We had all been looking forward to March 11th at chez Flanagan. This was the day the time trial (TT) for Stage 6 of the Paris-Nice professional cycling race was going to be in Aix-En-Provence. Aix is a Provencial town which is about a 25 minute drive from our house in Auriol. The TT would be a 27k (17 mile) point to point course from the small town of Rognes to just outside the city limits of Aix . The area is beautiful with rolling vineyards and chateaux throughout the countryside. We were familiar with the area because we had done some riding here in the fall with Rémi Pauriol, who is a French professional rider and the mentor of the Aubagne cycling club. The boys were very excited because Rémi was leading the King of the Mountains (polka dot jersey) competition in the race. We were also really excited to see our friend Levi Leipheimer who is a professional rider on the Radio Shack Team.
Planning the AM ride of the time trial course in Aix
Now that we live in France, the boys live and breathe cycling, so this day was a huge deal. You could feel the energy in the house pickup as the day approached. Race day the boys were up at 6:00 am. Why is it that, when it is a school day, it's nearly impossible to get the kids out of bed, but when there is no school the boys are up sometimes as early as 5:30 in the morning? This morning saw us all up and dressed in cycling gear and studying a map of Provence in order to get an idea of the layout of the day's time trial course. Our plan was to go to the start, ride the TT course, return to the start to see the riders warming up, and then catch the final riders come in at the finish.
All three Flanagan brothers are now in the action.
In the past, Liam was the only Flanagan brother with the skills to do this type of adventure. All that has changed in the last 6 months. Aidan (8) and Roan (6) are now racing every weekend and going to cycle club practice several times a week. In fact, Roan Flanagan is currently winning the champion of Provence race series in his division. There was no way that the younger boys were going to be left out of the Paris-Nice adventure. With all the Flanagan boys now in the action, FatherSonTour is undergoing a bit of re-tooling and starting to become "Father and Sons Tour."
Great catching up with Levi Leipheimer
Levi, thanks for the Team Radio Shack hats!
Great atmosphere at the Shack bus
Logistically, the adventure and blog become a little more challenging with all three boys involved. We needed to plan what section of the course, or in this case the entire course, that we would ride. For a few days, we had been studying the race route and profile. Safety, as always, was the main concern. It was decided that we all would start the TT course together, and Tavi, my wife, would drive the car behind the group. The plan was for Roan to get in the car after 10k, and for Aidan to get in the car after 20k. Liam would be riding the entire course with me. This was a point to point course so, after riding the course we wanted to return to the start in Rognes to be able to see the riders warming up and catch some of their starts. We would also need to fit lunch for 5 somewhere into the equation. Finally, we wanted to go back to the finish to catch the last riders come in. It sounds like a pretty straight forward plan, but, if you have ever been around three boys aged 6 through 10, you know that things are not always as easily done as they seem.
Blending in with fellow French spectators
Peter Sagan's bad road rash from stage 2, ouch.
The day at Paris-Nice went very, very well. We rode the course, which was a little tougher than what the profile was showing. The second half was very hilly and there was quite a headwind. Roan and Aidan both had great rides, and Liam, as usual, was hammering. After the ride, we got back to the start and had a French style picnic. At the team buses we were able to catch up with Levi Leipheimer. Levi took a few minutes to hang out with the boys and he gave us all really cool Team Radio Shack hats. We look forward to seeing Levi again at the Tour de France! Levi had a great time trial in Aix, and he will definitely be riding strong in July. We were able to watch many of the pros warm-up and take off at the starting gate. It is incredible how fast these guys can cover the distance.
Andreas Kloden roaring into the finish
Unfortunately, we were only able to make it back to the finish to see the last few riders come in. It is like that with cycling - if you want to see everything in the race you have to watch it on TV, but if you want to experience it on the ground (behind the scenes) you have to work for it. In person, you don't get to see everything, but you come away with a unique experience that you will always remember.
Rémi Pauriol in the best climber jersey
I will always remember this day as the day that all three boys really took part in the FatherSonTour adventure. Time passes and children grow up, but it is always nice to be able to freeze a moment in time.
