine of the kingsnorth riders where in the group. Later on the second lap everything came back together. We had a rider off at all times for the first few laps. On the 6th lap I was descending down the very narrow road after the star/finish and said to myself if I want something to stick I will have to attack from about 100 meters after the long hills begins to rise. I was sitting fourth or fifth wheel, while the whole group was strung out on the right side of the road and then jumped as hard as I could and did not look back until I was at the top of the hill to see if anyone was on my wheel, because there was a sharp right then left down hill series of turns at the top and did not want to cause a pile up if someone was there and pulling through. There were two guys. One former CSC professional and a rider from the Sean Kelly Cycling Team on my wheel. We now have 6.5 laps to go and need to work to get a gap that will not be brought back after 4 laps we had over three minutes on the field. So all we had to do was stay upright on the cobbles and other slick turns on the course. Coming into the start/finish there is one last prime. I grab it and then am attacked by the other two riders and the fight is on. We are all just doing everything we can to stay with each other and then weardown each other. I come across the line 3rd. Pretty happy, since before the race I really could not wrap my head around racing that day. O yes, I forgot the lead vehicle was playing music through a loud speaker the whole race so we had that as a motivating factor during the race. I had a smile on the face a couple times because they played some old Janet Jackson and some of my favorite beach boys tunes. There were some faster beats also.
The next day I lined up for another race in a small town just outside Evergem. Just sat in and played the waiting game once we got one of our guys in the front break. I was able to pull 15th out for the day. The best part of the race for me was when I got a lead out for about 2km for a prime. I got the prime I was pretty excited. The racing here has made me have to learn to sprint and move around in such scenarios.
Today is a day off from racing, and will be going again tomorrow. This race starts about 1km from the house and comes down the street where the farm is. I have done this course earlier this season and in 22 laps there are something like 300+ turn (17 per lap) on a 5.5km course.
Matthew
Now with all needed info the races played out like this. On the first lap the group split and all nine of the kingsnorth riders where in the group. Later on the second lap everything came back together. We had a rider off at all times for the first few laps. On the 6th lap I was descending down the very narrow road after the star/finish and said to myself if I want something to stick I will have to attack from about 100 meters after the long hills begins to rise. I was sitting fourth or fifth wheel, while the whole group was strung out on the right side of the road and then jumped as hard as I could and did not look back until I was at the top of the hill to see if anyone was on my wheel, because there was a sharp right then left down hill series of turns at the top and did not want to cause a pile up if someone was there and pulling through. There were two guys. One former CSC professional and a rider from the Sean Kelly Cycling Team on my wheel. We now have 6.5 laps to go and need to work to get a gap that will not be brought back after 4 laps we had over three minutes on the field. So all we had to do was stay upright on the cobbles and other slick turns on the course. Coming into the start/finish there is one last prime. I grab it and then am attacked by the other two riders and the fight is on. We are all just doing everything we can to stay with each other and then weardown each other. I come across the line 3rd. Pretty happy, since before the race I really could not wrap my head around racing that day. O yes, I forgot the lead vehicle was playing music through a loud speaker the whole race so we had that as a motivating factor during the race. I had a smile on the face a couple times because they played some old Janet Jackson and some of my favorite beach boys tunes. There were some faster beats also.
The next day I lined up for another race in a small town just outside Evergem. Just sat in and played the waiting game once we got one of our guys in the front break. I was able to pull 15th out for the day. The best part of the race for me was when I got a lead out for about 2km for a prime. I got the prime I was pretty excited. The racing here has made me have to learn to sprint and move around in such scenarios.
Today is a day off from racing, and will be going again tomorrow. This race starts about 1km from the house and comes down the street where the farm is. I have done this course earlier this season and in 22 laps there are something like 300+ turn (17 per lap) on a 5.5km course.
Matthew
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Race Results
I finished on the podium yestarday. I will update again in the next day or so with all the details of how it played out.
matt
matt
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Rain Rain go away and just leave
Get this I rode in the rain again today. Yes, that is correct, rain is falling in Belgium. All joking aside, it has been raining pretty much everyday for the past almost two weeks.
