Thanks a lot!

The summer is more about to end, than it is to start. Barcelona is far away behind and the beautiful landscapes I crossed are good memories. But it was a little start and help for other people.

I want to thank all the people who supported the road trip and the we ride against cancer project. The project raised €1500.

We can change things if we start small.

Joachim Vercaigne

We ride against cancer, more alive than ever!

Hello mates,

look, the last few dayes were different than I had expected. But you will always see with dreams. Some points fade away, other wishes become stronger, and some are taken away. Somebody else decided to make the road trip a little bit different.
And you don't hear me saying that nothing happened. I feel stupid about this all, but life goes on. And when I was thinking in Strasbourg about what was happen I didn't feel regrets about the scooter, are that I had to go back to Belgium. I felt sorry that the project not would have the finish and the festivities that it deserves. I took a day in Belgium to decide what will happen, and I decided some hours ago that I still go on. I will cross a little bit of holland and Belgium with a bike. So I will arrive in Doka as how it had to be. Because never forget, you can take away some of my illusions, but you can't take away my dreams.
I had a place X already now I will have a place Y, because this is the best cd of Coldplay. If some of you can convince me to arrive in your place on tuesday the 26th of June to stay the night and start the last ride to Doka you get from me 5drinktickets and 2foodtickets for the Doka Party. All you have to do is telling me in an e-mail why you want to be a part of We Ride Against Cancer, and why your place is so special. Go and spread this message into the world, because We Ride Against Cancer is more alive than ever.

Ciao,

Joachim

I am sorry to thell you this!

It hurts me to say that tonight the We Ride Against Cancer road trip is finished. On the surveillance video of the youth hostel we see that at three minutes after ten my scooter is robbed. Not more than five minutes before I was downstairs to search for a bar, some minutes before my room mate came upstairs after his diner, and saw my scooter. I putted my scooter for a reason in the view of the youthhostel, a quiet place.
It meens I will arrive tomorrow in Begium. I want to thank everybody who believed in the project, and supported me from the beginning.
I wanted to give a message of solidarity to everybody I knew. And getting people so far to start other things. I believe that only things can happen with people who do something. When I didn't made that tour they wouldn't have stolen my scooter. I feel a little pitty that I can not arrive at the Doka cafe on a scooter. But I feel fine if there is a party because something is moved to support the Child Cancer Foundation.
I am grateful to all the people who made this road trip possible. I hope this is not the end of supporting the project but a reason to continue. We all knew it was a great challenge and that it would be difficult. I mend it in the way of safety on the road and find the motivation to go on after problemes. I didn't mend it in the way of be stolen the scooter. I believe in the goodness of every person, and I didn't want to think aboat be stolen something. I felt safe on the road and I am happy I had the chance to see a lot of Europe. The wonderful views are forever in my mind and the good memories I will never forget. I is at least something they can't take away.
I am not about crying, or I am not depressive. I went to the police and I did everything I could. I will not arrive in Belgium on a scooter, but for sure I will arrive as a person who saw and learned more than before he left. This is a sad message, but wrote by a person who still can laugh.
Even in the bad periods try to keep your head up high, a message to everybody and a support for all the people who suffer from cancer.

Joachim Vercaigne
19/06/2007

Actions and Reactions

I already said it before but without the support of other people this road trip would be a lonely foul who drives a scooter from Barcelona to Belgium. But with the solidarity of other people this project can become something nice. So it becomes time to put some other people in the picture.

In the first place Wim from café Doka who said right from the beginning that the arrival in his bar was no probleme and he gave his support to make something nice of it. You guys have to come to make it a nice and special evening. I am very grateful to Wim for his support.

The dog school in Langemark gives from no on ten cent each drink to the We Ride Against Project, the money goes of course to the Child Cancer Foundation. I want to thank everybody there for the support.

The bakeries in Merkem, they give the pistolets for the bbq. The butchers give the meat. I will thank them all for their support.

