De Gouden Flandrien

Can you wear a special jersey if you didn't earn it? The debate is a lively one, for those of us not fast enough to earn rainbow stripes or the leader's color is it OK to pull one on? And for those of us who dream is there a chance to earn such a cherished piece of fabric?

In my favorite part of the world there is the chance to earn such a jersey. The task is simple-three loops, 250km. Finish in less than 15 hours. I've ridden each loop on it's own and many combinations of all them. But to tackle them in one day is an undertaking. The day stays busy--eating and drinking along with keeping a watch for the route arrows. Up and down, over 25km of kasseien, 25 named hills and many more rises without fanfare. I didn't spend much time in a group, after the first hour nearly everyone is on a solo journey for the day. The head doesn't fill with great thoughts after a few hours, you're numb to the physical requirements. In the last hour you look for the familiar sights to know the journey is nearly done, a few kilometers left and whatever is left in the tank can be spent.

At the finish the mind comes back. What took ten hours is a blur of a few minutes; seeing the special people waiting at the finish, having a photo taken to show the day happened. Fatigue prevents the moment from sinking in.

Tomorrow I can pull on the jersey. It was earned. (top photo by CRVV)