Club News 
From the training log of Alex Korten
Posted: October 28, 2006
Shane Lavell talks with Alex Korten after his summer in Holland.
SCC): This past season Alex saw a proposal from Bob Buker of Team Betauwers over in Holland via Willie Coyle. St Catharines Cycling Club (SCC) offered a few club Espoir/Juniors the opportunity to race and live in Holland for much of the 2006 Cycling season. Along with Mark Pozniak, you where afforded this opportunity. With a few years of racing and training in North America, how did this compare? I mean, you were in a situation where there was racing of high quality three times weekly where you’re lucky to see that in a month over here in Ontario.
AK): First off, I would like to thank Willie, Bob and the Club for providing me the awesome opportunity, it was much appreciated. As for the comparison, I feel it’s like comparing apples and oranges. The way people think about cycling and how the cycling community is set up is much different. The best way to explain it is saying that cycling is like hockey. Hockey players come to Canada to play, where as cyclists must go to Europe for cycling.
SCC): Do you think the development and racing system of Ontario needs to be changed in hindsight of your travels overseas?
AK): I definitely think that the development and racing system needs to be changed. However, some things they do in Europe just might not work as well in Ontario. Races are much less expensive to get into, making it much more inviting to race and prize money goes much deeper. I could finish 20th and still come home with 5 bucks. They also put on races, just to put on races… They don’t do it to make money; they do it for the racers to have somewhere to race. Just the social attitude of how races are put on is totally different. One thing I enjoyed most is after a race you can have your result in no more than 30 minutes, at any race. Also, the podium presentation is done right after the race is over. I was only on the podium once, and I enjoyed it. So, yes, I do enjoy the overall cycling system they have in Europe.
SCC): With the 2006 season behind you, will the plan be to head back to Holland in 2007?
AK): My plan for 2007 is to return to Holland, but first I was thinking about heading to Texas to check out a school that is interested in me. I had a good past season in Holland, making the Canadian National Team and riding World Championships. I credit these accomplishments to spending most of the season racing in Europe. So I am hoping it will do the same for me in 2007.
SCC): Going over to Europe must have been a pretty bizarre situation for a young teenager, did it take long for you to adjust?
AK): It was definitely a different experience for me. As for adjusting, yes, it did take time, not too long though. Everyday life was not like home, and neither was the racing so it was necessary to make changes in both areas. I’ve never been away from home for such a long period of time, and not only was I away from home, but in a culture I had never been in before. It was my first time to Europe so I really had no idea as to what it was going to be like. For racing, I got better race by race, my style of racing had to change, and that it did. Becoming a more aggressive rider was one of the many adjustments that really helped out with my success.
SCC): Can you put a perspective on the racing scene back in Holland and Belgium in comparison to that of Ontario? For instance, how do the fields match up and are they bigger or smaller than what a Junior would see here in Ontario?
AK): The racing scene in Holland and Belgium is nothing like I’ve experienced in Ontario at the junior level. The races are faster, longer, harder, more aggressive, larger fields and many more races to actually go to. In the classical races, fields are around 160 riders. In your normal criterium races, fields range from 40-80 riders. I’ve only done one junior race in Ontario this year, and I believe that there were about 10 juniors. Also, in Ontario categories are mixed together, unlike in Holland where it’s only juniors.
SCC): How receptive were your Dutch team mates to you and how did the other racers treat you in the races? Did riders tend to be more easy going to letting you in or did they try to make it as rough as possible for you knowing you where a foreigner in their country?
AK): I only had 3 other team mates on the junior level, and they were very receptive of me. They were always willing to help me out. As for other riders, well most didn’t know I was a foreigner, partly because I had a Dutch uniform and I could yell a few things in Dutch when I did need to say something in a race. Those who did find out I was from Canada didn’t really treat me much different from the rest. After races I would talk to some riders and they thought it was good that I came over to race with them. People in Holland really accepted me as one of their own, in a certain way, and I thank them for that.
SCC): You went over into a program of that of Team Betauwers and Bob Buker. How structured a program was it? Was every day scheduled and structured the same from Bob Buker, or did you have to fend for yourself a few times a week and come up with your own training?
AK): I had to fend for myself most of the time, Bob would give me the occasional pointer on training. In the end, however, it was up to me to get it done, and make sure I was ready to race when it came time. There is a good thing and a few bad things about training in Holland. The good thing is it is very windy, makes you strong. On the down side, it is flat, so preparing for a hilly race is hard. Also, the weather can be brutal sometimes. You can wake up in the morning and it will be nice and sunny, but by the time you’re on your bike it’s pouring rain. Sometimes it can rain for weeks, and not have one nice day. So sometimes it gets really tough to motivate yourself to train.
