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April 18, 2006
Written by Steven Cozza
Wednesday, 19 April 2006
This last weekend, I had a Top Competition race known as Zelick-Gahlmartan. Since it rained for a bit at the start and the ground was wet and slippery, I knew it would be a bit dangerous so I stayed near the front. Well wouldn't you know it, we were cruising along like normal and the guy just to the right and a bit in front of me gets caught in a crack in the road and then falls right in front of me. I had no chance and had to crash right over him. I got up and thought to myself, "Gosh-dang, this couldn't be happening!" I started racing off to get back into the race when Eric, my director, noticed my rear wheel bent out of whack so I stopped for a wheel change. After this crash, I started thinking I should be called "Rubber Man" or "Gumby" at this point haha It's amazing what my body can go through and handle when it comes to hitting the ground. In a strange way, I think that skateboarding and wrestling in high school when I was younger has helped me. Okay back to the race, so my legs were okay this race and I felt I was getting my strength back after getting sick the week before. When the cobbled climbs approached, the truth came out on how I really felt and I did not feel so well. I was also stuck in no easier a gear than the 17, since my derailleur hanger was bent-in from the crash and at this point in the race I had no chance of changing it. I did all that I was capable of doing but ended up not being able to finish the race. I was a bit disappointed but I also gave myself a break because I had just been really sick and the past few weeks have been off-par so it will take some time now for me to get my fitness back and start feeling really good on the bike again. Next up, this Wednesday, we are going as a team to pre-ride the U-23 Flanders race route which is on this Sunday. It will be important for me to be ready for that race. As for now, I'm just resting up my bruises and trying to keep my head clear of all negative thoughts.
Happy Easter Everybody :)
Steven
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A Father's Perspective: A Young American Cyclist Racing In Europe
Written by Steven Cozza
Thursday, 13 April 2006
It is cold and overcast with sudden bursts of showers and occasional beams of light struggling to get through the passing clouds. This cloudy and dreary day brings a dream of a life time to the young American cyclist, just turned 21. He is here in Europe competing against some of the best cyclists in the world. He now lives his dream. He is surrounded by it, engulfed by it, here in Belgium the birthplace of cycling legends in the likes of Eddy Merckx, the Babe Ruth of cycling.
He races his bicycle with joy, passion, determination, and courage. As he becomes one with the peloton, he sails through the countryside coming blow to blow at times against hurricane-like cross winds. He and his bicycle merge together as a unit, like a violinist becoming an extension of the instrument. He becomes an extension of his bicycle. The flesh and bones and metal become graceful shadows against hillsides, store fronts, the cheering townspeople, and the cobble stone road moving ever so swiftly beneath him.
In the life of the peloton, he hears the spinning of wheels, the yells, grunts and talking of his teammates and fellow competitors. He smells the burning of rubber from the break pads and the sweet deep green grass blanketing the fields, that go on forever, keeping the earth warm from the cold, unforgiving day. He looks forward into the distance, ever so determined, as the cold wind stings his face. Looking ahead he sees no end because he lives and rides in the moment of the breath, the life of the peloton, as it wraps itself around the countryside's rolling hills and brick Belgium towns while engulfing all of its inhabitants with its shadow of overwhelming grace and beauty. This is the race, a dream come true offering all of its joy and all of its suffering to those cyclists who embrace the joy of racing. He lives in this moment to race and he races to live. It is the experience of the race that brings him joy, that gives meaning to his life, for this young American cyclist in Europe.
The race comes to a close in a small Belgium community on a hillside. The motorcade of cars and motorcycles with lights flashing, sirens blasting and music playing, parade by the anxious spectators, as they cheer. Children young and old brace themselves to grab candy and prizes thrown from the passing parade of vehicles. They reveal excitement in their eyes as they fill their pockets with candy and prizes. Then they yell out, "Mama, papa look, look, look what I have,"as they proudly display their rewards from the race. During all this commotion, the peloton continues to move steadfast with hearts beating like drums crying out sounds of suffering, as it races towards the finish line. Then with several kilometers remaining and with a sudden burst of energy he attacks. He attacks with confidence and determination. And as he looks back he sees the horrified face of the peloton. He brakes loose from its strangle hold, never to look back again. In that very moment, the "attack" he has no doubt and no regret because he races for the joy of the experience. The podium comes on this day, but the joy comes from the experience, from the pure joy of racing his bicycle against the best cyclists in the world. The podium is created by men to feed their ego. The joy comes from the honor of experiencing the race itself. To win or lose is not to live. They are creations of men. To experience is to live.
