Feb. 3, 2000
by Justin Thompson
On January 19th I left the United
States to pursue my Cyclocross career in Europe. I flew into Zurich,
Switzerland for the Wetzikon Superprestige International Cyclocross
race on January 23rd. The first thing I realized about Switzerland
is that it is very, very hilly. It was tough to go for an easy
recovery spin when the US Team's hotel was on the side of a mountain.
After examining the racecourse the day before is was apparent
that Cross in Switzerland is unlike anything in the US. It was
really hilly and you found yourself racing the course instead
of racing other racers. There was already an inch or two of snow
on the ground but it wasn't a big deal. Then the night before
the race it snowed about 10 or 11 inches. I didn't know what to
do. I had only ridden in the snow once before on my mountain bike
and this was my first international cross race. When we got to
the course it was still snowing. The entire course was deep snow
and the turns were icy and very slippery. I started in the 2nd
row but I didn't start fast enough and then I was caught behind
a crash that had Italians all over the ground. From there the
race went down hill. There was only one section where you could
really lay down the power. I found myself crashing a couple of
times per lap and just couldn't find a rhythm. Half way through
the race I started crashing a little less but then I crashed hard
and broke my left shifter. After that my head wasn't there, I
started hating it and just wanted the race to be over. I knew
that the Worlds course would be much different and I just wanted
to finish in one piece. I ended up finishing in 24th place. I
was the last American to finish and ended up a few minutes down
on my teammate and good friend Walker Ferguson who won the race.
Go Walker!!! I was very happy to get back to the hotel, clean
all my stuff, relax and start focusing for the World Championships.
Other than the experience one of the few good things about Switzerland
was that because I was an American I got 100 francs in start money
and 40 francs for finishing in 24th.
On Tuesday, January 25th the entire
US Team traveled by car and by train down to the Netherlands.
Upon arriving in Holland I already had a better feeling about
the place and I knew the course would suit my racing style. It
turns out we were staying in a huge business hotel and the owner
was a former professional racer which proved to come in handy.
On Wednesday we got situated and went for a ride. We sneaked onto
the racecourse, which was already set up but not open for pre-ride
before being kicked off by an angry Dutch man. I was really enjoying
myself in Holland and having a great time. One really good thing
about the trip was that I didn't have a single bad meal and although
some of the food was a little different it was all very good.
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The racecourse was fast, open and not technical at all. I couldn't
have asked for a course to better suit my racing style. I could
tell it would be a little muddy but very, very fast. For the next
couple of days we would ride on the nice, open flat roads and ride
the racecourse. When they say Holland is flat, they mean flat, very
flat, and flatter than a pancake. The only hill on the entire racecourse
was a man made sand hill that was a run-up. It was weird to see
this big mound of sand in the middle of a flat field. There were
a couple of ups and downs but the course was essentially flat.
On Saturday the Women and U23 raced.
It was the first time in the history of Cyclocross that the Women
had there own event at the World Championships. A couple of our
women were favorites for the race but a German named Hanka has been
the strongest woman of the year, winning every race she had done.
Alison Dunlap got 5th; she was the top US woman. Carmen Richardson
showed her high level of fitness and all around bike racing talents
by finishing a very impressive 8th place, GO Carmen. Anne Grande
finished 12th with Ruthie Matthes right behind her in 13th. In the
U23 race Belgian rider Bart Wellens dominated for the second year
in a row and won by a ton. In a couple of years he will take over
as the fastest cross racer in the world. It was amazing how the
Belgians dominated this race with the top three spots being taken
by Belgians. The other thing I experienced was how many people came
out to watch this race. There had to be over 10,000 spectators,
unlike any other race I had ever been to. Remember back to how many
people were at the Presidio for Super Cup finals and Nationals and
then times that by 10 or 20.
Going into Sunday I was feeling good and
looking forward to my race. I started on the second row behind my
homeboy Walker. We both knew we could do well and that one of the
most important things was to get a good start. It was so cool with
all the different countries, the cameras, photographers, fans and
atmosphere. The race started out fast and for some reason I didn't.
Under normal circumstances I can start fast but I think with not
racing for a month I just didn't start fast. I found myself in lots
of traffic and couldn't get going. On the one run-up there was some
French guy grabbing my rear wheel, which annoyed me, and then near
the end of the first lap I crashed into some metal fencing because
some guy dumped it in front of me. The nightmare had happened, I
had finished the first lap of a five lap race and was well behind
the leaders and just now getting into a rhythm. For the rest of
the race I would move up 5 to 10 spots per lap and on the last lap
pasted to of my American teammates. I ended up finishing 29th and
the 28th place guy beat me by 2 feet. I was the 3rd placed American
and Walker showed just how awesome he is by placing 2nd and taking
the silver medal right behind a fast Belgian. Overall I was not
very pleased with my performance and I think things could have gone
a lot better if I had gotten a better start. I owe a thanks and
congratz to Walker, because of him I will have a front row start
position next year.
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I learned a lot from rooming with him and hope to continue the
American JUNIOR tradition by kicking butt next year, Matt Kelly,
Walker Ferguson, Justin Thompson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Next year the
Worlds are in Czech and I am already looking forward to it. Once
again, congratulations to Walker Ferguson for being an awesome racer
and teammate.
After the race I was kind of bummed
but also very excited to watch the Elite Men's race. These guys
are amazingly fast. By now there are about 30,000 spectators who
have all paid to watch the race and have picked there viewing spots
3 or 4 hours in advance in order to get a clear view of the racers.
All the way around the course there are at least 10 people deep
watching with some very excited fans, drunken Belgians, drunk French
and drunk Dutch. There were even a couple of fights between the
Dutch and the Belgians; it's just like a NFL football game. All
I can say is, it is the most amazing thing I have ever seen and
I nor any video or photo can give this event enough credit. All
the smoke, chaos, cheering and excitement were amazing. Dutchman
Richard Groeendal ended up winning which was appropriate because
he grew up as a child in Sint Michaelsgistel and his father had
designed the course; he was definitely the fan's favorite. Belgians
Mario DeClerq and Sven Nijs finished 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Wow, it was an awesome experience.
I can't wait until next year. Thanks to everyone who cheered me
on and supported my goals. Hope everyone keeps riding in the snow
and has a good 2000 season. I also wanted to say thanks to some
of my teammates that made the trip lots of fun and one that I will
never forget. Of course Walker Ferguson because he kicked butt,
taught me a lot and got me some Duo Penotti. Also, I had a lot of
fun with: Bart, Carmen, Ruthie, Justin R., Alex, HomieBRUCE, Birgit,
Dale and Tim.
Jeff Milligan of The Kennett Paper has written an excellent article
on our local star and it is reprinted here with their kind permission.
Just click on "Full Story" below...
FULL STORY
by JEFF MILLIGAN
The Kennett Paper
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