Home Base....

Roadside view driving back from Queenstown

Lamberts reserve Slade Point Mackay Australia

 Hi Everybody,

Well here it goes, it has been an interesting time the past few months as didn't really finish off the season in europe that well but did managed to scrape a few minnor placings in the last few races.

Kayaking Hideaway Bay Australia

Coastal walkway Bluff

 So to be totally honest was a year written off to carcater building just nothing seemed to swing my way and far off hitting a home run. Atleast that was end of that part and so after the last race had a very long journey on the way back to NZ swung past Mackay to pop in and see what my parents new enviroment was like, can say one thing the weather was amazing for my stint there and really enjoyed just chilling out before getting back to NZ where started training leading into the tour of Southland which was a very action packed week and got plenty done
So that brings me back down to Invercargill arriving in plenty of time for the tour. Got there a week before to meet up with the team and friends, was riding in the Share the Road team (Same as last year) which has bigger role of premoting road safety in schools. So got plenty schools active in various competitions and making them more aware about the Share the Road message.

After competing in 5 tours already knew what I was getting myself in for but definately was a more placid tour conditions for the week bar the last day where it was a more typical tour day.

Coastal west side of Bluff

So the tour team time trial all went to plan riding to end up finish 7th team so we were all happy to get the tour under way then the 2nd day also went to plan for share the road managing to get 2 riders in the break and securing a significant amount of points for the sprint ace jersey so that put focus on the rest of the week securing the Green jersey with Sam Witmitz. Now here is where my tour turn to custard after getting 3 of our riders in the break including Sam was cruising in the peleton when the was a big crash right near the front of the bunch 5th rider in fact, which yes unfortunately was 6th rider and hit the deck pretty hard grating myself up quite nicely and having 30 odd rider's plough into me, so took me awhile to get back on the bike but did manage to get back on the bike and finish the stage then go to hospital to get all checked out.

Queenstown

Starting the next stages were a bit harder especially for the motivation crashing was all I needed after having 3weeks off I thought, so got out early in the morning to loosen up my wounds.
Which worked a treat as wasn't so stiff come the stage start, so we started with goals for the day to secure the green jersey first and for most and go for stage wins if possible for the rest of the tour. We went close led Sam out to get 2nd in Te Anau and all the rest of the tour just seamed to fly by was a great week with all the team and all our riders managing to finish which was lucky in that respect. 
So instead of doing the usual and flying out straight after the tour decided to stay a few extra days and enjoy some awesome weather and company getting up to Queenstown to see my sister do a tandem bungy and exploring what Stuart Islands nature has on offer, which is a very special peaceful place to get away to definately will be going back when I get a chance.
 Anyway thats enough for now.


God Bless. 
Chris

   

Slade Point

Life goes on....

2nd place Van Wolder Hill Crit

Marco Polo Team at cafe in Maastrict

Roermond Munster Plien/Kerk

Enjoyable birthday ride

Pleasant Surprise on Birthday

Enjoying the finest scenary Limburg has on offer

Hi Everyone once again have had a struggle to wrrite a blog as not much good has happened just my string of bad luck this season continues.

Well taking off from my 2nd place in Germany managed to pick up another 2nd place in a hill crit in Maastrict which was about a good as it got cause unfortunately after that was pretty much all down hill having my first crash in Harlue when some took out my front wheel at 60kph and put a nice big graze on my but.

So spent a we while recoverering had an enjoyable birthday ride with Tom David and got a nice we surprise when I came back home had a little birthday party with most of the people in the hostel.

So got over that crash but then had a little bingle landing on top of someone at Haven Pihl so luckily I only ended up with a little graze on my left elbow and was lucky enough that I could get back in the race and finish. After recovering from that crash had another one Huesden but this one was a bit worse was so lucky to walk out of this one some clipped my front wheel and took me into the bariers at 50kph and my left leg got stuck in it



















while some people ploughed into the back of me and that night stuggled to walk but managed to get back on the bike 2 days later and had to just build back into it, struggled cause of the swelling around the knee but seams to be healing up well enough and hope to have a better end to the season in September as have lots of racing coming up, GOD willing, be able to get some results.


Atleast you can see in amongst all this life goes on and have been able to enjoy riding my bike which is the main thing.

God Bless

Chris

A Blog from the soul......

