Interview Suzanne Verhoeven (EN)

 Interview Suzanne Verhoeven

Suzanne Verhoeven turns 25 years old this year, but despite that she already showed some great things on the national & international level. She became Belgian cyclocross champion of the club teams, took part at the worldchampionships, made it to the World Cup. The rider of the Vondemolen - De Ceuster CX team loves riding and running through the sand and comes closer & closer to the top riders on her kind of tracks. How does she look back at the past season and what does she expect of the next one?

This year you took part at your first Worldchampionship. Which feelings did you have about your first participation?

First of all, a very exciting feeling. My very first Worlds as an elite rider and that in my home country. I had the feeling that I finally got recognition for all of the effort of the past years and that felt good. I wanted to prove that I was worthy to be in the selection and not that I just received it because it was in my home country. That went very well.

You took 2 victories in Sweden and also finished on the podium in Poland and the Czech Republic. Did you enjoy it to sometimes to catch some fresh air in races outside of the Benelux?

I invest already a few years to race abroad to gain UCI-points. But I never made it to the top 50 of the UCI-ranking. Every time I was missing out by only few points and I was very close for years. I wasn't allowed to take part in the World Cups so I was forced a bit to go abroad for UCI points. This year I finally managed to secure my spot for the World Cup and if you can take part them then it's easier to stay in the top 50. Apart from that racing abroad is very nice as well. The atmosphere is always good and the circuits are often very nice too. You can compete against girls that you don't know and race for podiums and victories. If I would spend the whole season in Belgium, then I would always race for a spot between the 10^th and 20^th place. Competing for the victories is completely different. You will race differently and you can go a bit deeper for that victory.

How do you evaluate your season yourself?

I rode a very beautiful season and I set a step forward. Unfortunately it's less remarkable this year because due to corona, the races were limited and many foreign riders came to Belgium for racing. This made that every weekend had World Cup level and it became harder to ride for a good result. In Tabor I crashed within the start and I crashed on my chin. This needed surgery in the hospital. I also got a concussion because of this. After this I got a worse period for a month. I recovered very slowly from this and couldn't catch the good feeling again. This was a disappointment for me and a difficult period for me. But fortunatly I came back in form again o nthe right moment for the nationals and the worlds. On the nationals I made a decent performance and the week after I also had a good race in Mol. After that I also assured my spot at the worlds. The Worlds were the cherry on the pie. I had my best race of the season and competed the whole race for the 15^th spot. I lose some positions and in the end I finished on the 19^th place in the results and miraculously I was the 3th Belgian in the final results.

Ellen Van Loy joins your team Vondemolen – De Ceuster next season. Are you looking forward to cooperate with her?

I'm looking forward a lot to cooperate with Ellen. She's really an added value to the team. I'm in contrast to other riders in the team already a bit older and I have more exerience. Despite that, I think I can still learn a lot from Ellen. I'm looking forward to explore the parcours with and to look out for the good tracks and to share our insights to each other. Ellen is very strong and by training with her, I think she can bring me to a higher level.

 

What are your ambitions for next season?

I want to be ready for it next season. I'm almost 25 years old and that is the age to get everything out of it to become on my best level. I'm a latebloomer but I feel that I still can get more out of it and I want to show that next season. I would like to become an usual suspect for the top 10. The nationals are next season comparable with the worlds in Ostend with a lot of sand. This is one of my strenghts and because of that I even dare to dream about reaching the podium there. Making it to the Euros and Worlds are also goals for the next season.

How do you prepare in the next months?

I'm working this Summer with a coach for the first time. I'm training already since August last year with Tim Aert, coach of Toon and Thijs. But this was actually too late to already take profit from it in the cyclocross season. There, I really have to work together with him in the Summer. I've noticed that he already made me stronger in the Winter, but this Summer I will prepare completely different then I'm used to and much more specificly. I'm sure that I will become stronger by this and I can set a very big step. I will also ride some road races and MTB marathons if they can go on despite the corona pandemic.

 

How did corona influence you as an athlete?

It didn't have a big impact on me. Fortunately, I never tested positive and I didn't suffer from it. Further, it's sad that we almost didn't have any races last summer to prepare for the cyclocross season. I hope that it will be differently this Summer because I also enjoy road racing as well.

