Cooking Demonstration NOW on Sidebar of Blog

If you look to the left of my blog ( christinevardaros.blogspot.com ) you will see my cooking demonstration that was recently on tv. it is also with my friend and fellow vegan Tonya Kay. I didnt expect they would make my mini cooking demonstration a "stand-alone" show so it is a little informal - oops. Anyway, i make these when i run out of PROBARs. If you dont know what a PROBAR is, you can see them on the counter while i put together my homemade version.

Kalmthout in a Heatwave

by Brecht Toelen

Last year this course was lined with ice covered in a blanket of snow. But this year the event was held under not just warm sunny skies but held in a full-on heatwave - yes, a Belgian heatwave in October. Completely unheard of.  Usually the heat doesnt bother me too much - i can still function fine. But when it messes with my breathing that is when i go from my peanut version of a superhero to roadkill. Unfortunately this time around i was roadkill.
Within a minute's time, my mouth and throat was unbearably dry and my throat started to close as if it were responding to an allergy of sorts.  It felt like someone shoved a bucket of dusty dirt in my mouth and down my throat. 
From many years of experience, i knew i had two options under these conditions. I can either push above my very real limit and be run off to the hospital if i made it that far, or i could ride just below that limit and have a mediocre result but live to tell about it. I opted for the latter.
It was something i struggled with the whole race though as my legs wanted to ride full out - as did my will. 

by Luc Van der Meiren

You'd think i'd feel a bit sorry for myself but i felt nothing really. What i did feel was a bit stupid that i had let down so many supporters around the course. That broke my heart. I had so many cheers that it was almost a constant string of  "kom on christine" or "allez peanut" throughout the whole race!
With nothing to do about it, i just forged ahead and hoped for a miracle. While that never materialized the way i hoped for, i was able to at least pass a few riders before the end - finishing in 17th.
Just after i crossed the line, my part 2 of the day began...as a journalist covering the race for CYCLOCROSS Magazine. So immediately i rode up to Belgium's superstar Sanne Cant and did an interview - dusty throat and face and all. And i did it in Dutch nonetheless which surprised me considering i was a bit lightheaded from lack of oxygen the last 45 minutes. Luckily she was easy to understand - and remember for when i was back in the press room twenty minutes later.
Directly after my race i did the trainer for ten minutes, a bucket bath for three, changed into my tiniest clothing and sprinted to the press room to catch the start of the mens race on tv. After watching most of the race, i sprinted back out just before their finish so i could catch them for post-race interviews.

Official Christine Vardaros Supporter
jackets courtesy of Marc and Tai Van Est

The first guy i tried to interview didnt work out so well. it was Frenchman Francis Mourey. Either he didnt feel like speaking a couple of words in english or he knows absolutely none. And after spending a season on a French team, i did learn some french but the moment i left the team all my words were somehow lost. Strange how that happens. Oh well. After collecting a few interviews - only one in dutch, the rest in english (i was getting tired), i headed back to the press room to finish the job.

how i looked when i saw the jackets-
photos courtesy of Danny Zelck

On a side note, i must say that the highlight of the day happened in the pre-ride when i spotted a couple of my supporters sporting a special "Supporter Christine Vardaros" jacket. wow, that blew me away. I always thought that would be the COOLEST to have supporters like that - a real genuine Belgian thing.  For the first time i felt like i made it, like i belonged both in the races and in Belgium - no matter my result (thankfully considering lately they have not been so steady). Thanks Marc and Tai!
The next event is this Sunday at Superprestige Ruddervoorde. The weather is supposed to cool down a bit so i look forward to it, although i am not quite ready for ice and snow.
Thanks for reading!

I'm in Het Nieuwsblad !!!

photo by Danny Zelck

Yesterday an interview of me was published in Het Nieuwsblad. That was super exciting! It was placed on the same page as the feature article on Niels Albert.

For those of you who dont read Dutch, it basically says that i've been vegan for many years and that when i saw all the positive benefits of being a vegetarian i took the next step to veganism. Then the benefits of a vegan diet such as quick recovery and almost never sick were listed, and that everyone can benefit from eating less meat.  In addition, it mentions that i am a journalist and a spokesperson for animal rights. Lastly, they quoted me saying that it was a dream to live in belgium because it is the center of cross and the public is really great!