Loving mid ride coffee stop in Eifel Park

Hi Everyone,

Here's something a bit different, have been waiting for something good to happen plently of not so good things have happened but not worth wasting anytime writing about it, so have had lots of time to think deeply and here's what I came up with....

Firstly the title, I was swaying between a blog from the soul or a blog from the heart but think it's more from the soul as not usually into writing but will let you decide on that one.

Lovely job of cleaning getting ready to race.

Man where do I start the last few month's have been tough to say the least, not much racing compared with last year what I got use to so was a bit of a shock almost,
so basically spent a whole lot of time training to prepare for a tour but to find it's not happening was a bit of a blow thinking all the hours of training and preparation that I had been through all for nothing it just left a big emptiness never really felt like this before, so I just took some time off to get myself back into a routine again but oh man after that rest felt like rubish even more so.

Over looking Maastrict

So this is where it all change's just like a flick of a switch I wake up in the morning a new person a new mindset, so what's a better way to start the day than taking on board a few scriptures, starting off with the Lord's prayer in particular "not my will be done but yours Lord", so the next few days just went out and rode my bike, just to take in every breath and enjoy it to the fullest even though the weather wasn't the best but without rain the world wouldn't survive a definately wouldn't look as green.

Rurburg Eifel Park Germany

So continued on my mary way and started to feel alot better knowing that the training I have done wasn't a waste of time and that it will put me in a good situation for the up and coming part of a season but if everything was to go right all the time life would be to easy. Just got to make the best of bad situations, which brings out the true caracteristic's in you.

As for the last few races after a string of DNF's,  finished 14th in the Pro Kermesse at Ruddervoorde and 2nd in a hilly circuit race in Germany which was nice to finally get on the podium this year.

Podium Germany

So that leads me to leave you with my new favourite scripture,

Psalm 150vs6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!!!

Amen, that's right just got to use every breath God has given you to the fullest which I am going to try do to the best of my abilities and just see what happens.

God Bless

Take care till next time.

Chris Macic

The joys of cycling....

Bedersdorf Germany wheelie time with nice scenary

Howdy,

Riding with the Ethiopians on Marco Polo near Spa Belgium

As for me it been a little bit of a bumpy patch recently have been clocking up alot of milelage in amongst the racing.  First of had a little crit in Lexmond which was a on a small circuit 1.2k which was a triangle circuit, had a solid race finishing 7th as well as taking alot of sprint prizes along the way. After a good block of training got to watch some of the classics live Amstel Gold watched on the camerig and then another at the bottom Mur de Huy.

Clouds in some awesome weather in  the Ardennes

The next trip up was up to the North of the Netherlands with a couple of races Arno Wallard and Noord Holland both of these were around 200k which didn't end up so well as wasn't able to finish off as was in the right moves but first day ran out of energy and bonked with 1lap to go then the following day made the break and was up the rode for 160k before running out of legs probably from the efforts the day before but would of finished but they decided to pull everyone out of the race ended up 22 finishers but had to ride back to the finish anyway clocking up the same distance as well so was so happy about that.

Alem Abebe 4th place in Bedersdorf

The following week was time to visit the dentist again this time needed some fillings which wasn't so pleasent but got them all done without anesthetic which made them took a little longer but was worth it not having the after effects of it once it wheres off it only felt like a pain you get when you get a brain freeze.

So had a few rest days then had some good easy rides in the hills before head to a hilly 14k circuit race with a 3k climb in Bedersdorf Germany which was an awesome day in amongst the bad weather.

La Gillipie the other side of the lion

So after the first time over the climb the race halfed in sized and settled down into a better rythm anyway a break of 10 split over the top and non the Ethiopians managed to be in it so went to the front and rode and minimise the gap down to a handful of seconds at the bottom of the climb where I blew to pieces at the bottom of the climb setting up Alem to ride across and ended up finishing 4th which was an awesome result for him and a great team effort. So I had enough time to get a very picturious wheelie on the hill. 

Dam where the lion is.

Following day took it easy just going for a lite spin down to Maastrict and back then the following day had a race in Hoboken, which was a 20 circuit with alot of corners had a solid race but couldn't quite finish it off once again finishing in the bunch.

Then this last weekend had Ronde Van Overisjel and Kempen both race weren't either that special

not managing finish at Overisjel due to a puncture at a very untimely puncture then at Kempen didn't managed get a good result there just finishing in the bunch again.