I have some new things to add to this blog. My must read list. No I am not stealing this idea from Oprah. My list includes the John Grisham books "The Bretheren" and " The Last Juror". I have some other books to add to the list once I get the proper name of the authors I will post them.
Updates on the farm. We received a clothes dryer today, which comes in very handy when trying to dry thermals and jumpers, since they take so long to dry on the line. There are now about 50 baby chicks, which are really cute to watch try and navigate the tall grass. Along with more baby ducks. The baby rabbits are now pretty big and roaming in their very large pen. Also there are now only 7 guys living in the house. There were 10 for a while. I am the only American with the rest being from New Zealand. So I will probably come home with some new words in my vocabulary.
On a whole other note. Inspiration can come at odd times and sometimes from people you would never suspect. For instance the older gentleman in about his 80s riding on the canal road when the group ride came past him. As we passed he got a smile/look of determination on his face and began to hop on the back of the group, which happen to be doing about 23mph. Now, this gentleman was not on a road bike but a town bike (heavy beast of a bike) with a rather large basket on the back with stuff inside. So I think to myself, man no matter what happens, I really love riding my bike and I can do it for a very long time. While I sit here writing this I am again listening to my brother Andrew Seagrave. His music seems to touch something inside me when I listen to it. For some reason even though it is pretty slow, I can listen to it before a race and get just as pumped but with more determined mind set than if I listened to something more traditional (i.e. eye of a tiger, or rage against the machine). Probably because I know that his music is a direct product of hard work and determination.
Till Next Time
(Something that gives you good goosebumps is worth chasing)
Matthew Seagrave
I have some new things to add to this blog. My must read list. No I am not stealing this idea from Oprah. My list includes the John Grisham books "The Bretheren" and " The Last Juror". I have some other books to add to the list once I get the proper name of the authors I will post them.
Updates on the farm. We received a clothes dryer today, which comes in very handy when trying to dry thermals and jumpers, since they take so long to dry on the line. There are now about 50 baby chicks, which are really cute to watch try and navigate the tall grass. Along with more baby ducks. The baby rabbits are now pretty big and roaming in their very large pen. Also there are now only 7 guys living in the house. There were 10 for a while. I am the only American with the rest being from New Zealand. So I will probably come home with some new words in my vocabulary.
On a whole other note. Inspiration can come at odd times and sometimes from people you would never suspect. For instance the older gentleman in about his 80s riding on the canal road when the group ride came past him. As we passed he got a smile/look of determination on his face and began to hop on the back of the group, which happen to be doing about 23mph. Now, this gentleman was not on a road bike but a town bike (heavy beast of a bike) with a rather large basket on the back with stuff inside. So I think to myself, man no matter what happens, I really love riding my bike and I can do it for a very long time. While I sit here writing this I am again listening to my brother Andrew Seagrave. His music seems to touch something inside me when I listen to it. For some reason even though it is pretty slow, I can listen to it before a race and get just as pumped but with more determined mind set than if I listened to something more traditional (i.e. eye of a tiger, or rage against the machine). Probably because I know that his music is a direct product of hard work and determination.
Till Next Time
(Something that gives you good goosebumps is worth chasing)
Matthew Seagrave
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Cobbles and Mud
Well yesterday we raced in Lovendegem (low-ven-dehem). This was a really good course. With the final 1km or so of each lap being solid cobbles (22 laps). There was also the rain factor, which is not such a problem since we have had this factor off and on all season. The team got a couple guys down the road and in contention within the first couple of laps. So from that point on it was my job to just catch rides across or help split the group and make it difficult for anyone to chase our guys down. The group split and I ended up bridging across to a chase group and then came across the line 16th. I tried to attack with about 1.5 km before the finish, since I knew my sprinting on cobbles was not great and that usually I can ride over the cobbles a bit better then the rest of the guys in my group. My attack got me a gap and was caught just at the line, since somehow three cars ended up on the finishing straight with about 200 meters to go and pretty much shut me down. I still don't know quite what happened, but I was happy with my ride in that I was a little more conservative in the race.
