In Belgium, a CRCA junior tests his legs
WEI CHEN is an 18-year-old rider with the CRCA/Junior Development cycling team in New York City. In just his first year racing bikes, he’s earned some solid results, including a number of top 10s and a win at the challenging climber’s favorite the Tour of High Bridge. Earlier this summer, Chen got an invitation to race in Belgium. I caught up with him this week to talk about his first time racing abroad.
Daniel McMahon: How did you get the chance to go race in Europe anyway? When did you go?
Wei Chen: I was given the opportunity to race in Belgium a week after doing the Tour de l’Abitibi in Canada. I was told a team based out of Austin, Texas—Team Hotel San Jose—was sending a squad over to Belgium, and I was offered a spot on the team. I left on the 14th of August and came back the 25th.
DM: Had you ever raced outside the US before?
WC: No, and this is my first year racing.
DM: Where were you based?
WC: Oudenaarde, which is in east Flanders, 10 kilometers from the Koppenburg.
DM: How many races did you do?
WC: I raced three kermesses.
DM: How did the races go?
WC: The first race, I finished with the peloton. I believe there was a 20-second split from the break and the peloton that day. The second race, I had to pull out after some bad luck came my way. I was feeling extremely well that day; my teammate and I were being aggressive and mixing it up with the Belgians. We were actually in a break for a couple of kilometers, until something got stuck onto my tires and went under my fork, forcing me to get off the bike and fix the problem. But by the time I fixed the issue, the field was too far ahead.
The third day, I was hungry to race after my mishap. I knew the race was going to be hard because of the windy conditions that day, and there was a section of cobbles that I will never forget. It was a 17-lap 5-kilometer kermesse. I placed 24th that day, earning me 5 euros—the highlight of my trip! [Laughs]
DM: How many riders lined up for these races?
WC: The races had 100-plus 17- and 18-year-old juniors.
DM: How would you compare the races there with ones you’ve done here?
WC: The only similarity I can probably make about Belgium racing and US racing is that Belgium kermesses feel like a long, long, long, long criterium that never seems to end. The racing there is completely different to anything I’ve done Stateside. In the US, there is a conservative approach, that we all want to save our energy and stay out of the wind because “There’s going to be a decisive move.” But in Belgium there’s none of that. It’s always GO, GO, GO. Right from the start to the finish, regardless if you’re racing to 30th place or not; they will put you through hell.
The racing is extremely aggressive, and there is rarely ever a sprint finish in kermesses because the field is so split apart from all the attacks. From the start there will be guys that attack and attack until there is a break, then the peloton chases. If the peloton can’t chase them down, the peloton attacks one another to create another break. This continues until the field is completely diminished. Put it this way: I was told this year that out of 240 racers, only two guys finished, reason being that the race officials have a rule that the leading break and the back of the field have to be within a 5-minute gap. If they’re not, then they are pulled out of the race.
DM: What was the hardest thing about the races?
WC: The narrow roads! No wider than the West Side bike path. It’s fun, though.
DM: Did you feel like an outsider in those Belgian races?
WC: Well, I always feel like an outsider, to be honest! [Laughs] I’m Asian—not many Asians in this sport. So yes, especially in Belgium. I must have been the only Asian within a 100-mile radius.
DM: What was the most memorable moment?
WC: When I won 5 euros—obviously! There was also a kid in that race who was encouraging me. He said “Good job, American!” in a Euro accent. We’re actually Facebook friends now, go figure.
DM: Although you were not gone for that long, what did you learn?
WC: I feel my experience racing in Belgium taught me how to become more tactical as far as when to burn a match and when not to. The Belgians will use you and spit you out of the peloton, even if you’re in a break with them. You have to have a take a “no-BS attitude.” I also feel like I can be more aggressive now in a peloton. Because of the aggressiveness of Belgium racing, there is a lot of bumping and shoving in the races there. It’s something you have to deal with, and if you can’t, then I suggest you don’t fly over to Belgium and waste your money.
DM: What was it like coming back to racing in NYC after Belgium?
WC: When I came back there was a CRCA club race. I was quite excited to race again here, even though I missed Belgium. It felt really different. There’s a constant pace in races, a couple of bursts here and there, but nothing like Belgium. To be honest, I did have expectations of doing well that day, but because the airport lost my bike box I couldn’t ride or train on my bike for three days, and that wrecked my whole training schedule. So the intensity went way down for several days after Belgium, and that messed me up real good.
DM: How was life in Belgium off the bike?
WC: AMAZING! In my free time I would usually go hop on the town bike and cruise around. There were many cafes, one that had an amazing cappuccino. There was also a bike museum there as well. It had Eddy Merckx’s winning bikes and many other legends’ bikes. The tour guide was actually Freddy Maertens.
DM: What was your experience like mixing with Belgians?
WC: I felt welcome everywhere in Belgium, and they seemed to accept me. But I did get the occasional stare, primarily because maybe I’m not Belgian or European.
DM: What surprised you?
WC: The cycling stuff there is so cheap compared to the US. I got two racing tires that would cost $140 here, and 10 tubes, which would cost roughly $30 here, for a total of $110 USD. It’s amazing.
DM: Will you go back?
WC: Definitely. I’m planning to go back next March or April and spend the entire summer there. I might even buy a house out there one day. I love it there. Everything there seems to be just that much better than the US. The lifestyle is so much more relaxed and not so stressful.
DM: Belgium is the world capital of cyclocross. So are you going to race CX now?
WC: I am planning to race cyclocross this season. At the moment I’m looking for a frameset to buy.
DM: I haven’t even asked you about the food yet. Well?
WC: During my stay I ate what the team director cooked. It was usually carbs, meats and vegetables. I believe he used to own a restaurant. I had a chance to eat at a Belgian restaurant after my first race. We were all tired and in need of food, so we all went and sat down in the restaurant and ordered pizza. Yes, pizza. The waiter must have been thinking, “Damn Americans! Always eating pizza! Stupid, stupid Americans!” [Laughs]
DM: Thanks, and best of luck with the rest of the season—and cyclocross!
WC: Yeah, thanks.
