Up's and Down's

Hello Century!

Well where to start really ! i left my last blog hoping for a good ride in a local race called Baal. Quite the opposite happened, i started the race and as i was moving up the bunch a French rider touched wheels in front of me and before i new it i hit the deck at around 45kph! Screaming on the floor! The Belgian ambulance staff ran out and instead of coming to me they decided to check my bike to see if it was ok! I soon realised i was the lucky rider out of the 3 who had hit the deck because the French guy had broken his collarbone and snapped his frame in halfand the other guy had blood literally squirting out of his head...We were took to hospital and i had road rash all over my body but was x-rayed and was given the all clear! I had cracked my frame however! So my manager took me to this random Belgian mans house who somehow managed to fix my frame for the little price of 50 euros !

I had a few days off the bike but was back and ready to go by the end of the week! And my new personal sponsor Mark Mcnally supplied me with one of his team helmets (mine was mashed in the crash!).

To be honest im not gonna talk much about racing because honestly there is not much to say! and my new given nickname from my dad “grape” which refers to me being always in the bunch has seemed to be justified. Ive done a few cobbled races also and can now officially confirm i will not be a man of the classics! I seem to be doing better in the races with crosswinds which is “in the gutter” sort of riding.

I feel as though i am learning alot from racing in Belgium and this is what this year is all about! I have earned myself my first dose of prize money which was only ten euros but it meant alot more to me!

One thing i have learnt about racing in Belgium is never stay with your team manager! I say this as over the last two months our relationship has gone from good to non-existent. Firstly we were promised internet on February the 2^nd and after asking a few times and hearing the same response “normally we get it next week eh” we gave up! We have been living off our very generous neighbour’s internet which just about keeps us sane! I could literally go on all day about what has happened in this almost “hell hole” but it would bore you! To cut a long story short basically we arrived back after a kermesse to a letter addressed to all of us 3, the letter then stated how we were dirty arrogant, we trained like tourists, had no respect for the team or him or his house! And we were evicted and told we had till the end of may to get out!you should be able to work out what kind of man he is by leaving us a letter and not saying it to our face! If anyone wants to know the full story on what actually happened and some of the things my so called “manager” gets up to just ask and ill be glad to let it off my chest! But its best not to write things over the internet.

I managed to secure some accommodation for the rest of the season . I will be living with well known Brit Andy Fenn who rides for Anpost. This will be a massive improvement hopefully and I’m sure i will learn alot from him!

I feel as though i have spent this blog just moaning and not talking “bikes” . I have been racing alot and despite the things that have happened i have no kink in my armour and will still give it my all to make a career out of cycling!

Thanks for reading ill make sure the next blog is focused mainly on racing!

Keep Pedalling

Mike Gregg