I am planning on trying to take a few days off from racing since I have not really had more than three days between races in the last 4 months. On the note of off the bike happenings the team had a party for the sponsors and friends at the farm. This was good. I ate way too much sausage and other meat with potato salad and bread. I did get a chance to meet Willie Plunkard. A gentleman who won the green jersey for the tour de France back in the seventies and his brother Eddy won it in the 80s.
Matt
I am planning on trying to take a few days off from racing since I have not really had more than three days between races in the last 4 months. On the note of off the bike happenings the team had a party for the sponsors and friends at the farm. This was good. I ate way too much sausage and other meat with potato salad and bread. I did get a chance to meet Willie Plunkard. A gentleman who won the green jersey for the tour de France back in the seventies and his brother Eddy won it in the 80s.
Matt
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
sorry for the delay
Well, I am sitting here writting this entry with two things that I missed. One being my little brothers music in my ears. If you are interested go to
Ok, so you are wondering just what I have been upto in relation to cycling. I raced in Holland a couple of days ago and my final placing was not what I wanted but I was able to pick up three primes. So I am pretty happy with that. I will be racing tommorrow in a town called Deerlijk (deer lick). O yes, well the ksyrium front wheel saw its last day of action for a while. That is I broke a spoke about 17 minutes into the race in Holland, changed wheels and got back in.
Enough about racing back to other things I have seen and experienced here in Belgium. I saw a lady the other day with a fully packed down mule walking along one of the canals, this is something I would picture in the grand canyon style hike. Also the other day I got a chance to ride with a former wold champion for cyclocross. O yea, he accomplished this three times. Some of you know that when I left I was working on a mohawk. Well that has turned into a Euro-mullet. Yes, you read correctly, the work mullet was in there. In the world of food, since I have been asked that question a few times by some of you guys. The food is really good. Waffles that tastes like dougnuts. also beer, now those who know me well, know I dont drink. Since being here I have tried one or two different beers, just to say I have had Belgium beer. Kriek (cherry style beer, no wheat) Leffe (good dark beer) Augustijn ( team sponsor). The Frits (fries) here are pretty good, but I have not had many of those either.
Till next time
Matt
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=27113912the other being the keyboard with the key configuration from home. The only problem being that I am having to get reaccustomed to it. I ended up at the computer cafe this evening because I was going to ride to the track and watch some of the New Zealand junior track riders get ready for junior worlds that starts here in a couple of days, but got about 2km from the farm and it was raining and thought, that you guys had not heard an update in a while so I diceded to stop here. So I did it for you not so I didnt get wet, but so you would not have to wait any longer for an update. Some other non cycling related news. My older sister Jill and her husban just had there second child. No you dont understand this means I am an uncle again. This is a good thing.
Ok, so you are wondering just what I have been upto in relation to cycling. I raced in Holland a couple of days ago and my final placing was not what I wanted but I was able to pick up three primes. So I am pretty happy with that. I will be racing tommorrow in a town called Deerlijk (deer lick). O yes, well the ksyrium front wheel saw its last day of action for a while. That is I broke a spoke about 17 minutes into the race in Holland, changed wheels and got back in.
Enough about racing back to other things I have seen and experienced here in Belgium. I saw a lady the other day with a fully packed down mule walking along one of the canals, this is something I would picture in the grand canyon style hike. Also the other day I got a chance to ride with a former wold champion for cyclocross. O yea, he accomplished this three times. Some of you know that when I left I was working on a mohawk. Well that has turned into a Euro-mullet. Yes, you read correctly, the work mullet was in there. In the world of food, since I have been asked that question a few times by some of you guys. The food is really good. Waffles that tastes like dougnuts. also beer, now those who know me well, know I dont drink. Since being here I have tried one or two different beers, just to say I have had Belgium beer. Kriek (cherry style beer, no wheat) Leffe (good dark beer) Augustijn ( team sponsor). The Frits (fries) here are pretty good, but I have not had many of those either.
Till next time
Matt
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