So, 20
minutes into my ride, they start, the voices in my head. No, it’s not a medical
condition, it’s just happens. Most of the time they are the voices of the
Belgium Sporza television commentators, Wuyts and De Cauwer. They start
chatting about the weather, the way the wind blows, that sort of things. And
after a while they begin there talk about the race. What happened before, how
it is, that I ended up in the lead, on my own. That is always the case, when I
ride alone, I have escaped the bunch early on. No doubt about it, I having a
super day. Then Michel tells the listeners some back ground about me and José
will add some obscure info he learnt before the race.
The
funny thing is, I’m always me. Not some pro, past or present, but always
myself. A younger version of course, but it’s me, that’s racing to fame and
glory. It gets interesting when Renaat Schotte joins the party. He is the guy
on the motor. Getting the other two up to speed from directly behind me. He or
André Meganck is measuring time differences between me and the peloton. I am
rider and the public all into one. To the end of my ride, the race in my head
gets starts to develop into an “Is he going to make it to the end?” scenario.
Renaat is counting down my advantage I have/had on the peloton. But in the end
I always win the race! “This guy is going places” cries Michel Wuyts.
After
the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) 2013, things started to change. I was no longer that
rookie on the bike anymore. Somehow Chris Horner’s victory things changed. I
don’t need to be the rookie anymore to win my imaginary races. I can do it as
this old man I became. Age is no longer an obstacle for winning my races! José
and Michel tell the world that you can do this if you are carefully plan your career
on the bike and believe in ones self’s. So, these days I win my races as the
smart old fox I have become. Riding around with a big smile on my face, like I
own the world. And I am very happy…
