Euro Pro Connection #3

As some of us here in the Midwest awaken to a fresh layer of snow(!) on the ground this morning, let's take a look back on this past week to see how our area riders are doing in the European Pro Peloton.


Recall that Matt Busche (Radio Shack) from Wauwatosa, WI had finished his first stage race last week, the Criterium International finishing 81st on general classification (G.C.) and from there he headed back to HQ in Gernona, Spain to train with a bunch of other English speaking Pro's. Now currently, he is riding in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco or Tour of the Basque Country in Spain where he was challenged before even turning a crank in competition because his bike was stolen right from under the mechanic's noses!  Now riding his spare bike, he is in the groove and making the adjustment to riding with the big boys. He states in his blog: " I was in the middle to second half of the peleton and we hit the final climb and it was over. I felt strong, but I was not going to catch the front group. The final climb was about 7km and averaged 11%, but about 3km of that was 20%+. It was probably the steepest climbing I have ever done. It was absolutely insane. Then we had a crazy descent with at least a dozen switchbacks to the finish." It's hilarious reading about Matt blowing his nose onto Frank Schleck and the pleasant odors emanating from veteran racer Jens Voigt. See, not only do you have to look good, but you should smell good too in order to be a top "PRO" !


Our other Midwestern representative on Team Radio Shack, Bjorn Selander of Hudson, WI is racing in the Circuit de la Sarth or Circuit Cycliste Sarthe in the Normandy region of France.The big news out of this stage race is the abandonment of Lance Armstrong and many of the Radio Shack crew that rode in the Tour of Flanders and picked up an intestinal virus. Our hero Bjorn Selander continues after three stages and 269km, he is 62nd on G.C.

In other news, our good friend Luke Seemann of ChicagoBikeRacing.Com just returned from his trip to The Tour of Flanders and has some terrific stories to tell in his expose' which is a MUST READ! "Saturday Ludwig picked us up at 6 a.m. and we drove to Bruges, where Kirby and I would walk across the same stage that the professional riders would walk across the next day, and our adventure began: 255 kilometers, a nearly meter-for-meter, cobble-for-cobble simulation of the great monument." Among his many adventures was spectating at the E3 Prijs race. You can see him here in this screen grab of the TV coverage offered on YouTube. The actual video that he shot can be seen HERE. It sounds like a great trip.

That's enough for today. Don't forget that Paris-Roubaix is this coming Sunday! It will be broadcast on VS TV in the evening and I'll try to post a live broadcast viewing right here. See you then!