Over the Easter holidays, a group of Junior\U16 girls spent a large part of
their time racing in Belgium.
Bryan Taylor reports - On Saturday 7 April, Emma Trott, Greta Junker and Kelly
Moore had their first taste of a senior womens kermesse. Although all are still
juniors, the idea was to give them a taste of the level they will need to be
at to compete as seniors in Belgium. Despite the women's Tour of Flanders race
being on the next day there were still over 100 riders on the start line.
On the first lap, there were already riders off the back, including our trio,
but ours managed to get back into the bunch again, with Emma taking the opportunity
to move up and take a great position in the top 10 of the bunch which she
held for most of the race including managing to have a few digs off the front.
The race ended with a break going clear in the closing stages including British
rider Lizzie Armitstead, riding for Global racing, with Lizzie finishing well
in 6th place, and Emma safely in the main bunch behind.
More pictures (including Boonen) - here
1. GUDERZO TATIANA
2. BRZEZNA PAULINA
3. DE VUYST Sofie VZW LOTTO-LADIESCYCLING
4. GELDHOF Ilse KSV DEERLIJK GAVERZICHT
5. WALSKAAR TONE
6. ARMITSTEAD ELISABETH GLOBAL
11. CURTIS KATIE GLOBAL
36. TROTT EMMA VC LONDRES
Sunday
Sunday saw us back on our bikes and following the women's and then the men's
Tour of Flanders races, highlight of the day alongside Nicole's win was probably
the cheering we got from the crowd as we rode up the cobbled Steenbeekdries
climb a few minutes ahead of the men's race, with the cheers growing even louder
as a spectator jumped out and pushed Kelly around the last corner!
Easter Monday saw us head for Semmerzake for a Junior\U16 kermesse where again
there was a larger than normal British presence with some ODP riders also on
the start line.
88 starters was amongst the largest fields we've seen for girls races in Belgium,
but we had some knowledge of the course from last year to help us. Emma was
on a mission most of the race, stringing the bunch out up the long climb, but
although coming close, never quite managed to split the field completely and
force a break, all that happened was over half the bunch were shelled out the
back over the course of the race, leaving 41 riders to contest the finish. Emma
finished 10th of the juniors, with the best GB result from Alex Greenfield in
a fine 2nd place.
Further back, Laura Trott came home comfortably in the bunch to finish a great
7th place in the U16 category in her first Belgian kermesse.
U16 Girls
1. HANNES Kaat BENELUX TEAM 01:26:00
2. VERHESTRAETEN Karen EDEGEM BICYCLE CLUB V.Z.W.
3. DE ROOVER Eline W.C. VOS SPORTIEF SINT- LENAARTS
4. MAECK Eleonore SPORTCLUB MARCHOVELETTE
5. VERSTRAETE Evi VZW LOTTO-LADIESCYCLING
6. ROUSSE Marion
7. TROTT Laura VC LONDRES
8. GHEERARDYN Anne-Laure KONINKLIJKE BRUGSE VELOSPORT VZW
9. KERSTENS Anouk
10. DECOCK Delphine KSV DEERLIJK GAVERZICHT
Junior Girls
1. ARNOUTS Anne KONINKLIJKE HOBOKEN W.A.C. V.Z.W. 01:26:00
2. GREENFIELD ALEXANDRA
3. STAES Veronique KON. SC STEEDS VOORAAN - KONTICH
4. VERMEIREN Kim EDEGEM BICYCLE CLUB V.Z.W.
5. DE MERLIER Jenifer VZW LOTTO-LADIESCYCLING
6. MARTIN LUCY
11. THOMPSON Amy
14. COLCLOUGH KATIE
17. ALLEN JESSICA
18. SIMPSON Annabel
21. MOORE KELLY INTERBIKE RT
One more time
Then a few days later it was back to Belgium again, with the same foursome of
Emma, Laura, Kelly and Greta being joined by Sophie Terry, riding her first
kermesse since breaking her collarbone in the closing metres of one last July.
Thankfully no such problem occurred this time for Sophie, however, the race
was not so positive for all the girls.
The race took place at Bredane, which we know pretty well from previous tripst.
Emma and Laura bagged places on the front row with Sophie and Greta just
behind them. Going down the back straight Emma was on the front of the bunch
and coming into the finish straight Laura had moved up to take the lead, both
looking to ensure a good position for the tight turn after the finish and
keep a good position out of trouble.
However, trouble came from a different, and for Belgium, a very unexpected
source. Just before the bunch reached the section of the straight with barriers
to keep the large crowd behind, a rider on a moped suddenly pulled out right
into the path of the bunch, presumably having somehow failed to hear the sirens
from the lead police car and motor bike! Laura was first to hit the moped,
with Emma going into Laura, and another dozen or so riders hitting them and
the tarmac including another British rider, Jess Allen.
In the aftermath, a small break managed to get away and were not seen again
by the bunch, whilst Emma and Laura headed off to hospital and then to the police
station. Fortunately despite initial fears, their injuries don't appear to be
too bad. Confidence knocked a little from seeing the crash and not knowing what
was happening to Emma and Laura, Sophie and Kelly stuck in with the main bunch
to the finish.
1. ARNOUTS Anne KONINKLIJKE HOBOKEN W.A.C. V.Z.W. 01:39:16
2. STAES Veronique KON. SC STEEDS VOORAAN - KONTICH
3. VAN DOORSLAER Annelies VZW LOTTO-LADIESCYCLING
4. ROUSSE MARION
5. ALAERTS Inge WSC HAND IN HAND BAAL
6. VAN REUSEL Sanne KON. BALEN B.C. V.Z.W.
19. COLCLOUGH Katie
21. MARTIN Lucy
22. STODDART Jessica
29. MOORE Kelly INTERBIKE
37. TERRY Sophie VC LONDRES
50. JUNKER Greta
More pictures - here
bikerchic
