Flanders Pro Dan Patten’s Blog 
The Storm is Over (I Hope)(0)
So the run of bad luck continued through July and into August, including a collision with a car and less than a week later getting taken down by a bidon during the third stage of the Ronde van de Provincie Antwerpen.
The body has taken a bit of a pounding and I have less skin now than the start of the month, but no broken bones or injuries that will keep me off the bike, which is always a bonus in my mind. Midway through July I decided it was time to take a bit of a break anyway. A lot of racing up until that point and the body was calling for a rest.
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All the bad luck at once!(0)
So it’s been a few weeks since my last blog post.
This is because I was waiting until something went my way again… I’m still waiting! The last few weeks of racing has been filled with bad luck, with mechanical problems at the wrong times and a few crashes to go with, not to mention a national championships that was reduced to a training ride.
I suppose I can count myself lucky until now with very few problems this season, however they all seem to have come at once.
A Close Call(0)
Came close to another win at the weekend, this time in Grandglise.
I was second to an ex-pro called Jurgen Guns, who used to ride for Vlaanderen 2002 – Eddy Merckx around 1999/2000.
We were away in the break when Jurgen and another rider attacked, with still around 35km to go. I went across to them, and straightaway we dropped the other rider – so it was just me and Jurgen for the remainder of the race.
Up and Running, First Win!(0)
Well It’s been on the cards all season and last weekend in the town of Ghoy I took my first win in Belgium. Like always the attacks came from km 1 and I managed to get away midway through the first lap – and this was to be the move that stuck.
At first we were four, then three, and then six, but knowing we were being chased down I tested the water by attacking coming out of one of the corners onto a drag with 30km to go. This was still a long way from the finish but I felt it was the right time to go, and so it proved…
Back in the Game!(0)
So, I’m recovering well – so well in fact that I came my closest to date to winning here in Belgium last Sunday, finally ending up in 3rd place, but so close to taking the win.
The race was in Sint Kornelis Horebeke, which is a town close to my base here in Oudenaarde, and is the home town of one of the team’s main sponsors, so it was an important one to do well in.
It was a good field but I was ‘on it’ from the start (really thought it was going to be my day!).
Getting Back on Track(0)
As the season rolls on the races are coming thick and fast. May was always going to be an important month with the Belgium Cup (Beker Van Belgie/Coupe de Belgique) series taking center stage.
As reported in the last blog post I had been to see the doctor after feeling very low for a couple of weeks. Of course it was not going to turn around overnight but I was hoping that it wouldn’t take long before I was feeling back to normal.
I continued to keep things easy in training and low and behold on the day of my first cup race of the season in Kampenhout the body didnt feel half bad…
Things don’t always go to plan!(0)
Another example today of how things can seemingly go from being all rosey to disastrous in an instant.
The Great Britain Womens’ National squad was today taken out by a car whilst out on a training ride between Oudenaarde and Brakel.
Thankfully everyone is alive, but it has left several broken bones amongst them and a number of other injuries…
Back to Essex(0)
For the first time in two months I’m back in the UK.
I’m back for this Sundays East Midlands Cicle Classic/Rutland Melton and with the form I’ve built over the last couple of months in Belgium I am going into the race with great optimism.
Having spent three years at Loughborough University (just down the road) and thrown myself into the break in what was my first attempt at doing the race in 2008, it’s a race I am looking to go well for this time around.
Living in the Heart of Flanders!(0)
The things that can happen in the space of a week when your living in the heart of flanders.
As mentioned in the last blog post I happened to meet Kurt Asle Arvesen on a ride and had a nice spin and chat with him. A couple of days later I was in the Asfra bike shop when fellow Norwegian and Team Sky rider Edvald Boasson Hagen walked in on his way out training.
Again I got to have a little chat with Edvald and like Kurt was a thoroughly nice guy too… seems to be a common trait with these Norwegian Team Sky riders!
Podium Number 1 of the season and a chance meeting with Kurt Asle Arvesen!(0)
On the 28th March my Asfra Racing Team (and support club) headed to Montreuil sur Mer in France.
The race had the mixed characteristics of a race in France, a Belgium kermesse and almost like a criterium in the UK. 23 laps of a 3.8km circuit was the order for the day…
Coming Close in Merelbeke(0)
Best part of 200 riders, good crowds, the music playing, the beer flowing and the kermesse burgers cooking… all the elements of a typical kermesse here in Belgium.
I made the point of being on the front from the start here, knowing like usual it would explode from the off and not wanting to be caught too far back when it did.
Not long into the frist lap and I found myself in the first move off the front but this was to be pulled back only a few kms later. After a few laps in the bunch I thought it was time to try again…
Just a typical Wednesday afternoon in Belgium(0)
172 starters on a Wednesday afternoon… only in Belgium.
This was a hard race from the off, again typical of Belgium. With only one amateur race taking place on this day it meant this race was full-on.
A couple of crashes in the peloton on the same corner on consecutive laps didn’t help matters…
Gathering Momentum(0)
The result in Lierde was backed up with an 8th in Geluwe (13/03/10).
A chase of the lead group over the last 30km led to an exciting finish. Unfortunately the chase group I was in just run out of road to make the junction with the leaders… another km maybe would of done it!
Even though some of the riders were pulled back six remained just in front and would fight it out for the win.
Abandon Vehicle(0)
Three days after Lierde there was a race in Wallonie, a race I intended to do, well that was until the team vehicle almost went up in flames.
A Belgian team manager lets us use the team vehicles to get about to races… so I can’t really complain too much.
They are rather old though, and this one in partcluar apparenty had 450,000km on the clock – maybe time to get a new one?!
Mixing it with some Kermesse Kings(0)
Perhaps a combination of Majorca, having a hectic time before getting out to Belgium, and a bit of illness and settling down in Belgium, but for the first few weeks certainly I have been feeling rather lethargic.
However it’s just been a case of taking a day at a time and allowing the body to feel fresh again. I think the key however was trying to re-establish some sort of normal routine again and get some structure… can make a huge difference!
2010 from the Beginning…(0)
Dan Patten has joined the ASFRA – Flanders team for this season, and being based in Belgium he’s getting into the kermis scene with enthusiasm – and with some success too.
He’ll be keeping us all up-to-date through his new regular VeloResults blog, sharing how his season is going, what it’s like living in Belgium, and inside stories and tips about racing in “the Heartland”. Read on!…