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14/15 November 2010: Tandem Weekend. Editor writes "As an older member of the Crest now, it's good to read a younger person's perspective on the Tandem Weekend, an event that's been going for more than 40 years. Click on Adam's recap of the 2010 event, which took riders to Aylesbury and back."

14 December 2009: Well November has been and gone and everything is slowly sorting itself out. I've got a new team for 2010, called Isorex Racing Team. They have been going a while and produced some good riders including National Champions. So they seem a good outfit to join. The calendar is looking good with some big races such as Tour de Liege, Zillebeke-Westouter-Zillebeke and the 2 days of Gaverstreek. The kit is yellow and black, with a tint of green. Is a bit retro but looks ok. So i don't mind. The website is below if anybody wants to have a look.

www.ict.isorex.com

Enough of team talk. November was a bit busy. We had the Ghent 6, Alice's birthday which meant about 15 people in our apartment and a good night out—though i don't remember too much. One beer has that affect on me nowadays! Oh and I was (contrary to the rumours flying about) riding my bike amongst all the madness.

On the Sunday after the Ghent 6 I met up with the Crest lads and lasses (Andy, Lorraine, Del, Glyn, Dolly, 'S', Brenda) I think that's everybody sorry if I missed you off. Was good to see everybody again after not seeing them for a while, and it was really nice of them to treat me to a ticket around the Tour of Flanders Museum and a great lunch after :-D.

I've also ventured onto the track. Trusty dad has lent me his bike and got me a set of wheels. As they say 'if in doubt call your dad'. Am enjoying the track as it's good for the leg speed and is a good work out. A few of the sessions there has been some good professionals turn up, like Iljo Keisse and Wouter Weylandt. I haven't raced yet as it's too early.

Coming back to UK on the 16th for Christmas which I'm looking forward to. Hopefully get a bit more base in for the new season and beer ;-)

15 October: "Recapping on this year, I left sunny England for the slightly more warmer climate of Belgium in July. I moved into a flat with two of my good friends Andrew Griffiths and Alice Monger-Godfrey. Also with Emma Davies, who now resides in Paris with her boyfriend. The flat is in Oudennarde, which is about 30km from Ghent. Oudenaarde is renowned to be the heart of Flanders. The famous Tour of Flanders race in fact goes through here, not to mention literally past our doorstep. There is a Tour of Flanders museum in the town square along with numerous cafes which sell great milkshakes and hot chocolate.

We also live about 5km from the famous Koppenburg climb. It's about 20pc for 800m and is pretty hard to get up if it's raining.

Anyway I am getting ahead of myself a bit here. I'll tell you how this all came about. I went over to visit Andrew and Alice back in March, also to ride a race called Ghent-Staden, which had about 320 starters. I enjoyed the racing over there and stayed an extra week, and decided to go back there for two months in the summer to get a real taste of what life is like in Belgium. So roll–on July and I move over there with the intention of coming back to England after the National Time Trial Championships. It didn't quite happen that way but maybe after reading this you'll understand why.

So back to July and the racing. I was riding for the Asfra Flanders Racing Team (when i eventually got some kit). The first few races I had done had gone pretty well finishing top 20 most of the time for the first month. Not bad I thought, as long as I can keep it up. August didn't go so well. I rode 2 top competitions with the Flanders Team, Both not going great. The first one had 196 starters. It was in a town called Reningelst. It was well a very windy day, even for Belgium. By the end of the first lap 90 riders had been stopped due to the wind. The second lap another 50 had retired from the race including myself. By the finish only 17 riders were left. The winner being a rider from Latvia, who outsprinted two riders from Top Sport Flanderen, and Nico Kuypers who is now the Amateur champion of Belgium.

The second race was a Interclub in France. Just over the border. I didn't realise at the time but I knew there was a section of cobbles after 8km and they lasted 800m. I knew I had to be in the front to get over them safely. I made sure of this. Making the front split of 40riders. I think there was 200 starters including Jimmy Casper. I hit the cobbles and "BANG" I punctured. After getting a tow back on from the team car. I ended up in the back group and was pulled out after 5 laps. Not a good day. After I found out the section of cobbles was a set used in the Paris-Roubaix Race.

After this I rode a few Kermesse races. These are local races on a small circuit of anywhere between 4 and 10km laps. They are usually inbetween 10–30laps and are 100–120km long. The speeds are fast and the racing is hard. Jumping out of corners all the time and usually being run in 2hrs and 30mins. All in all the races are good.

Anyway towards the middle of August Andrew and I started to concentrate a bit more on the National Time Trial. Which Andrew ended up getting 3rd in. During the month I had a slight problem with my knee and it turned out to be tendonitis. So I rode the TT Champs but not to what i think was my full ability. I had a few treatments on my knee by then but trying to ride and get ride of an injury isn't good. I ended up wrecking my knee abit and only rode one more race after that which i retired from due to my knee being extremely painful.

All in all though I was enjoying my time in Belgium. So I ended up moving over there. I'm now taking Dutch lessons with Andrew and Alice who have also moved over there. So we all live together. Is a good laugh. Except when Alice makes us do the cleaning. But all in all I love it over there. The lifestyle in general is more relaxed and easy going. They Belgians seem to have a work to live motto unlike what it seems over here where its more of a live to work. That's just what it seems like.

Anyway I am back on my bike now and working on my conditioning for the 2010 season,

Happy Reading!"

Spot.