Any given summer's evening in East Flanders means in it is still light. And while clear skies is not exactly guaranteed, the sight of elite cyclists riding home from races is pretty common. Be it Tuesday or Sunday or any other day of the week, kermesse racing is ingrained in the Belgian culture. These circuit races are brutal and for many a local or foreigner, a "shop window" of sorts in the hope of attracting the attention of a bigger team.
It was past 9pm one Sunday when Tom McDonald rolled into Hof Ter Kammen. The blonde climber from Victoria, Australia had completed his umpteenth kermesse in a few weeks. In Belgium on his own dime, Tom was following the well worn path of many an Anglophone: go to Belgium, race as much as possible, recover in between and hope for the best. Add in paying his own way, riding to and from races and then cooking some sort of dinner for himself after yet another 200km day. But that was OK with Tom – he seemed permanently upbeat despite the weather (better this summer actually), the racing style (not really suited to his grimpeur strength) or that fact that he was sharing accommodation with fellow countryman with full national federation backing ('It's always good to have some fellow Aussies around Matey.')
But that is all in the past now. You see, getting through a stint in and around the brutal Low Country flat lands and cobbles has prepared Tom's mind and body for his true metier. Now based down in Marseille, the Aussie climber is revelling in his new day job: riding for Vélo Club la Pomme Marseille. One of France's biggest U23 teams, VC la Pomme seems like the perfect home for Tom's strengths. Hilly one day races and stage races now make up his race program, and he is supported by what is a feeder team to a few professional squads. Dreams can come true, but often only through hard work and "making" your luck. Not that he is getting complacent about being one of the squad's English-speaking entrangers, though. Far from it actually.
'It is really awesome here,' he enthused recently. 'The race program suits me well and, more importantly, my French is coming on great. They're all stunned I've learned so much of the lingo in just a few months!'
Riding to races, riding home from races, shopping, cooking and paying his way. And assimilating.
Continuez votre bon travail Monsieur McDonald.
Allez, allez, allez!
