Ireland’s Alice Sharpe has banked a strong ride at the inaugural GP Oetingen (1.2) in Belgium, finishing the race on a day when constant aggression, climbs, cobbles and crosswinds split it to pieces.
The 26-year-old dual track and road
international, riding for UCI outfit Team Rupelcleaning this year, finished in
72nd place, in a large group 2:56 down on race winner Elisa Balsamo (Valcar-Travel & Service).
Balsamo took the victory in a sprint from a 12-rider
front group, with Jolien d'Hoore (SD Worx) in 2nd place and
Marianne Vos (Jumbo Visma) in 3rd.
“It was a hard day out,” said Sharpe when asked how she got on against the biggest teams in the sport in the 120km race.
It was fought out over a 12km circuit contested nine
times, with a short climb of seven per cent, and some cobble sections.
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“The bunch
was very twitchy and there was lots of
crashes,” added Sharpe. “The
wind direction played a big part
in how the race played out, with a head wind on the big wide road before a
sharp left hander onto narrow roads
leading to the two cobble sectors and the hill.
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“So positioning
was key; there was no coming back if you lost a wheel. The wind kept the
attacks neutralised for the first half the race, and it was more of a case of riders going out the back.
“I was
comfortable in the bunch for the first
half before the fourth and fifth time over the climb where the race blew apart.”
Sharpe was the
best Irish finisher in the race and the best finisher of her new Irish-registered
UCI team, on a day when 65 of the 170-rider field did not finish.
Sharpe’s Irish team mates Mia Griffin and Kelly Murphy, as well as compatriot Lauren Creamer (Lviv Cycling Team), were among the non-finishers.
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