The next month ushers in a full program of racing and training with the Australian National squad. The races will be some of the biggest and hardest I have ridden and I’m itching to race the Giro, Cento and Tour de Limousin.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. The weekend past saw me race the RaboSter "Zeeuwsche Eilanden", a 2.2 UCI category, three day stage race held in Zeeland on the Dutch coast. Consisting of a 7km Prologue, and two typical Dutch road stages, the tour drew an impressive field.
With over two hundred girls and seven UCI teams taking the line, including Columbia, Nurnberger and Lotto-Belisol the races were bound to be hard. The roaring winds of the Netherlands combined with technical courses and enormous bunches ensure this is generally the case.
As always, I went into the three day race eager to get the adrenalin and heart pumping, but this time I was slightly more excited. The quality field included three of the world’s best female sprinters; Ina-Yoko Tuetenberg (Columbia), Suzanne de Goede (Nurnberger), and Rochelle Gilmore (Lotto-Belisol). I was excited to be able to race with them.
If travelling to Europe has changed anything about me at all it would be my desire. Racing week in, week out against the best riders in the world has only intensified my desire to be one of the best in the world. Every time I take the start line in Europe I find myself determined to prove myself. Racing against riders like Teutenberg and de Goede adds that extra incentive to do well.
Never having been known for my time-trialling abilities I finished a disappointing 131st in the opening 7 km Prologue, as much as I could make excuses and say I was at a disadvantage because I didn’t have any of the specialist equipment, the reality is that it was a dismal result and clearly an area I will have to work on in the future.
I went into Stage Two with all General Classification hopes dashed and with nothing to lose and everything to gain. The importance of being at the front was made obvious when the bunch splintered into three groups at around the 50 kilometre mark. The other three members of my team who had taken the start line that morning, Emma Trott, Mirthe Wagenaar and Sarah Cramoysan all found themselves in the chasing bunches. I had positioned myself well throughout the race so was still at the pointy end of the race with 20km to go.
Flexpoint, a Dutch based UCI team who are always very aggressive launched a few attacks but were reeled in by the Columbia team each time. Columbia clearly favoured their chances in a bunch finish, with sprinter Ina-Yoko Tuetenberg, arguably the best female sprinter in the world.
With 10 kilometres to go I found myself fighting for Teutenberg’s wheel. Coming into the last right hand corner with 300 metres to go there was no clear lead out train happening. Riders from Leontien, Lotto-Belisol, Nurnberger, Flexpoint and Columbia were spread across the road.
With about 200metres to go there was a near fall involving two girls, just in front of Teutenberg and I. Ina went one way and I went the other as the sprint for the line opened up. Suzanne de Goede who been in front of excitement crossed the line for a convincing win with Ina-Yoko a few bike lengths behind her. I crossed the line narrowly taking third from Loes Gunnewijk ( Flexpoint).
I was happy with the result and keen to repeat or better the performance in stage three but that was not to be. The third stage of the tour is renowned for its difficulty and often sees only thirty or so of the massive field finish. Going into the stage I had been told by a friend about last years race where only 24 girls had finished, she described the stage as the ‘hardest race of the year’- coming from an experienced racer this was a warning to be heeded.
The course which included two 7 kilometre bridges and a 6 kilometre dike, a form of road which sits above the land dividing the water from the land, to be ridden three times ensured the bunch was constantly spread single file battling the ferocious winds which the province of Zeeland turned on for us.
Coming into the race I thought I knew when to be at the front, admittedly in Dutch races, or any race in Europe really, you should always be at the front but constantly fighting to hold your position takes its toll. Crossing of the two bridges were obvious danger points and I was so focussed on these bridges that I’d neglected to think about the dike just before the finish line.
Coming onto the dike for the first of three times I was poorly positioned and found myself too far back when the pressure went down. The bunch splintered into three groups and I found myself in the third, with all the race favourites in the front bunch I knew where I had to be and so I attacked out of the bunch after the dike trying to close the gap.
With 30 kilometres to go the race came back together but I had expended a lot of energy chasing and wasn’t feeling too crash hot. With about 15 kilometres to go five girls made a break, all of the major teams bar Nurnberger were represented in the break. With no one chasing, the break rode away from the bunch. The placegetters came from this bunch, Nikki Harris a former Moving Ladies teammate, who signed with Flexpoint mid season, took second and I cruised to the line 35seconds behind first place.
