Making it

This morning started as many pre-race morning do with the teams usual 9am meeting downstairs in the bar area with some conversations, good luck wishes and plenty of coffees. As the light rain was falling outside we all wished each other a safe race and saw our UCI racers off to battle while us racers who were going to the kermesse stayed for a few more coffees. 

After the majority of the team disbanded my teammate Nick Freisen and I sat back for one last coffee and got into the finer points of being an elite rider here in Belgium and in the states. As we talked about our opportunities on both sides of the ocean, sacrifices, and race styles in general, I discovered the one aspect that truly appeals to me about the life of a cyclist in Europe compared to that of a racer in the states. Respect. The level of respect for the cyclists and the racing here is beyond anything that could be conjured in the U.S. The races here are held not solely for the goal of making money and pleasing sponsors, but to allow racers to race, and give hope to rising stars. The respect and admiration of the fans and families here is a catalyst for the riders. It urges them to suffer beyond what we would consider possible, to become the next great, even if it is just for the day. This respect is reflected financially and socially in the compensation that the riders receive in winnings and government stipends as well as the support before, during, and after races by family, friends and strangers alike.  

 Nick and I discussed extending our stays here in Oostkamp and how we would be able to "make it" here as compared to the domestic scene and both essentially concluded that staying would be a necessity if we wish to secure any kind of contract in the U.S. or here in Europe. Our conclusion was reached based not entirely on the respect that I spoke of, but on the opportunities that exist and do not exist stateside that stem from the lack of "respect" for the sport, so to speak. If the proper support elements for a race and racers are not present and in turn make racing uneconomical and socially unsupported, then the racers will fundamentally lack the incentives and motivations to compete on the higher levels as they do here in Europe. However, with the respect and experience that is earned and gained here in Europe it becomes possible to assert some level of respect in the states and thus earns a degree of success and/or opportunity that would have otherwise been either impossible or very difficult, especially for middle aged (I use this term loosely) riders like myself. 

I know that this is not some grand epiphany that has never been realized by riders before, but it was something that I felt to be of importance and relevance for any aspiring cyclists life. I have come to respect this sport more than most and have regarded the sacrifices that it takes to make it here for so little money as the biggest of any sport. This truly is a sport that has no room for errors or weakness. So with this in mind, I'm off to race..... thanks for reading and I'll let you know when I decide to come home ;)