Last weekend marked the finale of the 5 day Tour Méditerranéen professional bike race here in France. It was one of the first races of the 2011 season, and, as it so happened, several stages of the race were very close to our house in Auriol. We had been counting down the days to this Tour, however, we had a bit of bad luck with timing. For the first there days of the Tour the boys were in school, and we also had a visit from the French Flu à chez Flanagan. When the flu comes knocking...don't open the door! There was nothing, however, that was going to keep us from going to Mont Faron on Sunday to catch the first mountain top finish of the 2011 Pro tour.
View from Mont Faron down to Toulon
Toulon is about 45 minutes from our house. It is a beautiful port city on the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately, the only thing Mediterranean about the day was the proximity of the race to the sea, otherwise, it was pretty cold and cloudy. Since both Liam and I were getting over the flu, we decided to leave the bikes at home. Normally, we would ride the climb a few hours before the race. This has been our tradition for the past few years, and I don't think we will be leaving our bikes at home in the future. One of Liam's teammates, Emeric, did ride the mountain and we were able to be there to cheer him on. We got a shot of him coming by at the beginning of the video.
The whole family is back in the action for the 2011 season
Even though the weather was bad the mountain was still beautiful. At 5 km, Mont Faron is not a long climb, however, its 10% to 12% grade makes it extremely difficult. In fact, because of its difficulty the last 5 km would decide the general classification of the entire Tour! The climb also came at the end of a 100 mile day which makes it all the more difficult! There was no hiding on the mountain. The strong men were going to come to the front. We had a great spot about 1 km from the finish to see the riders come by. The surprise of the day would have to be 23 year old, American Andrew Talansky's 4th place effort. This young American, in his first professional race, was able to excel on a mountain against some very good climbers. His 4th place on the day also earned him 4th place in the general classification of the Tour. Another stand out was young American Peter Stetina who finished 25th on the day and 24th overall in the Tour.
Impressive Pro debut for 23 yr old American Andrew Talansky 4th overall!
American Peter Stetina also 23 years old was 24th overall!
Frenchman David Moncoutie won the race for the second year in a row, fellow countryman Jean-Christophe Peraud --who lead the race until the final kilometer -- was second, and Dutchman Wout Poels was third. Thomas Voeckler, the current French National Champion, finished 6th; and the mentor of our cycle club, Rémi Pauriol, finished 11th and won the King of the Mountains Jersey!
Our Club mentor, Rémi Pauriol, on the way to winning the King of the Mountains Jersey!
We were also able to see Canadian Michael Barry on the climb. Michael who is better known for his super support roles on his teams finished 62nd overall, and he was looking very strong on the climb. Although we have never met Michael in person, we are big fans of his work ethic and his entire family's approach to cycling.
Michael Barry laying it down on the climb!
For us, it was another great day of following professional cycling. Though, in the future, we will not be leaving our bikes at home!
Just a side note --- What is the deal with Lucca, Italy? It seems that everyday we hear about a young talented rider that is moving to this Tuscan town. Andrew Talansky, Taylor Phinney, and Ben King just to name a few. From Wikipedia we discovered it has a rich history, but what about the riding? It is about 5 hours from the house...another thing to put on the list!!!
Today the Tour de Mediterranean Passed just behind our House
Liam, the boys, and I had been counting down the days to the beginning of February for the arrival of the Tour de Mediterranean. The Tour de Med is a five day professional bike race that takes place on what have become some of our favorite training rides here in Provence. Unfortunately, the boys have been in school for the first three days of the event. I did manage to make it up the Mountain behind our house today to snap a few pictures of the riders coming through. I hope this wets your appetite for more coverage Sunday. On Sunday, the riders will be battling up Mont Faron for the first hilltop finish of the 2011 Pro tour. This will be the Queen stage of the race, and the overall victory will be decided at the summit. We hope to be there to capture some of the excitement!!!
Here are a few photos from Friday's Stage 3:
Race lead today after the Col de L'Espigoulier
The Champion of France Thomas Voeckler looking comfortable in the leader's jersey
23 Year old American Peter Stetina was looking good out there today!
As was fellow American and Garmin rider Thomas Peterson (24 yrs old)
It is really cool to see young talented Americans on the road so early in the European Pro Tour. It is amazing the depth and versatility of the American program these days. It is definitely going to be a break out year for many Americans over here. Liam is on it and super pumped to see some of these young guys in action.
Next report will be Sunday evening with Photos and Video from Mont Faron!!!
