It’s rather comical how meticulously I pack my bikes and gear for a big race trip, such as this recent adventure to Belgium. Everything is cleaned, wrapped, folded, and hermetically sealed, then put in its perfect place.

However, on the return leg of trips such as this one, it’s a different story.

I just finished packing my bikes and gear for the long trip back to the States following my last cyclocross race of the 2007-08 season, and basically it looks as though a bomb exploded in my bike case and duffel bag. I pity the person at airport security who inspects my duffel bag, which has been stuffed to the gills with dirty cycling clothes, wet socks and muddy shoes. At the end of an epic week of slogging through thick Belgian mud, my luggage weighs about 10 pounds more than when I left. Although, it might have something to do with all the Belgian chocolate I am bringing home.

I had a great week in the motherland of ’cross. Following the weekend’s slugfests I wrote about in my last journal, we spent the next few days trying to be focused bike racers, while still taking time to take in the local sights, food and beer, of course!

Greg, Kurt and I visited with my good friend Michel, whom I stayed with in 2005, for a fantastic spin on beautiful Belgian country roads near his home. We passed dozens of little towns, each unique in its own charming way. Some of the old architecture in these areas is incredible, and looking at the sights while riding really makes the miles and time fly by.

The highlight of the ride was returning back to Michel’s home where his mom had prepared a delicious meal of homemade soup and crepes. It’s really hard to describe home much Michel’s home and family mean to me. During the Christmas holiday week of 2005, they took me and my fiancée into their home and treated us like family. We had a very special time back then; it was a short chapter in my life I will never forget.

Michel, who works full time in a Belgian bike shop, also rents his home, mechanical services and his mom’s delicious cooking to visiting cyclocross racers. The Cyclocrossworld.com posse of Stu Thorne, Jeremy Powers, Tim Johnson and Lyne Bessette, have been staying with Michel since Christmas in preparation for this weekend’s world championships in Treviso, Italy.

The following day we awoke to fierce winds and hard rain, so it wasn’t a difficult decision to skip a ride and take a road trip north to Amsterdam. Even in a torrential downpour, Amsterdam is amazingly beautiful, as most old European cities are.

Now, I know Holland is known for cycling, but I was still stunned to see all the bikes. On every corner, every bike rack, every alleyway, every street sign, every stoop, no matter where you looked, there were bikes. And, even in the nasty rain and wind, people were still buzzing about the city as if it was a warm and sunny day. There were school kids, businessmen and women, and everyday people of all ages, all commuting by bike. On several occasions, I witnessed young mothers hauling their kids through the busy Dutch streets on uniquely designed bikes featuring two kids’ seats on the front and one on the back.

Did I mention it was raining? Hard? It made me wonder if all the SUV-driving soccer moms in America really need those big, gas-guzzling rigs.

Later on in the week, we hoped a train to Brussels to do the tourist thing for the rest of the day. First stop in the bustling city was the Australian for one of the best waffles around. I pity the anal-retentive bike racer who passes up one of these delectable treats. I personally recommend ordering one with freshly cut bananas, drizzled with warm Belgian chocolate. It’s a sugar bomb!

We spent the next few hours meandering through the narrow streets of Brussels, window-shopping and looking at architecture. We did make one very important stop at de Bier Temple, where we happened to stumble upon “the world’s best beer.” Apparently, a couple of years ago the Westvleteren 12 ales was voted one of the finest beers in the world. It’s somewhat hard to come by. We decided to each buy one bottle (at 7 euros a pop!) each and open it after our last race on Sunday. After scoring a few bottles of the rare brew, we didn't do much, other than check out a few shops and rest our weary tourist legs with a couple of beers at a local pub. In other words, it was a nice, relaxing day.

On Friday, we went to a town called Mol, so Greg and Kurt could pre-ride the masters cyclocross world championship course. Even though I wasn’t racing it was fun to check out the course, try different lines through the tricky sand and ruts, as well as try different tire pressures. The whole atmosphere at master’s worlds is very low key. Although the riders take the race seriously, it seems like everyone knows their chances of becoming Sven Nys’s next Rabobank teammate are slim. So everyone is out to be competitive and have fun.

The course in Mol was adjacent to a large lake, which is quite a popular summer attraction, and there are slides and playgrounds all over the place. One slide next to the course was so huge I said to myself, " I gotta go down that thing." So, I climbed the 100 steps (I counted) to the top of the slide, which I named the Death Star, then slid down. Now, it really wasn't a super fast slide, but I had my reservations while getting into the 100-foot long tube that would deliver me to the bottom. I would imagine there are some pretty nervous Belgian kids who climb to the top of this slide. It’s kind of intimidating.

After hurling myself down the Death Star, I decided to ride back to our home base to get a few more miles in. I was having a great spin back to the house when a major head wind kicked in and the skies opened up. About an hour and a half into the ride, I was losing motivation and would have killed for a chocolate croissant. Even though I was soaked to the bone, I kept reminding myself that I was riding in Belgium in January, so it can't be that bad!

Even though Greg and Kurt had accomplished their goal of racing masters worlds on Saturday, they still managed to muster up enough motivation on Sunday to join me for one last race at Fort 6 in Wilrijk. Fort 6 is an old Belgian military base that has been converted into a sports complex, complete with immaculate soccer fields, running tracks, training facilities and (are you listening out there?) a cyclocross course! It also had several old, brick bunkers that had been converted into fully operational bars! It really is an incredible use of old resources to create a place for everyone to utilize. Plus, I love the fact that people come out on a Sunday, in the rain, to drink beer, eat greasy food and watch a bunch of skinny guys clad in Lycra flop around in the mud all day. I guess Americans do the same thing on Sundays, but the guys wearing Lycra are a helluva lot bigger and get paid a helluva lot more. And instead of riding bikes, they toss an oddly shaped ball around and run into each other.

Anyway, this edition of Chocolate, Waffles and Cross truly wraps up the 2007-08 cyclocross season. Thanks for reading the journals throughout the year. And let me tell you, while racing in Belgium is tough, it’s a damn good time. If you ever get the chance to experience it, don’t let the opportunity slip away. See you in eight months.

Thanks for reading!

Today’s beer review
If you read my journal then you know I have to review the Westvleteren 12, which is brewed to yummy perfection in the Westvleteren Brewery inside the Trappist Abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren. The crafty monks of Westvleteren make only three beers in limited quantities. The bottles have no labels and are differentiated by colored caps. The 12, with its yellow cap, was rated as the “best beer in the world” by critics a couple years ago. In my humble opinion, the best beer in the world is actually the one you’re currently drinking, but this one was quite tasty. Most Belgian beers are.

Brandon Dwight lives in Boulder, Colorado and is part owner of Boulder Cycle Sport. (http://www.bouldercyclesport.com) He is also the founder of Doperssuck.com (http://www.doperssuck.com). Sponsors include: Time Bicycles, Scott Bicycles, SRAM, Zipp, Crank Brothers, TRP Brakes, Giro, Clif Bar, Challenge, Squadra, Sock Guy, JBV Coaching, and if his Time needed an external headset, Chris King.