Day 3 - In Bruges (aka The Calm Before the Ronde)

Well, Bruges is quite a town and getting here an extra day before the Ronde Van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) was a wise move. Though I had a peaceful evening and morning, by mid-afternoon a buzz of tourists (Spaniards, British, etc) began descending on the town, capped by a massive free evening concert in the main square. How cycling crazed are the Belgians?  Today´s national newspaper featured Tornado Tom and Sparticus on the front page...and that was IT for the news! And where else can you see pictures of cobbled streets, medieval buildings, Gazelles galore, ads featuring Johan Museeuw, hybrid-style Cervelo R5's, cathedrals, luxury cycle shops, Belgian beer, rabbit meals, chocoate & waffles, and more daily frite-eating than I thought one could consume in a year? For my full daily photo gallery, check out: http://photobucket.com/InBruges or click HERE for a slideshow. I'm leaning towards the national hero in this one, figuring Fabian's recent crash will be enough to swing the balance.  Plus, thanks to the amazing folks at Museeuw Bicycles, I'll be back with a first-hand VIP race report by Sunday night!!!