After Saturday’s Omloop Nieuwsblad didn’t go to plan for SD Worx Protime, they turned things around rapidly on Sunday, putting Femke Gerritse on the top step of the podium. Here are the thoughts of Femke and a very active in the race Anna van der Breggen.
Femke Gerritse: ‘I was pretty well positioned for the final sprint. I knew I shouldn’t start too late and ride my own sprint. But when I went full on, I thought: oy, it’s still quite far. Luckily I held on until the end. For a moment I thought I had come second, but a minute later I heard the sport directors shouting in my earpiece and I knew I had it. This win means a lot to me.’
‘I like the Omloop van het Hageland. It can end in a bunch sprint here, but you can just as easily make it selective by attacking. That’s what we did today. We wanted to make the race hard and it worked out well. Anna van der Breggen was super strong and did a lot of work. She put us all in a luxury position. I wanted to make a step this season and finish on the podium every now and then. And now I immediately win my second race of the season. I still can’t believe it. I already felt at training camp that I had taken a step and that has been confirmed with this one. I have already learned a lot with this team. Also from the sprints against Lorena Wiebes at training. I hope to continue this line now.’
Anna van der Breggen continues to improve her form but doesn’t feel she is quite on top form yet. But her comeback is only in its infancy:
Anna van der Breggen: ‘It was really nice to race so close to my hometown of Aarschot. I hope I can make some more steps and become better than I am now. In terms of intensity, I am not yet where I want to be. But you only get that part by racing. In training you can plan your intervals very specifically, but in racing it is not so measured. In between, you ride harder and you don’t know in advance how many times you have to go, as you do in training. Sometimes you have to go 10 times, sometimes 20. You only get that intensity by racing. That’s what this race was perfect for. Every time, the intensity was there. This was a top day for the team and a special win for Femke Gerritse,’ Van der Breggen concluded.
