Team Cyclingnews.com - 2005

Team Journal Entry - March 4, 2005, by Cam Jennings

Everyone in Europe is talking about the weather - for good reason. It's a bit cold, and when you've been in the sunny climate of Rockhampton, like Cameron Jennings has, you tend to notice snow and bitter temperatures even more. In his diary entry Cam lets us know what the season opener was like, run in these harsh Euro conditions.

Hi all and welcome back,

Well the crazy weather has continued and it is bitterly cold. The snow has returned, the canals are all iced over and my skin has lost its Rockhampton summer brown - I now appear transparent. All this being said, with weather conditions nothing like we are used to the team has tasted success.

Glen already mentioned our first race - at a town just the other side of Leuven called Oud-Heverlee. A good size field assembled on the shores of a frozen lake to sign on, rug up and race around a nice circuit. The temp was a touch on the south-side of zero and to say we rugged up is an understatement! Knicks, multiple leg warmers, oversocks and thermal booties, a thermal shirt sleeve and long sleeve undershirt, a couple of pairs of arm-warmers, a long sleeve jersey, two pair of gloves, ear warmers and a beanie squeezed under my helmet and I was set - just right.

As mentioned the race was on a pretty good circuit - seven laps needed to get our 116km quota for the day. Three guys went early and were allowed to have their glory, but then Glen decided to stretch his legs and tried to get across. He got close but eventually succumbed to the bunch. I had a little sniff but was content to sit back, eat and drink some now cold tea and have a quick chat to Corey Sweet. Then with two and a half laps remaining I had another go and nobody came with me, that was until Glen looped across, and for the next few kilometres it was this Rocky duo out front pretending they were going for the M1, trying to hold off all the boys.

Unfortunately nobody came along and it regrouped for a while before we all had another go. Sven (De Weerdt) tried it on, I had a go and Glen went a few times, and eventually got away with two others. They held off the bunch for the last lap and Glen sprinted for the win, throwing his arms in the air for the necessary celebration. Sven was in the next group, good for top 10 - the rest of us finished in the bunch after covering for the last lap. Another good start to the year.

Almost a week has passed since that race and we've managed some good training albeit interrupted - it's always determined by the weather. Even going out for two hours at the moment is treacherous, and we're in the process of buying two St. Bernhard dogs just in case we get lost. Our next race is on Saturday, weather permitting, in Harelbeke. Races today were cancelled due to snow and general inclement weather so we will have to wait and see. A tough race with all the love/hate hills of Flanders to contend with, so fingers crossed it'll be ok. Till next time,

Cheers,
Cameron