“What was I thinking?”These four words were the first thing that came out of my mouth after I had processed my payment and had managed to officially get myself on the start list of the first ever Paris-Roubaix Challenge bike race. I was kind of speaking out loud and to myself because, at the time, there was no one else in the room. I knew this race was going to really hurt and be insanely difficult.I couldn’t even be stopped by the race website’s “Welcome to Hell” scrolled across the home page. After seeing this disclaimer, is a normal reaction supposed to be -- “Oh, yes please! Where do I sign up and turn over all my credit card information? I think a day spent in hell would be a wonderful addition to my spring itinerary of walking on broken glass, sword swallowing and other random acts of self torture”??
Another beautiful view of the scenery for my upcoming "special" Tour
It is now official.Come April 9th 2011, I will be in Northern France to toe the line with 3000 crazy masochistic cyclists for the first ever cyclosportive addition of the Paris–Roubaix spring classic. Paris-Roubaix has a special place in the mythos of cycling legend.This one-day bike race is considered to be the Queen of the spring classics, and perhaps the second most famous bike race after the Tour de France.It is also known to be one of the most difficult one-day races. This year, the first ever amateur version of the classic will take place the day before the professional race, and will run over much of the same course.For the Challenge, the start will be in Saint-Quentin and the finish will be some 100 miles/162 kilometers later in Roubaix, France on the city’s famous velodrome. 100 miles over a windy barren landscape can be tough, but what makes Paris-Roubaix standout is the insanely difficult cobble sections that are thrown in along the route.There will be nearly 40k of cobbles (or pavé) as they are called in France in the amateur event spread out over 18 jaw-pounding, bone-rattling sections.
One might think that the race organizers were just trying to be sensationalists by all their comparisons of the cobble sections to riding through hell.I know from personal experience, however, that there is no exaggeration here. Last year Liam and I experienced some of the course first hand.It is absolutely brutal.Miles and miles of pavé beat and rattle the body and the bike.Riding the pavé is not like riding on a gravel road it is more like riding across a small boulder field.“Ouch” is the best summation of the experience.
Quality of roads I ride these days!
My winter riding has taken on a different character with hell soon to be on the horizon.I now look for rough roads to train on.If I see a pothole or rough spot in the road I will intentionally go right over it. If I get back from a ride and I don’t feel rattled to the bone then I feel like I have not done enough.It is hard to describe the amount of rattling the pavé can produce. Not even potholes do it justice.Then there is the question of bike modifications.Wider tires seem to be one of the most important changes that you can make to a road bike to cut back on vibration. At this point, I’m debating between 25c and 28c tires. I have heard that special latex inter tubes also help although I have never used them. I have also been told that Anti-vibration bar tape and perhaps a special saddle could aid with my tour of the underworld.I have a few months to figure it out, and until then I will be here rattling myself into shape.
In case you missed it -- Liam and I did a recon of some pavé sections last summer.
Liam has smartly decided to leave races like Paris-Roubaix to the future. Both he and his brothers are, however, planning to come up and watch their old man suffer, and then take in some really great racing the next day watching the pros do their thing. All in a perfect or not so perfect spring weekend in France!
It is hard to believe that Liam and I are going on year three of our FatherSonTour adventure. When we first started our blog in 2009, it was a fun project that brought us closer together as a Father and son, and it was also a way that we could share our love of cycling and of fitness ( in general ) with a few friends and family members. Not much has changed since that first year with our motivation and passion, however, the adventure has really taken us in some wonderful directions. All along the path we have met many new friends. We have met people whose life passion is fighting to make this planet a healthier place. We have met professional cyclists whose total focus and preparation have propelled them to the top of their sport. We have also met other like-minded young athletes with whom Liam has been able to share his passion and love of sports. We have met talented artists, teachers, coaches, scientists, and healthcare providers. The experience has given us a wonderful respect and admiration for humanity.
