Ben Swedberg Blog

Track Training in Aigle Switzerland

2010-06-11T04:42:00.000-07:00

It has been too long since my last post and I apologize. If I remember right the last time I posted I was getting ready to travel to Switzerland for the first time. Since then I have raced twice in Switzerland at Pays de Vaud and in Germany at Trofeo Karlsberg. Both races were extremely difficult. I never had a great result for myself but our team rode awesome. Lawson Craddock proved he is still one of the best time trialists in the world by winning all three TT's and finishing second at Pays de Vaud and first at Trofeo Karlsberg. Ryan Eastman, Anders Newberr, Nate Geoffrion, and Kristo Jorgenson also rode amazing by controlling the race at the front and helping Lawson keep his lead.

For the past five days Lawson, Ryan, Nate, Kristo, and I traveled back to Aigle Switzerland to train on the UCI velodrome, focusing on team pursuit. For those who are not familiar with the team pursuit, it is a 4 kilometer team event consisting of 4 riders that starts from a standing start. The five of us have varying levels of experience on the track, so the first two days mainly consisted of exchanges, pacing, and riding tight. We have all greatly improved since the first day and are able to ride much more as a team. It is amazing what five days of practicing together can do.

Outside of the velodrome the six of us, including Ben Sharp, have ridden some killer roads. On Wednesday we rode up the mountains that line the valley to the resort town of Torgon. The climb was 13 kilometers of perfect pavement and gradient. I have never been on a road that was quite like this one. The road switched back and forth up the mountain with herds of cows (complete with cowbells), sheep, and vineyards on either side. However the best part was the view of the valley below. After 4000ft of climbing the world starts to get very small.

We have one more day of riding left before we pack up and leave for the U.S. If it works out it looks like we might ride along lake Geneva to Geneva, because that is where we are flying out of Sunday. I am looking forward to going back home, but I am going to miss Switzerland. They may have a lot of rules and high priced food, but where else can you wake up, look outside, and be surrounded by snow capped mountains. I will definitely have to return.

Making the Trip to Switzerland

2010-05-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been long and full of racing, so I apologize for not posting. We wrapped up Vlaamse Ardennen yesterday afternoon with another 75+ degree day, which is crazy here in Belgium. The heat played a factor so everyone was trying to get feeds as often as possible.

First off I finished 64th in the individual time trial which wasn't horrible but I would have liked to pulled out a better result. The course had two climbs, one towards the beginning and another during the last kilometer. I pushed it pretty hard the first few kilometers and paid for it later in the race. The third stage and second on the day was a 98 kilometer road race. It was a difficult course with narrow roads and two climbs. At the end of the race there was a breakaway off the front with around 15-20 guys and everyone else left in the main group. I haven't seen results but I think I finished in the mid 30's.

The last day of racing was a tough one. My legs were feeling the two previous days of racing and the course had a few different climbs. Halfway through the race I attacked with a group to bridge to the breakaway, although I bit off a little more than I could chew. I used up everything I had left in the tank and then went backwards. This wasn't my best day on the bike, but on to the next event.

Tomorrow morning we leave for Pays du Vaud in Switzerland! We are not coming back to the house in Izegem for the rest of the trip so I am packing all my stuff. The race should be a hard one but our team is strong. We are defending champs and are looking to hold the title. Here is the link if you want to take a look at the courses.

http://www.tpv.ch/2010/dossier_technique.pdf

It is hard to tell if I will have internet during the next few weeks but I will try to update as often as possible.

B Swed

Vlaamse Ardennen: Stage 1

2010-05-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Today I finally got a taste of European racing at Vlaamse Ardennen, which is a three day, four stage, stage race. The majority of the stages consist short circuits of about 10kilometers that are done ten or so times. The course today started in the town of Mikelbeke and automatically hit a 1.5 kilometer climb that took us to a plateau. At the top there was a long fast flat section that shot us into a screaming decent. From the bottom of the decent to the finish we weaved through narrow city streets with plenty of road furniture. For a better picture of the course you can take a look at the race booklet: http://uitslagen.kbwb-rlvb.com/index_bestanden/pdf/STERVLARDENNENInfo.pdf

Over here in Europe positioning is half the battle. If you get lazy and drift to the back of the peloton you may easily never see the front of the race again. In some cases you can even get shot out the back of the group and pulled by the commissaire, so from the beginning I made sure that I was towards the front. The first few laps I tried to stay protected and feel things out because I had no idea how my fitness was going to compare. Fortunately I felt strong and comfortable going up the climb.

