We based ourselves out of Mol, renting an a-frame right next to the race course. It was off season for this lakeside resort, so it was very inexpensive. We took day trips from there. Everything was only an hour drive or so.

There were endless opportunities for good training from our house. Bike paths run along every road and there are maps that detail a numbered bike route system.

Non-technical single track trails in the woods and back roads were perfect for our ‘cross bikes. We found our way around without any trouble.

On Sunday, January 16, we traveled to Bakel, NL to race in the Rabobank Dutch National event. There was a field of about 30 women.

I started in the last row, had a terrible first lap, but managed to pull off a fifth place finish. I caught and passed so many young, blonde Dutch girls, it gave me great confidence for the next weekend’s race. At the start, an official noticed I was wearing a masters worlds skin suit and he asked me about it. When I came through the start-finish every lap, he announced my name and that I was a masters world champion from the United States of America, in Dutch of course!!

Despite a last row call-up Adam’s race was going great that day, too. Unfortunately, he got a flat tire towards the end of the race. The pit was pretty far away, so the wheel change came slowly, but he was able to finish and get a good workout.

One day we met with our friend, Hugo, who took us on a very cool ride. We rode through an industrial area near Antwerp. We rode to Doel which is mostly abandoned because they are going to dig up the entire town to make a new harbor for shipping. They will take the rubble from Doel and fill in another harbor that is not being used. It is a very controversial issue. In the meantime, graffiti artists have gone to work painting the town. There is a nuclear power plant very close by adjacent to an antique windmill. It’s a very surreal setting.

The race course at Mol was fun and very challenging. There were lots of tricky sand sections, twisty single track, a set of barriers, a couple of run ups, and a paved start-finish section. My race went off early and I did what we set out to do. I got in a good warm up and won the race.

This Dutch girl was the winner of the 30-39 race.

It was a relief for us when it was over, but Adam still had his race to think about later in the day. He was the only American in his field of about 50 guys. Some of the top finishers in his race have won national and world titles all over Europe and in other cycling disciplines as well. Adam finished on the same lap as the leaders in 30th place.

Thanks to our Belgian friends, Hugo & Paul, for coming out to support us at the races!

The next day, we went to watch the elite World Cup in Hoogerheide, NL. It was such a spectacle. We saw lots of friends and racers that we know. The course was very difficult and all our Americans did well. Pictured is Katie Compton, the women’s winner.

Tim Johnson going through the start-finish in 3rd place.

On our last day there, we went back to the track where we rode with Filip and met Hugo last year, the Vlaams Wielercentrum Eddy Merckx. This year Hugo was able to ride with us instead of instructing from the sidelines. The track was full to the limit of 100 riders that night, 98 guys and 2 women. It was extremely nerve racking when we first arrived and had to move up on to the track in traffic. Thanks to Hugo for coaching us as we went. Before long, Adam and I got used to it and were hammering around with the rest of the field.

If we had a velodrome like that nearby, Seven would have to make us a couple of track bikes!

We don’t know when, but we would would like to go back someday.