Tour de Bretagne féminin 2008

First stage from Médriac to Pipriac 85,900 km

Felt well during all the race, was even present for some attacks, but the bunch wouldn’t let go a break. In the last lap of the final circuit, I got some problems with my gear-shifter and found myself back in the cars. The narrow streets were very dangerous and a crash in the bunch made the cars stop. We were blocked behind and so i finished at 1'06 from the winner. Wasn’t very happy about that, but was nevertheless rather satisfied about my race. Eva Lechner from my team got some points in mountains classification and Sioban Dervan was best on finish.

Second stage from Hillion to Yffiniac 119,000 km

Organisation was just brilliant: started neutralized and then had to wait more than 10’ at km0 in the sun because we were too early!! The first km’s were on narrow and tortous roads in up and down, but luckily there was no crash.Just as the day before, I got again some smaller problems to change gears and in the first steep uphill around km 15, my shifter completely broke. I nearly crashed and had to wait for my car that was one of the last in line. When I finally got the spare bike fixed at my size everybody was gone and I struggled all by my own for some km’s.Then I went back to some riders who had dropped from the bunch, but with the exception of Eyleen Beekkering and her teammate Hannah Welter no one would help to ride. On the length my back and legs began to hurt a lot ( the spare bike belongs to my daughter, who is 10cm smaller than me), and it was really a hard job to join the finish. Furthermore the roads weren’t properly securized any more and the final circuit with freshly repaired road plenty of gravots was just inimaginable!!

Third stage from Kernelis to Le Drennec 98,900 km

Beautiful landscape but as usual rather tricky roads, so we didn’t have the opportunity to appreciate! We tried to lead Eva to make some more points in mountains classification and by the way she even took some points in sprint. Until the final circuit I got no bigger problem to stay in the first bunch, but then I was dropped with some more riders and as usual nobody really wanted to work and we got 9' on the winner: finished 2nd of that group.

Eva was at this pointof the race at 2 points from the leader in mountains classification, and our DS was satisfied of our day.

Fourth stage A from Plouzane to Plouzane TT 9,900 km

Timetrial at 9 in the morning and this on my birthday!! Had to get up at 6 and leave at 7 to be on time. So would we have been, if......we didn’t get lost, the race beeing in the middle of nowhere! Just did the lap once by car, made rolls for 20' and then had to start for an exercise I don’t like at all. The result is the same as was my mind during the effort, really, really bad! So bad I even wanted to stop cycling!

Fourth stage B from Landerneau to Landerneau 75,600 km

After a short rest after lunch, I still felt tired but we had to lead Eva to take the mountains jersey. The first MG was supposed to be at km 17, and I tried to be in front with Eva all the time. But...... there was no MG on that point and we got no information where it should be! Finally it was on a mini-hill some 9km later and strangely all team-mates of Pitel who led the classification were in the lead at that moment. Eva got just 1 point, not knowing this would be the point for victory! Some km’s later there were works on the road and the bunch broke in two parts, unfortunately I was in second. We joined the back of the bunch just when it was entering the final circuit and there was decision for the mountains price and lost contact again. I couldn’t help Eva at all and just hoped she’d do it. She did!!! I just finished the stage with the group and went for the win of that small sprint, a minor satisfaction for my disappointment of a race that was good for the team, but rather bad from my point of view. Anyway, considering the fact that I started really tired (stopped school just one day before and had some private worries) I see it as a good training for Route de France and Trophée d’Or where I hope to do better and be more efficient for my team.

See you!

Suzie