Liam is rolling these days
The adventure has also taken us as a family in directions that in 2009 I never would have dreamed. Today we live in France, Liam and his two brothers ride for a French cycling team, we speak French, we eat snails, we enjoy really good French wine that is not too expensive, we eat lots of bread, weekly we explore areas in Provence that are totally new and always surprising. We are the only Americans in our town. People here seem to like Americans or at least they have been very nice to us. The Mediterranean Sea is 20 minutes away. Great skiing in the Alps is two hours in the opposite direction. We can jump on the TGV and be in Paris in 2 ½ hours for a weekend. We can really ride our bikes these days! I mean we can ride! Want to go for a 50 mile loop down to the coast over a few Mountain passes… No problem. Want to bike up the giant of Provence and then turn around and do it again…Have not done that yet, but I think we could handle that quite easily also. The point is that we are having a lot of fun and we plan to continue this momentum on into the 2011 season!
Snails anyone?
Wish List for 2011---
1) Liam wants to place in the top 10 at the European Junior Cycling Tour in Assen, Netherlands in August.
2) I want to finish all three ASO big Cyclosportive events in France this Spring and Summer. Paris-Roubaix Challenge in April, Two Etapes Du Tour both in July.
3) Liam wants to do his first triathlon in May.
4) We are planning a weekend trip to Girona to ride and hang out in Spain. We have all heard about the legendary training routes in Girona. We will check them out first hand.
5) Ride from Lake Como (Italy) up to the La Madonna de Gishalo and check out the cycling museum. This will be in the Spring perhaps in combination with taking in a stage or two of the Giro.
6) Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Nice, the Dauphine, Giro di Italia and Tour de France are on the horizon. Looking forward to seeing some great racing.
7) The boys are all excited about the French youth racing season that starts the end of January with the Grand Prix of Marseille.
8) Climb the Giant of Provence (Mont Ventoux) from all three directions in one day.
9) Head back to the States to finish the Season with Levi’s Gran Fondo and the Livestrong Challenge in Austin. We might even be able to make it to the Big Island of Hawaii to check out the 2011 Ironman.
10) Through all our adventures we hope to raise much needed funds to fight cancer through Livestrong.
Stay tuned 2011 promises to be a very exciting year we hope to see you out on the road!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année! Over the last four months we have made the transformation from a family visiting France to a family living in France. It is a change that has happened slowly, but one that has had a profound impact on our lives. From our new home in Provence, we have seen the seasons change from summer into fall and then slowly move to winter. Gone are the high-pitched drone of the cicadas, the heat of the sun, and the intense smell of lavender. If we walk through the garden, however, we can still smell subtle hints of lavender reminding us just what joys spring will bring. The trees in the yard are now bare. Their leaves changed from green to yellow and to a dark shade of red and then rained down when the winds came through. We witnessed the vendange - marked by the local wine growers hauling their grapes through town on old wagons pulled by even older tractors on their way to the local cooperative. We tried our hand at picking the olives from our five or six olive trees around the house. There is a local moulin d’huile, which will exchange a liter of very good (award winning) olive oil for 10 kilos of fresh olives.
In November we had our first snowstorm, which, according to the locals, is very rare occurrence in Provence. For the boys, who have grown up in Southern California, this was their first time to experience a snowfall. They are ready for plenty more of the magical white stuff falling from the sky. We head to the Alps for the boys first ski trip tomorrow, and as Europe has had the most snowfall it has seen in 30 years, conditions promise to be fantastic!
Over the last four months, through it all, we have managed to ride our bikes . Our local bike routes have turned into a mosaic of seasonal changes that, each day, offer something new to the senses. Sage, rosemary, burning leaves, fermenting grapes, freshly harvested fields, and the smell of rain are to name a few things that constantly delight the nose. We have experienced, first-hand, the light of this place - the same hue that has drawn painters here over the centuries. On our rides, the eyes are continually dazzled with the intense light and colors of Provence. The sound of this place now, in the winter, is most days one of a peaceful silence. Of course, on other days, when the mistral kicks up (intense winds that blow down the Rhone valley from the north), there is just the unquiet sound and fury of the wind. During the mistral the landscape takes on a barren and almost lonely feeling. When the wind stops and the sun comes out, life returns to the soil and the landscape is once again radiant and welcoming. It is hard to describe in words the connection that one develops to a place by this kind of experience on a bike. With this connection comes a profound sense of where and who you are. One with the planet so to speak. We are really enjoying our time in France!
From our family to yours we wish you very happy holidays and a New Year full of love, joy and adventure!!!
