Latest News

A new (women’s) chapter starts in Qatar

February 13, 2011 - Filed under: Team Garmin-Barracuda

Comments (1)

At the moment I am watching the final 20 km's of the first stage in the Tour of Qatar. It's funny to recognize the landscape, the roads and the finish town of the man's race in Qatar. Even more when I realize we were riding there just a few days ago. I see five of my teammates in the first group and I hope they can beat Boonen or one of the other fast guys. While they are fighting the wind my memories go back to my first race with the Garmin-Cervélo women's team. Although I moved with half of my old Cervélo squad to the new Garmin-Cervélo team, I found myself with all new teammates in the middle-east desert. So a new chapter in my cycling career begun with Alex, Jessie, Noemi, Trine and Lucy in the sandbox of Qatar.

A first race with a new team is always a bit strange. Who will be the fittest? Who has the best sprint? Who can be our captain? What's our strength and the smartest tactic? Since the very first day on the training camp in January I have a very good feeling about this team. The atmosphere is friendly, relaxed and we have a lot of fun together.

So I was sure it would work out. And it did! Despite the fact we can't have radio communication anymore this year, we had a perfect communication with each other during the race.

The first stage turned out, because of the lack of wind, to be very boring. Because we knew our chances wouldn't be so big in a bunch sprint Jessie and Noemi helped me to make an attack with 3 km's to go. With the gap I made in just a few seconds I surprised myself but even more the rest of the peloton.

It took a little while for the bunch to set up a chase but they did catch me with a little less than 1 km to go. This action made the peloton split completely though so there were only 11 girls left to sprint for victory. With Lucy in a fifth place we had no win but a nice result and even more important: The competitors know we are still the team to watch!

And this was even more clear the next day. When I woke up and saw the wind torturing the palm trees in front of the hotel, my Dutch genes got really exited! After 35 km's in the race we had a strong side wind and after a fight in the front there were only 8 girls left in the first echelon. Four HTC-Highroad girls (later 3), Loes Gunnewijk (Nederland Bloeit) and Alex, Trine and me.

We worked well together, and kept a good pace for the next 70 km's. In the final Trine made a solo attack and when HTC chased her back Alex did a great sprint and got beaten by just a few mm's by HTC's Ellen van Dijk, who also took the leaders jersey. With more than 2 minutes advantage on the peloton the top of the GC was pretty settled.

The last stage, with 10 final laps in Doha, promised to be really fast with a lot of tailwind, and very nervous! With myself on 3th position in the GC, and Alex on 5th we still had some chances but the race turned out in a bunch sprint. So I got a nice golden boat (not real gold and not real-size though) from the ‘big Sheik' (his name was just a bit too complicated to remember) for the third spot in GC. Alex and Trine finished also top-10.

But even more important was the great feeling this team gives me, and I am sure the rest of the girls feel the same. With only two races done, it looks good for us; gold and silver on the Australian nationals with Alex and Carla and a third spot in Qatar for me. And it's only just February...

In the meantime I see Heinrich Haussler sprinting to second place in today's stage in Qatar, just beaten by Boonen. And that is something else I want you to tell, how cool it is to be such a big team together. Watching men's races become way more interesting now you have teammates to cheer for. To have a women's and a men's squad together is inspiring and it gives a different dimension from where we both profit from.

For now, this was it. A first meeting with the women's squad! For sure there will be more blogs coming up from me or one of my teammates. Because if you didn't know yet; womens cycling really is all about hard racing, training and suffering. Not really glamorous, I know, but for sure interesting so we will tell you about it! I shut my computer down and enjoy the rest of this sunny day in Girona with a coffee.

1 response for this Entry

Steve says:

February 14, 2011

Live in Canada, need more cycling coverage period. Saw some women's coverage in beyond the peloton and must say it was very interesting. Would enjoy seeing more. More cycling coverage would be great, not just the tour de France. More shows like beyond the peloton to let us see behind the team. Both mens and women's. Keep up the good work and good luck this year!