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The Emma James Diary 2004
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Welcome to one of Cyclingnews' up-and-coming female talents, Australian Emma James. Emma has spent the past two years with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) team based in Italy, and in 2004, she has graduated to a full professional contract, firstly with Team S.A.T.S. and now with Bik Gios. She's a gutsy rider who's decided that she'd rather be testing the waters of professional cycling than testing the salinity of the Sydney's waterways as an environmental scientist - which used to be her previous occupation before Emma decided to take the plunge.
Getting better every time
June 9: Two Dutch Classics: Parel van de Veluwe & Middag-Humsterland
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I have survived two classics this week; long flat, windy races in the Netherlands, where the girls are specialists in these types of conditions. There are a surprising number of speed skaters in the bunch, including many of the girls with the Therme team, and also the Bekkering sisters (Danielle and Eyelien) with my team Bik-Gios. They are certainly powerful riders, suited to the Dutch racing. Cycling and skating must be complementary sports, given the frequent cross training and successful converts between the sports like Miho Oki with the Farm Frites team who was formerly from a speed skating background in Japan.
The race on Wednesday was called Parel van de Veluwe (Pearl of the Veluwe region). It was 140km through beautiful woodlands. Fairly smooth fast roads, with the bunch seeming to fly along, discouraging any thoughts that a small group would get away early in the race. I was nervous in the bunch, and tired from racing in Belgium and training in German hills. I found the race hard, but that was probably more nervous energy than anything else. Everyone else said it seemed easy! Chantal Beltman (Platteland) had an awesome ride, beating Janneke Vos (Therme) and Sissy van Alebeek (Farm Frites), after these three established a good lead in the final 30km of the race, just as the road narrowed and the weather turned miserable. The last part of the race for riders in the bunch was uneventful and slower with the teams of the leading riders happy with the move, and the @Home team the only one who made a concerted effort at the chase for a little while. I looked for moves towards the end of the race, but it finished as a wet and slippery bunch kick. I was glad to get warm and dry, eventually! The men were starting just after us, up for 180km of racing in the drizzling rain!
After a few easy days I was ready for the new Dutch classic in the north, near Groningen, called 'Middag-Humsterland'. It was windy and 120km on flat roads. I was feeling much better than earlier in the week, and managed to hold good enough position at the right time to be in the front group when it split early in the race. The girls drove it hard in the wind a little while later, and I suffered, not sitting the wheel in front well enough, and with a little gap opening that I then just could not close! The convoy of team cars started to come through, and I got some good shelter and rest for a while. I was very lucky that the front group eased up, and I had recovered well, easily moving back to the group. A group of four got away just as I got back to the group, including the good sprinter Miho Oki (Farm Frites). The bunch slowed up, and it was an easy ride for the main group for a while. Later a few attacks were launched, with my team mate and local to this area Danielle Bekkering particularly active, and I was trying to be in a position to cover moves and go with anything good. Nothing was successful, but the leading four riders were then within sight. A bit of pressure to pull back this lead group by a few teams (mainly Therme), saw them reeled in with only one kilometer to go. I wanted to give it a nudge in the sprint, but was too far back into the final corners. I was not too disappointed with the day of racing, feeling stronger, and handling Dutch racing conditions a little better each time!
A Bit of Bik - to introduce a few of my comrades…
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Only the Dutch riders for the Bik-Gios team were at the 120km race on Saturday. Lenie Dijkstra, is from the north of the Netherlands, and a former national champion, and experienced cyclist. She has won five stages of the Grande Boucle (the women's Tour de France). You can't get this sort of info from her though, as she brushes off questions about her palmares with disinterest. She raced with Leontien van Morsel and her wins came in break away moves on undulating terrain. I think I know her style! We did the racing in Belgium together the weekend before, and it was good racing with her. Now she has other priorities with work, but she is still enjoying racing and is a useful team rider.
Danielle and Eyelien Bekkering are known as long distance speed skating gurus. They are very cheerful and friendly and chatty in the bunch. They are locals near Groningen and so had heaps of people cheering for them from the side of the road at the race on Saturday. They have an incredible resemblance with Debbie Mansfield - especially with their hair done the same way… so after the race, I thought there were three Bekkerings for a moment!
Rinus Verboom is the 'director sportif' for the Bik-Gios team. He coached the Dutch National squad for many years in the 1980's, and the USA women's national squad for a year, around 1990. It is important to have a director who understands the sport, knows what is going on, can communicate directly and can coordinate logistics. It will be good when we have a full squad of riders racing together in a couple weeks in the Ster van Walcheren in the south of the Netherlands. The dynamics of the racing is mainly driven by the riders, but the support and right sort of motivation are critical. It is great to think that you can get more out of the riders than on outsider would think possible, by working together as a positive and driven team.
Arie de Jager has been supporting the team for many years. I remember seeing him at races with Bik in Belgium three years ago. Obviously has endurance, and passion for the sport and the team! He runs the Toscany clothing company, producing cycling clothing for heaps of the teams in the Netherlands. It is great clothing, and I now have more than enough kit to train in, and casual kit galore to look and feel the part of a pro cyclist. It is awesome to have him helping out at races - especially on wet days - with a bucket to clean your bike while you are in the change rooms!
The other support staff and riders I will tell you all about with the Ster van Walcheren.
I had come to the race with the Mid Limburg team (from the area I am living in), I raced with my Bik-Gios team, and headed home from the race with the Ton van Bemmelen team! I will be racing with them as a guest rider in Spain for a one day race, Durango, and the Bira four day tour. Reports from Spain soon!
Cheers,
Emma
