Well it is back into the fray. This past Saturday I left New York and headed back over to Belgium. I will be staying in the same lovely five star accommodations as I was during the six days. Honestly, I can’t believe that I’m back already. I was only home for seven/eight weeks and now I’m back here again. This time, though, it isn’t for a couple of months but an entire road season. Having been here on and off for the past four years I’ve started to strike up some real friendships so that makes the transition easier. It really is starting to feel like a second home.

Besides just getting ready for the season (training, packing, etc.), I’ve been doing a little research on the early season races as well as the other riders on my team. The first races of the season are stacked! Topsport Vlaanderen (the latest incarnation of Chocolade Jacques), Unibet, and the Rabobank Continental Team are a few of the big hitters. I’m very confident in Yawadoo though. The team signed Marc Streel, a former rider for CSC as well as Belgian TT Champ and fifth place at K-B-K, and our Kiwi, Justin Kerr, is currently at Langkawi riding for the New Zealand National Team. So basically I need to make sure I’m firing on all cylinders so I can save face (and maybe get a respectable result!) in these upcoming races.

Yawadoo has a training camp starting at the end of this week as well. I’m really looking forward to it all. I’ll get to meet the other riders, talk with the directors about the season, and, most importantly, wash away some of the inevitable anxieties that I’ve built up about riding for this team. There was an initial meet-and-greet/mini camp held back in January but I thought it was better to stay home, get a little rest after the six days, and focus on what I needed to do for training before heading back over here. So far the plan has worked out well. My head’s clear and focused and I got in a bunch of good quality training while back in New York.

Adam and I have really been working on improving my efficiency on the bike. So basically I’ve been doing blocks of 5.5 hours or more averaging around 240 watts. It has worked well and I feel really fit and lean but it has also nearly killed me! The first day was never too bad but by day three my legs were begging for mercy. I’m hoping that with the training camp starting on the 15th I’ll be right up there with the other guys on the team. It’s going to be important to make a good impression on the directors right from the get go.

So life is back to normal. Crap Belgian television, lots of chickens outside in the yard, and the wonderfully dreary weather. Hopefully, between the nonstop bike racing and Zelda on my Nintendo DS I’ll be able to hack it!

David Wiswell

www.echappeonline.com