Irish road and track international Alice Sharpe is ready for more racing in Europe having already begun her season, and says she is curious to see how she gets on after an “unusual” winter.
Not only did she have to deal with Covid-19 restrictions,
like everyone else, but the usual track training and racing she does during
winter was missing this year due to the pandemic.
While she rode Le Samyn des Dames (1.1) in Belgium last week, her first outing with a new team, she suffered a mechanical at an inopportune moment and so was denied the chance to really test herself.
“I got a mechanical before the first cobbles at 12km so
never saw the front of the race again,” she told stickybottle.
“But it was a super fast start for the first 15km or so. The bunch wasn’t too nervous, it was just high paced and the wind direction wasn't what we expected.”
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Sharpe was 87th in the 92km race, which was won by Lotte
Kopecky (Liv Racing) in a sprint from a front group of about 25
riders.
Former national road race champion Sharpe was in a large group some 9:36 down on the winner, finishing alongside team Mia Griffin and compatriot Lauren Creamer (Lviv Cycling Team).
Having ridden for Ciclotel last year - including getting up the road in the Tour of Flanders - this season Sharpe is competing for another UCI Continental outfit, Team Rupelcleaning, in 2021.
She is one of five Irish women in the Belgian-based, Irish-registered, team which is effectively last year’s Illi Bikes elite team having stepped up to UCI level for this year.
Riding last year's road race at the Nationals in the orange of Ciclotel, at the European championships three years ago and winning the national road title in 2019 in Derry (Photos by Caroline Kerley and Toby Watson)
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As well as Sharpe and Griffin in the squad, national road
race champion Lara Gillespie has also signed, as has national TT champion Kelly
Murphy and young up and coming Irish track and road rider Gaby Homer.
As Sharpe, Griffin, Gillespie and Murphy are the Irish national team pursuit riders, and the national record holders, they are hoping to seamlessly mix riding for the same trade team on the road with their international commitments on the track, whenever they may resume.
But for now Sharpe is looking forward to getting stuck
into more road action in Europe and to see how far she gets on after an
alternative winter.
“Of course training this winter was different from usual for everyone, and lacking any warm weather camps,” she said.
Sharpe continued of her winter: “But I've made the most of it and gotten a good base in over the past few months at home. Normally I'd be coming to be Belgium straight off the back of racing the World Cups and track World Championships.
“So I'm excited to see how my form differs from previous
years. Team Rupelcleaning is the first Irish UCI Conti team and I’m so proud to
be part of the team.
“We have a great calendar planned, so hopefully all the races will be able to go ahead," she said of lingering concerns about the continuing pandemic hanging over the sport.
Having at times been selected on one-woman Irish road teams for the Worlds and Europeans, she is hopeful that by coming together with her four compatriots this year on the same Irish-registered team it can encourage more young female riders to progress with their cycling.
"To be joined in Europe by four other Irish girls just shows how much women’s cycling in Ireland has grown of the past few years.
“I hope young girls back home will see us all racing at
the highest level and believe it's possible for them to.”
After lining out in Le Samyn last Tuesday, the next races
penciled in for Sharpe include Omloop van de Westhoek-Memorial Stive Vermaut
(1.1) on March 21st and WorldTour races Brugge-De Panne Women on March 25 as
well as Gent-Wevelgem on March 28th and Elsy
Jacobs (1.Pro) in Luxembourg next month.
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