'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.