SCC): Can you describe some of the relationships you have made over there in terms of team mates and your coach, Bob Buker?
AK): The guys on the team are great, they were always willing to help Mark and me out. Whether it was giving us rides to races or maybe bike parts, they really made it nice for us to be there. I have to thank one family that drove me to all my races, and also did our laundry. I don’t know what I would have done without them. They really took care of us.
Bob Buker was also a great help to me. He was always on top of what Mark and I were doing, and he also helped us out with our races in Canada. He’s a friendly guy who only has the best of intentions. Bob was there to support me when I needed it and made sure that we got what we needed. Also, the family we rented our house from were very kind. They helped us by providing us with almost everything we needed to live on on a day-to-day basis. This helped with adjusting to the new environment.
SCC): SCC is moving its direction more to that of youth and riders like yourself. What from your perspective do you think the club needs to do in order to develop riders, aside from the obvious avenue of providing a chance for them to race?
AK): It’s been said over and over again, that the youth are the future. That goes for cycling also. First thing is getting the kids to come out and ride their bikes. But most kids don’t want to go out and ride 90 km with the “ageing generation” (didn’t want to say “old guys”). They want something that they can enjoy with their friends and other kids. This is where I think the Youth Mountain Bike program is great. There are lots of young kids out riding their bikes every week. It’s a great place for them to start. I wish I’d had something like that. That I could have gone to when I was just starting out. From there, they need a place to develop their road skills, but it’s hard when they don’t have bikes. I think maybe if the club could get a few bikes for the kids to use maybe more kids would try the road. Then if they decided they liked it they could get their own bike and start racing. If they didn’t like it then there is no real loss to them. I don’t know how much it would cost to get a few smaller roads bikes out there, but the only way more will come out is if they can try it without losing all their money.
SCC): I thank you for your time Alex. Lastly, your Training Log (Provide a sample week like Buck Miller did.)
Monday 1.5 hours, easy (rest day after weekend races)
Tuesday 3.5 hours, hard ride steady pace
Wednesday 2.5 hours, interval ride
Thursday 4 – 5 hours, endurance ride
Friday 1.5 hours, easy
Saturday Race (Classic 130km)
Sunday Race (Criterium 65km)
SCC): This past season Alex saw a proposal from Bob Buker of Team Betauwers over in Holland via Willie Coyle. St Catharines Cycling Club (SCC) offered a few club Espoir/Juniors the opportunity to race and live in Holland for much of the 2006 Cycling season. Along with Mark Pozniak, you where afforded this opportunity. With a few years of racing and training in North America, how did this compare? I mean, you were in a situation where there was racing of high quality three times weekly where you’re lucky to see that in a month over here in Ontario.
AK): First off, I would like to thank Willie, Bob and the Club for providing me the awesome opportunity, it was much appreciated. As for the comparison, I feel it’s like comparing apples and oranges. The way people think about cycling and how the cycling community is set up is much different. The best way to explain it is saying that cycling is like hockey. Hockey players come to Canada to play, where as cyclists must go to Europe for cycling.
SCC): Do you think the development and racing system of Ontario needs to be changed in hindsight of your travels overseas?
AK): I definitely think that the development and racing system needs to be changed. However, some things they do in Europe just might not work as well in Ontario. Races are much less expensive to get into, making it much more inviting to race and prize money goes much deeper. I could finish 20th and still come home with 5 bucks. They also put on races, just to put on races… They don’t do it to make money; they do it for the racers to have somewhere to race. Just the social attitude of how races are put on is totally different. One thing I enjoyed most is after a race you can have your result in no more than 30 minutes, at any race. Also, the podium presentation is done right after the race is over. I was only on the podium once, and I enjoyed it. So, yes, I do enjoy the overall cycling system they have in Europe.
SCC): With the 2006 season behind you, will the plan be to head back to Holland in 2007?
AK): My plan for 2007 is to return to Holland, but first I was thinking about heading to Texas to check out a school that is interested in me. I had a good past season in Holland, making the Canadian National Team and riding World Championships. I credit these accomplishments to spending most of the season racing in Europe. So I am hoping it will do the same for me in 2007.
SCC): Going over to Europe must have been a pretty bizarre situation for a young teenager, did it take long for you to adjust?
