I had a really nice month at home, with lots of rest and coffees with friends! Found a new favourite coffee shop next to the lake Runn in Falun, soooo nice!! Last week Tuesday it was time to pack the bags again and start my 3,5 week long racing tour! We in Alriksson GoGreen started with a stage race in Czech republic, 4 days and 5 stages. It was me, Madde, Malin, Monica, Jessica and Johanna (all names on J or M;). Our staff was Thierry, Kjell and Martin, they all did a great job for us!!
After arriving in Krasna Lipa and got our hotel we had to change it to "accommodation", was not more then that… Some of us did not like the food either, but I think it was ok, going to Czech one have to lower the expectations… Luckily we had a coffee machine in our new team bus so we could get some real coffee, am sure we could have made some extra money selling coffee to the other teams;). Can only say: Czech is Czech….:-)
It was 31 teams and 170 girls on the start line of day 1, don’t think I have ever done a stage race with that many girls, was a bit nervous for the big bunch, but it was fine:-) Not as many crashes as expected! I had done this race twice before so recognised the course a bit. After 32 kilometres came the first hill sprint, I was at the front so went for it, but one girl was stronger so finished second. Monica was second at the first intermediate sprint and when we came close to the second I recognised the place, so I told her it was coming up and what it would look like at the line, it helped cause she won it!
My legs felt fine the whole time but I was too far back when the big hill started and I lost the first bunch about 200 meters from the top, then it was only 2,5km downhill to the finish so I came 26th and was 27 seconds behind, Madde was in the first bunch on 9th place and Monica a few seconds behind me and with that we were 4th in the team competition and happy with our day!
Second stage started at 10 am in 33 degrees heat, we tried to stay in the shade as long as possible before start, I like the heat so not complaining;) It was so important to drink a lot this day. The last hill of yesterday was also in todays stage, but this day we had to climb it three times! I felt much better there today and after the third time it was a smaller bunch together even though more people caught up from behind. Coming to the finish it was about 70 girls in the bunch and I really felt fresh and ready to sprint, got up there but not all the way, got a bit blocked between some girls so finished 11th on the day. Madde and Monica were also in the bunch.
On the third day the heat really stroke us!! The time trail in the morning in Poland was horrible, about 36 degrees and we did all we could to cool down and get out of the heat. It felt terrible but I did all I could and have to be happy with my 10th place, I also climbed to a 10th place overall after that.
We had a few hours to go back to our accommodation and lay down for an hour before the next stage that started at 4pm in 40 degrees heat and was 104 km!! Was going to be though!!! We did a lap of 26 kilometres 4 times and each lap included 4 hills, so once again just up and down!! Close to the end of lap one there was a crash just behind me and I think someones pedal came into my wheel cause 3 spokes broke and I could do nothing then wait for service and a new wheel and go on the cars back to the bunch… I felt really good this afternoon and was at the front the whole time and did a few attacks and made sure I would be there if a break happened, but nothing did… So a bunch once again came to the finish, but this time it was fast, nervous, lots of corners and crashes so I did not dear to try and finished 34th… Monica was in the bunch with me and Madde got caught behind a crash but they still got the same time as us.
Last day and last stage was “only” 98 kilometres and of course with lots of hills, we finished it off with the 3 times up the steep hill from the first and second day! But before that we had some intermediate sprints, hill sprints and a 4 km hill! Hard stage! I was laying 11th before the stage, on the same time as the 10th girl, so I wanted to try and get some bonus seconds on the intermediate sprints. So coming up to the first one after 8 km I went for it, but what I did not know was that from 500m to the line it was uphill (not usual for an intermediate sprint…) but I had already started so…. I got second and got some seconds, but! the girl that one the sprint was the girl laying 10th…so no real point:-( When we came to the big hills my legs and body was finished and the rest of the race was just about surviving… I lost the first girls close to the top again and once again with the 2,5 km downhill to the finish I could not catch so finished 30th on the day and 13th overall. Not really happy but still have to be satisfied with that cause that was all the power I had this time… Madde and me are always very equal and so also this time, she finished 12th overall;)
You can see all the results on http://www.tourdefeminin.com/index.htm
After the race we got in to the cars with the GPS set on Sweden, at 2.45am we arrived in Halmstad where I got off to spend a week with some friends. It is a small town on the coast with some lovely beaches, so hope the summer is here to stay! Yesterday we checked out the town, lots of nice coffee shops and ice cream places, think I will like this place!!:-)
Monica, Jessica, Johanna, Madde, Jennie, Malin
Lots of girls the first day!
Warming up for the TT
Waiting in the shadow as long as possible before the start of stage 4, was 40 degrees!
After stage 4...
Our bus outside the accommodation