On another note, i was just invited this mornning to race Kalmthout this  Sunday - yippee! And look for my articles  on the races (both race coverage and personal report) on CYCLOCROSS Magazine.

Oh, and almost forgot to mention that i spontaneously hacked at my hair today. It is now at least 5" shorter - in most places...I must admit that was a few inches shorter than intended.

Tour of Belgium: Neerpelt and Team Presentation in one day

by Danny Zelck

And what a long day it was!
First was the Neerpelt UCI race - the international season opener for those of us based in the Benelux (Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg) region.  Going into the race, i really had no idea what to expect but helping my morale was the course. If all else fails, i was going to enjoy myself! it was a very heavy course with much of the first half through the woods on pine needle trails. The second half was nonstop short steep hills - some of which were barely rideable and others that were runups - mainly all on sandy terrain.
My start was about average - nothing special. Others were not so lucky - like Hollander Reza Hormes Ravenstijn. She was caught behind a woman in an upside down position, bike perfectly upside down above her. For the first handful of minutes i felt like a rockstar but then i started to fade - maybe is was all the adrenaline from the start wearing off? For those moments of sleepiness, i was passed by a handful of folks - nothing i could do but try to keep up a minimum speed to stay somewhat in contact.

by Luc van der Meiren

Thankfully, my full senses came back in the second to last lap! It was like a turbo shot and i was back to normal speed. I managed to pass a couple of riders but the last one got away. I nipped at her heels for the full final lap, unable to find a spot to safely pass. She is one of the more agressive riders who has no problem elbowing you off the course so after a few tries that ended up almost disastrously i was relegated to finish just behind her in 13th position.
It may not be a victory but i had a good feeling from it - and i learned a lot, mostly what NOT to do in a race. If i had a penny for every lesson learned though...

Trying to get past - by Lucien Duquesnes

After the race, we did yet another 200km of driving to the little town of Aalter on the other side of Belgium for the team presentation. I showed up naturally with wet hair after my post-race shower - yet another lesson learned. When having photos taken that will be on trading cards for a full season, take a bit more care about what you look like. haha.
I was kinda dreading it because you never know what sort of questions you'll get while standing on the stage with a microphone to you lips. But they were mainly ok - nothing i couldnt handle.

by Dirk Bruylant

The MC guy named Chris is actually the tv personality for the Superprestige races on channel VT4. I must admit that i did feel a little uncomfortable during one of the questions when he said "Now that Superprestige is allowing women to race at some of their events, does this make you happy?" Happy? No, it makes me laugh. They were forced by the UCI to take a womens race at their Category 1 events. They had no choice. Anyway, i went on and on and on for many minutes with my speech on the inequality of women in cyclocross - especially superprestige. After a while i remembered that he represents the Superprestige and i added a "sorry about that". Was i sorry? not really. But i did feel bad that he probably had no idea what is really going on behind the scenes. 

Overall it was a great day - during the race i got to see soooooo many friendly faces it was unbelievable. And the cheers i got were tremendous. I will never forget that last lap when i was trying to get around Nancy Bober, a belgian rider. The cheers for me were so overwhelming i almost felt bad for Nancy - but not bad enough not to try still to get around her! I have to add that it was very kind for all the spectators of our race to stick around that late as we raced after the men for the first time!

And in the evening, i was very happy to see yet another handful of friendly faces show up to see our team presentation. That really meant a lot to me!

Normally this sunday is my next race in Kalmthout but it is not yet certain if i am invited. No invitation yet and it is already Thursday. Fingers crossed that last minute email comes through.

SEE sidebar of my blog for video of TV show

by Patricia Cristens

Wow, i dont know how i managed to do technical computer stuff but i got the video of my tv appearance last week on the sidebar of my blog. YIPPEE! Please check it out and let me know what you think. it was a very warm day when it was filmed so please excuse my shiny nose!

After my mini cooking demonstration is aired today, i will keep an eye out for the video version so i can post that on my blog as well.

