03 May 2008 - The Good, The Bad and, The Ugly

Bad days on the bike make the good ones so much sweeter!

As it goes in sport, there are highs and lows both emotionally and physically. This last weekend had been a case "The Good", "The Bad" and the "The Ugly" being Begijnendijk, Bornem and Sinaai respectively.

Thursday 1st May – Bornem Criterium, 63km – 35 x 1.8km lap

35 Starters, 19 finishers. 23rd Place….. THE BAD

Today was one of those days when you know things are not going to happen right from the time you wake up, so I wasn't too disheartened when it didn't!

Bornem was the hometown for the DS of AA Drink Pro Team, so they were keen to win here. The hail and tight corners over cobbles sorted the field out swiftly, including me. Being the first time to race such a technical crit in the wet, I lost time and wasted energy and ended up I was out the back in a matter of laps. As did most the field after West-Flemish Grace Verbeke (Lotto-Belisol) attacked off the front. Only 19 finished and most were gone even before me. I was pulled out, but still placed 23rd and got 5euro for putting up with the rain. Lucky I rode in the morning, as 15km doesn't quite make the cut for training.

Results             http://www.wielernieuws.be/wedstrijd/bornembetavycq_2008.html

Friday 2nd May – Begijnendijk, Open Omloop. 98km – 14 x 7km lap

81 Starters, 72 finishers, 2nd place….THE GOOD

With no sign of hail, today looked great! It was a flat circuit with a few corners; long finish straight and a left-hander directly after the finish line that would be interesting for the sprint primes. After the race I found out there were primes around the corner at the café too!

It was an exciting race with many attacks, a group of 5 got away early and we worked quite well but the bunch chased us down. I seemed to be in every attack that went until I realised that there was still 50km to go, I had won a few primes and so I slipped back into the peloton for a bit of recovery. Of course at this point, a great break goes up the road! I waited a lap and a half to see if the peloton would bring it back, but it was not to be. As one of our supporters said "One lap I see you on the back of the peloton, the next lap I see you in the break!? How can that be?". In half a lap I bridged the gap, a few laps later 5 more riders joined us and we rode clear of the peloton in an 11 person break. With only 4 other riders willing to work, I attacked the group hard, stringing them out along the road. It was futile, but woke them up to step up the pace after I yelled "my mother rides faster than this" at them. Sadly only the NZ girl laughed!

Yet again, I ended up 2nd in the sprint to Ilse Geldhof who attacked quite early in the sprint. Though the Belgium's are starting to think I am selling off the win!

Results http://www.wielernieuws.be/wedstrijd/begijnendijkbetanhxx_2008.html

Avg Speed 40.27km/hr
Avg Heart Rate 170
Max 197bpm
Max Speed 62km/hr

Sinaai

Saturday 3rd May – Sinaai, Open Omloop. 86km – 12 x 7.2km lap

85-0dd? Starters, 35 finishers, DNF….THE UGLY

Today was a case of 'close but not quite'. No attacks were able to get away today, the very narrow roads and a headwind on the open road seemed to keep the breaks at bay? Its strange how some courses can be so similar but the breaks can get away on one and not the other?! Unfortunately this meant a massive bunch sprint, although it was a relatively straight finish, with 3km to go we passed over a cobble section that narrowed due to 'road furniture'. You guessed it, a crash. Although I stopped it time, you must remember that it is a women's race. So I ended up being run into by the rest of the peloton and belly-sliding across the cobbles. I had to get a bystander to remove the two bikes that had piled on top of me! No broken bits or bike, just the bunch rode away for what was probably a great sprint where Latoya Brulée from AA Drink took out the win.

Results: http://www.wielernieuws.be/wedstrijd/sinaaidfjt_2008.html

In the Politics

Regarding the Lotto Team. I have decided to stay with my club team SCF Liedekerke. It may sound crazy, but when you think of it, if I join Lotto, it would only be for 6wks before I join the Australian National Team. It would be unlikely that I would get to start the World Cups and SCF have been so supportive that it would be rude not to stay with them.

On The Social Side

I felt like I have an instant family now, I went out for the first time in Oudenaarde to a Pizza restaurant with Emma J & her partner Martin, Jurgen & Sabine Landrie. They certainly know how to eat here, from the small appetisers that come complimentary to the after dinner lemoncello. The pizza, although in Belgium, was true Italian style but American size, it didn't even fit on the plate! I felt like the odd one out, after my time in Cobar where "dressing up" to go out for dinner still consisted of thongs and shorts. I struggled to match the Swedish & Belgium's fashion sense, which is quite classy! Haha Maybe by the time I get back I will learn to dress like a woman??