Late Monday afternoon in the centre of Ghent, Europe's second oldest city. Bright and sunny with blue skies - people are walking along the canal, sitting in cafes and enjoying the sun. European summer at its best, yes, but for at least two of Belgium's top athletes, the last Monday in June is a normal work day.
Alice Pirard only arrived back home in the early hours of the morning. One of her nation's best mountain biking exponents, the native of Wallonia finished in a highly creditable 12th position at the UCI Marathon World Championships. Similarly, partner and fellow off-roader Michiel Van Aelbroeck spent his Sunday racing, but on the road. The Hansbeke kermesse was held over some 114km on a flat and windy 6km circuit with nowhere to hide. Michiel rode to and from the race, clocking up almost 200km for the day. Good training for cross-country, he said.
But cycling is only part of Michiel and Alice's lives, another element being that they are both practicing osteopaths. And highly sought after ones at that. Well known among the elite cycling community, a large part of their clientele is the cream of Belgium's two-wheeled talent. And while Michiel and Alice's work schedule is certainly full on, they also balance this out with extended racing and training trips away. Spain or South Africa or Australia; they certainly have seen much of the world thanks to their sport. Mostly self-funded, they target key periods of the year for more racing and other times for more work. It is easy to always be working, says Alice, and rightly so. It can be tough getting the balance right, but then you are only young once as she says.
Next weekend Alice will be back on the UCI XCO World Cup circuit in Andorra, followed seven days later in Austria. Michiel will be there too, this time in a working capacity. Having worked on a few Grand Tours in years past, he'll be helping out the Belgian athletes but will have his bicycle in close proximity no doubt.