One day I send a message to Stan, a friend of my during the exams. It is years ago but he still has the message. I told him that if I want something I can go true a wall if it is necessary. The reactions of some people who send an e-mail I want to put here. Because it is because of this reactions I really can and will drive true a wall if it is necessary. Or during hard times still find the motivation to go on. Thanks for the support.

Een fantastisch idee waarvoor veel moed en durf voor nodig is! Dikke proficiat! Stefaan Rousseeuw

Ik stond verstom, bleef aan mijn stoel genageld. Hoe is het mogelijk! Dat jonge lieve ventje, kleuter, peuter, schooljongetje, eerste, plechtige communicantje, student en nu ! Een grote idealist ben je!. Dat bewonder ik in jou. Zr. Rosaline MPI Klerken

Zo zul je zeker in de hemel geraken, en ik weet van meneer Danneels uit Mechelen (hij heeft een directe telefoonlijn naar de baas van de ‘hemel’ (of was het ‘café “In den Hemel”)), dat je daar je rijstpap zult mogen eten aan tafel naast Modder Teresa. Smakelijk ! Ortwin Debels

Imagine, the words of a dreamer.

Imagine, you drove a scooter true the mountains. From Sankt Moritz to Zurich. The sun was shining the whole day on your face and the temperature was flirting with the 30 degrees. The views were simply brilliant. A mixture from hills and lakes, the routes were quiet. You arrive in Zurich on a camping, next to the lake. It's to late to jump in the water. You want to share wat happend that day with somebody, or you just want to talk. Some minutes later a group of teenagers are installing their tent next to yours. They are with ten and they just want to be drunk. You think, right also this. You searching as a fool for dutchmen because belgians are not on the road this days. You don't find them. You going to enjoy the view at the border of the lake and a young swedish guy is sitting their to. But it's a pitty because he is smoking his joint, and smoking a joint you do alone. You don't want to be disturbed or talk neither. So you watching the game from the flies and the dugs. The dugs are trying to catch the flies out of the air. You even think it's funny. For the first time on your route you feel alone. You realise that the road trip is so beautifull, so beautifull you start writing an email. One to Cooltra, to say that We ride Against Cancer is not half a way, or about to end. But it is just the beginning. That Cooltra already can arrange a scooter for next year, because i am going back. But not only one. Their has to be to scooters. Because this road trip is so nice I want to do him with the girl of my life or at least with one of my friends. Because all the shit in this world, but for sure the beautifull things are not mend to live alone. They are mend to share.
It is still some hours to go before you will laugh or cry. Because the team you supported a whole year long is about to winning or losing the spanish championship. You are nervous. You are tired but you can't sleep. The tent next to yours is already drunk and one ashole is trying to be funny to disturb you. It starts to rain. Little by little are the drups becoming bigger and bigger, they come faster and faster. You don't understand, you try to do something good but only troubles come by. You pray it stops to rain because otherwise you have another sleepless and cold night outside. But it didn't bother, the water is searching for a way into your tent. Your feets beginning to get wet. You offer your beachtowel and a shirt to keep your body dry. But it doesn't help. You escape your tent with your lugage. You decide to sleep under a roof of a terrace. And because that is not enough, you receive a message that Blaugrana won the game but lost the title. You realise, all the good things but also the bad, they are not mend to face alone.

The message of this message is not about the troubles I go true, because I knew before. It is that we all have to realise, that things are a lot better if we can share them together.

Ciao amigos y hasta luego.