Add caption

As for my third race of the season yesterday, it was a really positive experience. My final position was 5th but the real good news is that it was on my new STEVENS bike. Wow, what a huge difference from the bike i was on the last two years. For the last couple of years, i was always afraid of taking turns at speed for fear of hitting the ground but the new bike handles like how i would expect of a machine made for cyclocross. I am very pleased. As you can imagine, the race was a sort of experimentation for me. Every few minutes, i would gather the courage to take a turn or a technical section at a higher pace and it worked every time. it will take me a few more rides before i know my limits and become fully effective on the bike, but yesterday was a "tears of joy" moment for me.

by Patricia Cristens

And the TRP CX8.4's actually slowed the bike down - a new experience for me. By the last lap i started to figure out how to use them to my advantage by swinging the rear wheel around into turns to line the bike up for the next section. My tires were the usual Challenge Grifo but this time around i actually felt the side grips in action. Before i was too afraid to lean the bike enough to engage them. I actually felt like a technical rider for the first time in a while - a very strange but exhilarating feeling for me! 

My new Ergoterra handlebar was also something new for me. I didnt hit my bar once with my long limbs - a first for me. and when sprinting in the drops i felt like i could actually manhandle the bike better.

No matter my results in the next races or even for the whole season, I know that at least i am on a top machine. And if i am slow in some of the races, then I can take all the credit. haha.

New Bikes & Another appearance on TV

two down...one to go!

This has been a very hectic week for me and Jonas. Directly after my race on Sunday, we headed over to Hamburg, Germany to pick up the BABOCO team bikes from STEVENS. It was over six hours in the car. Worse yet, it rained most of the drive there!

sticker thanks to Christophe Podevin

By the next evening, we were on our way home. With only a handful of hours sleep, we headed back out in the morning to Baboco team manager Steven's house to drop off the goods. By evening, I was wiped.

My favorite Challenge tires with my fav TRP's

It has taken quite a few days to normalize from that stressful trip but i am almost there!  It probably didnt help to continue to stay crazy busy all week with putting the bikes together, working out part compatability issues, get my workouts in - all while catching up on many other projects i'm taking on. I always thought of myself as multitasking queen but i am now realizing i really suck at it!
As for the bikes, they are gorgeous. With Jonas' help, two of the three bikes are ready to go!

Stickers courtesy of Ludwig de Troyer

You'll see a full bike review of my gorgeous machines on CYCLOCROSS Magazine shortly.  And to check out my latest column as well as reviews on all the newest greatest cyclocross parts, race gossip and event coverage, you can subscribe to an online subscription HERE.

As for my next TV appearance, here is the info:
"Recipes for Athletic Excellence with Cyclocross Champion Christine Vardaros & Award-winning Actress Tonya Kay" is airing on Vegetarianism: The Noble Way of Living on Monday, September 19, 2011. Airing Time: 5:30am. 11:30am, 5:30pm - CA time.
Here is the link to see it on internet: http://suprememastertv.com/webtv/

First Cyclo-Cross Race under the Belt

by Romina Tierlinck

by Romina Teirlinck

Well, it didnt go as wildly wrong as it did in my imagination the days leading up to the race. In fact it was almost pleasant - i say almost because sunny skies with 30°C temps and strenuous efforts don't really play well. It was a strange feeling to have cotton mouth within thirty seconds of the start of a cyclocross race, especially one in Belgium. Thankfully the temps qualified for bottle feeds, but by the time i made it to the pits my mouth was so dry i was afraid that the watered-down energy drink that Jonas especially made for this weather was going to be too thick. Good thing i trusted him as it went down very well.

Although delerious from the heat by the end, I ended up 2nd. I must admit it felt great to stand on a podium again...and to be joined by two strong gals whom i admire. I was also pleased with my general sensations on the bike. I am clearly not with any real form yet but this event gave me hope that i can have some decent fitness in a month from now for the first two World Cup events in Czech Republic.

by Robert Goedgezelschap

Thanks to all of you who continue to believe in me and a special thanks to those who made it to the race to cheer me on! I felt like a rockstar, albeit a sweaty soggy one!

by Patricia Cristens

First CX Race - present but not ready

Tomorrow i race my first cyclocross event of the season. It is a low-key race  - in fact it is so low key that the organizers can't bother to list the word "women" on their program even though i am sure they like when we show up. But this is Belgium - a reminder that i am no longer in the USA where women racers are given a lot of respect.

