With a lot planned for today we were up early and on the bike by 8am so we could be back in time to meet the former professional and Director Sportif of the Belgian team "APK-Quality"; Davy Daniels. We decided that Matt and I would ride to Diest to see Michael while Glenn and Brad would do a different loop and stop by Tim's in Dessel. While visiting Michael in the bike shop (and avoiding the rain) the plans changed and it was decided that we would instead meet Davy at the shop in a few hours time. This wasn't ideal but time has managed to get away from us as we still have so much left to do with only a few days remaining. We made the most of the new circumstances with Matt and I staying at the shop and Brad/Glenn arriving shortly after.
Davy walked through the door at Fietsen Verhayen just after 12pm where we spoke in the back of the shop what he was able to offer for next year. At this stage both Matt and I are prepared to race the 2012 season in Belgium while Brad has opted to wait another year with the possibility of returning for a 1-2 month stint. After flicking through both Matt's and my palmares he came to the decision that Matt was perhaps not quite physically matured to endure the calender APK-Quality was presenting for 2012 with many of the classics regularly exceeding 170km. Although disheartening we assured Matt he will have a team to ride for next year and will definitely display his incredible potential. Currently the roster for APK next year includes 3 Germans, 3 Dutch an Australian with the remainder of the team Belgian. Their calender includes some very high profile races in Belgium as well as the possibility of travelling to Holland and Germany for certain events. Michael first recommended the APK-Quality team as they have good structure and are well organised. Besides a fulfilling calender the team also has a team bus, van and several cars as well as the secure financial backing that is often required to make a successful cycling team. The team provides a complete bike (with racing wheels), all clothing (both cycling kit & casual), covers all expenses for tours and stage races and offers some very tempting money bonus's for good performances. Glenn had a few queries that we discussed with Davy including the possibility of accommodation and that I arrive in April as opposed to February which most teams demand.
Although there are several good races that would suit me on the calender for February/March I believe the additional time in Australia will allow me to put in some serious training in GOOD weather (Belgium in February is awful) to properly prepare myself for a very demanding season. I also have track commitments with the National Track Championships set for early February and my father's pride and joy the 'Perth International Grand Prix' set for the 24th March. Track training is vastly different to training on the road so I will need time between the Track Championships and leaving for Europe to properly prepare myself. I chatted with Davy for another twenty minutes or so before I came to the conclusion that this would be the team I will ride for in 2012. After viewing the proposed calender and getting an insight into the teams vision and structure I believe this team will be a great platform for my cycling career. We were able to come to the agreement that while in Australia I will continue to ride for and represent the Arbitrage Wormall Racing Team whereas when I am in Europe I am contracted to APK-Quality Cycling Team. The Dutch contract was translated back to English and after signing my name at the bottom I shook Davy's hand and was welcomed into the team for 2012.
Following the meeting we were all quite hungry so we went to visit La Bas to explore the lunch menu. As always we were spoilt rotten by Stijn & Brenda and had a fantastic meal together in the warmth of the cafe. The Hamburgers have to be seen to be believed (picture above) they truly are incredible and we certainly weren't hungry for some time! We chatted with Stijn while Glenn popped outside to pick up a little something as a present for the guys at La Bas for treating us like royalty. By the time we left it was past 2pm and we still had to research how to get in contact with the insurance company of the driver involved in my accident and be at Tim's for a 7pm dinner date. Instead of rushing when we arrived back in Mol we all relaxed a bit and hung out at the house. Our plans to go to Kasterlee Police Station and organize to meet the driver weren't going to work out because we heard yesterday that the woman worked with the post office and obviously would still be working. We instead decided we'd get Tim to call up later that day and speak to her (she didn't speak english) and find out how we proceed in seeking compensation for the damages to my bike, as covered by third party insurance. With time to kill we were planning on going to sit at a cafe but the weather didn't look like improving so instead Glenn had a nap, Brad watched tv and I helped Matt spruce up his palmares and select the pictures that properly showcased one of the quickest boys in the bunch! Michael and Glenn are going to continue finding a team for Matt but it shouldn't be an issue with most teams eager to take on Australian's as our country has such a good reputation as bike riders. We also need to finalize our accommodation but Matt and I really felt that the apartment we visited during the week would do the job.
Finally 7pm rolled around and we headed off for Tim's. When Glenn and Brad visited earlier that morning Tim assured them he had something special to cook up and he surely didn't disappoint! Dinner was ready to go as soon as we arrived with an entree of home made Garlic Bread. Tinny helped Tim put the final touches on a beautifully made Lasange dish. Tim was well prepared and had actually made 2 using different ingredients. They were both equally as tasty and he had definitely came through with the goods. We let dinner settle while we shared a bottle of a delicious liquor (fairly sure it's Belgian although I forget the name). Somehow we made room and Tinny set in front of us a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream with melted chocolate. Thank you so much to both Tim and Tinny's incredible hospitality we have lived like kings here in Belgium! We were dreading the difficulties of locating the insurance company and trying to solve all the twists and turns of trying to get my bike fixed but it proved relatively easy when we were simply given an address for the insurance agent in nearby Geel and told to arrive at 9am tomorrow. Fingers crossed everything will run smoothly and we will be able to replace my bike as soon as possible, without leaving loose ends here in Europe. Tim is off to the Tour of Britain in the morning so we didn't stay too late and let him get some sleep. I'm sure all of Perth joins us in hoping he comes back to Australia to visit in the summer.
When we arrived back at Martijn's we planned out the next few days which are going to be extremely busy but we're confident we can get everything done before we leave for Paris early Monday morning. It is likely tomorrow's race in Assebroek will be our last race so we hope to make it one to remember. Thank you to everyone for following us up until now and we hope you've enjoyed reading about our incredible journey.
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