Most people take a break after Argus, I often get the question: Why are you training now? And: But THE RACE is over!!?? And as many say, it is the South African world champ!! For me the hardest training period ever took part straight after the race. When I planned my training together with my coach I did not think that it was possible but it was! So I felt well prepared for the European season when I had gone through with it! I also had time for some relaxing mountain biking with friends while I was still in Stellenbosch. I also got to see some of the Cape Epic and it was nice to see the Swedish MTB champ Emil Lindgren finish on the podium on the last day.
My last evening I had a very nice farewell dinner with some friends, thanks everyone for coming!! I had an awesome evening and I already miss you and want to come back as soon as I canJ
I left South Africa on the 6th of April and came back to Sweden to meet the spring. It is still cold but sunny days so the weather is not so bad. It was also nice to come home and see my family and friends. I got 10 days at home with my parents before I left for a 4 week long racing tour. If everything goes according to plan I have 15 races in the coming 4 weeks.
On Sunday we had the season opener in Sweden. Östgötaloppet outside the town of Linköping. It was a cold, crisp and sunny morning and the biggest question was to race with leg warmers or not… Coming from the warm SA I decided to wear them. We were about 25 girls starting together with the junior men of about 30. Being the first race of the season makes everyone a bit nervous in the bunch and eager to race, so a big fight for positions in the start. Unfortunately I got to experience this when 2 people (never saw if it was guys or girls) crashed into each other and fell to the side just in front of me. I had no chance to react so before I knew it I was in the air flying over my handle bars down into the ditch landing on my face (so glad we wear helmets!!). Luckily I did not hit the tar! So after just 1 km I was far behind the bunch trying to fix my bike, there is no back up in this race either, so if I could not fix it myself it would have been over. I got everything together and back on the bike starting to chase. I got back to the bunch but felt a bit distracted and found myself easily falling back in the bunch. I only got into the race when it started to get tough after about 45km.
I heard a noice from the bike that got worse and worse the whole time, afterwards I saw that it was a crack in a spoke, my team manager said –you cant cycle with this! I know, I only did a whole race with it like that…
We had a strong wind in the race and after 45km we did a small lap 7 times and got the gutter the whole time which made the race very hard, the bunch split and we were only 4 girls left at the front. Surprisingly we lost Monica Holler (Fenix) on the second lap and it was me and 2 girls from another club left. They attacked and tried to get rid of me but did not succeed, I felt strong and I should have taken them in the sprint but coming to the finish one of the girls started the sprint and one of the junior guys went in front of me to block me and I had no where to go. So got second! I won this race last year and really wanted to win again.
I will race in Europe with the Swedish UCI team Alriksson GoGreen, we are 7 Swedish girls and one Danish. But in Sweden you have to belong to a club, so we all belong to different clubs and at Swedish races we race for our clubs. So Madde who won is my team mate in Alriksson GoGreen but we are opposition at the Swedish races, a bit strange but also good for the sport in Sweden. If we would have raced as a team here most of the top riders would be from one team.
Straight after the race we all went to our team manager for some team building for two fun days.
We have a hectic schedule coming up. On Saturday and Sunday we have the first two races in the national series, a time trail and a road race. On Tuesday we leave for Czech republic with the national team for a 4 day stage race. Straight from there we fly to China for a 3 day stage race + a world cup and coming back from china we only have 2 days before the next national series race in Sweden. Will be fun!!!!
Marius is pushing up the hill so that he can see the beautiful view over the Stellenbosch valley!
Tania and me on the MTBs
Marius, Wynand, me and Ferdi (with a pose:-))
On top of the world! ...or at least a wine barrel:-)
Emil Lindgren finished 2nd on the last day of the Epic - well done Emil!!
Des, me and Marilette at my farewell dinner
James, David and Susan
Everhard, Deane, Petrus and Cathy
Anneke, Ferdi and Jo
Pieta and Annie
Prize giving after Östgötaloppet
Team building - some took a bath...
...and some were a bit cold;)
Alriksson GoGreen: Madde
, Elin, Linnea, Jessica, Johanna, Jennie. And we are missing Maline and Henriette.