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Emakumeen Bira. 5 day stage race in Espania.
13-17th June.
Stage 1
4.3k Team TT
The TT was all up
hill and we needed 3 girls to finish together so the plan was
that Giovanna would go first and then me in second .
Giovanna Troldi started fast as would most TT specialist's !
We all struggled to stay with her and then I got cramp in my
quad! I did a good turn on the front whilst trying to ignore my
Cramp! After do my turn my Manager told me to sit in but I could
not with the cramp so I backed of and let my leg recover
as I knew it was impossible to do this climb with 1 leg!
Thankfully my leg recovered and I found my rhythm to finish the
climb but behind my girls! Thankfully Monia, Miyoko and Giovanna
finished together to finish 12th team overall. Not
overly happy with today but tomorrow is another day!! Team
Flexpoint won today gaining 20 seconds on 2nd place AA Drink
Team. Suzanne Ljungskog takes the Yellow Jersey
Stage 2
83k
Looking at today's
race profile it was going to be flat to rolling for the first
60k then we had a 10k to do then it was all down hill to the
finish..... The plan was for me and the girls to
keep the race together for Monia before hitting the climb.
I was the front for most of the time chasing any potential
breaks. The pace picked up just before hitting the climb
and the bunch split thankfully there where 4 of us in the 1st
group. The pace was high for about 3k. I remember seeing
Oenone Wood in front of me and how fast her legs where spinning
thinking I wish my legs would go that fast now!! I lost
contact with the first group and settled into a group to finish
the climb and then roll into the finish. A better day
today with Monia finishing 14th, Giovanna 21st and me 50th.
Marianne Vos won today by attacking with 4k to go and gained 16
seconds. Ljungskog still in yellow
Stage 3 93k
Today's stage had two
main climbs, one at 41k and 61k both around 7k each with the
second climb being the hardest. As Monia was up on GC we
had to make sure that she stayed there. There was not much
action in the first hour today as everyone was waiting for the
climbs to decide the race. The first climb was not too
severe although long we hit the second climb fast with team DSB
bank driving the pace! We made sure Monia was in the
first group on the main climb which was tough and long. I
lost contact with my group in the final few kilometers finishing
in 58th, Monia in 4th and Marianne Vos taking another stage win!
Stage 4a Time
Trial 12.4k
The Time Trail circuit
looked rolling and windy today. Only Monia and
Giovanna had Time Trial bikes so we had to make do with our road
bike for this one! Not much to say apart from it was
hard on a road bike! The course was fast in places ( the
last few Kilometres!) My legs did not feel so great but I
tried to push them as much as possible despite their
complaints!! Not a great time for me finishing in 78th, Monia in
13th and Hanka Kupfernagel taking the win today!
Ljungskog still in yellow.
Stage 4b
83k
Today we had some free reign
as only Monia was up on GC we could have a crack at getting a
break today! Yippeee!!! We had 2 climb today
but the course looked fast! Team flexpoint wanted to keep things
together for Ljungskog but I was trying to get away with like
many other girls including team Bigla's Andrea Thurig.
After many attempts it to get away failed we settled down a bit
for the last 20k. It looked like it was going to be
a sprint finish as team Flexpoint were not letting anyone get
away today as they sat on the front and controlled the pace.
I was confident in the last 5k the pace would be high and we
could get a good finish today especially with Monia being a
classy sprinter!! We made sure Monia was in a good
position for the sprint then all of a sudden Giovanne popped out
of nowhere as she had been sitting at the back for most of the
race as she was not feeling so good today so she thought she
could help Monia out for the sprint and charged her way to the
front with only Brandli seeing the danger, then Troldi
realised that she had a lead with 2 k to go so she kept it going
to finish 1st place with Monia just behind her in 2nd!!! A great
result today the first win of the season!!!! Fantastic!!! The
finish was quite dangerous the road winding around and it was
fast! I finished 38th today
Stage 5 88k
After all the excitement of
yesterday we had to calm ourselves down as we had one final
stage to do!! It looked like a hard stage today but there was
potential to get a break away for the any riders not up on GC.
It was very rolling today with 2 long climb at 54 and 76k.
I could see that Zabirova from Bigla was up for it today and
thankfully so was I! From the gun the attacks
started with team Bigla's Andrea Thurig trying her luck.
I put in a few attacks which saw a small group of away including
Zabirova but then we got pulled back and the attacks kept
coming. I was trying to go with all the breaks as I
was desperate to get away today! Then Zabirova attacked again
but I had just chased down an attack so I could not go again
although I tried! she got away with about 6 girls 3 of which got
dropped after 5k or so. I was disappointed to miss the
break today. The first climb hurt after being so
active and I lost contact with the first group so just made sure
I kept it going as I knew I could possibly regain contact on the
descent! It was a tricky descent though!! loads of twists
and turns before hitting the second climb when I found my legs
again and left the group I was in and set of in chase of the
group I could see in front! It was raining allot by
this time and we had a tricky descent before the finish and I
passed a few casualties down the descent who had crashed!
Unfortunately Alice in our team was one of those but she was not
badly hurt! I was pleased to finish in one piece and
pleased to finish feeling stronger and having known that we
worked well as a team. Overall GC.... 1st Susanne Ljunskog
,2nd Marianne Vos,3rd Nicole Brandli, 13th Monia Baccialle,
Miyoko 31st and Me 63rd......
Next stop for me is the
National Championships then the Women's Giro D'Italia...................
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