July 20, 2010 (Belgium) – After a twenty-minute herding session at the start line, the race got off. Three things struck me immediately during my first European race: the cornering here is “different” than in North America; the sidewalk is considered part of the course; pavé is horrific.

The Course: 127km total distance with a 60ish km out-and-back loop followed by seven laps of a 9.5km non-technical circuit. Some highlights of the course included 5 QOMs (perhaps more appropriately called Queen of the Hills) and about 800 meters of pavé (which are obviously distinct from cobbles.)

The Field: 140 starters from what seemed to be mostly from the Benelux regions and Great Britain. In total there were 5 UCI teams and 2 National Teams plus non-UCI trade teams like Nanoblur-Gears from Toronto, Canada.

Our Team: Lex Albrecht, Julie Beveridge, Veronique Drapeau-Zgoralski, Julia Garnet, Cara Gillis, Leah Guloien, Moriah MacGregor, and Steph Roorda.

The excitement started to happen at the base of the first climb. The pace was quite high and riders were getting shelled in all directions. There were several crashes on both the climbs and the descents; however, when the climbing was over after the first 35km the field came back together. Moriah, Julia, Leah, and Steph had great positioning near the front of the pack coming into. Lex and Julia were sitting mid-pack and Veronique and I were a bit too far back for comfort.

Just before entering the circuit, Liesbet De Vocht and Petra Dijkman got away. This turned out to be the winning move and they finished first and second. Throughout the race on the circuits, the pace would vary considerably and several riders fell victim to the surging and the inevitable crashes that happened on some of the narrower roads. As I was also one of the riders who got a first-hand look at Belgian ditches, I then had the pleasure of getting intimate with the caravan until I could finally chase back on.

Coming in to the final kilometers Julie and Leah had great positioning, but the chaos in the final corner, about 500 meters from the finish, held them up. The final drag along the pavé/pseudo-cobbles was intense with Suzanne De Goede taking the field sprint. As we crossed the finish line the first thought through my head was to find the shortest way off the pavé and find our great staff to get a coke. Results below…

