Six Days of Racing at the European Junior Cycling Tour Assen

As we were driving from Bordeaux to Paris for the finish of the 2010 Tour de France, Liam could not stop thinking about the Junior Cycling Tour in Holland. Mike and Clare Barry had first told Liam about the event when we had met them at the final time trial at the Tour de France. The Barrys are the parents of Michael Barry who is a professional cyclist from Team Sky. When Michael was younger, a highlight of their year was when they would make the trip to Assen so that Michael could get some great experience racing bikes with other kids his age in Europe.

When we arrived in Paris, we looked up the European Junior Cycling Tour Assen (EJCTA) on the internet and discovered that there was still time to enter the event in 2010. The event would take place from August 2nd to the 7th. EJCTA is a six day stage race complete with time trials, criteriums, classic road stages, and cobbled sectioned omloops! It had captured Liam's imagination! Liam would turn 10 on July 27th, and he would be able to get his international USA Cycling license. After a flurry of activity, we were able to get Liam an international racing license and an entry into the stage race.

Incredible experience for Liam to race with other kids his age in Europe

After the incredible Dutch flavor we had to this year's Tour de France, it is great that Liam's first stage race would be in Holland,. We had met so many great people from Holland out on the roads of the Tour. The experience was really a perfect book mark for the Tour.

A taste of racing over the cobbles

Assen is in the Northeastern part of Holland which is a 6 and half hour drive from Paris. Liam and I packed up the tent, sleeping bags, and bikes; and set off for a week of cycling and camping in Assen. A quick look at the weather and I knew that the experience was going to be a wet one. Rain was in the forecast for the entire week.

We arrived in Assen on Sunday just after noon. As we pulled into town, all you could see were kids from 8 to 18 on their bikes getting ready for the event. It was a jamboree of youth cycling. We set up our tent at the Weilerhome which was the main venue for the event which was in its 46th year. From the beginning all the organizers and volunteers of the race were very helpful and friendly. In the camp ground Liam immediately began to make friends with other kids his age. That is really what the whole experience is about!

Liam started rolling by day 4 for the tt on the Famous Assen race track

The racing was tough. Day 1 we had a problem with Liam's gearing. In Holland, young racers are only permitted to have certain limited gear ratios. For the first time trial Liam was locked out of his big chain ring. This was difficult for a kid who is used to pushing big gears in the Alps. We got this problem fixed with a visit to a local bike shop, but not until Liam finished 29th in the first Time Trial. Liam also had to get used to the fast pace these riders go. Up until now he had been riding with me - his dad ( I don't go tearing around all the time at 24 MPH.) It took Liam a few days, but he started to get the hang of it and by day four, five, six he was right up there with the leaders. He made the comment on the last day of the race, that he wished the event were 20 stages long.

Assen is Famous for its Fomula 1 and Motorcycle track

All through the week there were great activities for the Tour participants. A highlight, for us, was a visit to the local ropes course. It was a great experience and an opportunity to meet some of the other kids in the race. We will always remember swinging from the trees 8 meters high in Assen!

Up in the trees in Assen

Many of our Dutch friends and friends from the cancer fighting community gave us great messages and support on Twitter and over the internet throughout the event. These really were great for Liam's moral. In fact, Gaby Zwaan the Dutch artist actually made the trek to Assen to see Liam Race. That was very, very cool! Liam was also proud to be racing in his Livestrong kit. He is just as passionate about a world free from cancer as he is about bike racing! He also realizes that there are many out there putting there heart and soul into this fight.

Liam did really well for his first experience in a UCI sanctioned bike race. After six days in Assen, Liam finished 20th overall on GC, he met some great European kids his age, got some great racing experience, and generally had a blast. We hope to be back next year for sure, and Liam already has his eyes on a top 10 placing on the GC!

Alexander a new Dutch friend and fellow cyclist

For more information about the event in Assen and some great articles from the race by reporter Jose Been click here for the link to the EJCTA website.

Life Strong, Train Safe, and Live Well!!!

This is Bill and Liam signing out!

