"From NZ to Belgium: Corban’s European Cycling Journey"
Racing Bikes and Chasing Breakaways: Four Weeks in Belgium 🇧🇪🚴
After four weeks of racing and riding in Belgium, I’ve settled into the rhythm of European cycling life — and what a ride it’s been so far!
The past few days have brought a serious heatwave, with temperatures pushing over 30°C. Staying cool has been a challenge, but honestly, no complaints — it's all part of the adventure. That said, one thing I will comment on is the road surface. Coming from New Zealand, I used to think our roads were a bit rough. Turns out, they’re pretty smooth compared to the bone-rattling reality of Belgian roads. Many are laid with large concrete slabs, and when you hit a cobbled section? Brutal. Pure bike-shaking madness.
The Racing Scene
Racing here is a whole different beast compared to back home. It’s full gas from the gun — no warm-up laps, no easing in. A typical race is 110–120km and it’s chaos from the moment the flag drops until the finish line. To balance things out, I’ve been racing about once a week. That gives me time to get in quality training, stay fresh, and line up each race feeling ready to perform.
The results have been trending in the right direction too:
18th
27th (twice)
47th
And most recently, a breakthrough 13th place finish in a hard-fought race.
The Breakaway
That 13th place wasn’t just a lucky day — it was one of those gritty, all-in efforts that makes cycling so addictive. I got into the breakaway on lap one, with 105km still to race. And in Belgium, when a break forms, it usually sticks. That meant I had to stay sharp, aggressive, and committed at the front the entire race.
Here’s a look at the stats from that ride:
📏 Distance: 112km
🕑 Time: 2h 30min
🚴♂️ Average Speed: 44 km/h
📈 Elevation Gain: ~1100m
❤️ Average Heart Rate: 185bpm (max 201)
⚡ Power Output: 270W average / 310W normalized
Safe to say it was a proper day on the bike — and one I won’t forget anytime soon.
Looking Ahead
There’s still plenty of racing to come, and I’m excited to keep building on this momentum. The legs are feeling good, the experience is stacking up, and the Belgian racing calendar is packed with opportunities.
Stay tuned — there’s more to come from the cobbles, chaos, and cycling culture over here in Belgium.