It was a great tour and I was pleased to come out with a stage podium finish in a field of such quality. Hopefully I’ll be back next year with a stronger time trial and more experience, I might even have a crack at the young rider classification!
But now I’m back in Italy and have joined up with the Australian team headed by Martin Barras. It has been great to meet up with the all the girls who are racing with me in the Giro, (and to hear the Aussie accent again!). I can’t wait to pull the green and gold jersey over my shoulders and ride as part of an Australian team!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
'Second isn't first'- Dutch commentator.
I recently read an article on this year’s Paris-Nice or ‘the race to the sun’. An eight day historic stage race held every year in France during March, and attracting some of the world’s best male stage racers. The article brought to my attention something which has been a common theme in my last few races, “the power of numbers”. However, as disappointing as my last four races have been today’s UCI 1.2 category race held in Exloo, Drenthe was a welcome return to the form I had shown in my first few weeks here.
The Paris-Nice article spoke about how Alberto Contador, arguably the worlds best stage racer, was able to ride himself into the lead of the overall classification, no sooner to lose his yellow jersey as he found himself stranded, outnumbered with no support. Contador finished fourth overall, 1:24 behind Luis Leon Shanchez.
The Dorpenomloop Wijk en Aalburg, held in Marianne Vos’ home town on the 31st of May was a 128km road race consisting of four 30km laps and one smaller 8km lap. Like most Dutch races the course was flat and had sections of narrow, open roads with roaring winds. With Marianne Vos and her DSB team racing their aim was clear, get revenge for last year.
The year before Vos had been outnumbered by Flexpoint riders in the break and was unable to claim victory in her hometown, as soon as the race was underway it was obvious that Marianne and DSB weren’t going to let this happen again.
Forty kilometres into the race we hit a long, open stretch of road with a strong head cross wind. The whole DSB team moved to the front and began driving the pace leaving the bunch scrambling behind them. The bunch splintered to pieces with a group of 15 forming at the front of the race. I was one of these 15 riders, along with 5 DSB riders, 2 Leontien, 2 Flexpoint, 2 Merida, and three other club girls.
This group worked well together gaining a maximum of 5 minutes advantage on the bunch. With just under 30km to go the attacks began to fly. It was hard constantly reacting every time a DSB, Flexpoint and Leontien rider jumped because I knew I had to be there, my elastic band was stretching slowly.
When Marianne Vos attacked and a Flexpoint rider followed her my elastic band finally snapped. My legs blew and although I tried to close the gap the lactic acid in my legs was burning and I was eating handle bar stem trying to hold on to the other seven girls who had survived the constant attacking.
The run into the line was technical with a few sharp corners. With 500metres to go while taking a sharp left hand corner my front wheel was hit and as I looked down at my front wheel getting ready to open up the sprint with 200metres to go I saw the quick release of my front wheel was blowing loosely in the wind, completely undone. I choose not to contest the sprint and crossed the line in 9th.
If there is one thing almost every cyclist has been told it is this; You will lose more bike races than you will win. However, despite this, I still found myself increasingly frustrated with my performances in my past few races having come to expect more from myself.
Today’s 126km Top Competition race serves as a boost to my wavering confidence. With four 3.5 kilometre cobblestoned sections and three full strength UCI teams lining up the race was sure to be challenging. However, I went into the race excited and wanting to show that my performances in my first few UCI races in Europe weren’t a fluke.
The prospect of the cobbled sections left me with mixed feelings. I think it was somewhere between when we were driving over the small, unevenly spaced cobbles with the car rocking around all over the place doing reconnaissance and when Chris said ‘…and the other section is a little more hard’ that my stomach began to churn.
My last race with a cobbled section I had won, but these cobbles were much harsher and there was nowhere to hide. In some sections the cobbles were so overgrown with grass you could have been mistaken for thinking you were riding over a field, however rather than sinking your whole body vibrated violently as your bike complained loudly beneath you. These were the real deal.
Frustratingly, about a metre to the right there was a perfectly paved bike path which some of the guys who were racing after us thought would be fun to ride on and watch us suffer as we tried to control our bike over the unruly stones. Karma paid them back that afternoon when it rained during their race, I’ve been told cobbles and rain doesn’t mix.
Despite these cobbled sections, the race actually broke up with 25 kilometres to go on a technical cornered section. Adrie Visser from DSB attacked and Chantal Blaak from Leontien and Iris Slappendal from Flexpoint quickly jumped across to her, I followed in hot pursuit. Chantal, Iris and I worked well together and gained a gap of 45 seconds on the bunch and 25 seconds on a chasing group of three which we held to the end of the race.
