Leaving It All Out On The Course

Opening weekend of the road season in Belgium, for many the real start of the season (forget the Majorca, Qatar, and even Besseges races). Yesterday (Omloop Het Nieuwsblad) was fine and nice to look at, but today's Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne was something else. Brutally harsh weather with rain and wind all day. If you weren't able to watch it on Flemish tv, you can read up on it, for example here. You can also watch some clips, if they play where you are. The thing I wanted to highlight is the way two of the three breakaway riders looked and sounded after the race. Winner Bobbie Traksel seemed fine. But he had won, and he really was the strongest of the day. But Rabo's Rick Flens, second, and especially Brit Ian Stannard just looked terrible in the post race interviews, to the point where you had to worry about their long-term well-being. If the clip connected to Stannard's name plays (look for "Reactie Stannard" on the left-hand side here), you may get some idea. He's barely able to talk, looking almost desperate from the cold. Afterwards, I watched him on the podium. He had to go out first, having finished third, and he looked absolutely miserable. He tried to acknowledge the crowd and the well-wishers, but he wasn't really there. And this after having fought valiantly during the race, having done his share at the front and also having attacked several times in the finale. He really did leave it all out on those miserable, wet and windy Flemish roads today.