Le Samyn (Belgium) 03-07-07
Written by Steven Cozza

Today the team took off in our first European race of the year; Le Samyn. We were all hoping that it wouldn’t rain which is pretty rare in Belgium luckily it just held off all day. The race is a 195 kilometer flat, fast and windy race with a cobble section that we race over 4 times and a couple little steep but short climbs.

I did not expect much from myself in this race since I just got over being sick and taking antibiotics, but I ended up feeling pretty good. I tested the legs a couple of times trying to make an early break but nothing stuck. When we came onto the final four 20 kilometer finishing circuits, after doing 115 kilometer big loop the speed was on and the cross wind and coble section we did was putting the hurt on everyone. Two of my teammates Huub our Netherlander and Benny our Australian were the two guys to make the front split of 20 that went over the cobble section so that was very good for the team. I died quite a few deaths today just fighting to stay in the main group which was not much only around 30 guys. I ended up finishing in this group. About 50 of the original 180 or so starters finished so as you can imagine it was quite tough today. For most of the day it was a nail bitter always on edge worrying about hitting, parked cars, cement posts, and grandmas (which I almost did). Ya she seemed really mad that I was on her side walk which she had probably lived by for the past 90 years. In these races you try to move up anyway possible even if that means jumping up on a side walk, riding in the gutter or even the grass. When the race is about to take a turn into a cross wind section you can just feel the tension of the whole peloton. Everyone starts to fight to get to the front and you can just feel the stress. It’s a battle and if you don’t get in the top 20 before a brutal cross wind section that could be the last you see of the front. It’s nice to be racing in Belgium again, back on roads I raced on when I was 17. As much as I hate training here I sure like the aggressive life flashing before your eyes racing. It is always nice to also see people that remember you from back in the day. I was able to see a few of the guys I raced with last year on the Belgian Yawadoo Colba team. They’re still around and kicking. The day ended with Huub doing the best for us finishing in around 14th and Benny some where in the top 25. I was in the 30s somewhere, but glad to have finished and have felt better than expected.

Tomorrow will be a rest day up here doing maybe an hour to two ride, depending on whether the sky is blue or grey, then Three Days of West Vlanderen starts up.

After taking a warm bath, cutting myself on accident shaving, bleeding all over the bathroom and then getting a nice massage I am off to a great French Hotel Dinner of Snails, French bread, and of course pasta lots of pasta.

Thanks for reading,

Steven