Then as he crosses the finish line, time seems to stop. And everything becomes a painting - townspeople embracing one another and cheering, cyclists being greeted by their families with the sirens and flashing lights adding to the excitement, with the backdrop of the brick walled buildings and a cloudy sky with a ray of light busting through. The chill of the air then brings him back to the moment where time spins by offering another day, another race for this young American cyclist racing in Europe. Now, standing next to his bicycle, he looks into the crowd and fellow cyclists with a proud and confident, but humble smile and he dreams again of more experiences of racing in Europe against some of the best cyclists in the world.
April 12, 2006
Author: a father and friend
(This story, while being a fictional account, represents the actual experience of a cyclist's father. Through the father's own eyes, he attempts to bring meaning and purpose to cycling, a meaning and purpose that reflect the purity of this beautiful sport of road race cycling in Europe and the purity and dignity of the clean cyclist.)
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May - Report 2
Written by Steven Cozza
Thursday, 13 April 2006
Well, I am way overdue for an update here so I will try my best to recall all the many good and bad things that have happened to me this month.
One of the craziest things that I experienced this month happened on an easy coffee shop ride/rest day. A lot of the rides the cyclist do here are rides to the coffee shop and then a break for coffee or tea. We went to this one spot that I had been before, except this time, as we were sitting there reading the newspaper, drinking coffee and tea with a few other pros, Tom Boonen and a few of his teammates rolled up. Tom decided to sit down right next to me. I guess he lives right by where I live so when he is in the area he will train with the whole gang of riders here. It was all kind of funny because I was just flipping through the sports section of the local newspaper with Boonen all over the pages when all a sudden, he walks in and sits by me to order a cappuccino. To those of you who do not follow cycling so closely, Tom Boonen is the current Road Race World Champion. He is currently one of the best in the sport cycling.
As the days went on since my last report, my knee injury started to vanish and I was able to start racing and training again full out. My Dad took some time off work and came out to visit me here so that was awesome. He was able to join me and the team for a three day stage race called Le Triptyque des Monts et Chateaux. This race is a very tough one and I have done it twice before in the past. Each day on the race, I felt stronger and stronger even after crashing pretty hard in the first stage. I finished the stage race feeling stronger than going into it so that was a great sign for the up and coming races. The week after the race, my plans were to train well and do some tourist things with my Dad. We went to the Antwerp Zoo which was really cool because it is the oldest zoo in the world. Later in the week, we packed our rental car and headed to the very old city known as Brugge. My Dad had never been there so I took him on a pretty cool tour of the city by boat and foot. We spent the night there and planned on leaving the next day to meet up with the team at the next race that I had in the area. The bad luck streak just would not quit and I woke up with a fever and a very congested head. I called up my director Eric and we decided that doing the race would not be a good idea and that I needed to get better. We left for home and my fever just got hotter. For the next couple days I had a fever of 102F so I pretty much just stayed in bed sleeping it off. Today is Tuesday and the fever is gone and I should be able to start riding again tomorrow; Wednesday.
This by far has been one of the toughest months for me in cycling but I believe there is always a reason for everything and I will try to turn all these bad lucks into positives. After hearing about a friend of mine, Saul Raisin, I have nothing to complain about and only should be counting my blessings on how truly lucky I have been in coming out of that last crash okay. Just recently, Saul seriously crashed in a pro race over here in France. He sustained head injuries from this crash and is now in a drug-induced coma. From what I have heard from the other riders and friends in cycling, he is doing a lot better and his life is no longer in danger. I would like to dedicate the rest of my season this year to him in hopes that he makes a fast and full recovery. You can send him words of encouragement to www.Saulraisin.com.
I now will be resting up and training for this weekend's race and then the following Sunday - race Flanders which I want to do well. Let's see if I can turn things around at that race.
Hope you enjoy the new site. It's still not 100% finished in terms of links, sponsors and photos but it will be completed as the season continues. I will be leaving shorter and more frequent updates on my progress from now on out.
Thanks for reading and following my career,
Steven
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