Mountainbike Van Vlaanderen

On our original competition planning, this stage race was not planned, but when they announced brand new stages and a different location we could not resist.

Two years in a row I finished second in this race, so this year my only goal was winning. I felt really strong in the Black Forest only a week ago. Really good for my confidence and the weather Gods promised a sunny weekend.

Thursday evening we left to avoid traffic on Friday morning in Brussels. The improvised camping opened on Friday morning, but 2K from the camping was a big sport complex with parking space for campers. And we were not the only ones sleeping here…

DAY 1 Prologue

Friday we started with a prologue, a 33K ride with 3 timed specials (2K, 6K and 1K). We started in the first bunch shortly in the after noon. Warming up was not necessary, the first part was not timed so we could spin in on the track. The not timed parts we could ride together.

My plan? Just go full out… The first special was straight line going slightly uphill. You could see the rider before you but catching them was not so easy. Peter started after me so my motivation was to keep him behind me.

Reaching the end of the first day!

Second one was a very technical 6K ride, I managed to catch to male riders who started before me. But I was also overtaken by a strong rider. This one was a killer, but I loved it.

The last one was only 1K, but this was cyclocross style on grass with steep and technical uphills. I was dead. Peter was much stronger on this section than me. 

Now it was waiting for the last riders to finish for the results.

I won this stage! Goal accomplished.

Really happy with this result!

DAY 2

Starting for the first time ever in a leader jersey made it super special. I warmed up on the rollers just to get the legs spinning. Today would be a hot day! The stage was announced as a real mountainbike stage. The women got a separate start what makes it less stressy than a group start with the Elite men.

I set my own pace as I knew this would be a hard day. And believe me ‘a hard day’ was an understatement. Due to the course, the extreme dry and hot weather and knowing we had to conquer this very hard 37K lap twice. In the second lap I even missed a turn just because I wasn’t thinking clear. Peter overtook me and tried to motivate me. It helped I could make the gap smaller again, but I wasn’t able to finish this stage first, two minutes behind in the GC now.

I really had to recover from this ride, so a lot of food and getting to bed early.

Starting in the leader jersey

Pushing it hard

DAY 3

I was motivated and ready to fight! Another hard day, longer distance today, but faster track. I had a plan, waiting and if the occasion was there attack. When a group of men passed us with a similar pace as me I picked in to tray to get a gab. But it didn’t work. After two unsuccessful attempts I just kept the pace. At the end of the first lap I got behind, just a little bit. I was keen to close the gap again, but the never stopping short up- and downhills and the burning heat were killing me. I even got in third position for a while. But I never gave up, although it did cross my mind several times. I kept pushing knowing it was hard for everyone.

I finished second again. Straight after the finish I had to cooldown. I was over heated… and very disappointed.

I waited for Peter, he finished about 15 minutes after me, but he still had some energy left. And he had a good result!

Chasing the leader

Chasing Sara

Don’t understand me wrong, I can lose, but this time winning was my only goal!

The upside, I was on the podium again… Not many podium places this year. 
We have seen a lot of friends. Good organisation. And hot weather!

The downside was, I couldn’t live up to my own expectations. And although we had really cool trails to ride I hope this was the hardest edition in the books!

End podium! Second again...