My goal of development
I really like the cobbled classics. They're some of my favorite races and i always seems to make a good performance in those races.

In my younger days in England, i didn't get to ride any training with cobbled sections, simply because there wasn't enough cobblestoned roads on the Isle of Man. But even though i didn't got any cobbled training, i always felt quite comfortable in the international U23 races with cobblestones within it.

When i moved to Italy, i had the oppotunity to train on some of the cobbled roads near my town, and i did.
Ever since then i've always liked training on those sections, and i've even made it a tradition to take a trip to the Appian way in the southern Italy every year. Those cobbled sections down there are some really challenging roads.



Apart from my dedication to the cobblestones, i've allways been quite an allrounder. Especially my sprint has been some of my greatest attributes. I'm quite sure that it has been my time in the track cycling, which have made me really quick. Also my ability of riding a good time trial, surely is an outcome of my time on the track.

I'm quite tall, but still very thin. Therefore i've never had any trouble in riding uphill. I'm still a bit too heavy to follow through on the mountains, but i've always liked riding on the smaller accelerating hills, which i among others proved in my 3rd spot in the U23 WC in 2007.

Overall i think i'm on my way to develop towards a northern classics specialist, with some allround skills, which can be usefull in every race.
I would especially like to improve my hill riding skills, which could be crucial for riding great in my favorite races.



And if you doesn't know my favorite races, then take a look below...

Here's my racing schedule of the 2012 season.
I'll have 61 race days in this season with some of them being quite big and prestigious races.

My personal trainer and director sportif, Sean Kelly, has made this schedule in cooperation with myself.
We've talked about my own possibilities of development on a long-term view, and agreed on developing towards the northern classics.

Therefore i've got a lot of cobbled classics on my schedule, which i'm very happy about. Especially in the very start of the season, i've got to ride the smaller spring classics, and even the Pro Tour race, Gent Wevelgem, which my team have been assured to get a wildcard to.

Beside the Gent-Wevelgem, i've also got the opportunity to ride the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, and my biggest goal of the season, the Tour of Britain.

1. Peak
I'll build up my shape, by start racing in the late February.
From the very start of March, and till the end of March, i'll ride a lot of the smaller belgian classics.
After a tough month of March, i'll get to my top-peak in the late March, which should give me a very good chance of riding good in the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen - Harelbeke and the Gent - Wevelgem.

2. Peak
Whilst i in my 1. peak, should reach my absolute top-shape, i'll not reach my greatest top-level in my 2. peak.
I'll start in the Ronde van België and then travel to the Netherlands to ride some stage-races to improve my shape.
The top-level in this peak will then be placed near the British RR Championship, which i'll be looking forward to make a great result in.

3. Peak
Nearing the end of the year, i'll ride some stage races in August. Among them, i'll get to ride the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, which will be my very first trip to USA ever.
After riding the stage-races, i should reach a very great shape, which would bring me to the Tour of Britain in top-shape. This will be my main goal of the season, and i'll have lots of expectations for myself in this race.

The Team

Our team is roughly based on Belgian and Irish riders, with a few being from anywhere else around, like for instance me.

The team is quite varied and wide, and therefore the team is able to compeed well in almost every type of race.

One thing that is important when telling you about my team, is that there should not be any doubt that the team is far from a ProTour licence, and that it is not even a goal for the directors. The clear and highest expectant goal for the team is to develop young riders from belgian, Ireland and countries near those.

Therefore the An Post Sean Kelly team was a great choice for me, because i need to develop slowly in my comeback. If i had a contract with a ProTour team at this point, i surely would get quite a big chock.



[img-l]https://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7320/eeckhout.jpg[/img-l]
Nico Eeckhout

Nico is the team's grand old man.
Before i met him i thought he was an old man who wasn't supposed to ride a bike at all. But when i saw him for the first time on a training camp, he proved my claim wrong. Everybody on the team had such a respect for Nico. Both as person, but certainly also as bikerider.
On the first training session, he was in a category of himself.
No one could follow him!

He'll be like a mentor for me this season, like he'll be for every other guy on the team.



Stijn Ennekens



Stijn is a really fast guy and is probably one of the best in our team.
He has got an unbelieveable ability of bearing up against the pain.
He's also a very funny guy, and was one of the guys i quickly fell into talk with after my arrival.

I'll certainly get to ride for Stijn in some races, because when Nico isn't participating in a race and Stijn is, then he's probably the best.

[img-r]https://img844.imageshack.us/img844/473/benm.jpg[/img-r]

Sam Bennett

The last guy on the team who i want to highlight, is Sam Bennett.
The Irish sprinter is a bright star, and i'm sure he'll develop into one of the best sprinters in the world someday.

Sam is probably going to a ProTour team next year, because of what he has already achieved through cycling.

When talking with Sam, you feel like you've always known him. He's very kind and very open for new things and persons. We also feel quite connected to each other, because we are at a point in our career which is quite the same.