The first race of the year

(Fabiano Ghilardi-www.photodecola.it)

I flew to Milano saturday morning. The team picked us up at the airport, (me and the other girls). First time I met them, and they are really sweet all of them :) Had some problems to understand their spanish, and my spanish is not the best, yet, but I hope it will come...

On sunday it was time for the race, in rain and 8-9´c. Not the best weather, but I think it´s not such a big problem for me as for many other girls. I´m used to cold and wet weather since I´m training outside the whole winter in Sweden. I think it makes you strong :) But it´s not like a like it... The race was on a loop that was 13km´s, 9 loops and 117km´s. Quit early 7 girls went in a brakeaway. When it was around 15km´s left they had a gap over 1:30 minutes. Then Denis told me to make an attack, and so I did. Managed to brake away from the rest of the group and I got a pretty good gap and when I passed the finish line for the last loop I was so tired, 13km´s left(!)

I thought I never would make it, and I had no thoughts on catching the others infront.

Denis just tried to push me even harder by saying good things in the radio, and so did the girls. So it was just to give it all and hope for the best! Suddenly I saw the cars and the girls in the brakeaway. I was so suprised, and went even harder. 2km´s left I caught them but I got no time to rest, 1km left they started to attacking. I had no power left for the sprint and crossed the finishline as 8th, but first in the classification U23. The team was very happy and so was I!! :D

Next weekend I will do Omloop Het Volk in Belgium, and that will be even harder...

Ciao