So hope you enjoy the pictures as I have certainly been enjoying riding but just waiting for a win to

come my way.

God Bless till next time

Chris

Building Blocks....

Eifel Park looking across lake to Rurberg

Hi Everyone,

Well have been clocking up a few k's as had a fine spell of weather here, as for the races have been slowly building up the form.

First of all from the last post had that race Het Waasland which didn't end up going so well for me, started off the day with a couple big laps around Lokeren before heading to the finishing circuit in Stekene doing 3 laps, had bad positioning coming into the finishing laps and ended up missing the main split, leaving me to try ride across which was not going to happen today so was race over.

Spent the next two weeks enjoying myself exploring the Ardennes which was very plesant getting in some quality climbing.

So after that disapointing race had a slightly better day in Germany racing Koln-Schuld-Frechen
after a fast start to the race was really active in the front of the bunch it settled down as we started climbing in the hills of the Eifel park, coming up to the 100k mark of the race the situtation was there was a small break of 5 or so up the road and the main peleton dwindling down as the hills got the better of them, then there was a split one of the last decent climbs leaving 30 in the front with another 20 getting back on with me been the only one in the front group from my team still just had to stay near the front and out of trouble as the break got brought back with 30k remaining then was really controlled so decided to wait for a sprint but that didn't work to my favour as ended up boxed out sitting in about 10th place with just over 1k to go then had to go round a left hand corner really wide cause of where i was sitting ended up on the foot path and before I knew it there was tape for the finish so had to duck under that and roll in with the back of the bunch, so was could to finish with the lead group but unlucky that happened.
Now the next race GP Cerami is one of the bigger races that are team starts so had a decent field of Pro tour and pro conti teams starting, So the race left out of Saint Ghislain down in the Wallonie region of Belgium doing a big lap the three 25k local laps around Frameries
so after attacking quite a few times in the first hour and been in a couple of breaks that looked promising a break a 4 man break was established on the first steep short climb of the day unfortunately was not in it so had a easy ride in the bunch to the finishing circuits, so moved up after riding around the lap the first time got the picture why the pace was so high cause of this narrow and steep cobbled street which was absolute caose having to nearly stop leading into it which definately put a nice burn in the legs. So the last lap was still in the front but didn't have good position leading into the last climb up to the finish line so finished just off the back of the lead group. So was pretty happy to have a solid race there.

Had a few more easy days then had my latest race Het Hageland which was Based out of Aarshot in Belgium. It was a big lap of 90k followed by six finishing circuits of 14k so went and raced the whole race really aggressively but with no one willing to work with me didn't end up getting across to the lead of 8 so ended up finishing in the main peleton.

Photo's
Top right Oud Valkenburg Castle
Top left Mastrict Square Vrijthof
Bottom right Lyon at La Gillipie in close
Eifel Park here
So had an awesome last month of racing and training and really enjoying myself while building into the season quite nicely.
Bring on some more racing!!!

God Bless
Take Care till next time.

Chris

Back in Europe

Brrrr!!! Ready for first race of the season with Marco Polo-Donckers Koffie at Wanzele.

Hi Everybody,

Well back in europe already, man that time in NZ went fast and really enjoyed myself big thanks to the Caudwells.
Am now currently based with Marco Polo-Donckers Koffie continental cycling team and am staying in Geleen, Holland.
Which is about 15k's away from Valkenburg where the worldchamps are later this year.

As for the first 3 weeks here have been enjoying myself in the miserable weather by riding lots, even got some rides in the Ardennes done, where I was based as a Junior in 2006 so that makes getting use to the roads much easier when I go on longer rides.

As for the racing have my 2nd race tommorrow Omloop het Waasland Uci 1.2 race which should be interesting to see how that pans out and as for my first race in Wanzele on Wednesday finished 15th but was far from the most pleasant race conditions and having a slight mechanical due to the grit couldn't complain to much getting that one done and dusted was a good thing to get the season moving.

Hope you enjoy the pics below.


Barrage de la Gileppe Dam wall with lion monument on top on the way to Jalhay in the Ardennes.

Picture of down of a little statue just down the street here in Geleen.

Remouchamps looking up river to the bridges.









La Redoute just had to ride this little hill.




Last but not least the Saturday morning markets in the local square in Geleen.

God Bless

Take care till next time.