Finally An Update!!! Leonie Lives
The International Circuit, July/August
Racing with the Australian National Team over the last few weeks has definitely been a change of pace to my weekly kermese racing in Belgium. I've been constantly in 'travel mode' as I've travelled from Belgium to Czech, Italy, France, Germany and Holland, which is about 5300km of driving, 7 train trips taking 12hrs plus a plane trip all in just 6 weeks.
So from the top, I'll try a put it in a nutshell:
Tour of Krásná Lípa, Czech Republic UCI 2.2 [Composite Team]
Extremely hilly tour on dead roads, I soon learnt I really can't climb when Marianna Vos lapped me- on a 20km circuit! So game over after Stage 2, I think even if I didn't have the food poisioning I still wouldn't have been able to climb. Nonetheless I got to take a tour of the region on the remaining days, such a different style of living it seemed so innocent and hidden- great place to go hiking too- cheap as chips.
GP Carnevale d'Europa, Italy UCI 1.2 [Australian National Team]
It was like they took a Dutch race and put in it Italy- a perfect first race for me with the National Team! This one day race was flat and kinda fast. Along with the standard crew, we got to have Oenone Wood, Rochelle Gilmore and Emma Rickards, so mixing the experience in with the newbies- a great way to learn.
Oenone made the final break, while the rest of us practiced a lead-out for Rochelle. Bit more practice required.
Tour en Limousine, France UCI 2.2 [Australian Development Team]
Add Lousie Kerr and Ruth Corset and we were now the Australian Development team. Again a hilly tour, but nowhere near as fast as Krasna Lipa. Ruth had just got off a plane after racing Super Week in USA, so she had an amazing tour considering the massive fatigue she battle through. A nice prologue result had most of the team in the Top 20. The final GC saw Ruth finish in 8th.
Nurburgring, Germany [http://www.nuerburgring.de/home.324.0.html]
I returned to my humble home in Belgium, that was 10hrs on the train, then met up with Aussie's Greg & Scott Brown. Boys being boys, of course the tourist location was the Nurnburgring race track! It was actually quite cool seeing fancy cars in the middle of a farmland district. I did make them pay, by going hiking up an extinct volcano, which of course had great views of the track.
Olympia Preis Bochem Criterium, Germany [Australian National Team]
From one race track to another and back to the Dutch-style racing!! There was nice team work covering moves and leading out Rochelle, she won the sprint. My job was to sit her wheel as 'sweeper' and try and keep other sprinters out of the way. Of course everyone wanted her wheel, so I had fun being a pain in the butt and getting in their way. Incidentally I still came in 8th.
Sparkassen Giro, Germany UCI 1.1 [Australian National Team]
The day following the crit, was the 'big one'. I was really excited to race, but sadly got taken out on lap 2 or 6. The crash left no scars, but a twisted chain and seat took a bit too much time to see me get back on the peleton from the bottom of the climb. I think the appropriate Aussie expression would be "bugger".
On happy note, is Rochelle got 2nd for the team! Great work!
Holland Hills Classic, The Netherlands!!! [Australian National Team]
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2008/aug08/hollandhills08
In case you can't tell, I tend to like racing in the north of Europe. I'm completely biased as I've come to know many of the riders and teams, I suit their style of racing plus the Dutch are loud and crazy fun!!
On the morning of this race, the DS of a Dutch team asked if I be interested in riding with them for 2009. They have a nice program of races plus a great group of girls, so it might be a go'er!
So the course was very similar to my first European race back on March 30th, so I knew what to expect- when you get to a hill, just go hard cause it not going to be much longer than 1km. Except for 3 that were very steep or long. Tiffany Cromwell got away in an early break, so I spent most my ride near the front with Vicki Whitelaw covering moves. On the 24% climb Vicki rolled away in a group of 6 and I was in a group following with Carlee Taylor. Tiff had one of her best results of the season with 4th. I was very happy with the race, especially being able to get over the many climbs. Its not called the Holland Hills Classic for jokes!
AIS House. Verase, Italy
That brings us to now, I'm in Italy. Making the most of the Italian standard issue Gelati and coffee for the next 2 weeks and of course punching out some decent k's. The U23 boys who rode with us yesterday, just forced me to stop at the half way point, in Switzerland of course, with the mountains that make Mac Pass look small, drop steeply into the lakes below. It was one of the nicest rides I've been on in Europe! Such beautiful scenery. I'm looking forward to this weekend, 5hrs sat/sun. Then resting up for the Plouay World Cup, France and the Trophee D'or Tour that follows.
Delayed Again
What can I say, I'm female, of course I'll keep changing my mind and my return flight to Australia. I will also now be doing the Holland Ladies Tour UCI 2.2 Sept 2nd-7th . A friend in one of the Dutch Pro teams thought I might do well in the tour, hopefully gain some UCI points which helps in pro team selection. So just one more tour added and then its back to Oz! I promise, really, I'll come back eventually???