What are your favourite tracks?

Like I mentioned before, I really enjoy sand. I can both ride and run good through the sand. I don't know why but it just suits me. Further, I also enjoy races with a lot of climbing, with my light weight it also goes very well for me. Laps mainly on power and pedaling through the mud, do I enjoy less, here I still need to make progress.

Interview Suzanne Verhoeven (NL)

 Interview Suzanne Verhoeven

Suzanne Verhoeven wordt dit jaar 25 jaar maar toch heeft ze al mooie dingen laten zien op nationaal en internationaal niveau. Ze werd Belgisch kampioen bij de club ploegen, nam deel aan het WK en worstelde zich in de wereldbeker selecties. De renster van het Vondemolen - De Ceuster CX team houdt van fietsen en lopen door het zand komt steeds dichter bij de top van de sport op haar parcoursen. Hoe blikt ze zelf terug op het voorbije seizoen en wat verwacht ze al van het volgende?

 

Dit jaar nam je deel aan je eerste WK. Welk gevoel had je bij je eerste deelname?

Eerst en vooral een heel spannend gevoel. Mijn allereerste WK als elite renster en dat in eigen land. Ik had het gevoel dat ik eindelijk herkenning had gekregen voor al mijn inspanning van afgelopen jaren en dat voelde goed. Ik wilde me echt bewijzen dat ik de selectie waard was en niet zomaar had gekregen omdat het in eigen land was. En dat is me toch aardig gelukt.

Je pakte 2 overwinningen in Zweden en reed ook naar het podium in Tsjechië en Polen. Vond je het leuk om af en toe verse lucht op te snuiven met wedstrijden buiten de Benelux?

Ik investeer er al enkele jaren in om naar ’t buitenland te trekken voor UCI punten. Het is me echter nooit gelukt om in die top 50 te komen van de UCI ranking, telkens kwam ik een paar punten te kort en heb ik er jaren tegenaan gehinkt. Ik mocht geen wereldbekers rijden en werd daarom een beetje gedwongen om naar ’t buitenland te gaan voor UCI punten. Dit jaar heb ik eindelijk ook mijn plek in de wereldbekerselectie kunnen veilig stellen en als je eenmaal die wedstrijden mag rijden, blijf je gemakkelijker in de top 50 staan. Buiten dat is in ’t buitenland rijden ook heel leuk. De sfeer is er altijd goed en ’t zijn meestal ook hele leuke rondjes. Je kan eens strijden tegen meisjes die je niet kent en knokken voor een podium of overwinning. Moest ik een heel seizoen in België afwerken, zal ik steeds rijden voor een plek tussen 10 en 20. Strijden voor een overwinning is toch heel anders. Je gaat anders koersen en kan net iets dieper gaan voor die overwinning.

Hoe evalueer jezelf je seizoen?

Ik heb over de grote lijnen en heel mooi seizoen gereden en heb alvast een stap vooruit gezet. Dit valt helaas dit jaar minder hard op, omdat door corona, de wedstrijden beperkt waren en er veel buitenlandse rensters naar België zijn getrokken. Dit maakte dat er elk weekend wereldbeker niveau aan de start stond en ’t vaak lastig werd om een mooie uitslag te rijden. In Tabor ben ik in de start mee ten val gekomen en op mijn kin terecht gekomen. Deze moest gehecht worden in ’t ziekenhuis. Hierbij had ik ook nog een hersenschudding opgelopen. Hierna heb ik een maand een dipje gehad, ik herstelde hier heel traag van en kon het goede gevoel niet meer terug vinden. Dit was wel een teleurstelling voor mij en een moeilijke periode; maar gelukkig ben ik er net op tijd doorgekomen voor het BK en WK. Op ’t BK rijd ik een deftige wedstrijd en ook de week erna in Mol reed ik een hele mooie wedstrijd. Daardoor had ik mijn ticket voor het WK ook op zak. Het WK was de kers op de taart. Ik rijd hier mijn beste wedstrijd van ’t seizoen en streed de hele wedstrijd voor een 15^e plek. Ik verlies de laatste 2 rondjes nog enkele plekken en uiteindelijk strandde ik op een 19^e plek en wonder bij wonder werd ik ook nog eens 3^e Belgische.