Joachim

Lecco - Maloja

A really cold day. Recieved a phoe call out of Barcelona, really nice weather. I was freeying. Even no nineteen degrees, but with the wind on the scooter it felt like under zero. But like that was not enough it started to rain as hell. It seemed the weather wants me to stop the road trip, but I don't think about it. I want to arrive at Doka on a scooter, and I will do. The rain was coming and coming and I looked tot the tops of the mountains. It didnt seem the rain would stop for today. I couldnt see a thing, I had so cold and normally I had to drive to Sankt Moritz. I realised that iut was no option to risk my life in the mountains, risking my life 4000km on a scooter was a big enough offer. So I stopped in Maloja. And really it brings back emotions of years ago. I love Switzerland, I only have goood memories about the country. And strange to say but I was there more than one month of my life and no one day rain. I just arrived there and only rain. But I think it had a reason. I had the most beautifull times of my youth there in Maloja. But there came a time I chose to focus my life on football coaching and I didnt have time to go on CM camps anymore. A pitty. But being back, alone, with the Maloja Palace not in use anymore I brought the memories back. Also memories to a very special girl, I will never forget. Leen Vansina. For that reason i put a new song on the Go gear against cancer. Air supply with all out of love. It is a typical song for us, and the song brought all the good memories back. The walks in the mountains, the beautifull things we did, and eating a pizza in the restaurant we ordered every night a Pizza. I was sitting there alone, it was almost to cry. But I didnt.
I keep my tears for tonight. I am in Zurrich and tonight the decision will fall for the Spanish title. I am afraid that Hijo de Putas Real Madrid will win the title. Than my heart will cry, and the tears will fall. But I am sitting next to a lake, with the sun on my face. Living from day to day, realising I am a happy guy.

Hasta luego.

Joachim

Italy

I still smile when I writing this. but the Italians I like them. Soi furious, so full of temprament but it is something special that you have to see to believe it. Arived in Torino I decided to choose. Or stadio delli Alpi, or visiting the city centre. Because I don't like the way the route is signed out in Italy. And what do you think, am I joachim Vercaigne oir not. Of course I chosen the Old Glorz of the oldest football club in Italy. Stadio delli Alpi. They dont play there anymore, it is not beautifull, and it never was full with people but I wanted to see it once in my life.
So I am driving on a big road. A man in the car next to me is also waiting for the trafic lights to jump on green. His window was open and I asked the direction of the stadium. But the lights jump on green, the car behind him alreadz tromping. The man brings his head outside the car, his hand in the air. He wants to go to Delli Alpi he screamed that everybody could hear it. He said, come on, folloy me, I bring you there. A smile on my face, Italians, crazy about football, that's what I like.
With the scooter you stands always before the cars to wait for the traffic lights. And iut seems to me that the cars behind dont focus on the lights to be fast to accelerate, but they wants to tromp bewfore you have the time to accelerate. Unbelieveable.
But the most crazy thing I ever faced had still to come. I visited the centre of Milano after visiting the San Siro or Guisepp Meazza stadium. But I wanted to leave the centre at six o clock in the evening. Full of trafic, I never saw it before. After 1500 km on a scooter you feel safe and you use the thing where the people buy it for. To travel fast where the car is no option, the city centre. Where the Vespa is the king, I decided to drive like an Italian. The nice thing is that everybody thinks I am a Spaniard. I ask everything in Spanish because the two languages have a lot in comon. Thank you dad to always telling me how imnportant languages are, I realised it. But like a real Italian I crossed from the left side of the road to the other side, overtaking on the right side and I have to say, it was a uniaue experience that I maybe never can do anymore. But also, I liked it.
But the weather in Italz was also not my frind. I installed my tent on a Camping in Lecco and it started raining. No problemes I tought untill I realised it rains inside my tent. I cursed like a real spaniard and the man who ownes the camping came by. I tought, look now, a person with solidarity. Yeah right, in my dreams, he was fast to arange a bungalow for me, fifty euro's a night. I said you fucking bastard, I prefer to wait in the toilettes till the rain is over, but i don't pax you fifty euro. I praid to God that the rain would stop. He heard me, I could start drying my tent, and start sleeping. Prepared to escape when the rain started again. Another experience who gives the We Ride Against Cancer tour some extra colour. I like it, fool, loco or totally crazy. It doesn't mather for me.