“I’m by no means happier than once I’m writing.”
~ Ed Hood, as spoken to Martin Williamson from the passenger seat, using alongside a level direction on the Excursion de France.
Pricey Readers – Our cherished colleague and good friend Ed Hood suffered a significant stroke in February. We don’t be expecting Ed will make it again into our bunch, so we’ve began a GoFundMe web page to assist Ed together with his long run. Learn the overall submit right here – and please imagine donating.
** Click on this hyperlink to donate to the GoFundMe web page to assist Ed **
We’ll be posting a choice of Ed’s paintings from the previous 16 years, as a result of nice story-telling by no means will get previous.
PEZ Roadside: PEZman Ed Hood used to be in Belgium closing weekend for the ‘6 Days’ of Gent, to look the farewell to ‘t Kuipke Keizer’ Iljo Keisse. When in Belgium in November you must cross to a cyclo-cross, and so Ed and his pals took within the Telenet Superprestige Merksplas. PEZ veld kant.
The ‘Telenet Superprestige Merksplas Cyclo-cross (C1)’ is just a little of a mouthful, so in those portions it’s easiest referred to as the, ‘Vlaamse Aardbeiencross’ – the ‘Flemish Strawberrycross,’ the realm being well-known for the cultivation of the candy pink beauties.
And there to greet us used to be Flanders’ largest strawberry, that boy goes to wish a couple of gallons of cream to head with him. It’s now not a right kind weekend in Belgium if you happen to don’t absorb a ‘pass; we used to visit the Koksijde ‘Duinencross’ within the sand dunes beside the North Sea however that used to be moved to any other date, then it used to be the Hasselt ‘pass the place we noticed the good Svn Nys win – however this 12 months we headed north to Antwerp and past to get our repair of dust and sand.
The advantage of crosses is that you just’re unfastened to wander a number of the camper trucks, mechanics and motorcycles – heaven for apparatus geeks. The primary guy we got here throughout used to be Eli Iserbyt, ‘doing the professional factor’ and getting his image excited about a thrilled younger fan.
Iserbyt’s Ridley’s most sensible tube carries the motto of all excellent ‘crossers.
And while at the street or even the forums the debate is all of ‘tubeless,’ with reference to everybody within the ‘pass international nonetheless run the ones stunning Dugast tubulars. In 2002 Richard Nieuwhuis took over the A. Dugast emblem from the French founder and the entire tyres at the moment are handcrafted in The Netherlands. On the different finish of the size additionally they do very mild, super-fast, beautiful red colored monitor tubulars.
A ‘pass mechanic’s lot isn’t a very simple one, they’ve to scrub the motorcycles two times, as soon as after the nice and cozy up and however after the end. On a path like this, with clinging dust it’s no a laugh.
One of the crucial primary points of interest at Merksplas used to be the semblance of rainbow jersey, Tom Pidcock – observed right here collared for the inevitable ‘selfie.’
His Pinarello used to be taking a look a tad baggy after the nice and cozy up however the mechanics would quickly type that – word the curved ‘wearing’ indentation within the most sensible tube, a characteristic Pidcock himself asked from Pinarello.
1 x transmission is gaining floor within the ‘pass international, particularly on a quick parcours corresponding to this – it additionally draws a lot much less dust, entrance changers truly accumulate the muck. Word the neat chain information to forestall the chain bouncing off the chainring on tough surfaces.
That mentioned, this used to be one mucky path so motorcycle adjustments each lap had been a ‘will have to.’
One piece of trickery I’ve by no means witnessed sooner than used to be the mechanics meticulously drying each inch of the motorcycles – together with the chain – with compressed air after cleansing them.
And no ‘pass is entire with out a commute to the frites caravan; Dave’s brother Hugh additionally fashions the strawberry snoods freely disbursed across the parcours.
Within the women’ race Dutch Global Champion, Marianne Vos regarded the section however it for sure wasn’t her day, completing in an uncharacteristically lowly tenth place.
US Champion, Clara Honsinger completed one position forward of the Global Champion.
Winner, Ceylin Alvarado used to be in a category of her personal, the 24 years-old former Global Champion began like a rocket and used to be by no means to be observed once more – she used to be shifting visibly quicker during the technical sectors than another rider
Zoe Backstedt – observed right here warming down with Clara Honsinger used to be pleased with a forged 5th position end.
While even Marianne’s footwear regarded depressed.
There used to be the standard ‘group dash first guy velocity’ rate for the primary nook with the car center of attention on my digicam latching directly to Tom Pidcock and now not so serious about Belgium’s Laurens Sweeck who used to be already on the head of affairs.
Sweeck is ‘guy of the instant’ with this his fourth win of the season – and in 13 begins in UCi ‘crosses his lowest end is fourth.
By no means out of the highest placings, and an eventual 2nd to Sweeck used to be Dutch Champion, Lars Van Der Haar, his 1 x transmission proving no handicap.
After a gradual get started, Belgian Eu Champion, Michael Vanthourenhout took an eventual 3rd position. The following day within the Overijse, the tall guy from Bruges would most sensible the rostrum.
‘Guy of the season’s get started,’ Belgium’s Eli Iserbyt completed fourth, he’s been suffering not too long ago with again ache and an MRI scan showed he’s struggling with sciatica.
Global Champion, Pidcock used to be in his first ‘pass of the 12 months and discovering his toes, a 7th position end isn’t what he’s acquainted with – however he’d end 2nd to Vanthourenhout subsequent day in Overijse.
One position at the back of the Global Champion used to be an extraordinary fowl, a Spanish “most sensible ‘pass guy,” – 4 occasions Nationwide Champion, Felipe Orts who has ruled the game at house lately. And while Spain isn’t a big ‘pass country, his Nationwide Champion’s jersey method he’ll be on first rate get started cash.
Reminding us of the honour days of Swiss ‘pass when names like Albert Zweifel and Peter Frisnecht ruled the game used to be trendy Swiss Champion, Kevin Kuhn in 9th position.
Sand at the motorcycles had alerted us that there will have to be a sand segment, we arrived on the ‘guy made’ sand sector, which used to be in the midst of a box in time to look Sweeck blast via, no dismount, simply natural energy.
At this level some younger women who were playing one of the vital sponsoring corporations merchandise insisted we take their image – satisfied to be of provider, women.
Iserbyt wasn’t as robust as Sweeck during the sand despite the fact that and needed to dismount.
As did Pidcock – however he used to be niftily again within the saddle.
Orts on the other hand treated the sand smartly.
And that used to be that, time to track to Radio Nostalgie Belgique and head south during the Kennedy Tunnel underneath the Scheldt at Antwerp to Gent and the Kuipke. . .
Highlights: Telenet Superprestige Merksplas Cyclocross [Elite Men]
The submit PEZ Is going Belgian: The ‘Flemish Strawberrycross’ seemed first on PezCycling Information.