Ellen Van Loy komt je team Vondemolen – De Ceuster versterken. Kijk je uit naar de samenwerking met haar?

Ik kijk er enorm naar uit om met Ellen samen te werken. Ze is een echte meerwaarde voor ons team! Ik ben, in tegenstelling tot de andere dames van ’t team, al wat ouder en heb meer ervaring. Toch denk ik dat ik nog veel kan leren van Ellen. Ik kijk er naar uit om samen de parcoursverkenningen te doen met haar en te kijken wat de goede lijnen zijn en onze inzichten met elkaar te delen. Ellen is enorm sterk en door samen met haar te trainen denk ik dat zij mij naar een hoger niveau kan tillen.

 

Wat zijn je ambities voor volgend seizoen?

Ik wil er volgend jaar écht staan. Ik ben bijna 25 jaar en dat is toch wel de leeftijd om er alles uit te halen en op topniveau te komen. Ik ben sowieso een laatbloeier, maar ik voel dat er nog meer inzit en dat wil ik volgend seizoen toch echt laten zien. Ik zou graag een vaste waarde worden voor de top 10. Het BK is volgend seizoen vergelijkbaar met het WK in Oostende met veel zand. Dit is één van mijn sterktes en daardoor durf ik zelfs dromen van een podium daar. Ook de EK en WK-selecties zijn doelen voor volgend seizoen.

Hoe bereid je de komende maanden voor?

Ik werk deze zomer voor de eerste keer met een trainer. Ik train al sinds augustus vorig jaar met Tim Aerts, trainer van Toon en Thijs, maar dit was eigenlijk te laat om echt al profijt van te hebben in het crossseizoen. Daarvoor moet ik toch zeker een zomer met hem gewerkt hebben. Ik merk dat hij mij van de winter al sterker heeft gemaakt, maar deze zomer gaan we samen heel hard werken om de volgende stappen te zetten. Ik zal dus deze zomer volledig anders trainen dan ik gewoon ben en veel specifieker. Ik weet zeker dat ik hierdoor sterker ga worden en een hele grote stap kan gaan zetten. Verder zal ik enkele wegwedstrijden rijden en MTB marathons, als dit allemaal kan doorgaan omwille van corona.

Hoe heeft corona je sportief beïnvloedt?

Mij heeft het eigenlijk niet veel gedaan. Gelukkig ben ik niet positief geweest en heb ik er geen last van gehad. Verder was het jammer natuurlijk dat we vorige zomer bijna geen wedstrijden hadden ter voorbereiding van ’t crossseizoen. Ik hoop dat het deze zomer anders gaat zijn, want ik rijd ook wel graag op de weg.

Wat zijn je favoriete parcoursen?

Zoals ik net al aangaf, sowieso is zand een grote favoriet van mij. Ik kan zowel goed rijden als goed lopen door ’t zand. Ik weet niet waarom, maar ’t ligt me gewoon. Verder vind ik veel hoogteverschil ook heel leuk, met mijn lichte gewicht gaat me dit ook meestal wel goed af. Rondjes puur op de power en stoempen in de modder vind ik minder leuk, hierin kom ik nog te kort.

 Interview Mihkel Raïm

Winning races on 4 different continents and racing on 6 of them. Mihkel Raïm is a real globe trotting cyclist. The double Estonian national champion spent his carreer on all 3 levels in the sport. From winning stages in Japan and Korea to take part in the Vuelta last year. Currently he's racing for the best continental team of 2020. This season, he already won his first race in the colours of Mazowsze Serce Polski. Let's get to know the rider who a race every season since 2015.

Picture : Mazowsze Serce Polski Team / Mario Stiehl

You gew up in a time when your compatriot Jaan Kirsipuu was winning a lot of races. Did he inspire you?

Yes of course Kirsipuu was one of my idols back then. He gave me hope and big motivation

 

You won races from all over the world and raced in 34 countries. Do you enjoy seeing all those different cultures?

