Ninove Post Tour Criterium

World Champion Mark Cavendish vs Green Jersey Winner Peter Sagan

Mark Cavendish in action

The posts Tour de France criteriums cause for some great excitement in towns across Belgium.  It usually is a race on a short circuit through the centrum (city centre) where people line the streets to cheer for their heroes.  We were able to watch one of these criteriums this past weekend in Ninove.  Not fully knowing what to expect we showed up for the race and much to our surprise some really big names including Mark Cavendish, Peter Sagan and Robbie McEwan were taking part.  There was one rider from almost every team that participated in the Tour de France.  From what I can understand this is a bit of a show and the finishing places are usually predetermined but it is not every day that you get to see top riders like this race right past you lap after lap. 

As with many other typical Belgian events these events are also enjoyed by the crowds drinking Jupiler drafts (well known Belgian beer) and eating frites (Belgian style fries) bought from caravans or trucks next to the road.

In the end it was Mark Cavendish that finished ahead of Robbie McEwan and Peter Sagan.

Podium with Mark Cavendish in 1^st, Robbie McEwen in 2^nd and Peter Sagan in 3^rd

It was fun doing some watching instead of racing for a change.

Peter Sagan in action

French Flair

Last weekend we raced in the province of Limousin, France.  During the tour we stayed in a little town named Aubusson on the Creuse River.  The town is known for its rich tapestry history and is home to the Museum of Tapestry which hosts a collection of tapestry some dating as far back as 400 years.  We were definitely not in town to explore carpets but did enjoy some of what the historic town had to offer. 

The town of Aubusson and the Pont de Terrade - 17^th century stone bride over the river Creuse

Every day Cherise and I walked over the 17^th century stone bridge,  the Pont de Terrade , to a little coffee shop in town.  Although we cannot go without cappuccino for a day the coffee shop also had internet which, believe it or not, is as scarce as hen’s teeth while racing in France and Italy.  I have found that the lack of internet can actually be really refreshing at times.  I finally had time to finish my book The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony (http://www.amazon.com/The-Elephant-Whisperer-Life-African/dp/031256578X).  In the middle of France I had a little piece of South Africa with me and this true life story about a conservationist that was asked to accept a herd of ‘rogue’ elephants on his game reserve I just could not put down.

Daily coffee shop stop

Seeing the Paris skyline with the Eiffel Tower all lit up in the distance makes up for the 8 hour drive back to Belgium and for only getting back at 3am. 

Feet up, relax and enjoy the drive

A random tower and part of the river Creuse which runs through town – Postcard Pretty!!!

Province of Limousin, France

Race Report: Tour Feminin en Limousin

This is just the race report and a blog about my experience in France will follow shortly.

For the first time in a Europe I lined up for a race that I have done before.  Having competed in the Tour Feminin en Limousin (UCI 2.2 Tour in the province of Limousin, France) last year gave me an idea of what to expect this time around.  With Marianne Vos and her Dutch National Team on the start list we knew that it was going to be a tough four days of racing.

The race consisted of three road race stages and one individual time trial on the second day.  All three road stages were on rolling terrain through the countryside with some low gradient climbs and twisty forest roads. 

Our team for the race was Kaat Hannes, Kim Schoonbaert, Cherise Taylor, Joline Goossen and I.

A break with Marianne Vos and two other riders went early in the first stage of 128km.  We attacked and followed several moves on the first climb and got away with a small break on several occasions but nothing was staying away.  The bunch split on this climb and a group of about 35 riders went to the line.  When we realised that nothing was going to stay away Cherise and I covered all the moves to try and set up our teammate Kaat for the finish.  She was still in contention for the best young rider jersey.  I have never race this hard for 4^th place before and this would end up being the second hardest day of racing I have ever done according to the data from my SRM.  The top finisher of our team was Kaat in 13^thplace.  Cherise finished 14^th and I was 22^nd.

The second stage was the individual time trial on a very technical and twisty 18km route.  Since we are not used to the handling of the time trial bikes I decided to just ride it with my road bike.  I finished 28^th, Kaat 44^th and Cherise 47^th.

Stage three was another 128km stage similar to stage one.  We attacked on the climb but because of the low gradient a break could not get away.  A break with seven riders went a few kilometres later in the stage but neither of us was able to respond.  The bunch split into several groups after that.  Cherise and I finished in the second group of about 20 riders in 9^th and 19^th place.  It was another top 10 finish for Cherise.

