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The Susanne Ljungskog Diary
Susanne Ljungskog has had an amazing couple of years, winning back-to-back world championships in 2002 and 2003. This year her new Team SATS outfit starts the season as the world's top female team, and with a powerful roster of riders from all over the world, looks ready to stay that way and support Ljungskjog as she clocks up even more wins in 2004.
Starting out on top
February 15, 2003
Hi friends!
It's been a while since you last heard from me, but I'm just about to crawl out into the sunshine again after having spent the winter hibernating. After I won my second world championship title, I've been blessed with a very pleasant and easy late fall and winter. My training was going according to plans, and the weather was very mild (for being Sweden) until Christmas when King Bore suddenly released all his fury over this frozen part of the world. Not that it really bothered me though, because I'm quite fond of these months, and I don't really ride outside that much in the winter anyway. I prefer to run in the forest and use the ergometer and do some weight training.
It would be a lie to say that I'm a great talent at running, but the stillness of floating across the forest roads for hours really satisfies me. I think that is a necessity for me in order to reload my batteries for the new season.
This season I'll ride for the Danish team SATS, with riders from Scandinavia as well as Australia, Canada, USA and England. It feels very inspiring to race with a Scandinavian team sponsored by a gym that is represented in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The team is put together very well, and we will start as the number one team in the world ranking, and needless to say, we will do all that's in our power to keep that position. My trainer and coach will be one of the directeurs sportifs in the team, and that provides important security to me since I rely on our close co-operation, especially in this Olympic year.
One of the best things during last year was that I got to know Anita Valen. We shared a room during most of the races, and we were an excellent match. She's a great girl, and I have learnt to trust her no matter what. She can take a lot of pride in helping me win Tour of Holland for example.
Right now I'm in Mallorca, and I've been here training for three weeks. The weather has been beautiful and the hours in the saddle has been clocking up easy. Tomorrow is my first race this year, I'll ride the GP Marmoles Arenal, a race with elite men over 130 kilometres. That should be a good race for training, since I'll feel like a sluggish diesel.
After that I have to start thinking about making my return to Sweden, and after five days at home I'm off to next training camp, this time close to Nice.
Take care, and I'll be back soon with some details about my racing program.
Susanne