Yes I really enjoy racing and visiting new countries. It’s one of the big advantages in cycling that you can really see the countries and real life. You don’t only visit country and stay in capital city, you might go to the smaller villages and there’s the real life.

This season, you're riding for Mazowsze Serce Polski. You already won a race for them this season. What are your ambitions for the next races?

My goal for this season is to make good results and get as many victories as possible. I have 1 but what more then better.

Last year, you took part in the Vuelta. How did you experience 3 weeks of racing?

It was really good experience and lesson, it definitely made me stronger psychologically and physically. I’m proud I was able to finish it and was 1x top 10

What are your ambitions on a longer term?

Ambitions are get to back to pro conti or wt level. I think I can still make results also in the bigger races but also I would be so happy if I could help my current team to the next level

What do you enjoy to do in your free time?

I really like just to chill , if the weather is good I like to make fishing. Last year I got small boat for fishing but haven’t got time to use it so I really hope this year I have the chance. Also I like to travel and discover the world with my girlfriend but nowadays with corona It’s bit more complicated

Which race did you enjoy the most?

My favorite races are the ones which include gravel and cobblestones. Special races for me are Tro Bro Leon and Antwerp Port Epic

What is your opinion on disc breaks? Do you currently use them or would you like to use them in racing one day?

I like disc brakes, especially with rainy days . Of course they are not perfect but nothing is perfect. We could race also with rim brakes but then there should be rule that all teams need to use rim brakes . I think the problem now is that some teams are using rim and some disc brakes. Rainy days the breaking distance is so different that it’s bit dangerous

Column Doris Schweizer #2

 

A few weeks ago, Kathryn Berthine launched her new book “STAND”. I can highly recommend to read it! It’s not just about equality, it’s about creating change. I first met Kathryn during team camp in California in 2016. We directly found a good connection. I didn’t tell her about filling out a complaint to the Ethics Commission of the UCI and I didn’t know about “half the road”, but it was obvious that we both were very determined women who’d always choose the challenging road over the paved in order to become better and make change happen. She definitely inspired me to go ahead with my complaint even though it could have put an immediate end to my cycling career.  

March is the month of the women, and the 8th of March is international women’s day. I posted a photo of myself citing Hannah Gatsby: “there is nothing stronger than a woman who rebuilt herself.”

Today I will share my story behind this. In 2017 I had to put my sports career and basically my whole life on a hold to recover from a burn-out and a severe head injury. A year before I was among the best in the world in the GrandTours and double National Champion. What happened to that girl who just put a stellar season into the books?

There are those wonderful stories about supportive parents and champions... I haven’t been one of those lucky daughters or gifted athletes. Mine is more a rags-to-riches kind of story.

I grew up in a family of musicians, so my parents didn’t know how to react to my desire of becoming a road cyclist. They desperately tried to push me into a music or academic career but I preferred playing outside and being active. My mother finally convinced my dad to allow me to join the regional cycling club. It all started very quickly from there. After half a year into the sport I stood on the podium at Nationals which was a shock for everyone, but mostly for myself! I got the nickname “raw diamond” in the scene. I hated it back then but diamonds are the hardest known material, so it fit pretty well I think!

 

During that time my parents got divorced. I am the “youngest” of three sisters. Our parents just wanted 2 kids, but then my mother got twins the second time, I obviously wasn’t a planned child. I had to fight really hard for every little thing. My parents couldn’t afford a race bike, so I really appreciated the support of that cycling club! Sometimes I had to ride behind my dads back because I wasn’t as good as my sisters in school and he wouldn’t allow me to ride if my grades didn’t improve. I think the more he tried to push me into school the more I rebelled. When my mum left, I had to grow up overnight, stepping in her footsteps and to stand up against my dad to pursue my dream. We had terrible arguments. Some words really hurt. Riding my bike was like diving into a fantasy world! Maybe that’s why I sometimes still listen to Disney songs on my rides...;-)

