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The comeback track: The Marion Clignet Journal 2003
French track legend Marion Clignet retired from racing in 2000, intending to become active as an advocate for women's sport. But after two years off the bike, and perhaps inspired by the other female champions she's encountered while working as a presenter for French TV, Clignet is returning to the velodrome in a determined comeback. Follow her progress on Cyclingnews as she works to make her way back to the top.
August 27-31: Trophée d'Or Féminin Part I: Stages 1-2b
What a team, what a ride... and omigod, what training!
After the World Track Championships in Stuttgart, I decided I really needed to finish up the season with some good hard stage racing, something I had not done since 2000. So I got online and found some Kiwi buddies looking for the same deal and we managed to put together a team for the Trophée d'Or held in St Amand de Montrond, France. So via the net we got an awesome team with coaches, mechanics, masseurs... the whole bit and off we went!!
Stage 1 - August 27: St Amand Montrond - La Chapel St. Ursin, 96km
Directed by Jeff the Reff and Reedie, and bikes meticulously prepared by Kiwi Mike, we were on the go right from the first stage from St Amand to La Chapelle. 95.6 kilometres of twisty, windy, narrow roads... and O-MY-GOD, I forgot how hard this was. Breaks went, gaps opened, bridging across and chasing down... huffhuffpuffpuff... my tongue hanging out over the rear derailleur and with 50 kilometres to go there goes Zulfia Zabirova from the road runner team.
I managed to get on her wheel, noticing as we went by that my speedometer was reading 51km/h. More huffpuff, heaving and weezing and there we were, 18 of us in a break. Including French riders Marcuz, Huget, Le Floch and Marsal from Rona, Wright from Road Runner, Sarah Ulmer from NZ, Heather Albert from the USA riding on a composite team, a Belgian, Hanka Kupfernagel, and more. We road flat-out for about 10km with apparently all shutting down in the peloton behind us. As we set off on km 62 for the GPM a group of five managed to get a gap... enough to worry about and have to use the 12 to bring it all back. Damn this hurts. My legs were blown!! Rolling into La Chapelle with about 10kms to go, I came up behind Sarah to prepare some team work. Right about then she lost a few spokes, but no time to stop and change wheels, so she powered in with the rim touching the breaks. Resistance training. The field came in about seven minutes later.
Stage 2a - August 28: Les Aix les Avignons - St Martins sur Loire, 98 km
A bit chilly today, far from the 43 degrees C we'd been expecting. A bit of a rolling course, narrow roads, and some wind. All making it difficult to move to the front quickly. Some rain began to fall with about 15kms to go, causing the road to become quite slippery.
With Rolling Roz at the front, the two of us began a lead out for Sarah [Ulmer] and Flojo [Joanne Kiesanowski] with about 10 to go. I was all alone at the front with about 4kms to go and managed to wipe myself out on a sharp right hand turn. Thank god for extra padding eh. I got up immediately, telling myself I had to get back to the front to finish the leadout. As I managed to move up through the peloton on a slight descent, someone slipped and bodies glided everywhere. I jumped over a head, rode through a ditch and managed to get back to the front with 2.5 to go. Sarah was behind me saying go Mares go and off we went. With about 300m to go, Sarah and Jo charged to the line with Heather Albert hot on their wheels. Sarah won with Jo second!!! What a finish! Unfortunately many riders crashed, some having to pull out due to injuries.
Stage 2b - August 28: Orval - St Armand Montrond ITT, 12 km
On a dry day this would have been a blast. Hats off to winner Olivia Gollan! I took off under a dark cloud that burst two kms into the ride with hail and all. There were sharp turns every 200m or so for the first 3kms followed by a straight, a good uphill, a dangerous descent in wet conditions, etc etc.
Stages 2-5 coming soon.
