Two Wins, one UCI stage race and one 74kmph crash.
Kate Cullen | Wednesday 30th June, 2010
Kate Cullen |   |
In the last couple of weeks in the Netherlands before returning to Scotland I rode a couple of crits and a 2.2 UCI stage race.
The first crit was at Hazerwoude , 60km and the whole circuit was cobbled, it was also blowing a gale. The race started off steady, I won the first sprint, a couple of laps later my teammate and another rider got away. 3 of us jumped across the gap. We all worked together and eventually lapped the field. The lapped riders were pulled out so it was a 5 up sprint. The finish line was only about 50m after the last corner, so I made my move about 100m before the last corner. I won and my Teammate Linda was 3rd.
I was given flowers and a big box of fruit and vegetables, which contained the smallest pineapple I have ever seen.
The following day we had a crit at Pijnacker. It was a fast course and there was not a lot of wind. Once again a group of 5 of us got away. We worked well together and it was another 5 up sprint. This time it was a long sprint coming out of the last corner so I waited this time and followed the others. I won and my teammate Kristen was 2nd.
We had 3 days before the start of the Ster de Zeeuwse. A 2.2 UCI race. Due to Top competition regulations I had to ride for my Dutch Team so was unable to ride for Scotland.
From what I remember this is the first time Scotland had entered a women’s team in a UCI race since I started cycling.
The race consisted of 3 stages – a 7.1km TT, an 113.9km stage and a 137.4km stage.
The second stage started at 6.30pm, there was a lot of sitting around that day. I started at the back of the 180 riders but soon got to the front. I was in a good position when we went onto the narrower roads.
At around 25km there was a clatter behind me, my back wheel was hit, I stayed upright but my frame hanger had snapped. Disaster. I moved to the side and waited for the team car which was number 24. Several cars went past but then there were no cars. Eventually my team car came and we got the spare bike off the roof. Another team car had driven off the road holding up the convoy hence the delay.
I thought my race was over as I had waited for so long. I started to chase to go back on, there were several groups of riders off the back I went straight through them. My team car came past and I tucked in behind until we joined the convoy. I went through the convoy and past a few groups of riders and eventually got onto the main group. I was stuffed. The rest of the race was painful. With 20km to go a group of 19 riders got away. I was in the second group and was suffering big time so just followed Eileen’s wheel. We both finished in the second group, the race had been blown to pieces.
I was very frustrated after the race, as I have expended so much energy getting back on after my bike change.
The last stage started at mid-day. It was very windy. The race went over 2 bridges one which was 11km. When we went over the first bridge it was so windy and it was chucking it down, the bunch dwindled but was still large until we went over the second bridge after 50km. The bunch split into several groups, I was in the second group. We chased and eventually caught the front group. After a tough cross wind section there were about 25 of us left. The last 34km of the race was over 2 laps of 17km, which included a section next to the sea – I have never ridden in wind so strong. In the last lap 16 riders got away on this section. A group of about 10 of us was left; I won the bunch sprint for 17th.
I was 21st GC.
I flew back to Edinburgh the following day.
At the weekend I travelled down south for the British Road Race Champs. I do not have much to say about it, as after 7km there was a big crash on the decent.
It was a fast decent and I was going 74kmph when I went around the blind corner and saw the carnage. Not much reaction time, I aimed for the hedge for a soft landing but there where riders every where, I hit Eileen who was already in the hedge (what are team mates for -joke), pushing her further back into the hedge.
Even before I had stopped falling I knew I had hurt something. I looked up as I knew there where more riders to come and saw them crashing into the back of a black car. I was in a lot of pain so the paramedics gave me gas. Even though Dr Anne Ewing had also come down in the crash she was already working along side the paramedics. We had to wait for several ambulances and I was eventually carted off to hospital.
Marco and Graeme where at the feed station and only thanks to Anne they knew that I had been taken to Blackburn hospital.
I was given morphine and x-rays where taken. I had not broken anything, just had a lot of bruises.
2 days after the crash I got on the turbo, which was OK, the hardest part was getting on and off the turbo. Today I am feeling a lot better and put my shoes on by myself.