A little ways past half way a large group of about 25 riders escaped up the road with Eamon Lucas from the USA. It was nice having him in the break because we didn't have to chase, however the situation changed. Eamon came back with a mechanical so we had to get on the front and try to close the 25 second gap. Paul Lynch and myself got on the front and were able to bring back about 15 seconds so Anders Newberry could bridge across. For the rest of the race I tried to play it safe and save some matches for the following races. Fortunately, in the last kilometer the two groups came back together and we all finished with the same time.

Tomorrow morning at 10:39 I start my 8kilometer time trial, so I will try to kill it!!!

Until tomorrow,

-B Swed

Ieper and Banana Bread

2010-05-21T02:45:00.000-07:00

I finally had a day that felt somewhat normal and jet lag free. This was the first night in months that I slept for over nine hours without waking up. I have forgotten how awesome it is to sleep that long. Anyways, after making one of the most beautiful omelets which was definitely Testy Sheff worthy (if you don't know what the Testy Sheff is I advise you make a trip to Maple Valley for breakfast) Eamon Lucas, Tanner Putt and I went for a ride. We had planned on riding to the town of Ieper that would give us a total ride time of two hours, but as usual we got a little lost.

Ieper really is an awesome city that is full of history. Yesterday after our ride I did some reading about it and learned that it is ancient. No joke, ancient. The town itself dates back to the first century B.C. and was constantly involved in war. During WWI it was completely leveled. Check it out.

Now it looks a bit different.

The rest of the day I laid low at the house. For the most part I put my legs up and watched the Giro. Unfortunately it is covered in Flemish or Dutch, so we usually just turn off the sound. Flemish is like nothing I have heard before. I try to listen to it and pick up words that may be similar to English or Spanish, but it really isn't worth it. For right now I am limited to ja, dank u, lynx, and rex (yes, thank you, left, and right).

At the end of the day I decided to make an American snack. There were some old bananas so I rode a town bike to the local grocery store and picked up some baking essentials for a loaf of good old fashion banana bread. Ryan Eastman and some of the other guys helped make it, and it came out tasting awesome! However, it was nothing compared to my mom's. I guess I still have some stuff to learn.

-B

Back to Izegem

2010-05-19T08:31:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to make it all the way to Brussels without any problems. My first flight to Amsterdam was actually pretty awesome. The seat next to me was empty so I was able to put all my junk to the side and have room to stretch my legs. Also, the in-flight entertainment was pretty legit. I almost finished four quality movies.

When I arrived at Brussels, Barney King (one of the directors) was there to take me back to Izegem. The traffic around here is always hectic and today it was no different.

The rest of my day has consisted of going out for a bite to eat, a ride around the Kortrijk area, and just trying to stay awake!!! It is important to not fall asleep your first few days because of the time change. By now I think that I am in the clear. Tomorrow it looks like we are going to have another chill day. Ride early on in the day, with a coffee stop, and then maybe a little food shopping at the local delhaize.

Off to Euroland

2010-05-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

Once again I am headed off to Europe for another round of racing with US developement team. Like last year I will be flying to Belgium where I will stay at the USA U23 house. It is located in a smaller town called Izegem. Unlike last year I am going to be doing far more road racing. My schedule consists of 3 stage races:

Vlaamse Ardennen in Belgium, May 22-24
Le Tour Du Pays de Vaud in Switzerland, May 27-30
Trofeo Karlsberg in Germany, June 3-6

If you want to look at the stage profiles and courses all you need to do is search the race, but good luck reading German, French, or Flemish.

My last week will also be spent in Switzerland doing some track type stuff. I am excited to spend a week there since my last trip was confined to the Belgium area.

Well, I am off to the airport now. I have a direct flight to Amsterdam (if Eyjafjallajokull doesn't screw things up again, which by the way I know how to pronounce) and then a short flight to Brussels Belgium.

I would like to thank all the guys who have helped me get the point I am today. Jim Brown, Chris Mcgovern, The Big Cat (Mike Smith), Jon Hernandez, Joe Holmes, Center Cycle, and all the guys with Rad Racing and Hagens Berman.

Racing Axel

2009-05-24T00:16:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to use a computer for a few days because of the race we are doing right now. The race is Driedaagse van Axel. It is a three day, four stage race which is in Holland and Belgium. The first day was an eye opener. The racing is very aggressive and fast. If you are not trying to move up in the field you are definitely going backwards. It makes any race I have done in the states look like a Sunday ride. There are a number of cobble stone sections which really take it out of you and hurt to crash on. On Friday I got dropped with about a lap and a half of the finishing circuits left. I found my self in a large group and we kept going hard until the finish. Things could have been better but it was my first road race in Europe.

