A day at the races.

Most of you might think of horse races, with a title like that. Well, I’m not.
I’m not thinking horses, I’m thinking bikes.

Today is the start of the season. And I mean the real start. Yes, there have been some races somewhere in the south. Yes, we’ve had the tour of Qatar, the tour of Oman, and the Ruta del Sol. All of those are just considered to be the preparation to the start. From today on, it’s the real stuff. It’s the first race of the season on Belgian ground. It’s the start of Flanders’ classics.

Perfectly shaped bodies. Athletic from head to toe. Some of them
slightly  tanned by winter training in Spain. Others already have a deep brown color, due to the Middle East preparation.

And oh happiness: the weather is Belgian too! Showers, threatening clouds, rain, wind, grey skies. Perfect conditions.

Riders struggle to get over the cobbled stones. They fight against the headwind. The short but oh so steep hills in the Flemish Ardennes feel like endless mountains. You can hear chains cursing and riders squeak. And vice versa. It’s a battle on the small and narrow roads to get to the next hill or the following strip of cobbled stones in a good position. Dancing on bikes. A dance, yet also a fight. It’s putting together all the pieces of the puzzle. Find the perfect rhythm, the right gear. Hide behind someone’s back and stay out of the wind. Stay upfront in case the pack breaks or brakes.
Eat. Drink. Pedal!!!

Faces are covered in mud. Eyes seem to have disappeared somewhere behind the forehead. It’s a heroic battle. But in the end, there’ll only be one hero. The winner takes it all.

And then there’s the other party involved: the crowd.
You must have seen to believe. A wide pallet of contradictions can be found along the route: young and old, boys and girls, dressed up and sloppy, sneakers and high heels, fake and real…
You’ve got the die hard fans, with flags and banners, shouting, screaming, literally pushing their favorite. There’s the neighbor who’s used to seeing this spectacle every year. You’ll find the shop owner who’s making extra money. And let’s not forget the local priest: a race passing on the doorstep of his church is like spending Christmas and Easter on the same day.

Today I’ve been watching heroes and their supporters.
It was a great day.