Bordeaux and Paris - A Wrap To The 2010 Tour de France And On To The Junior Vuelta in Assen, Netherlands

The final days of the Tour de France are always a marathon, whether you are riding the race, or simply trying to follow it as a spectator. This year was no different. The final stages of the Tour took place in Bordeaux and Paris - cities which are roughly 400 miles apart. I had never been to Bordeaux, however, I had experienced firsthand the flavor of the region through years' of enjoyment of the great wine produced in the area. The city itself did not disappoint. The town is built along the inlet of Gironde with beautiful cathedrals and cobbled sections of the old city. There are cafes, brasseries, and restaurants throughout. From my experience, the meals here are all about pairing food with wine that accents the flavors and essence of the creations. In Bordeaux, food and wine are truly an everyday art. This was a huge contrast to camping on the Tourmalet - where the standard was canned tuna and stale bread. Liam was excited to be able to get chicken nuggets and frites, followed, of course, by a scoop of ice cream. We were definitely back in civilization!


Ride along the Gironde in Bordeaux

In Bordeaux, we would be able to see two stages of the Tour de France. On Friday, a sprint stage would finish along the Gironde, and, on Saturday, the final time trial would be a point to point race from Bordeaux to Pauillac. We spent Friday morning riding along the Gironde and were able to ride the final few kilometers of the finish. It is always great to get on a closed of section of the Tour de France and tear it up. We were having so much fun that we actually road the final 2k finishing chute a few times. A headwind was coming off the river and could have been a factor in the race. We found a spot with a large monitor of the race about 150 meters from the finish. The sun was out and we were able to relax on the grass and take in the scene. We ran into Joe and his wife Liz from Wisconsin. It was fun to take it all in with them. The carnival atmosphere really started to pick up as the race approached the town. As Liam had predicted, the sprint finish was won by Mark Cavendish - in an awesome display of power.


Fun taking it all in with Joe V and Liz

Next day was the time trial. Normally Liam and I ride the TTs, however, the logistics of getting back to Bordeaux from Pauillac and then getting to Paris that night were going to be too difficult. I also had some safety concerns about the roads. When you are not sure, it is better to give it a miss. We decided to skip the ride for now, but we will return to Bordeaux this fall, to do some more riding for sure. In any case, we were able to get a good view of the riders as they came through the city of Bordeaux.


Liam with Mike and Clare Barry

On Saturday, we had the opportunity to take in some of the time trial race with Mike and Claire Barry. Mike and Claire are the parents of Michael Barry who was in the Tour and rides for Team Sky. Over the years we have met many of the parents of professional cyclists, and they share one thing in common - they are all very nice, down to earth people. Mike and Claire shared the story of Michael riding Mont Ventoux with his dad on a tandem at nine years old. We shared with them some of our Father Son Tour adventures. It was a lot of fun. The Barrys also told us about a youth stage race in Assen, Netherlands where they used to bring their son. Liam immediately wanted to do the race. The race is in its 46th year and is now called the Junior Vuelta. It is the largest youth stage race in the world and it takes place over 5 days with time trials, criteriums, and road races. To make a long story short, Liam is going to do the event which starts on the 2nd of August. (A little of the story - Liam turned 10 on July 27th and was eligible for his international USA Cycling license. We contacted the race in Holland and they had room in the event for Liam. We got the all the permission letters from USA Cycling by fax and we are good to go!) Unfortunately, there are not any hills in Holland, but the experience will be invaluable for Liam. He really wants to start learning race strategy from these kids over here! We will be reporting from Liam's first stage race next week on the blog.

After the TT in Bordeaux, we headed out to drive the 600 kilometers to Paris. We actually pulled into the City of Lights before midnight on Saturday night! Last year we didn't get into Paris until 7 in the morning on Sunday. It is a real feeling of accomplishment pulling into Paris after following a Tour de France. I can only imagine what the riders feel. Liam and I had 4000 miles of driving and about 1000 miles of biking under our belts. Sunday morning we headed out on our bikes for a Paris ride. The city has become very cyclist friendly over the last few years. During the weekend, they actually close off the road by the Seine to cars, and it is available to cyclists and in-line skaters. The Velibe program of free bikes throughout the city has been a huge success, and has resulted in drivers being much more aware of cyclists. We had a wonderful ride all over the city. I can't think of a better way to spend a morning in Paris.