Yesterday I had a short 7.9k time trial and another 100k plus road race. I had a decent time Trial finishing 61st out of 165. The course was very flat and had a number of tricky corners. Later on in the day we started the road race and encountered the first set of rain drops. Throughout the race the rain got harder until it was equal to Washington weather status. All four of us were able to stay close to the front most of the race except for a times. As we were coming out of a corner two people crashed in front of me, but I was able to jump over my bars and land on my feet and with a very smooth cyclocross mount I was back on my way. However within the last 3k I was not so lucky. On the wet cobble stones I was caught behind a big crash that probably involved almost twenty people. I hit the deck hard, but luckily I only cracked my helmet and messed up my bar tape. All I have to say is thank god for the Giro Helmet I had on.

Hot Laps on the Rumbeke Velodrome

2009-05-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

During the hours we have sitting around the house we tend to surf the web. Yesterday I was looking around and came across photos of an old track that is in Roeselare, a town only a few K away from Izegem. So Juan, Ian, Danny, and I took off today to find the track and hopefully ride it. We found the location but were sad to see construction blocking our way, but a construction worker welcomed us in to see the velodrome. The four of us went back and were amazed that it was still there. It was a 163m track with almost flat straits and very steep corners.

After taking some pictures I got bored and decided to do some laps, but they were very difficult because dirt, bushes, stumps, and broken stone were in our way. The track was built of large stone slabs so it was hard to ride. I have a video on my phone and I am trying to find a way to get it on the web.

The construction workers welcomed us inside their building and showed us their plans of rebuilding the track to what it used to be. Hopefully I will be able to come back and ride the new track.

A Little Scouting in Holland

2009-05-19T12:24:00.000-07:00

In preparation for the upcoming race this weekend, a group of us drove just across the boarder to Holland to ride some of the cobbled sections that will be on the course on Friday. It was my first real experience riding a legit cobbled road. Being a bigger guy I didn't find them to rattle me too bad, but I am sure they can get much worse.

The course on the first day is a sort of dumbbell shape. The first section is a loop starting in a small town which it eventually crosses back through, but supposedly the first 8k will determine the leaders for most of the race. This means complete cause. The other end of the dumbbell is the finishing circuit that has one fairly long sector of cobbles a couple of K before the finish. All of the roads are very narrow and have a ton of corners. The race will surely be an eye opening experience.

Back from Holland

2009-05-18T07:32:00.000-07:00

I was without internet for the past three days because I was out racing in Holland at the brand new track in Apeldoorn. We drove up to the track and were simply astonished by how amazing the facility was. Inside there is cafe and as you look to the left there was the 5000 seat velodrome and to the left there was a volleyball area. Also underneath the track there was a running track complete with a long jump pit.

We stayed at a vintage looking hotel near the velodrome Friday Night and were surprised to see an American Muscle car that the owner had bought on Ebay from Texas. He was super proud. After a nice breakfast we went to the track for the first day of racing. As a team we almost were in every single race with far less people than some of the other national teams (Dutch, Belgium, Great Britain, Czech, and US). My first race was the team sprint with Ian Moir and Juan Carmona. We did a time of 50 seconds which was only a second slower than the winning GB team. Then I did my first Kilo ever which was just as painful as I have heard. The first two laps were not terrible but then the third was really hard and on the fourth my legs came off! I have never experienced pain like that before. The last even I had for the day was the Keirin which was very different from the US. They were far faster than any keirin I have done in the United States, and I finished 6th.

On Sunday I woke up with really heavy legs and was never able to shake it, but I still went for it. I only had the sprints but doing all out efforts really take a toll. My 200 wasn't as good as I was hoping for, but I heard from a GB sprinter that his 200 time was much slower because of the track. I had a few good moves in the sprints but I just didn't have much and finished 7th.

Now I am just relaxing back in Izegem. I took the day off because my legs were feeling really heavy, but I did enjoy a nice ride to the square with Kit and Russel, who just arrived today, to have some coffee. Tomorrow the group of us who are racing Axel are going to preride the course to get a feel for how horrible the cobbles are.

Post later.

Easy Day in Belgium

2009-05-14T04:15:00.000-07:00

I just got done doing an easy hour ride with few other guys along the canals. We went rode past Kortrijk again but this time we didn't stop at the cafe to have a coffee or any food. We had heard that the weather was going to take a turn for the worst but luckily it has held off and is actually sunny in a few spots

Above is us riding along the canal on our way to Kortrijk.