Here instead they have a handful of women-dedicated supporters (those who come out specifically to cheer for women or come out early to the races to catch the women take off just before the elite men). There are also a couple of race organizers here who find women worth highlighting.   We females are forever grateful to their support!! And their support seems to be spreading to others who are now taking interest in female racing which of course helps the sport to grow faster.

Oops. I am off the topic. Yes, tomorrow is my first crosss race. Thankfully it is purely just for training as I am not especially ready for the speeds just yet considering i started training again on the bike about a month ago.  I also have not received my new STEVENS bikes yet - they come next week, so i will be racing on my heavy bike from last season. But heavy legs, heavy bike and all, i will be there at the start with my typical goofy smile in place, happy to see all those friendly faces who come out to cheer for me!

Thanks for reading!

So Random

I just found a photo of myself on a russion website. Very cool!! I only wish i knew what it said.
I know it has something to do with cycling but that's about all i can figure out. Still cool!
CLICK HERE to check it out.

The Race to Train

first race by Marc van Est

Now that the summer is almost over i am finally getting in some racing to prepare for cross season. I would have started earlier but injuries got in the way. I was nailed with a nasty 3rd degree groin pull, while the other groin was only 2nd degree. Walking up the stairs to the bathroom became a workout in itself! I was so slow up the stairs that i had plan my pee trips well in advance! Getting back downstairs was a breeze - i was so fast i flew down...headfirst a few times when my legs just gave out.  I used to joke about that chair lift that you can attach to the staircase railing, saying it was the perfect gift for an athlete but for that period of time i was really wishing one would magically appear. No such luck.

Once i was finally able to walk up and down stairs without falling on my face, i was ready for training again! My kickstart back to highered fitness was a training camp end of July in the Vogezen region of France. Jonas and I stayed there for eight days. It was cold and rainy some of the days but i didnt care - i got to ride basically painfree! But how slow was I!! It was humbling to suck so badly but i kicked my own ass knowing that it was for my own good.

Once back, we joined in for a couple of weeks on a collection of group rides for some low-mod tempo rides - the Old Mans ride (although their nickname is beginning to be ironic since they now attack the ride as if it were a race), the Kiek out of my hometown (an evening group ride that does a nice steady low-mod tempo that provides for an almost mindless training), and the Sterrebeeks (yet another steady ride where the hills are the only places they race each other.) 

2nd race - pre-rain- by Jonas Brufffaerts

I knew i wasnt quite ready for training races but with cross season around the corner, i started up. Last weekend was my first race. The speed was super high but with not so many turns where interval training is required, i was able to easily ride it out with the peloton. Considering the last two years i was not able to finish this race, I was pleased.

2nd race (Affligem) by Jonas Bruffaerts

My second road race, which was today, did not go nearly as well as the first race. On paper, my 34th out of 80-100 starters doesnt look so bad, but I suffered badly this time around.  There were just too many tight turns on narrow roads, which meant repeated intervals.  Heavy rains that started up part way into the race did not help. It meant that on every turn, you had to go from now a mere 5kph to 50 in two seconds. That hurt - especially since i was sitting way too far back in the peloton when the rain started.  After many many turns like this, combined with bridging too many gaps left by riders who couldnt hold the wheel, i was completely blown.  It was a good workout but still i wanted to rock it for the folks who were kind enough to come out to support me today!  I had yet again a very large cheering section - super cool!!

2nd race by Robert Goedgezelschap

Next week is yet another chance to dig deep in honor of the upcoming cross season so bring it on - that's what i always say (or at least when the optimism is still there.) :-)

I will have my cross season schedule posted shortly. I am almost done working on it. Hope to see you out there one of these races!!

Thanks for reading.