With my legs screaming at me I took second in the sprint behind Chantal gaining 30 more UCI points.
The result was comforting after four races with somewhat lacklustre performances on my behalf. However, as the very blunt commentator pointed out to me in an interview after the race ‘second isn’t first’, I’m still looking for that big win in Europe, and I won’t stop until I get it.
The Paris-Nice article spoke about how Alberto Contador, arguably the worlds best stage racer, was able to ride himself into the lead of the overall classification, no sooner to lose his yellow jersey as he found himself stranded, outnumbered with no support. Contador finished fourth overall, 1:24 behind Luis Leon Shanchez.
The Dorpenomloop Wijk en Aalburg, held in Marianne Vos’ home town on the 31st of May was a 128km road race consisting of four 30km laps and one smaller 8km lap. Like most Dutch races the course was flat and had sections of narrow, open roads with roaring winds. With Marianne Vos and her DSB team racing their aim was clear, get revenge for last year.
The year before Vos had been outnumbered by Flexpoint riders in the break and was unable to claim victory in her hometown, as soon as the race was underway it was obvious that Marianne and DSB weren’t going to let this happen again.
Forty kilometres into the race we hit a long, open stretch of road with a strong head cross wind. The whole DSB team moved to the front and began driving the pace leaving the bunch scrambling behind them. The bunch splintered to pieces with a group of 15 forming at the front of the race. I was one of these 15 riders, along with 5 DSB riders, 2 Leontien, 2 Flexpoint, 2 Merida, and three other club girls.
This group worked well together gaining a maximum of 5 minutes advantage on the bunch. With just under 30km to go the attacks began to fly. It was hard constantly reacting every time a DSB, Flexpoint and Leontien rider jumped because I knew I had to be there, my elastic band was stretching slowly.
When Marianne Vos attacked and a Flexpoint rider followed her my elastic band finally snapped. My legs blew and although I tried to close the gap the lactic acid in my legs was burning and I was eating handle bar stem trying to hold on to the other seven girls who had survived the constant attacking.
The run into the line was technical with a few sharp corners. With 500metres to go while taking a sharp left hand corner my front wheel was hit and as I looked down at my front wheel getting ready to open up the sprint with 200metres to go I saw the quick release of my front wheel was blowing loosely in the wind, completely undone. I choose not to contest the sprint and crossed the line in 9th.
If there is one thing almost every cyclist has been told it is this; You will lose more bike races than you will win. However, despite this, I still found myself increasingly frustrated with my performances in my past few races having come to expect more from myself.
Today’s 126km Top Competition race serves as a boost to my wavering confidence. With four 3.5 kilometre cobblestoned sections and three full strength UCI teams lining up the race was sure to be challenging. However, I went into the race excited and wanting to show that my performances in my first few UCI races in Europe weren’t a fluke.
The prospect of the cobbled sections left me with mixed feelings. I think it was somewhere between when we were driving over the small, unevenly spaced cobbles with the car rocking around all over the place doing reconnaissance and when Chris said ‘…and the other section is a little more hard’ that my stomach began to churn.
My last race with a cobbled section I had won, but these cobbles were much harsher and there was nowhere to hide. In some sections the cobbles were so overgrown with grass you could have been mistaken for thinking you were riding over a field, however rather than sinking your whole body vibrated violently as your bike complained loudly beneath you. These were the real deal.
Frustratingly, about a metre to the right there was a perfectly paved bike path which some of the guys who were racing after us thought would be fun to ride on and watch us suffer as we tried to control our bike over the unruly stones. Karma paid them back that afternoon when it rained during their race, I’ve been told cobbles and rain doesn’t mix.
Despite these cobbled sections, the race actually broke up with 25 kilometres to go on a technical cornered section. Adrie Visser from DSB attacked and Chantal Blaak from Leontien and Iris Slappendal from Flexpoint quickly jumped across to her, I followed in hot pursuit. Chantal, Iris and I worked well together and gained a gap of 45 seconds on the bunch and 25 seconds on a chasing group of three which we held to the end of the race.
With my legs screaming at me I took second in the sprint behind Chantal gaining 30 more UCI points.
The result was comforting after four races with somewhat lacklustre performances on my behalf. However, as the very blunt commentator pointed out to me in an interview after the race ‘second isn’t first’, I’m still looking for that big win in Europe, and I won’t stop until I get it.
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