I need to stop bad-mouthing Belgium.  The Karma is catching up with me…  Despite the bashing, I actually really like racing up there. Racing up north is crazy dynamic: you always have to be on your toes, riding the front, heads-up, and ready to go - no relaxing.  I like that. And the fans - it’s unreal. Unfortunately this year racing in Belgium hasn’t agreed with me so much.  Sick for the first two races, then crashed and whacked my knee in De Panne, forcing me to spend the rest of the week in bed pretty much, then I got out there yesterday at Flanders.  Considering all I actually felt pretty good. I was part of the crew going like hell for the break that never went, and then as it calmed down and the field sat up I got tangled up in two crashes.  After the Koppenberg, about 200k in, having been split off 1 climb earlier and thoroughly cracked I couldn’t have been happier to see the team car up the road and the soigneurs standing there with a bottle of tea.  That was my day.  Back in Girona now to get the knee fully healed up, bang out a few days of training, and then head back up north on Thursday to preview a bit the Roubaix course.  So…  Although Roubaix is France and hopefully that’s enough to change my luck, it’s close enough for me to scream out the window  ”I LOVE BELGIUM! IT’S AWESOME!!”