I was aware that the race would be a difficult one for me, when I caught sight of the profiles of the stages. Climbs and downhills scattered through the whole race proved that it wouldn’t be easy for me.

The first stage was on my 48th birthday and the organisator surprised me by offering me flowers on the start line.

He should’ve offered me a map with short-cuts too, because the race started full speed ahead and never really slowed down over the short distance.

I was dropped after one of the uphills and reached the arrival in a big group, arriving 12’ behind the swedish winner Emma Johannson.

The next stage however also proved to be her last, she had to quit the race because of severe stomach cramps after she had been dropped out of the bunch in the beginning of the race.

The rest of the group passed speedily, giving me no change to hold on. I had to «restart my engine» which takes a moment and proves to be difficult when you’re heading straight into the next uphill. It was only the first misfortune, because first my chain then blocked, then when I finally managed to change to the small ring, I was all alone struggling for 20km behind a small group always in sight but never to be reached. No motorbike would help me reach the front group and the group behind me was still far away.

I couldn’t accept being pulled by a car for half of the race and dropped out of the race.

Maybe it wasn’t such a wise decision afterall, but it’s just the way I am when I’m angry.