We all lined up with tired legs for the last 120km stage.  Even the neutral zone in the beginning of the race hurt like hell.  After a rocky start to the stage the legs warmed up a bit and after several attacks I finally got away from the bunch.  The idea was not to get in a solo break but I got a good tempo going and decided to just give it a shot.  After about 20km a Norwegian rider, who was high up in the general classification, crossed over to me and then the bunch was in full pursuit to bring back the move.  The deciding break for the day went shortly after that with three riders and I could not immediately respond.  We were a group of about 50 riders after that.  Kaat had good legs today so we were going to try and set it up for her at the finish.  Cherise did a good job of helping Kaat to a 5^th place on the line.  She ended up finishing in the top 10 again with a 9^th place. 

In the general classification I finished 18^th, Cherise 20^th, Kaat 30^th and Kim 63^rd.  To take the experience gained from the Giro Donne to this race was great.  Last year I was 31^st in the general classification.  Being able to see that I am still improving and learning with every race definitely builds confidence for the upcoming races.

Our next big race will be the nine day La Route de France starting on the 4^th of August.  

In a solo break during the final stage

And It Was All Yellow…

Loving Yellow = “Life Is for Living and You Love to Live It Up”

Today I was out riding in typical Belgium weather that has the potential of making you just as miserable.  To fight those feelings I decided to look for all things yellow the last few minutes of my ride seeing that it is the colour that I love the most.  Within seconds I have identified several things yellow around me.  I did the same the first few minutes I got home.  We go through life focussing on the negative while the positive is almost always staring us right in the face. 

All things yellow while out training

All things yellow around the house

All things yellow inside the house

This got me reading about what is being said about your personality according to your favourite colour.  There is a lot written on this topic.  Whether this falls into the same category as horoscopes and psychic stuff or whether there is actually some psychological value I still found it interesting.  Check what is said about your personality here:  http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourfavoritecolorsayaboutyouquiz/

Born or bred for me it has always been yellow.  Growing up I had a yellow room (do not go and image something ugly because it was actually pretty stylish even back then), I always picked the yellow flavoured milk, had a yellow toothbrush and got presents wrapped in yellow.  Thank goodness I have not extended this to the colour of my car.  That would only be acceptable if you were driving a Lamborghini or a Team MTN Qhubeka team car.  I am still enjoying my yellow watch, yellow shoes and looking at my yellow SRM while out training.

Psychic or psychological this phrase could not be more true for describing the character traits of a person that loves yellow:  “Life is for living and you love to live it up”.  Even Laa-Laa, the yellow teletubbie, is described as being full of fun.

Good news for the Team MTN Qhubeka boys and their Tour de France dream as shades of golden yellow (which just so happen to be the colours of the Team MTN Qhubeka outfit) apparently carry the promise of a positive future…

The Tour de France also just happens to be all about the yellow

What can you find, as small a spotting something in your favourite colour, to brighten up your day?

A Giro in Review

The Need for Speed

In a country that is home to the makers of Ducati, Lamborghini and Ferrari I should have expected nothing less than a serious need for speed.  There is no other way to sum up the Giro Donne 2012 than this:  The Fast and the Furious. 

Really could have used one of these at times

The route was considered one of the “easiest” in Giro Donne history with no famous or significant climbs but the riders took it upon themselves to make it as hard and as fast as possible.  Speaking to the ladies in the bunch this has been one of the hardest Giro Donne races in recent years with the upcoming London Olympic Games probably the reason for the depth and strength in the bunch.

With a race like this there is always the good, the bad and the just plain ugly.  Mentally and physically it is a bit of a rollercoaster ride.  Some stages you feel great while others you hang on for dear life as the peloton is strung out in one long line from start to finish.  Just as you think that the racing cannot possibly get any harder someone attacks again or it is your turn to go back to the car to fetch bottles for the team.

To give an indication of the level of racing that we experienced I can compare Stage 6 of the Giro Donne to the Fast One which is probably considered the fastest race in South Africa.  This year the professional/elite men had an average of 46km/h for this race.  After 5 stages on a much more technical route than the Fast One with a lot of turns, traffic circles and road furniture we had an average of 44km/h.  It surely must have been one for the record books this year.

When you suffer together you really get to know the people you compete with.  You see people giving away the last bit of water out of their bottles on a 38°C day (which in our case is much more generous than the shirt off your back since in this heat another layer of clothing would be the last thing that you would want).  You see some of the best riders in the world trying to create opportunities for their teammates instead of themselves, team leaders taking a turn to get bottles from the team car for the rest of the team and teams celebrating together at the end of a stage for what they have achieved.