TheCyclo Cross seasonis in full swing here in France and allthreeFlanagan boys are in on the action. Cyclo cross in France is a crazy sport. Fall marks thetimeofyearwhenbasicallyallofthe training and racingoftheEcoles de Cyclisme here in France, taketothefields and forestsaroundthe country. We have been training in theforesttwice a week and racing on mostweekendssincethebeginningofOctober. Theseforest or "bois" sessions are a lot likethemovieRambo, onlyplayed out in thewoods on skinny-tiredroadbikes. Thefirsttimewewenttopractice I thought "you have gottobejoking!" Gettwentykids on roadbikes and turnthemlose on rockyforesttrails? I'm sure thereis a methodtothisFrenchCyclo cross madness. Thewords "teaching les enfants agility" comesup a lot, but man, atfirst I thoughttheywereallcrazy!
Liam in Action
Crazy Sport on skinny tires
WehadourfirstCyclo Cross race theweekendbeforeheadingtoCalifornia for Levi'sGranfondo. The race was on a multi-looped course up in Chateauneuf de Dadagnewhichis a smalltownupnearAvignon. Theeventtook place on whatlookedlike a rockygoatfield. Itwastough! TheonlyoneoftheFlanagan boys whoreallydidwellwasRoan (theyoungestat 6 yearsold) whowas second in his race. Liamwas on thedeckseveraltimes, and, atothertimes, hewascatchingbig air in places youdidn'treallywanttobecatchingbig air. Halfwaythrough I toldhimtoback off and justgetthroughthe race safely. Hehad 103 miles to ride in Californiathenextweekend!
Le Petit Champion - Roanis a serious force on thebike!
As soon as wereturnedfromCaliforniawegotrightbackintothefields, rocks and mud. Everyonetold me thatthekidsdidn'tneedspecialdedicatedCyclo Cross bikes. I soonnoticed, however, thatthekidswhowerewinningthe races (kids, bytheway, thatLiamwasputtingthehurt on in road races just a fewweeksearlier), allhadspecializedproperCyclo Cross bikes. Liamdoesn'tgetintimidated, but thiscyclo cross thing on skinny tires wasknockinghimaround a bit. Liamhadsavedupsomemoney, and I pitched in a bit and wewereabletofind a cyclo cross bikethatwouldwork. What a hugedifference tires make. Also a littletrickistorunthe tires at about half pressure. Wewereclearlycyclo cross rookies! Thefirstfew races wewererunningskinny tires with 100 psi! ItisamazingLiamwasableto finish atall...
Roan (6 yrsold) in Action
Aidan (8 yrsold) in Action
Itallgoesbacktothesaying "thatwhichdoesnotkill us, makes us stronger." Allthree boys are gettingincrediblystrong on theirbikes. Roan, theyoungest, hasbeen in the top 3 in allhis races, winningseveral. Aidanisgettingstronger and more agile everyweek. Hehadhisfirst top 5 cyclo cross finish atthelast race. Liamhasbeenstrugglingtogetintothe top five, but if anythingithasonlygivenhim more motivation to train harder and refocus a bit.
SomeofthecrewfromtheAubagneteam
Ourmostrecent race in Vitrolles - whichtook place afterthreedaysofseriousrain - was a completemudfest. The boys had a blast! We are definitelystartingto have someseriousfun in themud in France. Whetherthis translates toimproved performance on theroadsthisSpringremainstobeseen. Somehow, however, I thinktheFrench have a methodtotheirmadness - and we are hopingtosee a pay off for allthehours in thedirt, rocks and mudlater in theyear.
If the video is cut in half it can be seen in full screen on You Tube by clicking on the top
When I think about the King Ridge Granfondo in Sonoma County, California, many emotion laced words and feelings come to mind. First and foremost is a feeling of community and family. The event, which is now in its second year, has grown to include 6000 cyclists, however, it still manages to keep a small town feel. Walking into Finley Center in Santa Rosa for Packet pickup is a lot like coming home. The race just has this awesome feel to it! From the warmth of the volunteers, to the shared camaraderie of the participants, to the sponsors, and even down to the jerseys designed by Odessa Gunn - the event is truly first class. In many ways traveling to the Fondo was coming home for Liam and me. We are now living in France, but for the last several months training for the Santa Rosa ride has been our link back to the states.
