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The Gistel Dream (Short Story)
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| steve smink |
Posted on 20-09-2014 12:27
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Name: Dries Vandewalle
Age: ?
Birth Place and Residence: Gistel, West Flanders
On a cold Belgian day in March, Dries was looking out his window when all of a sudden he saw a fast train of colour rapidly pass by his house he asked his father "Papa what is that, I saw lots of colours like a train go roaring by the house" His Papa responded jokingly "Son they are the cyclists little skinny boys on bikes don't be like one of them"
Little Dries is intrigued by "Cycling" and asks his parents if he join a local club his parents are not in the best situation financially and they laugh of this question from Dries. However Dries doesn't give up and wants to experience the thrill of a road cycling race so at the next Kermesse race in Gistel he sneaks behind one of the continental teams (An Post Chainreaction's) team bus to where the bikes are, when nobody is looking Dries snatches a Vitus bike and pedals away slowly as fast as he could.
Spoiler I have not seen many short completed stories on this site so I thought I would give it a go as my last story wasnt very successful  . I have the story pretty much completed already and I only have to get images sorted expect updates quickly enough
Edited by steve smink on 20-09-2014 12:33
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| steve smink |
Posted on 20-09-2014 12:27
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Feel free to post
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| EwanWilson |
Posted on 20-09-2014 12:33
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Looking forward to this short story even though I know what happens 
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| Roextro |
Posted on 20-09-2014 12:43
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Good luck, it was a great start! |
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| matt17br |
Posted on 20-09-2014 12:53
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I like the thrilling beginning of this ministory! Keep up this! I hope that it will finish like Pantani's real story.
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| EwanWilson |
Posted on 20-09-2014 12:58
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matt17br wrote:
I like the thrilling beginning of this ministory! Keep up this! I hope that it will finish like Pantani's real story.
Long Live Kwam
Edited by EwanWilson on 20-09-2014 12:59
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| krisa |
Posted on 20-09-2014 16:31
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Are you family of Kristof Vandewalle as he also lives in Gistel?
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| steve smink |
Posted on 20-09-2014 16:56
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Dries was watching the television alone on a sunday in late March when he saw the great Ronde van Vlaanderen, he had seen these roads before and wondered what it would be like to ride on them. A weekend later Dries was going out on his bike after he managed to convince his parents he won it in a raffle and told them not to sell it. He felt a sense of freedom on the bike he had never experienced before. When Dries took his first timid few pedals on the cobbles the vibrations were so strong he felt them to his bones he wondered why people would put themselves through this. Dries knew the people who rode on these cobbled sections were more than just skinny boys, they were strong men.
However Dries didnt enjoy the cobbles he couldnt handle the Flandrian brutality, he wanted to be like the Belgian greats of De Vlaeminck, Van Petegem and Boonen but he just couldn't bring himself to it. He had to go down a different road.
Edited by steve smink on 20-09-2014 22:07
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| 547984 |
Posted on 21-09-2014 04:30
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How about Kristof Mertens instead? 
baseballlover312, 06-03-14 : "Nuke Moscow...Don't worry Russia, we've got plenty of love to go around your cities"
Sarah Palin, 08-03-14 (CPAC, on Russian aggression) : "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke"
Big thanks to jdog for making this AMAZING userbar! |
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| steve smink |
Posted on 21-09-2014 08:14
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krisa wrote:
Are you family of Kristof Vandewalle as he also lives in Gistel?
Just a coincidence I picked that town and surname tbh
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-12-2024 05:22
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| steve smink |
Posted on 21-09-2014 10:26
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Over the next few years Dries developed himself into a hill specialist after training and finding his natural talent for the hellish Belgian Mur's. After quite a successful Junior career based with the Cibel continental team under the guidance of Gasper Van Peteghe and the Belgian national team, Dries developed into a very talented rider. At the age of 21 and knowing that he would be joining Lotto Belisol in the World Tour next season, Dries wanted to prove himself at his last chance of winning the U23 World Championships. Dries was one of the favourites having won the U23 Liege-Bastogne-Liege Espoirs earlier in the season.But it was disaster for Dries with 3 laps to go Dries crashed on a dangerous downhill with not only his career but also his life at risk
Edited by steve smink on 21-09-2014 10:28
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| matt17br |
Posted on 21-09-2014 10:38
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steve smink wrote:
Over the next few years Dries developed himself into a hill specialist after training and finding his natural talent for the hellish Belgian Mur's. After quite a successful Junior career based with the Cibel continental team under the guidance of Gasper Van Peteghe and the Belgian national team, Dries developed into a very talented rider. At the age of 21 and knowing that he would be joining Lotto Belisol in the World Tour next season, Dries wanted to prove himself at his last chance of winning the U23 World Championships. Dries was one of the favourites having won the U23 Liege-Bastogne-Liege Espoirs earlier in the season.But it was disaster for Dries with 3 laps to go Dries crashed on a dangerous downhill with not only his career but also his life at risk
 Poor Dries! I hope that with this he doesn't mess up his career
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 01-10-2014 16:39
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Looks interesting, Good Luck with it |
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| steve smink |
Posted on 13-04-2018 16:25
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Just a quick follow up to this story, it never ended, things just went downhill very quickly. After Dries' crash in U23 LBL he was dejected and the echoes of what his father said about cyclists as a child returned to the forefront of his mind.
