Spidermonkey of the Week - Jan Van Nuffelen aka The Belgian

The Belgian!

My first 7 months in the US...
It all started at the end of December 2011... my company offered me a 2-year assignment in the US. It was a bit overwhelming, but I was willing to take the opportunity. I still remember that my biggest concern was the location: Chicago, Illinois … Google maps did not show any topography, all flat. Not ideal for a cyclist!

The Tour of Flanders Cyclosportive: Cobbled Madness

At the end of April I made the move and traveled to the US. No family, no friends and no girlfriend…and a totally different culture. The first thing I did that first weekend was went looking for a decent bike shop. I looked on the internet and found Get A Grip Cycles where I met Ken. He suggested joining a group ride with the Spidermonkeys…

Arrival @ my apartment...shipping bikes is always stressful

It took me two missed team rides before I even could join the ride. I live in the western suburbs (Elmhurst) and have to drive 35 minutes to get started. Not easy for a foreigner to find the meeting point. Luckily, the second time I had a look from the other side of the parking lot and found the meeting spot. In Belgium it’s pretty straight forward. If you want to join a team ride, you just show up at 8 AM in front of the local church. It doesn’t matter in which village or city you live, this is the general rule. If you missed the start, you just wait in the local bar…every cycling team is having some beers together after the ride.

Racing in Belgium

Topography! (Not Chicago)

Some bad things happened at the end of June. I just rode my first race in the WORS together with Jonny and Amy. The day after the race I went to Palos for a training ride after work. I already was a bit tired and before I even could react I went over the handlebars and hit a rock with my head. I felt a bit dizzy and decided to go to the hospital for a check-up. Better to play it safe in case something happened at night all alone in my apartment.

After some scans and some more tests, the doctor told me some shocking news. I had a tumor on my pituitary gland. I have never had this feeling before, but at that moment I really felt how your life can change in 1 second. 3 hours later I was back on the plane to Belgium. The following 6 weeks I got used to the medication and had a difficult time to accept the fact of living with uncertainty. I will never forget the support I got from each of you

The Japanese Spidermonkey told me: “Misfortune turns into fortune”… This keeps me going. Everything happens for a reason.  Focus on what you can control, and don’t waste energy on the things you cannot… I can say that I learned already quite a lot in my first 7 months in the US! I’ve been back in the US since September and will be monitored here. So far so good, medication and tests are improving. And the most important thing: I’m back on my bike!

Every weekend I look forward to riding together with a great group of people. When you are riding you don’t need to think of anything and everything seems to be so simple. After each ride I feel good and realize that I’m really fortunate to be a Spidermonkey….the only Belgian Spidermonkey!

Sincerely,
Jan Van Nuffelen