The Art of Poaching is of vital importance to the state. Write that down….. I’d like to take a quick minute out of my day to explain to everyone The Art of Poaching. Poaching is when another rider, whom you’ve never met, hops on your wheel to enjoy a free ride. It’s similar to a car hoping in behind a semi truck on the interstate to reap all it’s glorious benefits. When you’re out training in the U.S., you rarely get “Poached”. In Belgium, you get “Poached” almost on a daily basis. On a bike, it’s a bit odd. You’ll be riding along enjoying the day and some tunes when out of the corner of your eye, you’ll catch a glimpse of someone behind you. After a startled swerve and a gasp for air, you begin to wonder how long he’s been there. Oh no, did I snot on him? Did he hear me singing Sweet Home Alabama? Oh lord, even worse, did he hear me singing Rod Stewarts, “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy”? Shit I think he did…..All these thoughts will run through your head. Most of the time, the Poacher just quietly sits on your wheel and follows you around as you train on the windy, flat, narrow roads of West Flanders. There are a few things you can do to amuse yourself while being Poached. Sometimes it’s fun to gutter the Poacher and give him no shelter from the wind. I also get a kick out of bombing a few corners to make the Poacher work a bit to catch back on. Another fun thing you can do is to find a very short loop in a residential area. The best loops need to be under one kilometer. Then just see how long the Poacher is prepared to follow you before they throw in the towel. The best Poachers have a few good hours in them.

I get a kick out of the Art of Poaching, so awhile back I figured I’d start poaching the guys in the house when I saw them out training. But instead of just sitting on their wheels and not exchanging words, I decided that I’d blow their doors off instead. Basically, if I find someone in the house, I’ll sit 20 feet off their wheel until the time is right, as soon as they turn around to see what’s up, I hit them with the fury of God.

“Maverick to base, requesting a fly by”…… 

Some of the best poaching to my credit has been by hitting them by surprise. One time, I blew the doors off Eric and Justin coming down a highway overpass. I was on the other side of the road and had twice their speed. I stared them down the whole time. They didn’t even stand a chance…. Another time, I saw Voigt leaving to train so I headed out right behind him. After about 10 minutes, he noticed I was sitting a little off his wheel. When he eased up and looked back thinking I wanted to talk, I lit him up. He too didn’t stand a chance. With all the poaching I’ve been up to, things are getting a bit tougher. Now the guys will look back and see me there. They know what I’m planning, so now they’re prepared. It’s getting a bit harder. But none the less, the show must go on.

Categories: Austin King's Chronicles From Across The Pond.