CYCLOCROSS Magazine GOES DIGITAL

CYCLOCROSS MAGAZINE NOW HAS A DIGITAL VERSION AVAILABLE– especially for those who live outside USA or on their computers! Order NOW to get a 12 month subscription PLUS back issues 8-12, for the PROMOTIONAL PRICE of $20 USD (in Euros this comes out to €13.85). Start reading EVERYTHING ABOUT CROSS and checking out the gorgeous color photos TODAY! Thanks! (I am one of the writers by the way)

Show your support by subscribing to CYCLOCROSS MAGAZINE !!!

CLICK HERE for the LINK

Why should you subscribe to CYCLOCROSS Magazine?

Because rising superstar Nikki Harris is featured in the latest issue of CYCLOCROSS Magazine. Here is the front page, but to read the rest of her very colorful interview, including lots more fun photos CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE. You can also order an online subscription so you have it right away! Instant gratification rocks!!!!

BABOCO Training Camp

The BABOCO Team training camp article is finally online at CYCLOCROSS Magazine. Click HERE to read the article and click HERE to subscribe to the magazine so you dont miss anything like Nikki Harris' Feature Story all about her chameleon lifestyle in the current issue. There is also an option to subscribe to the ONLINE magazine.

Mountain Bike Race #2

by Danny Zelck

Well, result-wise it was not ideal. Even so, i had a great time and an even better workout. On the day before the race, Belgian MTB Marathon champ Kim Saenen kindly took me around the course to show me around. And on the day, Nancy Bober and her husband Andy saved a parking spot for us!

There were lots of other folks that i knew at the race which always makes it more fun. And thanks to all those who kindly cheered for me and took photos. Dat maakt mij heel blij!!

Next week is my first road race of the season. I go to Boutersem, BE Sunday, June 12. The elite men also race there so I expect the crowds to be thicker than normal. It is in an undulating section of Belgium so that should be fun.

The following week on June 18 i am back on the mountain bike for yet another "force-building" workout. It is held in Boom, BE - part of the Belgacom GP series.

On a completely different topic, it finally really rained today. The farmers (and our mini garden in the back) really needed it after a two-month drought. But now that the rain is gone, it is time to get on the bike! Till next post...

Offseason Tales

courtesy of Peter Meere

Sorry it's taken me a while to update my blog. I've been busy with training, going to the gym, random writing projects, training camp, and other time-heavy activities.

(The published story BABOCO Team training camp should be published soon on CYCLOCROSS Magazine . I will post the link as soon as it is published just in case you want to read a funny story on my adventures with an all boys team. )

But of all the events keeping me busy, it feels like the Flemish classes are the most exhausting! It's three times a week for 3.5 hours each, plus the extra hour to get there and back. And once i am back after 10pm, it's hard to go directly to sleep so i find myself up way too late doing nothing but mindlessly watching tv since i am too tired to do anything real at that time of night. bugger. 

The classes are done at the end of June so i cant really complain.  But after taking this one class, i cannot see how people would want to go back to school later in life. Taking tests suck. I always want to be perfect so it is way too much pressure. I have had two tests so far. the first was perfect, but the second had a mistake so naturally i was ready to quit the class. HAHA. (I should be happy considering it's an advanced class, but that doesnt offer any consolation.) It's amazing that i can bike race with my feelings towards being judged. Anyway...

Aside from the classes, i have been training hard while simultaneously recovering from that nagging pelvis/knee injury. Progress is slow but at least I see improvement.

As for my offseason racing, i decided to change it up this season with a few mtb cross country races. I just did my first race last weekend (albeit a bit too early for my fitness level). It was a real shock. I dont know how it happened but i forgot how to ride a mountain bike. Considering i used to do National and World Cup events in this discipline, I am embarassed that i am now a complete neophyte of sorts. 

No matter the outcome of the first race, the workout was great! I can easily see how it can be good cross training for cyclocross season.  With that said, i will try it again this Thursday. The only drawback is that the next race will be in front of a few thousand people instead of only a few hundred in attendance last weekend. Ugh. Hopefully the crowds will be kind...


Curious what other cross racers living here in Belgium are up to in the offseason? Check out my story on Tour of Belgium where i ran into a few of them such as Niels Albert, Zdenek Stybar, Tom Meeusen, Vincent Bastaens, and Radomir Simunek. CLICK HERE for the link.