The team set out to Switzerland early on Saturday morning as the drive was over 6 hours long! but it soon went by.   It was obvious to know when we entered into Switzerland as the scenery was stunning and with mountain after mountain!     Before heading to the hotel we drove up the main climb in the race which was 4.5k long and it did not look easy!  Monia Baccialle had done this race last year so we where counting on her to give us feedback about the course etc.

There was a classy field for the start with the likes of Jeanny Longo and of course the swiss teams including team Bigla and Italian teams including the Italian National Champion Fabian Luperini.  The team plan was to work for Alessia as she had good legs in the run up to the race.  The first 12K was fast as we rolled down into the circuit.  There was a few early attempts to get a small group away but the moves where covered well by the teams.  Bigla attacked into the first climb so jumped with them hoping Alessia was on my wheel so I could get here up front in the climb thankfully she was behind me and got up front with Nicole Brandli and her team mate.   I settled back and climbed with the group which melted down on the climb but we managed to get back into the first group after the climb as it dropped down back onto the circuit.

I tried a few times to get a group away with some other girls but nothing was moving so we rode the undulating roads for another 30k until the main climb of the day which was 15k from the finish.   Before the main climb we climbed up for about 1k and we managed to get a group away of about 20 of us which was good before we hit the main climb!   Once we hit the main climb Luperini attacked with Nicole Brandli and Naomi Cantelle and Monia was hot on there wheels!  Unfortunately Alessia one of girls crashed before the climbed, she was taken out by Jeanny Longo!  Once Monia was set up me and Jovanna Troldi settled into the climb which hurt but I was expecting to feel pain in my first race!! Once over the climb we had a group of about 12 of us who worked together until the finish where I came 32nd.

Naomi Cantell 1st, Fabian Luperini 3rd, Monia came 7th Jovanne Troldi 29th and I came 32nd.  Not a bad result considering my legs did not feel good and we got Monia up front so job done!