January 22, 2008 – We caught up with Canadian cyclocross racers who spent some time in Europe over Christmas, as they got their feet wet on the racing scene in the global heart of the ‘cross discipline. Nathan Chown, Derrick St. John, Natasha Elliott, Kevin Hazzard, Vicki Thomas and Wendy Simms took part in an intense schedule of competition in Belgium and the Netherlands during the holidays, often doing back-to-back racing. The Canucks were based at the U.S. Cycling Centre in Hertsberge, Belgium. They shared their experiences with Pedal. This is Part 4 in a series of interviews.

Derrick St. John, 30, of Ontario raced for The Cyclery in 2007, but has signed with Jet Fuel for 2008. “I’m really excited about that, it’s a good crew. The guys called me a mercenary, ’cause last year I rode for a few different teams to be able to do all the big races, and when I raced in Ontario most of the time, I was a one-man show, so it’s nice to be part of a team again.” St. John is back in Ontario now, but he took the time to shed some light on racing in the Old Country before he returned home. Here is what he had to say.

What is it like, racing in a Euro field compared to a North American field?
Derrick St. John: From my experiences, I would say it’s not even comparable.

Is there something in particular about European courses that differs
from the average North American course?
DS: The ‘cross courses in Europe are much harder. The Euros are really into sand and mud. The World Cup in Hofstade had so much sand, more than all the North American courses this year combined. It’s definitely more challenging, but in principal, if you are skilled and have good legs, you could ride it. If you make a mistake at the beginning of the sand you pay for it. Because the sand sections are so much shorter in North America, if you make a mistake it’s not that bad and a lot of people can get away with mediocre sand riding skills. I would say it is imperative that one can ride the sand well here.

I definitely see a need for more challenging courses in North America if we ever hope to equal the Europeans in ‘cross. So far we’ve seen two sets of barriers this whole trip. The courses here are designed with Mother Nature creating the obstacles and finding creative ways to including massive challenges in the course. For instance, the Zeddam (Netherlands) course had a set of stairs that was probably about 100 stairs, multiply that by 10 laps and you have a pretty taxing course.

They [Europeans] also have a lot more financial infrastructure that allows them to have a few giant TV screens dispersed throughout the courses. The bigger races have more of an atmosphere of a Stanley Cup mixed with a Rolling Stones concert. I’m surprised they haven’t got into lighting off fireworks yet.

What did you think of the World Cup in Hofstade, Belgium?
DS: The World Cup was definitely really cool. The crowds were nuts, they estimated over 20,000, most drinking massive amounts of beer and liquor. But you have to have some pretty thick skin to race here. If you’re good they love you, if you bobble they’ll laugh at you, tell you ‘you suck’ and make fun of you. I was in the sixth or seventh row for call up and made a few critical mistakes the first lap, and I think I was actually last for a while, so I got it pretty bad. But you just have to stay focused and try to use the energy positively.

What has stuck with you the most about racing in Europe?
DS: I’ll always remember the rollercoaster of emotions I felt directly after the World Cup. At first, I felt an all-time down. It was a bitter pill to swallow to finish 47th. Once I actually took a couple minutes to let it sink in and got changed, we went over to get the start money. The top 50 men got start money, so as per my ranking I earned 300 Euros [450 CDN] just to start the race. That is the moment where the experience really hit me, that I really understood the gravity of the whole experience.

Not only did it totally make up for having a less than great race, but it made me realize that I still had a place in the big scheme of things. It made me realize that it is okay to come over here and get beat in such a clear and decisive manner. These guys and girls are the best in the world, this is what they live for.

There is a reason that all these superstars have their faces plastered over vans, t-shirts, mugs and Buffs. I have been dreaming of coming over here, to experience this other world of racing for a long time, so anything less than a blowout would have actually been disappointing. I wanted it to be hard; if I wanted it to be easy I would have just stayed home and raced the Ottawa series. I was looking for a challenge, and it did not let me down. It may seem like kind of bizarre thing to say, but it’s the experiences like this that show you how much potential we really have, how much is just waiting to be tapped into. It gives you a reality check and makes you want to push yourself, to be better and not be content with being mediocre.

