Andy Fenn Diary
Omega Pharma – Quick-Step | January 23, 2012
The Tour Down Under went well for OmegaPharma, even if the first few stages were pretty hard. We worked to get our lead-out sorted, even if it's quite difficult in a new team, new guys and a new jersey. And we are up against Sky and Lotto. We just tried not to make the same mistakes twice.
Matt Brammeier went in an escape for us on stage three, which meant TV time. The bunch, however, stayed on him and didn't want to let him go. Everyone was nervous after Will Clarke succeeded in stage two to Sterling.
I've raced in Australia before, a track world cup in Melbourne a couple of years ago and then I was in Geelong for the Under 23 Worlds. It was my first time in Adelaide, though.
Travelling is great for a young rider, and it certainly doesn't bother me. It's good to see different places and people. My friends back home say, 'Ah, you're going here and there!?'
It's quite cool to be able to say you've been around the world. We time to explore more than just the hotel. I arrived early in Australia with my team-mates ahead of the Tour Down Under and I was able to see something of the Adelaide area. You don't see loads; it's not as if you are on holiday.
When I am at home in England or at my base in Belgium, it's easy for my parents to come and watch me race. I see them quite a bit because it's only about a three-hour trip in the car for them to get to where I live, near Brussels.
I've been bonding with my team-mates at the camps and at the Tour Down Under. We mostly speak in English, but it'd be good to be able to speak in Flemish or a foreign language. You can survive without speaking a foreign language these days, but I wouldn't mind learning another couple of languages. It's always good to do, especially if you go to a race where you only have Belgian or Italian team-mates.
I live about 20 minutes from Brussels, the east of Belgium. When I go out to buy a coffee or food, they know you're English and speak English anyway. So, it's harder to learn in that respect. Well, I'll have time to learn when I'm back home and at the next races. Next is the Challenge Mallorca in Spain.