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Corey Coogan-Cisek is racing her 15th cyclocross season as an elite rider. A native of Minnesota, she spends a sixth winter based in Europe. Headed to Superprestige Jaarmarktcross in Niel, she shares the discoveries she has made, both the pros and cons, of being a Belgium-based North American cyclocrosser.
To succeed in Belgium, you need superior fitness, exceptional handling skills, and stubborn determination, right?! Absolutely.
You need all those things. And those things alone will carry you through a short trip here. But living here for a duration? Well, that’s when off-the-bike factors come into play.
There are periods of time here when it’s just me, the dog, and occasionally my mechanic in the house. That was most of January last year: the silence of rural Flanders.
I used to get more invites. I used to spend a fair bit of time with Belgian friends and their families, but COVID put a big damper on that! However, even during non-COVID times, my friends do have typical Monday-to-Friday jobs. (I own a coaching business, so I am remote and work non-conventional hours.) Sure, if you live in a cycling house, there are busy times (Kerstperiode), but if you are here for the duration…there are going to be SLOW weeks.
Kerstperiode is my least favourite time – so many people! Did I mention that I am an introvert?
Outside of Kerstperiode, this place isn’t conducive to extraversion. There are hours and days when it’s just me and my own brain.
Welcome to Belgium
I travel here with two bike bags, one bag of wheels, a backpack, and a commuter carry-on. At the Brussels airport, the journey from baggage pickup to the parking lot where my mechanic retrieves me is fraught with obstacles.
This year, I took “the off-camber” walkway a bit too hot, and all my bags went flying off the cart. Later, some “road furniture” made the walkway too narrow for my bike bag-laden cart. My only option was to portage my bags through one at a time.
Welcome to Belgium! I was, literally, a hot mess.
That’s the sort of thing I used to be very sensitive to: drawing attention to myself.
Yet, here, days are fraught with potential embarrassments. Pay with Visa at the grocery store?…
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