My health takes a turn for the better, and suddenly the Tour of Flanders is a go.
I’ve always dreamed of riding the Tour of Flanders (aka the Ronde van Vlaanderen, or “de Ronde” to cycling fans). Since 1913, this 242km cycling race has etched its serpentine path across the cobbled fields between Bruge and Oudenaarde, Belgium, a bone-rattling “Monument” Spring classic that offers its winners a piece of immortality. Eddy Merckx, Lotte Kopecky, Tadej Pogačar…this is where the greats come to become greats. I was supposed to add my name to the list of finishers in 2025, but then…
….the EYE THING happened.
Sudden black spots and light flashes, two emergency surgeries, and many days blindfolded on the couch, all in a desperate attempt to stop a detached retina in my left eye from blinding me permanently (see Part 1). Riding Flanders would likely remain a dream, as would many life ambitions being swallowed by this growing darkness.
But in one doctor visit, everything changed. [continued here]
