Last Saturday my first cycle race "Omloop het Nieuwsblad". A beautiful course for your first race , various hills, cobble stones, climbing on the cobble stones, beautiful weather  very early in the season with World Class women cyclists. A perfect way to loose your rookie status!

But first, despite your curiosity how the race went, I will first finish my story about my training camp as promised in my previous news item.

Having started my training camp in Juan les Pins on the wind trainer I was able to enjoy a bleu sky and a nice sun the next day. As the forecasts were again not so good for the following days I decided to get my long ride in today. My favourite 3 country tour France - Monaco - France - Italy and back. A beautiful ride along the coast. I really enjoyed this ride, especially after all those wind trainer and cold rides. Unfortunately this was also the only beautiful day weather wise.

On Saturday I was able to ride together with Martin and Mary (the friends I stayed with). A training with some up hill intervals. A grey sky but at least we kept it dry during the ride. I was not able to take the higher mountains this year as there was still snow there and too cold. On Sunday the day started with rain again, so I decided to have an easy day and went to the pool for an easy swim. Good for the muscles. As the weather cleared up in the afternoon I did a nice loop to St Gaude, St Jeanette. A nice gradual climb. The following 2 days I was able to do some nice rides again with some intervals. My last day it has not been dry for one second. So I finished my camp again on the windtrainer and decided to spoil myself with a heated chair at the beauty salon. Despite the weather I had had a good week and thought I deserved a little treat. 

After the camp 3 nights at home, work and on Saturday I biked the GP Meerkerk- Alblasserdam. On Sunday I had to leave again for a sunny   training camp in Bladel (Netherlands) with the team. Do not take sunny literally as it rained most of the time but  Hotel de Tipmast spoiled us with great care and good food. The 'buienradar' (weather online site) did not do its work this time. Biking outside in the rain and spinning in the gym while it stayed dry the whole afternoon. Besides all we were able to make some mileage and we were able to spend some time with most women of the team.

Then finally my first race. I was a kind of nervous as it has been a while since my last race and I had no clue what to excpect.

First we needed to sign offically and then at 11:25 am the neutralised start from Gent. After 5 kilometers it was given free and from then on you need to survive. 200-250 women who all want to be at the front. Cars and obstacles turn up and we all have to squeeze. Hurray for the non-drafting races, at least 10 meters ahead and behind and also some space at the side. But oh well that is the past. The first 30 kilometers I managed to be in the front but a round about or sharp curve and ... wel I could start again to try to get to the front. I missed the knowledge of the course and I was to far behind in the peleton at the first climb. It splitted up. We managed with a group to come to the first group again but ofcourse we wasted a lot of energy.

At the second climb I got shifting problems but was able to stick to the second group. Unfortunately at the third climb somebody in front of me had to get of her bike on the cobble stones and well then you can forget it. So I got of my bike and started to run up the hill as you can not get on your bike again at a above 15% gradience. I was not the only one and I had been warned that this could happen and the best thing is then to run up the hill. However, going downhill my gears did not want to shift at all anymore and coming onto the flat I could not peddle. I was in a car free zone so the following cars were not there. Luckily it was not too far. They gave me the spare bike from the roof.  First I could not click into the pedals as they were new and too tight but eventually it was okay. I had lost too much time by now. If this was not enough within 10 minutes I had a flat tyre and ofcourse no cars again. Finally at the car the mechanic had changed my wheel in no time but by now it was a lost case. I managed to stick onto a group of 4, however at the next climb I had lost them and decided to ride to a next group. I bike alone for a while but in the end managed to reach another group of 4. Unfortunately the effort was not rewarded and we were taken out of course just about 20 kilometers before the finish.  

We were able to ride with the bus but with another girl we decided to ride back. We picked up some more girls on the way and came over the finish but were  not registered anymore. Definitely learnt a lot this day but I rather had crossed the finishline with a time registration. Well head up, recover well and on to the next course coming Saturday.