Whilst the Tour de France hit London, the WCRA were heading through France
on route to Belgium to take part in two Belgian national series events for Junior
and Youth girls.
Six riders made the journey with three newcomers to racing
abroad in Sarah Byrne, Ella Sadler-Andrews and Marie Stuart, joining Kelly Moore,
Laura Trott and Sarah Reynolds.
On Saturday the girls had a 66km race with a field of around 80 riders. Marie
was unlucky to puncture early on, and after a slow wheel change from the neutral
service, found herself in a group of riders who had been dropped and no help
to her to get back in the group again. Two other British riders, Alice Monger-Godfrey
and Jess Allen were also at the race, and both tried to get away but were pulled
back after a lap of freedom.
The bunch were altogether as they hit the finish straight, with the junior
category won by regular Belgium winners, but the first British rider across
the line was Sarah Reynolds, making the podium in the U16 category for the first
time in Belgium with 3rd place behind French visitor Marion Rousse and Belgian
rider Kaat Hannes. Laura Trott wasn’t far behind either, just missing
out on the podium finish.
After we all cheered on Brad Wiggins in the Tour prologue on TV, Marie then
took her first win on foreign soil, albeit in the karting event that evening,
lapping a full 3 seconds quicker than Helen Ellis and myself in second and
third places, with Sarah Reynolds deciding to stick to two wheeled transport
from now on.
On Sunday, we took in a few of the Tour of Flanders climbs as we headed for
Denderwindeke for the last round of the 2007 national series, and a circuit
where Jo Rowsell placed 4th last year after a long break. 85 riders started
the race in hot and sunny conditions. Half way through the race Sarah Reynolds
went on the attack, and a lap later Sarah Byrne and a Belgian rider managed
to bridge the gap, but unlike Jo’s efforts last year, the bunch worked
to pull them back and two laps later another break of three had managed to slip
away, including two Juniors and Dutch U16 rider, Henrietta Woering. They were
still clear at the finish, but in the bunch sprint behind them, it was Laura
Trott who was the best placed of the British girls with 3rd place in the U16
category and 9th place overall.
The three girls racing in Belgium for the first time showed they had learnt
quickly from Saturday’s race, with Marie finishing just behind Alice and
Jess and along with Kelly Moore all finishing top 20, and Ella finishing 25
places higher than Saturday’s race in 23rd overall and 6th best U16 rider,
and Sarah Byrne although finishing further back than Saturday, had the satisfaction
of having made a break during the race.
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to see more pictures
07/07/2007 – REKKEM BEKER VAN VLAANDEREN 66 km
1. D`HOORE Jolien VLAANDEREN-CAPRISONNE-T INTERIM 01:53:00
2. ARYS Evelyn VLAANDEREN-CAPRISONNE-T INTERIM
3. DRUYTS Kelly VZW LOTTO-LADIESCYCLING
4. VAN DOORSLAER Annelies VZW LOTTO-LADIESCYCLING
5. ARNOUTS Anne KONINKLIJKE HOBOKEN W.A.C. V.Z.W.
6. ROUSSE MARION FEIGNES (1st U16)
7. HANNES Kaat BENELUX TEAM (2nd U16)
8. DAAMS Jessie KON. BALEN B.C. V.Z.W.
9. REYNOLDS SARAH EVANS RCT (3rd U16)
10. VERMEIREN Kim EDEGEM BICYCLE CLUB V.Z.W.
17. TROTT LAURA VC LONDRES
19. ALLEN JESSICA PINARELLO
21. BYRNE Sarah GS STRADA
30. STODDART JESSICA OLYMPIA TIENEN
35. MOORE KELLY INTERBIKE
47. SADLER-ANDREWS Ella LEISURE LAKES RT
56. MONGER-GODFREY ALICE GLENDENE CC / BIKE TRAX 4:35
66. STUART Marie TEAM CHANGE
08/07/2007- DENDERWINDEKE - BEKER VAN VLAANDEREN 56 km
1. VERSTRAETE Katia WC DE MOLENSPURTERS MEULEBEKE 01:36:00
2. WOERING Henriette W.V. EEMLAND (1st U16)
3. LANSSENS Lien VZW LOTTO-LADIESCYCLING
4. D`HOORE Jolien VLAANDEREN-CAPRISONNE-T INTERIM 1:05
5. DRUYTS Kelly VZW LOTTO-LADIESCYCLING
6. ARNOUTS Anne KONINKLIJKE HOBOKEN W.A.C. V.Z.W.
7. VAN DOORSLAER Annelies VZW LOTTO-LADIESCYCLING
8. HANNES Kaat BENELUX TEAM (2nd U16)
9. TROTT Laura VC LONDRES (3rd U16)
10. ARYS Evelyn VLAANDEREN-CAPRISONNE-T INTERIM
11. MONGER-GODFREY ALICE GLENDENE CC / BIKE TRAX
15. ALLEN JESSICA PINARELLO RACING TEAM
16. STUART Marie TEAM CHANCE
18. DAAMS Jessie KON. BALEN B.C. V.Z.W.
19. MOORE KELLY INTERBIKE RT
22. REYNOLDS SARAH EVANS CYCLES RT
23. SADLER-ANDREWS Ella LEISURE LAKES RT
33. BYRNE Sarah GS STRADA
Sarah Atkinson