I finished 25^th overall in the end.  You always hope for a better result but there is some pride in knowing that you have been beaten by the best in the world.  With there still being so much that I need to improve on and learn I could hopefully only come back to this race mentally and physically stronger in the future.

Been there, conquered that, got the T-shirt

After a serious pasta overdose and cappuccino (which apparently is only a breakfast drink in Italy) deprivation we can now spend a week catching up on all the good food that we have been missing and craving for the past 9 days.  The best part of it is that it is 100% guilt free and probably necessary to pick up some of the weight lost during the race.  On that note it is time for me to go eat again…

When in Rome…Eat tricolour M&Ms

Biggest highlight:  Racing past the Colosseum during the Stage 2 Time Trial in Rome

Team presentation before the final stage

Race Report: Giro Donne Stage 9

Bittersweet

I would have loved to move into the top 20 on the final stage from Sanrico to Bergamo but it was not the end to the Giro Donne that I had hoped for.  Once dropped from the front group on the climb a big group formed out of all the smaller groups behind that were just riding easy to the finish.  It is never nice to finish a tour with a “recovery” ride but looking back at the race as a whole I am happy with how it went.

Ashleigh Moolman finished the final stage in 12^th place and 10^th overall in the general classification.  I moved down a couple of places and finished 25^th overall. 

We headed to the airport straight after the race and then had to kill some time before the flight late at night.  There was a big shopping mall just across the highway from the airport and as it goes with girls the temptation was just too big.  We walked to the shopping mall and then almost missed our flight back to Belgium as we were taking our time enjoying some pizza and fries.  Never a dull moment!

Swan Song of the Giro Donne 2012 - View at the start of the stage in Sanrico



How many things can you find to do with a shopping cart while killing time? 1) Felt a bit like a homeless person having to fly without taking a shower but the shopping cart definitely was the best seat in the house after a long stage waiting for the airport bus 2) Had great sports using the shopping cart when our luggage got too heavy to carry while shopping



Race Report: Giro Donne Stage 8

8 Down 1 to Go!

The stage today turned out to be a good stage for an all-rounder with the climbs on the 3 local laps not being very steep and not very long either.  It was a technical circuit with a lot of corners and downhills that had the bunch strung out for the most part.  The bunch split on the 2^nd local lap and a group of about 55 of us stayed away.  After the local laps the route was flat all the way to the finish.  With an average speed of 45km/h for the last hour of racing hearing that the race had been shortened back to the original distance of 116km was the best news I have received so far here at the Giro Donne.  Trying to go back to the car for bottles in a race this fast is not easy and a puncture at a critical point in the race when the attacks were going off the front did not make things any easier for me.  A break with three of the top riders (Marianne Vos, Judith Arndt and Evelyn Stevens) got away with about 25km to go.  Cherise Taylor just finished outside of the top 10 coming in 11^th.  I finished in the middle of the bunch in 31^st place.

Tomorrow is the final stage from Sarnico, over two category 2 climbs, to Bergamo with a total race distance of 106km.

Me and Cherise after the stage today

The only thing we got to experience passing through Milan was the crazy traffic.  Definitely not the shoe and designer clothing shopping trip you associate with a city like that.

View from our hotel for the last night

Race Report: Giro Donne Stage 7

Pasta, Pasta, Pasta and More Pasta

I am learning so much everyday but the one big lesson I have learned here at the Giro Donne is to never call a stage a Tea Party like I did for stage 5.  Since then it has been full gas racing from start to finish.  Today was nothing different.  The race was over 130km from Voghera to Castagnole Delle Lanze.  Again the stage started extremely fast with a lot of teams trying to get into the early break.  A break of about 10 riders did eventually get away during the first half of the race.  The profile of the route changed from a flat first half to a more rolling and hilly second half with one significant category 2 climb 11km from the finish.  The bunch split a couple of times before about 15 of us, including all the race favourites, got away on a section with rolling hills.  We caught the breakaway just before the climb and several groups formed on the climb and the downhill towards the finish.  Ashleigh Moolman got her 3^rd top 10 finish with a 9^th place today.  I finished in 22^nd place with riders 16th-23rd all 3:43 down on the stage. 

