The tension mounts...

Saturday is the first big day of my 2008 cycling season. The Ronde van Vlaanderen may not be a race, but the distance and the nature of the cyclotour at this early part of the year make it a genuine challenge. I only realised last week again in the E3 tour how hard riding in Flanders can be. This weekend will be the 10th time I participate in the cyclotour, but the first time I am aiming for the entire route of 260 km, from Bruges to Meerbeke. 260 km: that's a distance I seldom ride, and if, only in summer when in best-shape. Now it's the first weekend of April, and weather conditions have not allowed for extensive training recently. The plan will be simple: take it easy. I cannot afford to be 'shot' already on the Koppenberg, because then the Tour of Flanders becomes hell. The weather forecast is cold and windy, but with a bit of luck we won't get too wet.