Results

1. Liesbet De Vocht (Bel) Nederland Bloeit 3:16:52
2. Petra Dijkman (Ned) Redsun Cycling Team 0:41
3. Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Nederland Bloeit 2:22
4. Loes Markerink (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
5. Emma Johansson (Swe) Redsun Cycling Team
6. Sara Mustonen (Swe) Hitec Products UCK
7. Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team
8. Jolien D’Hoore (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen -Thompson
9. Monique Van De Ree (Ned) Leontien.nl
10. Nathalie Lamborelle (Lux) Hitec Products UCK
11. Sofie De Vuyst (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team
12. Shanne Braspenninckx (Ned) Dolmans Landscaping
13. Mascha Pijnenborg (Ned) Redsun Cycling Team
14. Lucy Martin (Gbr) Great Britain
15. Aurore Verhoeven (Fra) Esgl 93 -GSD Gestion
16. Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Redsun Cycling Team
17. Corine Hierckens (Bel) Fenixs -Petrogradets
18. Davina Summers (Aus) Swaboladies Cycling Team
19. Lotta Lepisto (Fin) V.Z.W. Royal Antwerp Bicycle Club
20. Julie Beveridge (Can) Vienne Futuroscope
21. Joanie Caron (Can) Canada
22. Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
23. Nina Kessler (Ned) Dolmans Landscaping
24. Catherine Delfosse (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team
25. Catherine Williamson (Gbr) Great Britain
26. Sjoukje Dufoer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen -Thompson
27. Sofie Verdonck (Bel) Mixte 4 Dura Vermeer Ct-UVA
28. Rachel Mercer (Nzl) V.Z.W. Royal Antwerp Bicycle Club
29. Agnieta Francke (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
30. Sanne Bamelis (Bel) Benelux Team
31. Jennifer Hohl (Sui) Noris Cycling
32. Alexandra Greenfield (Gbr) Horizon Fitness Racing Team
33. Inge Klep (Ned) Redsun Cycling Team
34. Veronique Labonte (Can) Team Nanoblur-Gears
35. Claire Thomas (Gbr) Horizon Fitness Racing Team
36. Elien Vercamer (Bel) Wielerclub De Sprinters Malderen
37. Ine Beyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen -Thompson
38. Emily Collins (Nzl) Swaboladies Cycling Team
39. Karen Verhestraeten (Bel) V.Z.W. Royal Antwerp Bicycle Club
40. Charlotte Van Der Merwe (RSA) Mixte 1 Bigla-RSA
41. Eefje Tabak (Ned) Het Snelle Wiel
42. Baukje Doedee (Ned) Rabo Lady Force
43. Margriet Helena Kloppenburg (Den) Hitec Products UCK
44. Karin Truijen (Ned) Mixte 5 Tubanters-Zwaluwe
45. Lise Nostvold (Nor) Hitec Products UCK
46. Janneke Ensing (Ned) Dolmans Landscaping
47. Marissa Otten (Ned) Rabo Lady Force
48. Lotte Van Hoek (Ned) Netherlands
49. Helen Wyman (Gbr) Horizon Fitness Racing Team
50. Katrien Van Looy (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen -Thompson
51. Liliane Leenknegt (Bel) V.Z.W. Royal Antwerp Bicycle Club
52. Kim Schoonbaert (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team
53. Désirée Ehrier (Sui) Mixte 1 Bigla-RSA
54. Leah Guloien (Can) Canada
55. Moriah Macgregor (Can) Canada
56. Veronique Bilodeau (Can) Team Nanoblur-Gears
57. Katie Colclough (Gbr) Great Britain
58. Linda Ringlever (Ned) Movingladies
59. Anisha Vekemans (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen -Thompson
60. Emma Crum (Nzl) Mixte 5 Tubanters-Zwaluwe
61. Lex Albrecht (Can) Canada
62. Sione Jongstra (Ned) Dolmans Landscaping
63. Sonja Boogaard (Ned) Rabo Lady Force
64. Anja Buysse (Bel) V.Z.W. Royal Antwerp Bicycle Club
65. Fröydis Waerstad (Nor) Hitec Products UCK
66. Silke Kogelman (Ned) People Trust Cycling Team
67. Annabel Simspsom (Gbr) Horizon Fitness Racing Team
68. Alie Gercama (Ned) Hepro Kunststof Kozijnen-NWVG
69. Maria Grandt Petersen (Den) Hitec Products UCK
70. Emma Silversides (Gbr) Redsun Cycling Team
71. Winanda Spoor (Ned) Dolmans Landscaping
72. Mirthe Wagenaar (Ned) Movingladies
73. Laura Trott (Gbr) Great Britain
74. Pippa Handley (Gbr) Mixte 5 Tubanters-Zwaluwe
75. Steph Roorda (Can) Canada
76. Julia Garnet (Can) Canada
77. Tone Hatteland (Nor) Hitec Products UCK
78. Alice Monger-Godfrey (Gbr) Wielerclub De Sprinters Malderen
79. Sara Olsson (Swe) Rabo Lady Force
80. Liesbeth Verbeeck (Bel) WSC Hand In Hand Baal
81. Ann Sophie Duyck (Bel) Ksv Deerlijk Gaverzicht Vzw
82. Michelle Geoghegan (Irl) Movingladies
83. Chantal Hoffman (Lux) Wielerclub De Sprinters Malderen
84. Milandi Cronse (RSA) Mixte 1 Bigla-RSA
85. Jessica Uebelhart (Sui) Mixte 1 Bigla-RSA
86. Serena Seridan (Nzl) V.Z.W. Royal Antwerp Bicycle Club
87. Nadia Stappenbelt (Ned) Mixte 5 Tubanters-Zwaluwe
88. Cara Gillis (Can) Canada
89. Lieve Koninkx (Bel) Benelux Team
90. Linda Kroes (Ned) Hepro Kunststof Kozijnen-NWVG 2:42
DNF Anne Guzman (Can) Team Nanoblur-Gears
DNF Krystal Jeffs (Can) Team Nanoblur-Gears