Racing in Holland
Kate Cullen | Tuesday 8th June, 2010
Kate Cullen |   |
We have had a busy week racing in the Netherlands, in 9 days we had 5 road races.
The first race was in Aalburg, which is very near to where Marianne Vos lives – easy to guess, who won the race. The race was 3 laps of about 30km and then 3 laps of about 11km. The break went in the last lap of the big circuit on a very narrow section, I was near the front but the big teams blocked and chased down any attempts to get across. So it was a bunch sprint for 7th place. I was 13th overall.
The race finished around 5.30pm, we packed up quickly as we where racing the next morning at 9am and had a 2.5 hour drive to get to the hotel.
The race the following day again was 3 laps of a big circuit and 3 laps of a shorter circuit. I stayed near the front for the whole race and was in a break which was away for about 15km. With 20km to go there where several attempts to get away, I was in a small break, when we were caught someone counter attacked and 4 riders got away. The sprint was really messy and I could hear the crashes behind me, I was 18th.
The highlight of the race for the spectators was when a giraffe escaped from a nearby circus and was running around the finishing circuit; fortunately it was caught before we got to the finish.
We had 2 days before the next race. Marco had come out to visit so on the Monday we went to Arnhem zoo, which is the best zoo I have visited. There is an amazing rain forest and desert area – well worth a visit.
On the Tuesday Eileen, Marco and I went on a road ride to Germany, not as extreme as it sounds; only a 25km ride to the border. We also took some photos of us with a Woolly Mammoth, although it is not very woolly-it is made out of concrete. We are not sure why there is a full-scale woolly mammoth standing next to a canal. We do not have regular Internet access so I have yet to google it.
On Wednesday we had 131km race called Parcel de Vuelwe, which is 1 large lap and 2 smaller laps. I had ridden the race before and knew just after 85km there was a narrow, twisty, windy section. The majority of the others knew this so fighting for position began, I was about 9th wheel turning onto the narrow section where it became lined out and the bunch quickly started to split. I was away in the break until a rider in front of me crashed on a corner, I had to stop so was then in the second group. We chased for the next 25km, we where caught by the main bunch with 1 lap to go. The sprint was really twisty and there was a parked car in the last 500m- not ideal. Once again I was 13th.
On the Saturday we had a 90km race in Zwolle. It was very hot and there was little wind. I stayed near the front the whole race, I was in a 2-person break for a while but as none of the big teams were in it was not going to stay away. The bunch was still large for the final sprint, which was just after a narrow section. I got slightly swamped just before the final corner so once again ended up 13th.
On Sunday was a race in Exloo, which has long sections of full on cobbles. I was feeling comfortable in the race and was always near the front. Just after 60km into the race I heard a couple of screams behind me, then something hit my rear wheel-, which was someone’s pedal, which ripped a spoke out. It took a while to get a wheel change as we were on a very narrow section. I was pushed back into the race but could not change gear- then I realised my rear mech cable had been pulled out. So that was the end of my race, which was rather frustrating.