Levi Leipheimer - The man behind the event
The other words that come to mind when I think of the Granfondo are beautiful, majestic, and very, very hard. The Granfondo route is over some of the most beautiful terrain in California, or, for that matter, the world. Vineyards, redwoods, mountain tops, and insane sweeping, rugged coastal views are just to name a few things that one experiences on Fondo day. Of course, there is a price to be paid for experiencing so much beauty in one day on a bike. The toll is the sweat and effort of pedaling a bicycle 103 miles over a course with 8500 ft of climbing!
This year the Coleman Valley climb came at 78 miles
Last year in 2009 after completing the 65 mile event Liam (then 9 years old) decided that he wanted to come back to Santa Rosa in 2010 and give the full 103 mile route a go. At 10 years old he would be the youngest participant to have completed the King Ridge Gran route. I was mixed about the idea. For his age, Liam is somewhat of a freak of nature when it comes to endurance. I had no doubt that if he put his mind to it he could complete the 103 mile ride, but the question for me was how to get him there without injury or over training. I also wanted Liam to know that there was always the option to do the 65 mile route again, if he wasn't up to the full 103 miles. Liam worked really hard all summer and did a lot of cross training. Take a look at the blog post "What it Takes" for more specifics on his training. Then, of course, there was the question of me getting in to physical shape to do the ride as well! The whole project turned into a wonderful bonding experience. We literally turned our new house in Provence into "training camp." Our training rides became our way of exploring our new home in a way that few people can. By training in France and completing the journey in California - Provence, France and Sonoma County, California somehow seem much closer together now. A simple bicycle has bound these two areas together in a new forming concept of what now constitutes our home. Our experiences on and off the bike has radically changed the way we see the world. The world is now truly our home!
Ben King and Liam
Yesterday October 9th, 2010 we completed the "century ride" journey. Liam kicked butt out there! He was incredibly strong throughout the day and rode like the warrior he is. Liam now can proudly say that he has ridden 103 miles over one of the toughest century courses in the country.
After finishing the ride we came over to say hello to Levi and thank him and Odessa for the event. To Liam's surprise and honor they asked him to go up on to the Fondo stage with them, US Road Cycling Champion Ben King, and Dave Towle. That was pretty darn cool!
The post Fondo Stage
The event was a huge success not only as a bike fondo, but also for raising funds for the community, the Forget Me not Farm, and the battle against cancer through Livestrong. Levi, Odessa, all the volunteers, sponsors, and participants made this possible. I say it a lot and I will say it again - Together we can and do make a difference!
We have settled into our new home in Provence, and are slowly starting to step into the rhythm of our new lives in France. New food, new schools, new friends, new language, new culture, new places to explore, new rides to find, and new ways to train are just to name a few of the things we are all experiencing together as a family. It is experiences like these that open one's perspective and world view. I think we are all taking it in stride - so far so good!
Our home for the year in Provence
A new "secret" cove
First day of school in France
The boys are in the French public school which started a few weeks ago. In France this time of year is called the rentree or reentry. All the French children start school again around the first week in September. This , of course, has been difficult because the boys, at the moment, speak very little French. They probably want to kill us now, but hopefully they will thank us later. There is one little girl in Liam's class that does know some English. It happens to be the swear words F U. Periodically throughout the day she will shout it out to Liam just to see his reaction. He is a good sport about it, and actually finds it rather funny. One thing the boys do love about their new school are the lunches. They have an hour and a half lunch and it is quite a deal. I want to go to school with them! Wouldn't it rock to be able to do the fifth grade again complete with a great French lunch? The boys don't exactly share my enthusiasm at the moment, but I think this may change as their language skills start to improve.
Monastery in the Saint Baume
Saint Baume
On the weekends and during our days off, we have been exploring small French villages on the coast and in the mountains. We have also been doing a lot of (beaucoup) bicycle riding. The weather is great, the riding is amazing, the food is fantastic, the wine is, well very French ( tres bon,) our French neighbors and people we have come into contact with have been super friendly and helpful.
Through it all, our link back to the States has been the training and fund raising for two cycling events in October back in the United States. Liam wants to attempt a century ride which is a ride of 100 miles in a single day. This is a huge task for a 10 year old. It takes a lot to put in the training required. For a 10 year old it is important not to over train and stress the joints. Therefore, Liam is doing a lot of cross training to supplement his riding. Rowing, trampoline, swimming, and running are all part of the current program. I think Liam is, at the moment, the, or, one of the hardest working 10 year olds in cycling.
