#21 - Week 2/4 in Spain

Hi there! There have been a lot of you joining this newsletter in the last few weeks. Let me tell you a bit about this newsletter. This is my little creative outlet where I talk about cycling, things I like and other things I just want to share with you.

It’s a bit of the behind the scenes in what I do and how my brain works. Hope you like it!

My second week in Spain

I will be in Spain, more specifically Calpe, for 4 weeks. And in these 4 weeks I will give a recap on every week I have been here and what I learned.

The respect I have for pro cyclists and people aspiring to be one

As you have seen on Instagram I have been riding with a lot of pro cyclists in the last week. This was a unique moment to experience the life of pro cyclists.

Coming from a background of just drinking beer every evening as a student and never doing anything with sport in my youth, I look at pro cyclists as these insane and dedicated people that are willing to do everything for that one thing: Winning.

Imagine if this would also apply in real life. People working in an office and doing everything besides working to become a better person at work. Doing extra hours in the evening, thinking about what you eat to be more sharp in meeting and making sure you are optimising your food intake during your hours of work to make sure you get the best output.

And you are constantly competing against other colleagues that are working even harder or smarter than you. Or are born with better meeting-genes.

That is being a pro cyclist (or athlete). It’s a life of dedication. Going full monk-mode on the passion you want to follow.

And it is not for everyone. The life is hard, it is giving up on a lot of things young people love to do like going out with friends or eating a hamburger when you please. And on top of that, there are just a few spots on the WorldTour teams.

Long-term thinking

You can’t be a cyclist without long-term thinking. Imagine a pro cyclists at the startline of the Tour de France without doing any training before. You must have that dedication to see the future you want. And then it is up to back luck to see if you succeed.

Johan Museeuw told me: “When I was at the start of a big race like Roubaix, I knew I did everything right. I have done everything I can to win, and now it is only bad luck that can stop me from winning”.

Being more calm

The first week here was a stressful one. I had to move places and the bike was not in top shape. The bottom bracket started making noise, the saddle joined in and to top it off: My front derailleur almost fell of as I was riding with Luke Verburg and his girlfriend Charlotte Kool. I had the most expensive bike of them all and the one that was failing. Luckily we fixed it roadside. But that gave me so much stress.

This week it all got fixed, the saddle does creak a little but not freaking me out. I found a nice and calm spot in the hills looking over Calpe and got some work done.

And what I found out, what that all the stress was coming from myself not communicating to clients. I just had to figure some stuff out and send a few mails to keep things running. That solved a lot.

Beating my FTP by 20 watts

On Saturday I had an FTP test, which I did on the Vall ‘d Ebo. I have not done an FTP test in a long time but did a good effort in Italy on a restday (which was not a restday at the end of the day).

I went with Twan, who I know from the Athlete’s Foodcoach. A really nice guy and really fast as well. I told him before the test: “I think 400 would be really good and surprising”.

So we went up the Vall ‘d Ebo, and I started pushing. I put my FTP test playlist on (which is exactly 20 minutes) and focussed. Twan decided to stick in my wheel.

I looked at my power and saw a lot of moments where I was pushing more than 400w. Actually more in the 450w range at times.

When I had 5 minutes to go, Twan decided to launch it when he saw a Visma rider just a few meters up ahead. And that motivated me more. I pushed and just destroyed myself on the top of the climb. Uploaded the ride and there it was, 409w for 20 minutes. Averaging my w/kg at around 4.7-4.8 which is insanely good.

So why do I think I improved? I think food is actually a big one, getting more insights and eating the right things. Next to that my mindset is also a big one, I had to pressure. So I just did what I wanted to do. Which turned out to be a good bet.

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So, this week was a good one. I got into a rhythm and that helped me massively. I pushed on the bike and got more relaxed here. This place is amazing and if you are able, go visit it.

Things

Let’s share some things I love and found in the last week.

• The trailer for Fantastic Four is live. And it looks really good. Can’t wait to watch it in cinema.

• There are a few things I will be trying in the coming months to get better as a cyclist such as Beta-Alanine and BCAA to improve my power and endurance. Will be sharing you the results. Let’s dive into the rabbit hole.

• I believe in buying good products that last, not buying bad products because they are cheap. That is why I am using Wirecutter a lot to find products that are amazing. They have a guide on doing the dishes or the best way to pack your bags.

• I am a newsjunkie, watching the news a lot during the day. Not a good trait, especially with the recent weeks of the new US presidency it just seems like every hour is another headline. But then I just look at nature and just think: This beats the news every time of the day.

• Found a really cool website that shows how shadows fall. I have used it in decided where to rent an AirBnB with the most sun exposure during the day. Find it here.

• I love this Instagram page sharing Movie colors. There is so much thought behind movies.

• You might have seen my videos on the bike with a new cam. It is actually the Insta360. I like the footage and got some really cool ideas to use it more

• Added my pricing plans for creating content for other businesses. Find it here.