I found another picture from two days ago when we went to the city of Ieper. It was an awesome place. As we rode into the city we went over a mote and through a gate onto brick roads.

Tielt and Star Trek

2009-05-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

Today Belgium finally showed a little of its true nature. After waking up early because of the passing cars, Juan Carmona, Ian Moir, and myself went out early to try to exchange money, but we quickly found out that Izegem stores have very strange and limited hours. Instead we opted to cruise the town a little bit on the town bikes. I am finally getting the hang of the town now. We rode back and had a quick team meeting before leaving for an easy two hour ride, but as we where leaving the Belgium skies decided to give us some rain. The rain jackets came out and we trekked on to the town of Tielt where we stopped and had a quick bite to eat. Then we rode back to Izegem and found that the rain had stopped, making for a pretty nice day.

Later on, almost the entire house left to the town of Roeselare to the movie theater for the first showing of Angels and Demons, but another rider and I, Charley, decided to see the new Star Trek movie which I have to say was awesome. Plenty of action and the best part was that it didn't involve a lot of thinking. As for the rest of the day, we just came back, had dinner, and are now hanging around watching TV.

As I am typing, this very instant, I just saw a black stripped cat walk into the middle of the street and face off a car! Luckily the car stopped, having to honk his horn for the cat to finally get the message. However I can't help but remember Eric Emsky mentioning a black cat in his latest trip to Belgium... must be the same one.

Flanders and Little Taste of Cobbles

2009-05-12T05:02:00.000-07:00

It is 2 o’clock and we just rolled in after a really awesome ride through Flanders. The group of fifteen of us started the ride, making our way out of Izegem and through a number of different little towns. All of them have really narrow streets, some of which are laid with bricks, and twist through houses, businesses, and churches. It is a whole new type of riding than back in the states. Instead of really wide roads they are very narrow one lane farm roads which have twists and turns everywhere. Usually back in the U.S. I am very good with a sense of direction, but here there are no mountains, sun, or other large land marks that I can get a sense of direction from.

Half way through the ride we found our way to the city Kemmel where the climb of the Kemmelberg is. The climb was fairly steep and cobbled so it wasn't easy, and finally when you catch your breath you had to go down the backside which was even steeper and cobbled. Next we rolled to a walled city which was amazing. Here is a picture of the city after we crossed inside with the main church directly ahead.

The rest of the ride was pretty calm; except for the ridiculous headwind that we had to battle all the way back to Izegem.

The Apeldoorn Velodrome

2009-05-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

Here is the velodrome I will be racing. It is a brand new 250m track, the same as L.A.

Sorry that it is in a different language but photos are photos.

http://www.baanwielrennen-adelaar.org/pagina/fotogalerij/

A Long Day of Traveling

2009-05-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

Early this morning (or I guess yesterday morning) I drove to SeaTac Airport for my first trip across the Atlantic to Europe. Everything went surprising well at check-in, despite the fact that I had two bike boxes, because now a day checking bikes can almost make anyone cringe. I arrived at D.C. with a few hour lay over, so I got a sandwich and sat by a group of very excited Flemish speaking people. Of course I couldn't understand a word they were saying but it was entertaining to listen to them.

Kit Karzen, one of the other juniors I will be racing and living with, waved me over to where he, Danny Heeley, and Ian Moir were sitting (all four of us will be racing the track in Apeldoorn Netherlands). We all talked for awhile until we were finally able to board, which seemed to take foreverrrr. The second flight seemed as if it would never end, considering I didn't sleep for more than a half an hour, but because of my inability to sleep I was able to enjoy some quality movies. Marley and Me, Yes Man, and oh yes... Mall Cop. After six hours of great movie entertainment we finally landed in Brussels where we met a few more people that would be staying in the house in Izigem.

Later, after an hour and a half drive, we arrived at the house and found it one hundred percent packed! We didn't even have rooms at first because the U23 riders were leaving for Luxemburg, so instead we built our bikes and went for an easy ride with a good sized group. We enjoyed the sun as we rode into Kortrijk were we all enjoyed coffee and pancakes. I chose the pancakes, or pannenkoekens in Flemish, with a little jam on top.

The rest of the day has been pretty chill. We have just hung out at the house and enjoyed calamari and chicken for dinner. I am super exhausted now from the past two days, so I will be going to bed very soon.

More updates tomorrow