Niels Albert plays in the sand!

According to Niels Albert, "Stupid things lead to success." Or, that's what the translate bots are saying he said. If you haven't heard, Albert spent the run up to Cross Worlds training in sunny spain. But he didn't just do intervals, he also practiced his sand skills. Knowing how crucial the sand sections are on the Koksijde circuit, he set up chairs on the beach and practiced turns and riding a sandy course.

Evidently, the Topsport Vlaanderen team was training in the same sunny locale, and Niels is sure they got a laugh out of watching him play on the beach while they sat on the deck chairs of the hotel and sipped their coffees. But! It worked! Niels was the only rider who could consistently ride the entire length of those massive dunes, which was pretty awesome to behold.

We (or, Sporza) has lovely viddy of Niels playing in the sand. Really, it's fun to watch. Because Sporza won't let me embed the viddy, you'll have to click on the link here.

Remember, kids - practice makes perfect.