The road to recovery
I started this journey without any stamina or strength due to a hip fracture and was doubting myself if I could finish this journey. My first medical test at Pulso-Preventielab also confirmed my doubt, however, my trainer convinced me that with the right training I would be able to recover and finish.
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And so it began.
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After a couple of months of training, solo or together with my training partner (Olivier Loosvelt), I felt stronger and better on my bike. This was shown through speed, higher wattages, longer rides, lower heart rates, lower fatigue, …
My next medical test at Pulso-Preventielab showed a big increase in, well basically everything. At that point I able to complete this journey with little difficulty, however, the right training was still necessary.
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My trainer convinced me
that with the right training
I would be able to recover
and finish.
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The final stretch
After six months of training and battling snow, rain, wind, and enjoying the sun, we started our four-day journey throughout Belgium and conquered 635 kilometers.
Day 1 – Diegem to Hasselt
We started our first day with an easy ride from Diegem to Hasselt. A ride of about 91km and a moving time of 3 hours and 45 minutes.
This ride was a good start for everyone. We were able to get to know each other and adapt to riding in a group.
Day 2 – Hasselt to Gosselies
Day 2 was cold, gray sky and some rain. Too bad, since we were in the HARDennes, which is a nice place to cycle with a blue sky. Anyway, we moved from Hasselt to Gosselies with a stop in the Liège office.
A journey of 175km and a moving time of 6 hours and 38 minutes. This journey allowed some of us to climb the Wall of Huy. This was an opportunity I could not resist.
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Day 3 – Gosselies to Bruges
As from day three we were really lucky with the weather. Bright sky, nice temperatures, and very nice roads from Gosselies to Bruges. We were almost halfway through our 4-day journey and conquered 201km with a moving time of 7 hours 23 minutes.
This was my first time cycling 200 kilometers with my bike, and I had a blast doing it with this group!
Day 4 – Bruges to Diegem
Here we were, the actual final stretch of the EY Cycling Tour. One last time, going from Bruges via Ghent to Antwerp and back to Diegem. A journey of 169km and a moving time of 6 hours 33 minutes.
Overall I had a great time getting to know colleagues I would never hear of nor communicated with. After four days of spending on our bikes, we all made it to the Diegem office with great pleasure.
As a final word, I would like to thank the organizers and the complete team with who I spent four days for the great experience and care!
Greetings,