http://www.koendekort.nl/Welcome to the Koen de Kort blog RSS feed.60http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=24http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=24On the 6^th of January, just before boarding a plane back to Europe, I told everyone in Australia that I’d see them again at the worlds. I wasn’t completely joking but it was definitely wishful thinking, I didn’t even get close to getting selected for the World Championships in 2009. ... ]]> Mon, 13 Sep 2010 19:23:00 GMThttp://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=23http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=23One of the strangest races of the year and one of the most important races of the year: the national championships. It’s completely different than any other race because only Dutch riders can take part and I think in the last 8 years I haven’t done any other race with only Dutch riders.
Thu, 01 Jul 2010 12:06:00 GMThttp://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=22http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=22 My excuses are that I’ve been very busy racing with consecutively Tour de Picardie, Tour of Belgium and Tour of Luxembourg. The days in between races I was either at a training ca... ]]> Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:17:00 GMThttp://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=21http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=21In a moment of rest between some training rides this 4 day team training camp I was surfing the internet and started reading up on some news and cycling blogs. Amongst the usual blogs I read is the blog of my Girona training mate, grea... ]]> Thu, 06 May 2010 21:32:00 GMThttp://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=20http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=20My first part of the season is over and my preparation for the next part consisted the last week mainly of resting and easy training. I was meant to fly to Girona the day after the Amstel Gold Race but unfortunately I, like so many people, got ‘stuck’ and couldn’t fly out until a week later. Ins... ]]> Sat, 01 May 2010 17:55:00 GMThttp://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=19http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=19It’s inevitable, every rider will crash a few times during a season but you always hope the tumbles are harmless. In the Tour of Flanders a few riders went down in front of me and I crashed as well but I got away with a big bruise and a graze on my shin, if you have to go down you want to get aw... ]]> Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:32:00 GMThttp://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=18http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=18It is Easter Sunday tomorrow, a very special day in the lives of a lot of people. This year it’ll be extra special in Flanders because the ‘Ronde van Vlaanderen’, the greatest race in Belgium and maybe the greatest race in the World will be held on Easter Sunday. Unfortunately for the riders, th... ]]> Sat, 03 Apr 2010 18:32:00 GMThttp://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=17http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=17We’re not doing the Tour de France. That sucks.
It is actually quite a big disappointment. Of course I could see this coming a little bit but it is a disappointment nonetheless. Taking it up against the likes of Radioshack, BMC and Sky for one of the only 6 wildcards was always going to b... ]]> Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:56:00 GMThttp://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=16http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=16I’m back in my home away from home during the classics period. Nearly every night before a race in the Flemish Ardennes you can find the Skil-Shimano team in the vd Valk hotel in Nazareth. I think I have slept in nearly every room here and I’m starting to get to know the staff of the hotel by name. ... ]]> Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:59:00 GMThttp://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=15http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=15 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:06:00 GMThttp://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=14http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=14 First of all, my apologies for a long time in between blog posts. I pulled out of the last day of Tour Med with bronchitis and straight away started antibiotics. After a rest day at home in Palamós I suddenly got really sick, had a fairly bad fever and spent a few days in bed. Since ... ]]> Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:58:00 GMThttp://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=13http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=13In the Southern part of France there are several races in a row: GP Marseillaise, Bessèges, Tour Méditerranéen and Haut Var. The staff of the Skil-Shimano team stays here for the whole period of racing but none of the riders do, that would be too much this early in the season. I am the only rider of... ]]> Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:28:00 GMThttp://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=12http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=12The last 3 days in the Étoile de Besseges turned out into Mass sprints. The whole bunch stays together and the winner of the day gets decided in a mad dash for the finish line.

My role in Skil-Shimano is usually the one of last man or second last man before the sprinter. We have a few... ]]> Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:58:00 GMThttp://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=11http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=11Because for my first race of the season I already found myself behind the first big group in the race after a flat tire, I thought it would be a good idea to tell a bit more about what goes on between the cars and behind them.

After a puncture in the race (or any other mechanical prob... ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:26:00 GMThttp://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=10http://www.koendekort.nl/nl/blog/comments.aspx?blogid=10After training camp had ended I flew from Palma de Mallorca to my parents’ house in The Netherlands. I only had about 24 hours in The Netherlands to pack a lot of my stuff for the long drive to my apartment in Palamós, Spain. I feel like I have only just arrived ‘home’ and I’ll have to leave again t... ]]> Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:04:00 GMT