Margriet Kloppenburg

I am back home – or right now staying over at my parenths house. I almost forgot I have moved out into an apartment in a little town close by called Sandby.

The last 2 weekends I Have spend racing in Belgium and Holland. The 20th we raced close to my Belgium home, Oudenaarde, in Asper-Gavere. Another Super Prestige, so another early morning. The course in Gavere is based around a castle and basically it goes down and up a hill. So either really fast and technical or lots of power. The race was quiet good for me and I won the sprint of my group and finished one spot better then last week, at 18th place! So things are improving and this gave me confidence for the coming World Cup in Koksijde.

See a video of the race from VT4 her

Katrien Thijs, Nicolle De Bie-Leyten and I in Gavere - Picture by Ronny De Lange

Gavere - Picture by Christian De Clercq

Last year the World Cup race in Koksijde was, after a one year break, my ”comeback race” to cyclocross. Great timing to start out in the hardest race of the season. This season it could only go better, as I have been racing for 2 months now. Still I was really nervous for this race, as it is the rehearsal for Worlds January which will be held on the same course as the WC. I felt a bit better after preriding the course on Friday, I felt quit strong on the technical parts in the sand. I could ride quit a bit.

A smiling face on Friday in Koksijde - Picture by Patricia Cristens

But I was still nervous at the start Saturday. Unfortunately things did not go as good as on Friday, I had to runn most of the sandparts.. Fortunately everybody had. It was too deep to ride. Usually the running parts are my strong points but on saturday I felt I did not go anywhere. I finished 39, where I had my hopes up for a finish in the top 30. So I could not be anything else then disapointed, specially when realising that this is the course where we will be riding for the World Titel in the end of January. Enough to work on before that I say!

See a, like always, great video on the race from Petitesreines HER and also one from Sporza HER

At the start of the race - Picture by Thomas Van Bracht

Good to see a Swedish delegation at the World Cup! - Picture by Patricia Cristens.

After the race I drove with my boyfriend to Gieten in the north of Holland for Sundays Super Prestige. He normally races a bike himself (on the road), but he has been so kind to take the role as soigneur and driver at some of my races! I was really happy I did not have to do this 4 hour drive from Koksijde all by myself, as I really felt tired from all the running in the sand!

In between Koksijde and Gieten I had a quick family visit at my aunt, uncle and cousin's house. They life 30 minutes away from Gieten, so that fitted in perfect and took my mind of my bad race. Sunday morning we woke up to stormy weather, a lot of wind and a grey sky. I did not feel great, but was motivated to race, as I like the course in Gieten and my parenths were there to watch. I got a bit of a surprise during the call up for the start. It always goes after the UCI ranking and so you normally know where about you should be called. So when I expected to hear my name I was about to ride to line, they didn't call up my name. I was at the bottom of the list – they hadn't seen my name on the UCI list... strange.. so with a start on the last lane I had to make up even more then usual. Luckily for me there is a long tarmaq road to start with in Gieten and before turning into the field I was back there where I normally am. Half way the race it started raining and that made the race even harder. I ended at a 23rd place.

A video from RTV Drenthe HER - we come in after the u23 and juniors after ca 9. minuts. A video from VT4 HER

Rain and wind in Gieten - Picture by Kurt Cauwenbergh.

After the race I drove home to Denmark with my parenths. I am going to stay her for about 2 weeks, as I have a bit of uni work to deal with. (yes I am still studying besides racing. It's not going fast – but it is progressing).

I am back in Belgium before the races in Essen and Namur.

Margriet