New Colours for 2013!(0)

So this is my first blog post from across the pond aka stateside aka the USA. Despite everything tending to be bigger here in the US, I intend to keep my blog postings shorter and more frequent this year (well this is the plan!).

Its been a little over 3 weeks now since I took off from London Heathrow. A smooth flight to Philadelphia was followed by some airport time before another flight onto Greensboro, North Carolina. From there it was a short drive to Winston-Salem and the home town of Team SmartStop P/B Mountain Khakis. A longggg day but I had made it and I could begin to relax.

Season 2013 and USA Calling(0)

The racing season rapidly approaches and for me in 2013 that will mean the USA! Those that know me and those that have followed my progression in the cycling world here on my blog will know how much that has involved Belgium.

The Belgium chapter will continue I can assure you of that. However for season 2013 the USA beckons and a chance to try and make an impact on the American cycling scene and a chance to continue making my way in the sport. And so to my new team for 2013, Team SmartStop P/B Mountain Khakis. A US Continental cycling team based in North Carolina.

Time for R&R, and some Thank You’s(0)

My 2012 season began way back on the 19/02 and with my final race on the 14/10, it is finally time to relax, reflect and look ahead to the rest of 2012, 2013 and beyond!

There have been ups and there have been downs (expected as a cyclist) but the good times always outweigh the bad.

All in all I took 3 wins this year, 1 overall classement win, and 3 further podium placings amongst other 10′s.

Only a matter of time…(0)

Time again for an update as this 2012 season in Belgium continues.

Yet again the consistency has continued but also now I can happily say that consistency has been rewarded with some wins.

Victories have been near all year but found myself just missing out. However with three wins and one overall classement win in two weeks, I have finally been able to enjoy that sweet feeling of success again. It was simply about keeping the faith knowing that it was only a matter of time before the persistence paid off.

Riding hard and back to writing about it!(0)

So its been way too long since my last posting. Since that mid-April time post, my race schedule has increased, my condition also (always a satisfier) whilst the weather like much of europe has continued to be mixed.

However with nice spells of nice, sunny belgium days, the good weather has outweighed those bad days….just! We’ll get the real low point of these past months out the way first and that came on my return to the UK for the National Championships, which certainly did not go to plan.

Back to the Front(0)

So last time I was posting about the great weather we were experiencing in Belgium at that time. Unfortunately the sun has gone and the rain has returned. Clearly 20 degrees+ in March was a treat. I’m hoping a treat that returns soon.

Nonetheless come rain or shine I have continued on my road to recovery, and in the weeks since my last posting, have recorded my first podium position of the year with a 3rd in a kermesse race in Bury.

Up and Running(0)

So it’s been a fairly quiet start of the season for me, but I can say now that things are underway.

A blood test here in Belgium revealed lower iron levels, which most likely explains my lethargic start to the new year. Since then things have been progressing nicely for me and the body is finally getting back to some sense of normality.

Training has been consistently better and I have begun racing and quickly finding my feet again.

Raring to Go!(1)

The season is here and so I thought it was about time that I posted my first blog of 2012, to fill you in on whats been happening over the winter months and what I am up to in this coming season.

The winter consisted of some functions, some visiting, catching up with UK life, not to mention a couple of trips back to Belgium.

Up and Running(0)

So it’s been coming and I’m happy to say I have my first win of the 2011 season in Belgium! And oh, what a fine day it was.

Everything fell into place and to finish it off with the win was extra special. After a lot of bad luck before and in the earlier part of the season with injuries, crashes and what-not, it’s a nice feeling now that things are going my way. Patience has paid off – not that I doubted it – but it is certainly nice to blog about some success rather than the ‘what might have been’.

In ten days or so I had four races: the first three of which came within four days of each other.

Wouter Weylandt, Special Forever(0)

So I’ve been meaning to put together a blog post of my latest experiences of life here in Flanders. This season has certainly had its ups and downs, but all this seems rather irrelevant after the events of this week. Cycling indeed has its fair share of tragedies and the death of Wouter Weylandt in Stage 3 of the Giro this year is another one added to that list.

My first memory of Wouter Weylandt was when I watched a pro criterium in Sint Niklaas back in 2008 and since that night have always been a fan of one of the most popular Belgian riders around.

The Season is Underway!(0)

Back in the heartland and my season is officially underway. It’s great to be back racing and despite a disrupted winter the body is feeling surprisingly sprightly. I have defied the norm these past few months.

From having much of the winter off the bike with an achilles injury, to starting the season (albeit a little later than originally planned) with testing figures that are higher than could have imagined six weeks previous.

My condition has returned remarkably quickly and it finally meant one thing: it was time to get myself back off to Belgium and get this 2011 season started.

Getting Back On It(1)

So I thought it was about time I posted another blog update.

I’ve been rather quiet of late and the reason being quite simply there’s not been much to talk about.

I’ve been plagued by misfortune after misfortune this winter which ironically gave me lots more time to update the blog, yet I was short of anything really interesting to say – until now that is…

Off-Season Report – So Far! Dan Patten’s Blog(0)

It’s Christmas time, which means the first half of the off-season is coming to an end.

Time has flown by since finishing up my season in Belgium mid-October. The body was certainly in need of recovery, after hitting the ground too many times in the second half of the season.

Not least because on two occassions I was hit by cars, with the last time coming just a week before the end of the season…

End of Season Report! Dan Patten’s Blog.(3)

So the end of the season has arrived.

All in all it’s been a good year – I’ve learned a lot, showed my strength (although sometimes a little too much) and certainly had some success along the way. My form and my strength increased throughout the entire first half of the season, where I took my first win in Belgium, as well as having a number of podium places.

Since then the luck hasn’t gone my way…