“Hello online readers, welcome to the first in a series of blogs written by top professional and all round great bloke Daniel Lloyd of Cervelo Test Team. Being so famous, he will need no introduction, so just sit back, relax, and marvel that his immense talents extend beyond cycling and also into writing.”
OK, OK, so I wrote my own introduction! I thought it would be better that way, as I am always a little afraid of what others may write about me, especially if they have never even heard of me in the first place. I have probably already come across as arrogant, but hopefully my sarcastic tone was recognised. It is something you may have to get used to, since despite being widely recognised as the lowest form of humour, it is the only one that I know.
As I write this, it is the eve of Dwaars Door Vlaanderen, the first of a series of cobbled classics in the spring, followed this coming weekend by E3 Prijs, Gent Wevelgem, and culminating with the one day monuments of the Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix.
It is a very exciting period of the year, the teams and riders have done their warm weather training camps at the start of the year, two or three stage races through February and March, and are now arriving here in peak condition, ready for the most demanding one day races of the season.
These are the races which get my heart beating faster, the adrenaline pumping, and they are a huge goal for Cervelo as a team. Unfortunately, with Heinrich Haussler having a knee injury, we are lacking one of our team spearheads (Thor Hushovd being the other), but with riders like Andreas Klier, Roger Hammond, Jeremy Hunt and Brett Lancaster, we still have plenty of experience and horse power.
The build up in Belgium only adds to the prestige and atmosphere at these races, with nightly TV programs looking back through their history, and others looking forward trying to predict the results. There are TV Interviews with riders, mainly playing mind games with each other, front page newspaper headlines, and thousands of fans pouring in from all over the world to spectate and sometimes participate in the Flanders Sportif.
Tomorrow is the first of the ‘mini Flanders’ (at ‘only’ 204km!), and the first insight as to who is coming into top condition. We get to practice the intense fighting for position, the cobbles, the short sharp climbs and endless corners. This is also a period where we, as a team, get to test new equipment, tweak bike set up and spend some time with our sponsors, one of the perks of being a pro.
I, for one, if you couldn’t tell already, am really looking forward to it. I’ll check back in with you again before Flanders and let you know how it’s all going.
Ed.’s note: Dan finished 14th, one place behind team-mate Roger Hammond, in Dwaars Door Vlaanderen, held on 24th March
