Blogs
Sat, 14 Aug 2010
European Junior Tour of Assen
By Penny Rowson - Horizon Fitness Racing Team
After riding the Tour of Limousin, my first ever women’s pro race with Horizon Fitness, I knew Assen wasn’t going to be much compared. It was such a great experience being chucked into the deep end, getting to grips with what a real race is like… hard!
My aim for the tour was to hang in there, and surprisingly I managed to finish within the time limits everyday, ending up 131st out of 180, with my best result 102nd on the last stage. I learnt a lot on and off the bike, from the race itself and from the Horizon Fitness team who, in our much deserved week of relaxing in Belgium, taught me life skills on how to cook and clean - something I’m trying to avoid back home!
I’ve raced in Holland since I was 10 years old. The atmosphere is great and the racing is fun, so for the last time, I decided to race the European Junior Tour of Assen. This meant I got to spend some time with my family, race against my own age group, hopefully dominate the races, and actually see the front of the race this time!
It started off with a crazy 1k sprint to hand out the jerseys. Then the real racing started, with a 3k crit known for carnage. With a fast finish, cobbled corners, speed bumps, and narrow lanes, it was going to be fun. I got gridded at the back and found the hardest part of my race was just trying to move up! After 3 laps I made it to the front and made sure I stayed there. There were many attacks and I tried my luck with 2 laps to go that looked promising at first... 'til it ended up being a bunch gallop, so once I got swooped up by the peloton I held my position round the last corner and came in 7th.
The next day was one of my favourites; the classic. 66k of flat seemed almost nothing compared to the 120k amazingly hilly days in Limooge. The main highlight was the 4k cobbled section where breaks tend to happen. This year it came to a sprint finish as the pace gradually began to pick up 5k out, getting faster and faster. I held my nerve and didn’t panic too much when boxed in. As we went over the motorway bridge, there came an opportunity to move up. Some people would call me a nutter, I however just did what Alex Greenfield would do… carry your speed, dive round the inside corner, and gain a load of places. So, on the last bend going into the stadium I did just that, managed to jump onto the lead out train, and finished 5th, my best result in a sprint finish yet!
Next up was the TT, something that I agree with Annie here - I don’t quite feel I’m up to the Sarah Storey standard when it comes to this event. But being a Yorkshire lass I gave it my all and decided to smash it! Standing 8th overall in GC, I was the only one in the top 10 if not top 20, without a TT bike or TT bars, but still managed for my first ever time to actually do a decent TT. 14.21 in 8k, I finished 17th, 1 minute of the best time, not bad. However this meant my overall dropped to 14th.
With only 2 races to go, it was all about getting in the top 10 to gain time bonuses, and to hopefully achieve a breakaway. Unfortunately, my luck had run dry and within the first 1k of the race, after being gridded last, I found myself head first on the floor. I somehow found my leg though my frame and 2 other bikes tangled on top of me. No messing about, the peloton was moving fast so I got up, took my front break off, then jumped on my bike. Looking down I didn’t feel too good with a fair headache, but my legs were fine, so no excuses. I found myself in a small group that was happy to work just as hard as I was to get back on. It was only later on I found taking my front brake off wasn’t a good idea, as I almost didn’t get round the corner!
Eventually after a 10k lap, we got back on and I was determined to get to the front. With a bent brake lever for the rest of the race, I found it difficult to change gear and brake, so was happy to just cross the finish line. Luckily, I came away with no cuts or damages, and was able to survive another day.
The last stage I was also happy to finish in one piece, especially when it started raining on the last lap. I came 13th in the end, so was pleased with my result and that I could control the racing. I also finished 10th in the green jersey, which is something I didn’t aim for, but proved my positioning throughout the races was consistently good.
However, no rest for the wicked. As promised, I made my way to the National Crit Champs over in Preston. We caught the Rotterdam to Hull overnight ferry and landed in England at 8:00am. Made it to Preston 1hr before the race, to greet a tired Sarah and Hannah who hadn’t touched her bike in 6 weeks due to her knee injury, but we rode in style and worked hard. I showed determination as 3 times I managed to get back onto the lead group, 'til the 4th time I eventually cracked and got lapped just before the finish, ending up 9th and very tired!
I’m glad to be back home now as I’ve just received some very smart Sidi shoes (Sidi are our new shoe sponsor) and they certainly look the part! Though I won’t be getting too comfortable, as I’m now looking forward to another pro race in Germany and seeing the Horizon Fitness girls.
Penny x
For more information about the Horizon Fitness Racing Team, visit www.onthedrops.com.