AK): It was definitely a different experience for me. As for adjusting, yes, it did take time, not too long though. Everyday life was not like home, and neither was the racing so it was necessary to make changes in both areas. I’ve never been away from home for such a long period of time, and not only was I away from home, but in a culture I had never been in before. It was my first time to Europe so I really had no idea as to what it was going to be like. For racing, I got better race by race, my style of racing had to change, and that it did. Becoming a more aggressive rider was one of the many adjustments that really helped out with my success.
SCC): Can you put a perspective on the racing scene back in Holland and Belgium in comparison to that of Ontario? For instance, how do the fields match up and are they bigger or smaller than what a Junior would see here in Ontario?
AK): The racing scene in Holland and Belgium is nothing like I’ve experienced in Ontario at the junior level. The races are faster, longer, harder, more aggressive, larger fields and many more races to actually go to. In the classical races, fields are around 160 riders. In your normal criterium races, fields range from 40-80 riders. I’ve only done one junior race in Ontario this year, and I believe that there were about 10 juniors. Also, in Ontario categories are mixed together, unlike in Holland where it’s only juniors.
SCC): How receptive were your Dutch team mates to you and how did the other racers treat you in the races? Did riders tend to be more easy going to letting you in or did they try to make it as rough as possible for you knowing you where a foreigner in their country?
AK): I only had 3 other team mates on the junior level, and they were very receptive of me. They were always willing to help me out. As for other riders, well most didn’t know I was a foreigner, partly because I had a Dutch uniform and I could yell a few things in Dutch when I did need to say something in a race. Those who did find out I was from Canada didn’t really treat me much different from the rest. After races I would talk to some riders and they thought it was good that I came over to race with them. People in Holland really accepted me as one of their own, in a certain way, and I thank them for that.
SCC): You went over into a program of that of Team Betauwers and Bob Buker. How structured a program was it? Was every day scheduled and structured the same from Bob Buker, or did you have to fend for yourself a few times a week and come up with your own training?
AK): I had to fend for myself most of the time, Bob would give me the occasional pointer on training. In the end, however, it was up to me to get it done, and make sure I was ready to race when it came time. There is a good thing and a few bad things about training in Holland. The good thing is it is very windy, makes you strong. On the down side, it is flat, so preparing for a hilly race is hard. Also, the weather can be brutal sometimes. You can wake up in the morning and it will be nice and sunny, but by the time you’re on your bike it’s pouring rain. Sometimes it can rain for weeks, and not have one nice day. So sometimes it gets really tough to motivate yourself to train.
SCC): Can you describe some of the relationships you have made over there in terms of team mates and your coach, Bob Buker?
AK): The guys on the team are great, they were always willing to help Mark and me out. Whether it was giving us rides to races or maybe bike parts, they really made it nice for us to be there. I have to thank one family that drove me to all my races, and also did our laundry. I don’t know what I would have done without them. They really took care of us.
Bob Buker was also a great help to me. He was always on top of what Mark and I were doing, and he also helped us out with our races in Canada. He’s a friendly guy who only has the best of intentions. Bob was there to support me when I needed it and made sure that we got what we needed. Also, the family we rented our house from were very kind. They helped us by providing us with almost everything we needed to live on on a day-to-day basis. This helped with adjusting to the new environment.
SCC): SCC is moving its direction more to that of youth and riders like yourself. What from your perspective do you think the club needs to do in order to develop riders, aside from the obvious avenue of providing a chance for them to race?
AK): It’s been said over and over again, that the youth are the future. That goes for cycling also. First thing is getting the kids to come out and ride their bikes. But most kids don’t want to go out and ride 90 km with the “ageing generation” (didn’t want to say “old guys”). They want something that they can enjoy with their friends and other kids. This is where I think the Youth Mountain Bike program is great. There are lots of young kids out riding their bikes every week. It’s a great place for them to start. I wish I’d had something like that. That I could have gone to when I was just starting out. From there, they need a place to develop their road skills, but it’s hard when they don’t have bikes. I think maybe if the club could get a few bikes for the kids to use maybe more kids would try the road. Then if they decided they liked it they could get their own bike and start racing. If they didn’t like it then there is no real loss to them. I don’t know how much it would cost to get a few smaller roads bikes out there, but the only way more will come out is if they can try it without losing all their money.
SCC): I thank you for your time Alex. Lastly, your Training Log (Provide a sample week like Buck Miller did.)
Monday 1.5 hours, easy (rest day after weekend races)
Tuesday 3.5 hours, hard ride steady pace
Wednesday 2.5 hours, interval ride
Thursday 4 – 5 hours, endurance ride
Friday 1.5 hours, easy
Saturday Race (Classic 130km)
Sunday Race (Criterium 65km)