Baneberg: I thought it was my first time to be there. I was dead wrong. I was there at lease once (possibly twice or ??). I just did not remember the name.
It was first time, though, that I ever walked up and down the actual winding section of Baneberg. It was a short but not sweet climb as the riders climb up here a couple of times and they ride a lot of meters and do other climbs, too.
I left Luxembourg around 06:00 ('O'-six-hundred) and picked up a friend in Belgium at 06:30. We headed north and had a break somewhere near SPY (a Belgian city that has nothing to do with espionage, I guess and it should be pronounced as "s-pee", I think and this word also rhymes with the activity I had there!) on the motorway. By this time it was sunny and the temperature was 11 to 12 degrees Celsius (52-54 F), which is warm outside and a bit hot inside the car.
It was dark and the temperature was 3 degrees Celsius when I left home and I turned the heater on and now by 09:00 I had already turned the heat off and let the fresh air inside the car. It's already Spring!
I arrived in Deinze around 09:45, I think. They change the road closure procedure in the start area every year. This year's road blockage was different from that of last year's. OK, I went around and found a parking place. It was around 10:00.
We went to the stage where teams were being presented to the crowd. IAM was there on the stage.
I went to the tents (BMC merchandise shop and Procyclingshop.com). I said hello to them. I am a good customer to them. I did not get what I wanted to get, namely, Trek Factory Racing jersey or the podium cap. I did not say anything but the woman in charge (please visit their site to see who that is) immediately said to me, "We don't have Trek Factory Racing jerseys,... if that was what you were going to ask... I think in a week, hopefully."
Yes, they know me well enough by now. Hahaha!
I am visiting them next week. We were near the stage but did not see the presentation to much. We were busy watching the riders come and go on the passage to and from the stage. Small boys and girls extended their arms holding a notebook begging for autographs. Some riders were kind enough to stop (riding their bikes between the team buses and the stage) and took time to give them autographs and others NOT. I took some of the riders giving. I will post them here to show their generosity and gracefulness to the world.
Two years ago (as last year I did not come here) I witnessed Mark Cavendish (in his rainbow jersey at that time) stop for a little girl to give his autograph who was just beside me. People around her (including me) were very impressed and gave a wowing sound as he did so. That little girl certainly did not know who he was and what that rainbow jersey meant. Perhaps, that little girl reminded him (MC) of his own little daughter (Delilah, right?) and could not resist NOT stopping. That day he made a bunch of his supporters (including me, I have to admit) just like that.
By the way I have a rather big flag of this. 90 cm by 180 cm, perhaps?
It is in my possession but it does not belong to me. It belongs to a friend of mine, who is, I think from this region and living and working in the USA. We got to know each other during TdF back several years ago. They (this person and his friends) came to TdF at least twice (that I know of) and this second time he forgot to take this flag home. Now I have it. It is a flag of Mark Cavendish's native place. The isle of Man, right?
I respect and like riders doing this extra. I also respect some riders for their coyness of not easily and overly giving their autographs.
You may not be a star rider but just a domestique (helping/supporting rider in the peloton) but you will a hero to them (boys and girls) if you stop. Please don't be shy or coy to stop and give them your autograph.
I would also say that (as Popovych does) you should give your normal scribble and write easily decipherable block letters to make sure that they would know who you WERE. Popovych gives a scribble and "popo".
Or you can do other ways. That graceful Carlos Sastre always gave me a beautifully intricate and perfectly readable handwriting of "Carlos Sastre" .
After the departure, we went to Baneberg (already written) and visited this Cafe/Bar/Restaurant (Berg en Dal - I guess you can find by googling or Google Earth) and had a sip. It was a beautiful day.
Around 13:50, we went to the middle of Baneberg and saw race feminine pass and then Cancellara and others pass. Dusty! Don't forget bring your sunglasses to protect your eyes when it is dry!
We left for Wevelgem around 15:20. Arrived there 16:10? I took my portable DVB-T to watch the race.
The final stage of the race was marred by the crashes. After the finish, I saw Andre Greipel arrive at the team bus in the team car. Even from a distance through the window pane, I could see why people call him (or he is nicknamed) 'Gorilla'. He was certainly not too happy about the crash.
In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ
行きましたBaneberg。そしたら、「あっ、見覚えがある。来た事あるじゃん。しかも複数回？」というオチ。ただし、このBanebergの勾配がきつい狭いセクションは観た事がなかった。徒歩で上り下りしてみた。短いがきつい坂だ。
朝は放射冷却があり、出発時の朝6時は気温3度だった。日の出と共に気温は急上昇し、午後には21度とか24度（気象庁発表の気温ではなく、車に付いてる外気温表示）となった。会場に付いたのは10時位だが、すでにスタート会場付近のバーではビール飲んでる人たちが大勢。もう半袖のTシャツで一日過ごした。すっかり春爛漫だ。
例によってスタートはVIPパスか何かが無いと面白くない。今回はスタートサイン台の下で選手達の到着等を観た。
レースのスタート後は計画とおり第二補給地点の手前のBanebergへ向った。現地到着は12時半過ぎ。時間があったので、坂の下側にあるカフェ・バー・レストランにて休息。時間調整して坂で待機した。女子レースが通過。そして男子レースが到着。
その後は何となく（つまり迂回路を使わず）ナビに任せてゴールへ向った。途中で一カ所通行止めにぶつかったが、迂回してゴールに到着。その後はチームバス集合場所にてDVB-T（デジタル衛星地上波）の携帯テレビを観ながら、Trek Factory Racingバスの側にレースの展開を観る。
後半残り20km位のStijn Devolderのアタックは計画されたものだったのか。それとも流れを観てのものだったのか。その辺りが知りたい。結局は集団が逃げを吸収し、ゴールはスプリントになった。逃げが捕まったのが残り2km、3kmのタイミングだったので、もう集団スプリントしかなかったようだ。
John Degenkolbは上手く勝利をさらった。ライバル達がゴール手前の落車事故で脱落したので、運もあるが、運も実力だから、やはり実力があるスプリンターだ。
ゴール後にチームカーでバスまで帰ってきたアンドレ・グライペルをチラッと観たが、あだ名の通り「ゴリラ顔（かなり、不機嫌な）」だった。あのタイミングで落車に巻き込まれたのは悔しいだろう。怪我の程度が軽いことを祈る。
サガンは表彰台が終わってから自走（自転車）でさらっと帰ってきた。暗い表情ではないが、嬉しそうな顔では無かった。悔しいだろう。集団スプリントになるとやはり、スプリンターに軍配があがる。残念。
さて、来週のフランダースの準備を始めます。
写真をそのうちに多分載せます。ちょっとだけ使える写真がありそうです。
テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ
- 2014/03/31(月) 14:31:56|
- Bike Races in Belgium
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