Today was a long day with an hour and a half transfer to the start and another hour and a half transfer after the stage.  We got to the hotel tired and hungry but nothing a massage and yet another huge bowl of pasta cannot fix.  I must say that I am reaching the maximum pasta intake capacity slowly but surely.  Luckily I avoid this dish at all times when not racing.  Really do not know how some of the ladies here eat pasta for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We just heard that they added 12km to the original 116km route for tomorrow from Crugnola Di Mornago to Lonate Pozzolo.  It will be another long and hard day of racing.

Voghera Town Square at the start of the stage today

Race Report: Giro Donne Stage 6

The Fast and the Furious 2

Today there was not much time to worry about the heat with the bunch averaging 43.9km/h over the 109km from Modena to Salsomaggiore Terme.  This was the fastest race I have ever done with attacks left, right and centre.  The route was a bit more technical than the previous stages with a lot of turns, traffic circles and traffic furniture.  At no point during the race did any of this slow down the pace.  After letting one rider ride away yesterday the bunch did not want to let anything go today.  At times there were breaks going off the front but it was all brought back quickly by the teams not represented in them.  Cherise Taylor made it 2 top 10 finishes in 2 days with an excellent 9^th place in the sprint to the line holding her own against the biggest names in the sport.  I was badly positioned in the last 2km after covering a move and lost a few seconds in the last kilometre of the race.

Tomorrow the stage starts in Voghera and finishes in Castagnole Delle Lanze after 130km.  The relatively flat first half of the race and hilly second half which includes one category 2 climb should make for some interesting racing.

Fat people and skinny people welcome?  Interesting decor in the hotel lobby.  Strange Italians.

Race Report: Giro Donne Stage 5

Tea Party

When I looked out my hotel window this morning and did not see a hill in sight I was sure that it would be a day for the sprinters.  For a moment at the start of the race I thought that I was back in Belgium between the windy corn fields.  One rider, Tiffany Cromwell, of Team Orica Green Edge got away about 20km into the race and the bunch seemed happy to let her go.  By the look of things the general classification riders were taking a “rest’’ day.  The rider quickly got a huge gap on the bunch which by that time settled nicely into a tea party vibe with people chatting along.  It was only in the last 10km that the pace picked up again when the teams were trying to set up their sprinters.  Cherise Taylor did an amazing job navigating through the treacherous bunch to finish the race in 10^th place.  The rest of the team, including me, all finished in the bunch.  Tomorrow should be another relatively flat stage that starts in Modena and finishes 122km later in Salsomaggiore Terme.

The difference between the after race snacks of the riders and the staff

Race Report: Giro Donne Stage 4

Learning Lessons the Hardest Way

I am getting new max readings on my SRM in the temperature department with the temperature reaching a whopping 45°C today.  It is not getting any cooler here in Italy and the heat is not slowing down the bunch by any means.  The race again started out fast through the first relatively flat 66km.  A break, with no real significant riders, got away after about 30km and the stronger teams went to the front and brought it back before the climb which kept the pace high.  I really needed water and went back to the car which was a terrible idea as the bunch quickly got completely strung out.  I was chasing back and started the climb at the back of the bunch and never could catch back up to the front groups.  So we learn the hard way…  Tomorrow is the flattest stage of the tour.  It is a 119km stage from Polesella to Milonella.

Race Report: Giro Donne Stage 3

And so the climbing begins…

 

I wanted climbing and today that was exactly what I got.  Before a race like this you prepare for how hard you think it will get but you can never fully anticipate just how hard it will actually be on the day.  The stage today covered 124km (77mi) with total elevation gain of 1808m (5,832ft).  Between the start at Vernio Po and the finish at Dei Pepoli there were two categorised climbs and it was always going to be a tough day out.

The race started really fast through the streets of Vernio Po with an average speed of over 50km/h (31mph) for the first 10 minutes.  It was only when we hit the first climb (category 2) around the 27km mark that the pace slowed down.  We went over the top of the climb with a group of about 55 riders.  The second climb (category 1) of the day was where the real damage was done and from there it was only 14km to the finish.  That felt like the longest 14km of my career.  Racing in average temperatures of 39.5°C (103°F) take its toll.  At the end of the stage the time difference between the winner, Evelyn Stevens of Team Specialized Lululemon, and the last bunch out on the road was 41:49.  I finished the stage in 25^th place (riders 17-27 all with the same time) and moved up to 26^th on the general classification.  You always want to do better but I am very happy with that result.  Ashleigh Moolman did a great job finishing 8^th 2:22 behind the winner.

Tomorrow is another climbing day with one category 2 climb after 66km.  The stage starts and finishes in Montecatini.

Giro Donne survival kit (the unhealthy stuff are considered essential to balance out all the pasta)