Gaby on the Champs

After our ride, we headed to the Champs for the finish of the Tour. We met up with Gaby Zwaan who had had come from a meeting with Doug Ulman, the head of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Gaby had given his painting of Lance Armstrong to the Foundation. I think that it has found a wonderful home in Austin, Texas. Liam and I hope to see it at Livestrong HQ when we are there in October!

Sharing cycling tales with friends from the road

Liam and I met a group of Australians who had ridden many of the same climbs we had. We shared our tales of the road and watched as Lance rode up the Champs for the last time in his career, and the race was written into history. It was another great year on the Champs in Paris at the end of July.

This year, Liam and I have dedicated our Father Son Tour to the fight against cancer. 28 million people are affected by this disease. It is a number that Liam and I hope that someday in our life times will be 0. If you followed along and enjoyed the blog, please consider a donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Link can be found on the right at the top of the blog. Together we are making a difference in this important fight. Thanks everyone for coming along for the ride.



Livestrong, Train Safe, and Live Well!!!

Bill and Liam signing out!

Stage 17 - To the Mountains and into the Rain and Fog

At the beginning of the week, Liam and I drove 1000 kilometers or 600 miles to catch back up with the Tour de France in the Pyrenees. The final few stages are always the hardest to follow. The distances between stages seem to increase and the crowds are much bigger. This year the weather has been really tough. Conditions have been extreme both hot and cold. Tavi and the boys decided to stay in Switzerland and see the finale of the Tour on the television. It was probably a good thing because the next few days were pretty tough and at times miserable. It was a miserable that in retrospect was a lot of fun, but when you are in it you say to yourself, "what was I thinking!" The rain started as soon as we hit the town of Lourdes. In Lourdes we got some supplies and headed up into the mountains. In route we passed over many of the Livestrong messages on the road that had been made by the chalkbot. It was beautiful and at the same time a little sad to see all the messages to loved ones that had lost their battle with cancer. There were also many uplifting messages of survival and inspiration. Liam and I had left a message earlier that was printed on July 19th. We were e-mailed a picture of it.

Top of the Tourmalet

The Tourmalet was socked in with rain and fog. It was useless to even pitch a tent. Liam and I ended up sleeping in the car. The first day we climbed the last 12k of the mountain in the rain and fog. The Tourmalet is a tough climb with a constant 10% plus grade. Liam was riding very strong as usual. In the last k or so we rode to the summit with a group of Dutch riders who were raising money for a children's cancer foundation. The ride which covered the entire route of the tour de France was called the Tour for Kika. It is always amazing to see all the inspirational things people are doing around the Tour de France. They are the stories within the story that make this race so special.

"Le Tour Man" Some real characters on the road

Race day the weather was no better. Liam and I hiked up the mountain in the rain to get a good spot to watch. We decided to watch about 1 and a half kilometers from the summit on a very steep section where attacks would be certain. The sun actually came out for about 4 minutes before the rain and fog returned. By the time the race came through visibility was about 50 feet. We had a blast, all the same, meeting the characters that were on the mountain that day. After the race came through, we hiked back down the mountain to our camping spot, packed everything up, and said goodbye to the mountain. We made it down to the Autoroute at midnight and to Bourdeaux at 2:30 in the morning. We tried to find a hotel room , but to no avail.... Yet another night slepping in the car! The finish of the tour is like the last few miles of a marathon it is a real test even for the spectators. In Bordeaux the next day a bed, a hot shower, a great meal, and a glass of wine was waiting. However, that will be in the next blog.

The Sun Came out for 4 minutes in two days

We are off to ride and watch part of the last time trial through the vineyards of Bordeaux. Livestrong, Train Safe, and Live Well!!!


Bill and Liam