This week my preparation for Rio has taken the next step.  I am currently in Belgium training for a few days before I head to Cologne, Germany for the Cologne Classic where I will race with the men.  Then it is back to Belgium for the World Cup in Ostend.

This World Cup will be important as all the competitors I will meet in Rio will be here.  It will be a test to see where my preparation is sitting with regards to further down the road.  I have been  told by our head coach that this is a “no expectations” racing event, but I think we always put expectations on ourselves.  In saying that, I am in full training and just riding through these events.

However I really am looking forward to racing because I love the feel of the adrenalin of a race.  After all that is why we train so hard!  That and the coffee that usually follows a long ride!

Riding here in Belgium is an experience…a great one at that.  Riding is a religion here and I think I have seen more bikes than cars.  But that is to be expected because the infrastructure is there.  I rode just over 42km’s today all on purpose built bike lanes and paths.  It is no wonder that people don’t wear helmets, they have no cars to worry about and bikes have right of way.  But no one gets upset about it, cars and riders are polite to one another and with even bike lanes around round-a-abouts it is amazing how everything works so well!

We have a very small team here, just myself, Stuart Tripp (hand cyclist) and a coach – Tom Skulander.  It will be a great month of just concentrating on training and racing with no other parts of life pulling at us.  I’ll keep my blog up to date as to how things go over the next couple of weeks.