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| L-R: Linda, Elinor, Me, Dani, Laura, Amy Photo courtesy Bart Hazen |
DAY 1: STAGE 1
Start: Delfzijl, The Netherlands
Finish: Delfzijl, The Netherlands
Distance: 93km
Status: UCI 2.2
Team: Elinor, Dani, Amy, Laura, Linda and I
Staff: Franky, Jarrod, Pascal and Bart
Does Day 1 ever go to plan for a team? The orders were to watch and observe. I was coming off Flanders and the Brits off Dottignes and none of us are accustomed to racing Tours so the decision was made to ease into the race. If there was a break, let someone chase it, and if it were a sprint, Laura and I would decide between ourselves who best to work for. We were racing four laps of a 23.4km circuit that ran along the coast as it headed into town. Coastal races mean coastal winds and not surprisingly, half way through the first lap the field splintered. I found myself second group getting lost in the gutter yet again, but Laura and I were quick to jump on the train of Rabobank-Liv and Specialized riders who had missed the move and bridge to the lead group, now 30 strong.
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| Warming into Day 1 Photo courtesy Bart Hazen |
It was a battle through the crosswinds every lap but the format of the course saw the pain short-lived. Once people were aware of the danger zone the element of surprise was gone, and the section wasn't long enough to cause real damage. For the next two laps I wondered where the rest of our team were hiding.. After the stage I discovered they had all been caught behind early crashes, Dani having come down herself requiring two stitches in her knee. After an 80km chase they had made contact with 5km to go, swelling the bunch to 100 riders, just in time for Linda to bring Laura to the front for the sprint. In all the chaos I couldn't find Laura and prepared to have a bit of a gallop myself. Instead, when I rounded the corner with 800m to go I found myself joining the pile of three Mexio-Faren riders sprawled across the road. Epic fail.
Results: Via Energiewachttour.nl
Garmin 510: Via Strava
DAY 2: STAGE 2
Start: Wedde, The Netherlands
Finish: Wedde, The Netherlands
Distance: 116.1km
Status: UCI 2.2
Team: Elinor, Dani, Amy, Laura, Linda and I
Staff: Franky, Jarrod, Pascal, Bart and Geret (second mechanic)
It was doubtful that Dani would start today. With a history of knee injuries and the Commonwealth Games looming she left the decision up to her doctor who eventually gave her the all clear. There was however another casualty looming in the shadows, with Elinor suffering a severe migraine and having to withdrawn in the early stages. And I'm not just talking pulling out- this poor girl was projectile vomitting to the point where Jarrod nearly made her walk home! There was more drama to come though, as we were extremely unprepared for a certain section of cobbles and bridges in the 40km loop that caught us unawares..
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| Cobbles + bridges = split Photo courtesy Bart Hazen |
Amy had been lingering at the front and was SO close to making lead group. I was on her wheel when she 'popped' and she blew hard. The poor thing went front lead group to back group and played survival mode for the day. In the meantime I was hanging out on my own in lead group. It had taken a MASSIVE effort to be there, but it was to come back together before the next lap. I was caught napping the second time around and had to chase for a few kms with Linda to make contact, only for it to reform a second time. I wasn't about to screw up the third lap and worked overtime to stay at the front. The 5km leading in were quite slow so those who had left their run to the front late on the narrow roads found themselves caught out behind a crash. Linda and I made lead group of 30, attempted a lead-out, and finished in 16th and 23rd. Epic fail #2 lol
Results: Via Energiewachttour.nl
Garmin 510: Via Strava
DAY 3: STAGE 3A
Start: Eelde, The Netherlands
Finish: Eelde, The Netherlands
Distance: 97.1km
Status: UCI 2.2
Team: Dani, Amy, Laura, Linda and I
Staff: Franky, Jarrod, Pascal, Bart and Geret (second mechanic)
Today we waited on the start line for a whole hour. I know it sounds ridiculous, but the girls were getting stuck behind early crashes every day because we were starting too far back. With state and club teams on the invite list their is a wavering level of skill in the bunch and the consequences outweigh the risks for them so today we made a concerted effort to change that. Dani was a legend. She spent the first 10km at the front of the race, and then I'm adamant that god decided he wanted a good laugh for the day so he gave the girl a puncture! Unlucky, but she fought through to the finish so that she could start the TTT with us in the afternoon.
