La Grande boucle Fèminine

Internationale 2008

Tuesday, June 17th

1^st STAGE, 82km

(Gent →Wattrelos (Belgium))

It’s been a great experience starting this tour. Before the race we had quite a few supporters bundling up around our team stand. My European team is the best team in Belgium, and with the tour starting in Belgium we had a lot of supporters there to support the team. Must admit it’s a wonderful feeling being a cyclist in Europe where the people truly love the sport. I only got my bike yesterday. I thought the setup on it was okay. Only had time for a quick 30 min ride between all the travelling and team presentation Monday evening. It wasn’t enough to find my correct position on the bike. I felt uncomfortable during the whole race. Afterwards when they measured me again, they saw that my saddle was 2cm too high. I felt powerless throughout the stage, but thought it was because of the travelling.

The race started with a good tempo, then head onto a cobble section the men also did in the well known Paris Roubaix. Going over the cobbles ripped the bunch to peaces; I also couldn’t manage to stay on and finished in the second group.

Wednesday, June 18th

2^nd STAGE, 61km

(Wallers →La louvière (Belgium))

The race started with a neutralised cobble section because racing over it would cause many crashed and punchers which the organisers didn’t want from the start. It makes the race then more difficult to control. It’s that part of the men’s Paris Roubaix where the guys mostly rode on the small gravel side paths. I am glad we didn’t race over it; just riding over it neutralised was difficult enough. The bunch formed a long line on the side paths and I could only see dust in front of me. It was quite an experience.

Today the tour really only started, yesterday everyone was still holding back a bit. Trying to find their place in the pelaton. I can feel my experience is lacking, I struggle to keep myself in front. And made an unnecessary mistake, I was in the front bunch and 10km to go we went down a long downhill and I was sitting around the back and when we reach the bottom of the downhill there where a few splits and it was to late to chase back. Still can’t believe the bunch actually split on a downhill. The downhill had a lot of turns going through small towns. And it just shows you again how important it is to race in front!!

3^rd STAGE, 91km

La louvière → Fourmies (france))

Two stages in one day, makes a day really long. I forgot how hard cycling in Europe is. The stage turned into a disaster for me. Not even 20km into the race we went over cobbles, going over my seat post snap, I luckily didn’t crash but had to stop and get the team’s spare bike. It was too small but ok to continue while they fixed mine. It didn’t even take them 5km and I got it back. The whole incident caused me to stop a few times and chasing back cost me unnecessary energy. I could feel it towards the end. But manage to finish 35^th, still in the main group

Something that drawn my attention today was the way my team mates rode Everyone in the team rides unselfishly wanting to help each other when ever they can. In European team’s you don’t really have a team leader; everyone is equal if you finish first or last. A few times Lieselot de Croix from our team who is chosen for Olympics came to me and said lets go to the front. Then I just sit behind her and get a free ride to the front. That’s when you start respecting your team mates and don’t mind working for them J

Thursday, June 19^th

4^th STAGE, 109km

(Montdidier → Drancy (France))

Standing up in the morning, looking out of your window with rain falling down is a beautiful sight but a horrible feeling when you’re a cyclist. That’s how I felt today.

The rain was coming down hard as we started the stage, and played an important role on the day. A few girls came down hard. Racing in the rain is always difficult, and the girls made the pace hard and fast from start to finish

Everyday I’m getting more and more comfortable on my bike and today I felt really good, finished 18^th.

Friday, June 20^th

5^th STAGE, 40km Individual TT

My first thought about the stage was “how do I pace myself for so long.” But warming up for the TT I just felt more confident, I realized that I’ve been doing a few MTB races before I came over where I had to pace myself 3-4h. I didn’t know whether I am good enough to compete against the others but I know my body and what I can do. Training with power taught me a lot about myself.

When I started I went up to my threshold power and tried to keep it there till the end. I felt good and in control doing the TT. Going into the last 5km I felt my tire losing pressure but kept on riding. The last 2km it was completely flat, luckily it was my front tire and I could continue till the finish.

I finished 39^th, I am happy. It was my first 40km TT and I learned a lot about myself. I actually prefer longer TT.

(Domaine du lac de Chalain →Clairvaux - les- Lacs (France))

Saturday, June 21^st

6^th STAGE, 105km

(Lac d’Aiguebelette → Villard-de-Lans (France))

I woke up knowing I am not going to have a good day. I just couldn’t get into racing mode and felt like falling asleep. I don’t know why I felt so tired. The race started with a slight uphill and I didn’t have the power to go hard. I’m ashamed to say it but I was the first to drop from the bunch. I just kept on riding because I wanted to finish the stage, and as I continued I started feeling better and rode myself back into a little group.

My only highlight of the day was seeing the finish

Sunday, June 22^nd

7^th STAGE, 85km

(Guillestre → Sestrière (Italie))

I felt nervous starting the stage, especially after yesterday. But a message I received earlier the morning saying ‘it’s the last day, so give everything’, kept repeating itself in my head. A girl attacked and 3 followed her, I saw them getting a small gap and just felt I had to go so I jumped across. Two came with me and we formed a break of 7 and opened a gap up to 2minutes going onto the first 30km clime of the day.

The time gap helped me a lot because the front girls only caught us half way up. I tried staying on as long as possible but they were simply too strong and ended 18^th.

I am pleased with my result, especially if I think back at the whole experience, how I had to adapt to a new bike, shoes and the travelling in a short time.

Starting in Belgium and doing some real difficult cobble sections, then into France, riding up the Alps and then finishing the tour in Italy. Made it an awesome tour, it had something of everything and the scenery, especially in the Alps was breathtaking. I gained a lot of experience and think it was a good start to my European season.