Taking cross training to new heights
As hard as Liam has been working on the bike, he has been working equally as hard to champion the fight against cancer, and for local California charities. So far, this year, Liam has raised $300 for the Levisgranfondo charities, and $1140 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Thank you to all those who have joined Liam to make a difference! And for those who still wish to join Liam in his campaign, there is still time. The events are in October! Let's make some noise! 28 million people in the world are effected by cancer. Lets shrink this number and eventually snuff out cancer.
As we were driving from Bordeaux to Paris for the finish of the 2010 Tour de France, Liam could not stop thinking about the Junior Cycling Tour in Holland. Mike and Clare Barry had first told Liam about the event when we had met them at the final time trial at the Tour de France. The Barrys are the parents of Michael Barry who is a professional cyclist from Team Sky. When Michael was younger, a highlight of their year was when they would make the trip to Assen so that Michael could get some great experience racing bikes with other kids his age in Europe.
When we arrived in Paris, we looked up the European Junior Cycling Tour Assen (EJCTA) on the internet and discovered that there was still time to enter the event in 2010. The event would take place from August 2nd to the 7th. EJCTA is a six day stage race complete with time trials, criteriums, classic road stages, and cobbled sectioned omloops! It had captured Liam's imagination! Liam would turn 10 on July 27th, and he would be able to get his international USA Cycling license. After a flurry of activity, we were able to get Liam an international racing license and an entry into the stage race.
Incredible experience for Liam to race with other kids his age in Europe
After the incredible Dutch flavor we had to this year's Tour de France, it is great that Liam's first stage race would be in Holland,. We had met so many great people from Holland out on the roads of the Tour. The experience was really a perfect book mark for the Tour.
A taste of racing over the cobbles
Assen is in the Northeastern part of Holland which is a 6 and half hour drive from Paris. Liam and I packed up the tent, sleeping bags, and bikes; and set off for a week of cycling and camping in Assen. A quick look at the weather and I knew that the experience was going to be a wet one. Rain was in the forecast for the entire week.
We arrived in Assen on Sunday just after noon. As we pulled into town, all you could see were kids from 8 to 18 on their bikes getting ready for the event. It was a jamboree of youth cycling. We set up our tent at the Weilerhome which was the main venue for the event which was in its 46th year. From the beginning all the organizers and volunteers of the race were very helpful and friendly. In the camp ground Liam immediately began to make friends with other kids his age. That is really what the whole experience is about!
Liam started rolling by day 4 for the tt on the Famous Assen race track
The racing was tough. Day 1 we had a problem with Liam's gearing. In Holland, young racers are only permitted to have certain limited gear ratios. For the first time trial Liam was locked out of his big chain ring. This was difficult for a kid who is used to pushing big gears in the Alps. We got this problem fixed with a visit to a local bike shop, but not until Liam finished 29th in the first Time Trial. Liam also had to get used to the fast pace these riders go. Up until now he had been riding with me - his dad ( I don't go tearing around all the time at 24 MPH.) It took Liam a few days, but he started to get the hang of it and by day four, five, six he was right up there with the leaders. He made the comment on the last day of the race, that he wished the event were 20 stages long.
Assen is Famous for its Fomula 1 and Motorcycle track
All through the week there were great activities for the Tour participants. A highlight, for us, was a visit to the local ropes course. It was a great experience and an opportunity to meet some of the other kids in the race. We will always remember swinging from the trees 8 meters high in Assen!
Up in the trees in Assen
Many of our Dutch friends and friends from the cancer fighting community gave us great messages and support on Twitter and over the internet throughout the event. These really were great for Liam's moral. In fact, Gaby Zwaan the Dutch artist actually made the trek to Assen to see Liam Race. That was very, very cool! Liam was also proud to be racing in his Livestrong kit. He is just as passionate about a world free from cancer as he is about bike racing! He also realizes that there are many out there putting there heart and soul into this fight.
Liam did really well for his first experience in a UCI sanctioned bike race. After six days in Assen, Liam finished 20th overall on GC, he met some great European kids his age, got some great racing experience, and generally had a blast. We hope to be back next year for sure, and Liam already has his eyes on a top 10 placing on the GC!