It was clear that Dries had reached a turning point in his life, prepare for a long arduous road to the possibility of recovery or become a Belgian bum. Dries had nothing else going for him outside of his talent on the bike, however, after his crash Dries became disillusioned with the world and everyone's expectations of him. His talent was no longer a divine gift but was now a detestable burden.
One morning on a train circumnavigating Antwerp Dries stood in some piss when he leaped to evade further urine encroaching on the lugs of his UnderArmour trainers he jumped into the arms of global femme fatale Christine Lagarde of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), she was impressed with his skeletal structure, she thought it complimented her silver locks in a manner which intergalactic quarks would be envious of. Their sexual chemistry was undeniable and they were wed within 37 weeks. It truly was a match made in Antwerp.
Attached is a recent photo of the happy couple tentatively approaching each other, it is clear that the innocence of newfound love is still there approaching their two year anniversary.
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 13-04-2018 17:40
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what the fuck did I just read?
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| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 13-04-2018 17:49
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The most unexpected twist to any story EVER!!
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| Ripley |
Posted on 15-04-2018 11:56
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An ending well worth waiting for!  |
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| steve smink |
Posted on 22-03-2021 08:35
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It's been 6 years since Dries Vandewalle's unfortunate crash at the U23 Worlds, a crash which sent Dries into a downward spiral. An unfortunate victim of alcoholism and loneliness cured by a newfound enthusiasm for rail travel which led to his serendiptious encounter with the IMF Supremo and goddess of global finance Madame Lagarde.
A snap of the happy couple in Corfu circa November 2019:
Unfortunately for Vandewalle his relationship with Lagarde replicated his tragic career on the cobbles, eventually coming to a crashing halt early in 2020. Christine's newfound youthful exuberance subsided and her patience for Dries' antics wore thin. The advent of Covid made Dries redundant from his part time gig at Zeebrugge docks and gave him the licence to sponge off Christine and arse around their shared flate in Bruxelles. Big wigs from Lagarde's new gig as head of the ECB got wind of her private life with Dries. The contrast between a commander of continental currency and a brash brooding and bloated Belgian was too much and risked undermining Lagarde's career. Divorce. Fin. End of the road for the perplexing pair.
Lagarde cutting a moody figure:
Dries bounced back quicker this time and spent the last few months philosophising in contemplative mood. Upon stumbling upon a dusty collection of heraclitean poetry Dries was englightened. One particular quote igniting his desire for the aquatic world prompting a new found desire to fish. A spectacular turnaround for our hero.
Dries can now be found defying Covid restrictions and spending his evenings participating in competitive fishing competitions along the Brussels-Charleroi canal:
Hercalitus: "No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man."
Happy Days.
Edited by steve smink on 22-03-2021 08:55
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| steve smink |
Posted on 23-08-2024 11:54
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In October 2022, during a fishing jamboree Vandewalle caught one of the largest trouts ever recorded in the Brussels-Charleroi canal. It was a remarkable catch and sent shockwaves through the angling community. Many commentators were astounded that a newcomer to the angling game could haul in such a beauty. Dries' reaction in the press was understated and somewhat aloof:
Dries was subsequently disqualified for acting against the spirit of the event (details unclear??) and banished from the angling community. Alone, bereft, drunk, Lagardelss and lost, Dries travelled to the last bastion for the Western man, Phuket, Thailand. It was here that Dries could finally settle down, free from the old world of regulations and standards. He was at peace among the grimy streets, waving at backpackers and youthful free spirits. Always careful not to cross the line and embroil himself into further scandal.
He met a young local girl who could satisfy his needs and listen attentively to tales of his past glories on the cobbles and on the canals. It was somewhat ironic that this young woman, lets call her 'Duangkamol', just happened to be related to a lackey of the old Thai Royal Family, pictured below on the far right on the occasion of King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola's State Visit to Thailand in 1964:
A beautiful Thai-Belgian nexus and a fitting memory to be shared between the happy couple. Dries, a keen monarchist, has only ever lived under Royal Rule. He makes money gambling on Serbian basketball and recent winnings have gone towards the purchase of a bike for his Thai love. It's all coming full circle for our hero in Phuket.   .
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 23-08-2024 15:02
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Wow, can't believe I never caught this one. Eagerly awaiting the next chapter in 2027
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
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