This past weekend was La Primivera, Milan-San Remo. The oldest of the classics, one of the 5 monuments, the only race to live up to its name anymore, the longest single day race on the calendar. But, it is not in Belgium, so therefore it is only the harbinger of the great races to come. Still, it marks time and it signals that Belgium is nigh.
After MSR, the whole crazy circus moves north to Belgium. From not to LBL in late April is the absolute best races of the entire year. Ghent-Wevelgem, E3, Flanders, Roubaix (not Belgium, but we forgive them), Liege Bastogne Liege. By far, those are the best races of the year. Only the hardmen of cycling can expect to do well there.
The Belgian fans are the best, the beer is the best, the whole place is all about cycling. Belgium is the galactic center of cycling, after all.
That is a case of Westvleteren. A case! (well almost a case, as there is already one missing in the picture). If that does not mean anything to you, then you should just click out of this whole blog entry as it is all going to just be too Belgian for you. And don't start saying things like "Joe, aren't you an IPA fan..." or, "What about English beer?..." All of that is fine stuff, but this post is about all things Belgian. Get over it.
Belgium things.
1. It rains like 270 days per year in Belgium. Those people are hardy.
2. It is a small country and does not have a government. People seem to be good with that.
3. Tommeka. Not sure how they get that from Tom, but hey.
4. Beer. That and IPA are it.
5. Cyclocross. In fact, cyclocross on courses that would be hard on a mountain bike.
6. Cobbles. Thank god they didn't decide to pave those over. Think how hard it must be on car suspension also.
8. Belgians actually go to the beach, on the North Sea. I bet that is warm.
9. The people of Flanders actually want to secede, because even a country with no government is too much governance.
So. Let the Belgian classics begin!
Joe
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