Do you believe that if a rider wants to race at the world level, he
or she has to race in Europe?
DS: Absolutely. There is no doubt in my mind that you have to race here [in Europe] to be the best. There are so many differences in the way that racing happens over here. It is not about the social scene like at home. These guys don’t really stand around after the race and chat. It’s warm clothes, recover, and get out. They treat it more like a job they have to do. If they don’t get it done, there are a thousand guys willing to take their place and get it done. The Belgian logic rules here. Before I came, I did not understand what it took. I’m not saying that spending a few weeks here has given me complete understanding, but it has definitely been the most valuable experience I have ever had. North Americans could really learn a lot from taking certain European attitudes to all aspects of racing.

I’m not saying that the European way is better, it’s just more efficient when we are talking about performance-based elite-level racing. Local scenes are the roots of racing here in Canada and it’s by this fun type of atmosphere that people begin to get involved in the sport. I don’t necessarily think that everyone should be warming up on trainers at the local races and chopping club riders in the first few hundred meters to get a spot. It’s that fun loving “it’s just cross” attitude that draws men and women to the sport and can actually attract people from other sports into cycling. It’s supposed to be about having fun and the love of the sport.

Unfortunately, you have to be a little bit of a robot if you want to be on the same level as the European pros. I guess the fun part for these guys is training like animals, working really hard, being ridiculously strong and then proving it in front of 20,000 screaming fans, television cameras and feeling like a total rock star.

Did you develop a love of any particular Belgian treats?
DS: I stayed away from the beer, but all the stories about chocolates, pastries and frites are true. Mayonnaise on fries is so good when it’s done right. I am not routinely a big fan of bakeries, but I can tell you that we have made a few trips since we have been here. The yogurt is also better tasting. None of this low fat stuff, full fat tastes so much better. But I would have to say I had the best caramel waffle in Brugge yesterday on our one day of doing real people, non-bike racing stuff.

What was Christmas like over there?
DS: There is way less commercialism here around Christmas; it was a day like any other. We had some great Christmas burritos made by Wendy [Simms] and Barb [Howe], Christmas cake made by Natasha’s [Elliott’s ] mom, and I made some rice.

Do you think it was a good idea, doing many races in such a short time?
DS: So I ended up doing six races in nine days. In retrospect, doing three races consecutively definitely affected my performance three days later at the World Cup. We will organize next year’s calendar differently. [In Canada] We are so used to having to travel eight hours to a UCI cross race, that we were like kids in a candy store and just pigged out on racing as soon as we got there. Our experiences could have been better had we been more patient and been fresh at the World Cup.

What were your goals when you set out on this European ‘cross racing
adventure? Did you reach them?
DS: Since it was the first time we had been to Europe, it was hard to set too many goals. It was more about coming for the experience and learning what will be needed for next year’s preparation. In a perfect world, I would have had a good race at the World Cup, but finishing on the same lap as the leaders is a pretty lofty endeavour.

I did, however, come close to achieving a secondary objective, which was to do a somewhat “smaller” race and get a decent result. This would have been the Noordzee Cross race, the last race I did. I was having one of my better days on the bike and I flatted about 43 minutes into the race. Of course, this was the only race I didn’t have a spare bike and didn’t put any wheels in the pit. I couldn’t finish the race, but definitely feel like this would have given me the result I was looking for. So I was pretty happy that it was more a lack of planning than a lack of ability on that day.

What is the biggest lesson you learned in Europe?
DS: It has shown me North Americans begin their trip over here with so many disadvantages. For many, they do not speak the language, the surroundings are unknown, there is a fear of the unfamiliar, and the daily routines of home seem so much more complex. In addition, it takes at least a week to get over the jet lag. Add to that, we are limited in the amount and quality of equipment and support we are able to bring with us. It becomes pretty obvious that we are clearly at a disadvantage even before we get the call up to the line.

I think if North Americans become consciously aware of all the factors that pre-dispose them to lesser results in Europe, we can compete at the same level as them.

It can be a great experience for a rider to go over to Europe when the time in his or her career is right. But as with life, it’s all about timing.

Thanks for your insight and good luck in 2008.
DS: Thanks.