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Twelve
Days
in
Belgium:
The
Northern
Classics
2002
Story
and
Images
by
Tony
Szurly
Copyright
(c)
by
Tony
Szurly
2002.
All
rights
reserved.
Editor's
Note:
DP
Reader
Tony
Szurly
spent
12
days
in
Belgium
watching
the
great
races,
touring
and
riding
the
courses.
In
the
first
installment,
Tony
tells
us
about
the
Ronde
van
Vlaanderen.
This
is
the
second
of
his
reports
for
the
Daily
Peloton.
|
Part
Two
-
Mapei,
Merckx
and
Chocolate
|
Monday
I
found
out
that
the
Mapei
team
was
staying
in
the
Park
Hotel
in
Kortrijk,
so
I
hopped
on
the
train
and
headed
over.
Half
the
team
was
scouting
out
the
World's
course
in
Zolder
and
the
other
half
were
lounging
away
in
tracksuits
at
the
hotel.
Andrea
Tafi
signed
a
replica
of
his
Italian
National
Champion's
jersey
from
1998
and
a
photo
from
Sunday's
race
for
me.
You
could
tell
he
was
still
pumped
up.
Mapei
had
a
big
dinner
planned
with
champagne
in
honor
of
his
win.
Mapei
owner
Giorgio
Squinzi
was
there
as
well.
There
was
a
carnival
in
town
and
he
headed
out
with
a
photographer
to
try
his
hand
at
the
carnival
games.
Het
Nieuwsblad
the
next
day
showed
him
with
an
air
rifle
shooting
away
for
prizes,
but
he
had
already
claimed
maybe
the
biggest
prize
of
his
career.
Mapei
DS
and
former
Ronde
winner
Eric
Vandaeraarden
was
spending
the
afternoon
taking
his
wife
and
kids
around
the
carnival.
The
town
square
was
filled
with
people
at
cafe
tables,
enjoying
the
spring
sunshine.
The
giant
Mapei
bus
and
their
gaudy
mobile
service
course
were
parked
outside
the
hotel.
Inside,
Michele,
the
team
mechanic,
was
working
on
bikes
in
a
veritable
Aladdin's
Cave
of
Colnago
bikes,
Mavic
wheels
and
gear.
Also
in
town
were
Alessio,
CSC-Tiscali
and
Big
Mat.
|
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Mapei
Service
Course
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In
the
truck
-
Tom
Steels'
frame,
No.
76
|
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Eric Vanderaerden, Mapei
Directeur
Sportif and former Ronde winner
|
Next
on
the
agenda
was
a
visit
to
Eddy
Merckx's
factory,
arranged
for
us
by
Hendrik
Redant,
Lotto
assistant
DS
and
former
teammate
of
Merckx's.
The
factory
was
in
the
middle
of
a
quiet
little
neighborhood
in
Meise,
outside
of
Brussels.
Eddy
lives
in
the
house
attached
to
the
factory,
there
was
a
soccer
goal
set
up
in
the
backyard.
Inside,
we
were
given
a
nice
tour
of
the
assembly
and
finishing
of
the
frames.
We
saw
Eddy
in
one
of
the
offices
right
on
the
factory
floor,
the
workers
told
us
he
was
here
nearly
every
day.
One
wall
was
lined
with
boxes
of
various
aluminum,
steel
and
titanium
tubing
sections
of
all
shapes.
Working
in
the
factory
were
many
of
Eddy's
former
Molteni
teammates,
including
an
unassuming
gentleman
named
Eduard
Janssens,
who
had
once
finished
in
the
top
ten
in
the
Tour
de
France.
The
paint
shop
was
immaculate.
The
Domo
team
bikes
were
the
big
seller;
they
couldn't
build
them
fast
enough
to
keep
up
with
demand.
After
the
tour,
Eddy
came
out
of
his
office,
which
held
a
big
case
full
of
trophies,
cups,
medals
and
other
memorabilia
of
his
great
career.
He
shook
hands
with
everyone
and
I
watched
my
hand
get
engulfed
by
his
huge
paw.
He
asked
a
secretary
to
bring
out
some
photo
cards,
he
stepped
outside
for
pictures
and
autographs
and
thanked
us
for
stopping
by.
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In
the
Eddy
Merckx
factory
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Eddy
Merckx
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Next
-
Tuesday
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