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| Dani leading the way in control of the peloton Photo courtesy Bart Hazen |
For the rest of us it was an easy day. The leading teams allowed Vera Koedooder of Bigla to ride off the front and gain a 2:22min advantage to take the overall lead, while the initiator of the move Chloe McConville claimed second. It was great to see a fellow Aussie 'making the race' after her recent struggles with sickness, but at the same time I didn't envy her being off the front for 65km pre TTT! We strolled along with no ambition until the final kms approached. I decided once more that I would try my hand at this sprinting thing, to get used to being in the fast-paced high-tension run to the line. I was glad I did when just outside the 3km to go marker, a crash happened. It created a few time gaps that moved me up to the top 15 overall, but more importantly I have definitely accepted this week that I am a horrendous sprinter. Epic fail #3
Results: Via Energiewachttour.nl
Garmin 510: Via Strava
DAY 3: STAGE 3B
Start: Midwolda, The Netherlands
Finish: Midwolda, The Netherlands
Distance: 15.1km Team Time Trial
Status: UCI 2.2
Team: Dani, Amy, Laura, Linda and I
Staff: Franky, Jarrod, Pascal, Bart and Geret (second mechanic)
This was easily the most highly anticipated stage for every single girl in the team except me. For the rest of them, laying down on pursuit bars is a task they perform nearly every day, while I can barely ride in my drops these days without my back injury flaring up. I tried to take it in my stride but I couldn't resist being nervous. We barely got a warm-up in, we had no race radios, and I was given an extra-small skin-suit when I am adamant and vocal about being a small lol A Time Trial bike is uncomfortable for me at the best of times, so being on someone else's bike, with no professional set-up, and a helmet that isn't fitted to me just made me feel out of sorts to say the least.
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| Suicidal… Teams Time Trial Photo courtesy Bart Hazen |
Results: Via Energiewachttour.nl
Garmin 510: Via Strava
DAY 4: STAGE 4
Start: Uithuizen, The Netherlands
Finish: Uithuizen, The Netherlands
Distance: 136.7km
Status: UCI 2.2
Team: Amy, Laura, Linda and I
Staff: Franky, Jarrod, Pascal, Bart and Geret (second mechanic)
It was staged to be the longest day of the tour. My legs were tired after the double stage yesterday and my confidence was a little shot as well. I tried my best to stay at the front through the washing machine effected bunch on the narrow roads. The race was set to split at some point because the cross-winds were damaging on the rough-edged roads, and teams were keen to isolate Vera to steal the yellow jersey right off her back. I missed the first two splits but was lucky the race came back together, and when the third split went I wasn't just too far back, I was 20 places behind the split. Epic fail #4
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| Jarrod throwing bikes off the roof so there is less to clean.. Photo courtesy Bart Hazen |
A massive chase was put into motion by the Norwegian National Team and Parkhotel Valkenburg, and despite the gap coming back to within 20 seconds the elastic band continued to break with the eventual winning margin 40 seconds. Little did we know that further up the road Lucinda Brand (Rabo-Liv) had soloed to victory and taken the leaders jersey heading into the final stage. The mood was somber in the team camper as we cleaned off the road grime and got changed. Linda and I had missed lead bunch, Laura's hesitance toward crashing was effecting her motivation, and Amy was shot after having completed her longest ride ever. We would welcome the last stage of this tour.
Results: Via Energiewachttour.nl
Garmin 510: Via Strava
DAY 5: STAGE 5
Start: Veendam, The Netherlands
Finish: Veendam, The Netherlands
Distance: 104.7km
Status: UCI 2.2
Team: Amy, Laura, Linda and I
Staff: Franky, Jarrod, Pascal, Bart and Geret (second mechanic)
After yesterday's mistake I really wanted to make up for it today, but instead, I suffered like a dog the entire way and made hard work of a day that some people made look easy. The first ten kilometres had me on the rivet but I didn't lose the wheel. I was determined. I moved up at every opportunity and prepared for the second lap where we would face the cross winds again. The hammer went down and I held on for dear life- then the pace eased. This either means the attack was nullified, or someone had dropped a wheel. It was the latter. Linda and I bridged back to the leaders in a group of 5 but the break of 8 were well on their way...
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| Linda and I bridging back to the lead group Photo courtesy Bart Hazen |
The breakaway group stayed away and I fought just to roll in with the bunch. I finished 22nd overall, 2:36min behind tour winner Brand. This tour was proof that not every day is sunshine and rosy as a bike rider. We have bad days, both mentally and physically, but we battle through because we strive for more. As professional athletes, the one thing we want second to winning bike races is to feel like we were a part of it, that we influenced the race in some way, and this week I didn't feel that way often enough. I feel stronger the more often I race and I know that I have come out the other side of this tour in good stead for the hectic calendar to come.
Results: Via Energiewachttour.nl
Overall: Via Energiewachttour.nl
Garmin 510: Via Strava