It's like frikin' Christmas in April...

Why is it like Christmas in April you might ask? Well, I'll frigin tell you why. It is now April 1, and it's Saturday. This means only one thing. The REAL bike racing season starts tomorrow over in Belgium. The REAL deal Holyfield starts tomorrow. This is the Spring bike racing season I love to watch. Yes, tomorrow is my most favorite professional bike race of the year to watch. I introduce you to those not in the know of things to the Tour of Flanders. It's the race that every Belgian boy grows up dreaming of winning, and only a few ever do, and if you do, there is a good chance that after you retire, you won't ever have to buy yourself a beer in that tiny bike crazed nation ever again. Hell, you could kill someone over there, but if you won Flanders, they'd let you off. Last year's winner, one Mr. Tom Boonen (the SO's favorite) is looking in fine form right now, essentially eliminating that whole "curse" of the rainbow jersey so far this year. Now it's time to throw down, and time to prove himself again, the thing is, if he falters, his entire Quick Step is pretty much right there to take over and deliver someone to the line in first place. It's just going to be a knock down drag down fight tomorrow out on the cobbles and shit strewn roads of Belgium. Damn, I wish I was there to see that. This of course kicks off what I would call the golden week of bike racing for the Spring over there. Flanders this weekend, Ghent Wvelghem in the middle of the week, and then the Queen of the Classics, Paris-Roubaix. All races fought over the bergs and cobbled roads of Northern France and Belgium. These are the races that hard men win. The guys who race the classics, they're my favorite riders. They are the guys that line in Belgium and ride and train outside all winter long in the wind, rain, and snow, and cold. They don't care. They're impervious to it I think. This weekend, they get to take it out on each other. All of the big names are going to be there, and there is going to be some kicking in the teeth, especially to be in the front when they hit the ye olde Koppenberg climb. Not long, but steep in some spots, and almost impossible to ride in good conditions, if it's raining, expect to see some walking, and or crashing. Or maybe someone getting run over, it's not like it hasn't happened before. Ask Jesper Skibby about such things.

A little background about Flanders. It was started in 1913 by Karel Van Wijnendaele. It of course had to stop for WWI, but was continued from there on out. It also missed a few years during WWII again, but it has become the most popular race in the Flanders region of Belgium, where we might consider the locals a little more than crazed when it comes to bicycle racing. As mentioned before, you win here, you win eternal fame in Flanders. The old timers on the corners of the course could probably name the last 40 winners of the race without breaking a sweat. And could probably name them all if you gave a few minutes. On tap for this year, you've got about 250+ KMs of pure pain and agony out there. I think, once again, it's going to come down to a few guys who are going to be in the final selection, and from that elite group, there will be one person who will be able to attack and ride away from his compatriots in this race. Last year Tom Boonen completed that task and soloed his way to victory, and then followed it up a week later with another dominating performance in Paris Roubaix. There are lots of people who think that it is going to be hard to repeat this year. Of course it's going to be hard, it's damn hard to just win the race, let alone win it again the following year of his previous win. That and he's carrying the rainbow jersey on his back of the World Champion, so he will be easily marked. Last week showed me something about Boonen though. He got into a breakaway in a different race with I think it was Alessandro Ballan. During the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen he and Ballan started to ride away from everyone else, and Ballan had a slight problem with his saddle slipping. Boonen said to him, "Ballan was also very strong but suddenly, after a cobbled section, he had problems with his saddle. He spoke to me about it. I said that he shouldn't bother about it and keep riding hard, because I would beat him in the sprint anyway." Now some may go out of their way to call that cocksuredness, but in my book, he can back that shit up. And of course what happened later on towards the end of the stage? Boonen beat his ass in a sprint. Killed him actually. Ballan finished 2 seconds down on Boonen, which doesn't sound like a whole lot, but in a sprint, it's a ton of time. I'm going to have to say that along with just about everybody else in the world, Boonen has got to be the favorite for this weekend. Barring anything unforseen happening to him, he will win again. But, strange things happen during bike races. So let's not close the chapter yet. Anything can happen, and we might get someone into the winner's circle who we didn't even think would be there to start with.

Disco is bringing a strong team, and had a strong show of force last week at the 3 days of de Panne, where they kicked it into high gear. Granted, de Panne is not a big of a race as Flanders, but they still showed a pretty quality field what the deal was, and how to race bicycles. Hoste is riding strong. George "I need a sandwich" Hincapie is looking good as well, and the support they can muster on their team is strong. Ekimov, Max, Devolder, Joachim, and a few others. They have a good group of guys that can ride hard, and like to ride hard.

One thing is for certain, this weekend is going to produce some interesting racing out there on the battlefields of the cobbled roads of Flanders. Next weekend, PR on tap. It's like being in bike racing heaven.