When my sister went out partying, I stayed home, went to bed early and woke up by the time she came home to go to a race. Whatever I did, it never seemed to be good enough for my dad. We were like an angel and devil for him. I could never live up to his expectations, simply because I’ve chosen another direction in my life which he couldn’t understand. His anger wasn’t about me personally, but I couldn’t see it this way back then. For a teenager I was extremely focused on my cycling career. I lost the connection to my family more and more because I missed family events, birthdays and graduations. When I became National Champion, they read it in the newspaper. We didn’t talk about cycling in our family. That always kept my feet on the ground but it also dissociated myself from them.After my graduation I went to Italy to become a professional cyclist. I never felt so lonely in my whole life. I didn’t speak any Italian, I had no clue about this business, and I had to trust people I’ve never met before. The pressure as the only foreign rider on the team was very high. It was rough, it was challenging, but I persisted.

When I was at home I was busy with work because I got paid very poorly on that team but I had to pay
rent to my dad. That year, I completed my first Giro Rosa, the biggest women’s race. A dream became true. Riding into Bergamo after 10 days was a very emotional moment which I shared with my Italian team what made it even more special! This was the start to a personally beautiful career! I quit my job to race full-time for two more years in Italy. I could race and train all over the world and I met amazing people. I could never have imagined that I would get all those opportunities. Italy became my second home. I fell in love with the country, its culture, its people, and the language! Winning the bronze medal at Worlds in Ponferrada with the most special team I’ve ever been on, “Astana Bepink”, was the most emotional and wonderful moment in my career! It also marks the end of my time in Italy. There was a new Swiss team, “Bigla pro cycling team” and I couldn’t turn down their offer. I let money speak over the heart. Not a good choice for myself.

The first months I came along with Campana pretty well. He’s really good when it comes to tactics and preparation for a big event but he couldn’t control his temper, and being half German, half Italian makes for an explosive cocktail... At Nationals I contradicted him. He wouldn’t tolerate that from a rider, especially not from a little girl. That was my last straw. From there everything escalated and I found myself fighting against Campana while still racing for him! It was totally crazy!! I could tell you hundreds of episodes... He’s smart and he was very good in reading personalities but so was I. I decided to stand up for myself and in what I believed even though I knew as a rider I was in the weaker position.

Once I had a four-eyes talk with him in the team camper. He almost slapped me while he tried to emotionally blackmail me to re-sign for another year. I didn’t crack! Not for a million dollars I’d have re-signed... I couldn’t go straight back to my room because I was really upset, so I just walked around in the hotel trying to calm down. I wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone, not even to my own team (I tried to hide them at breakfast and dinner to not causing trouble for them but what a ridiculous situation – he knew I love the Italian culture of sitting together, I’ve got the point). I still talked to everyone I wanted to; he could tell me what I have to do in races but not what I do in my personal life.

I fulfilled my contract until the end of the year. We even parted ways on a respectful base. He was impressed about my character to show up for the last race in SA in November and I made peace with him even tough it seemed to be too good to last.

When Iris Slappendel asked me to fill out a complaint, I hesitated because all I wanted was looking forward and not talking about it anymore! Once again I chose the challenging road...

By that time I had no idea how much this step would affect my career, my life and my health. I still believed in justice.

In March 2016 we got informed that it’s not possible to stay anonymous and that Campana would get to read every statement. It takes a lot of courage to file a complaint like we did because it puts yourself in a very vulnerable position. The stories are very personal. By that time I stood in the middle of my career. Iris Slappendel was in her last year and Carmen Small also thought already about a retirement plan; so they were in a slightly different situation. I already had an idea about Campana’s influence in the sport and that this could be a career ending action but I had no idea how emotionally painful this process would become.

He accused me of hiding my concussion and said I was laying about other things too. I’ve had a very tough year but at some point I could tell myself, it’s not about me, this guy has a problem with himself. But that people would believe him more than me, that really hurt, it hurt so badly. There are no words to describe this pain.

Because all the indictment happened during the old code of ethics, Campana could not be held liable, so no action was taken against him. This was really hard to swallow. I had to pay for my treatments myself – because no insurance would cover those costs because I continued racing and there wasn’t an official report. Unfortunately, the consequences of this concussion accompany me today. I lost my trust in justice (in sports) and in the UCI. And with the newest case of Healthmate director Van Gansen, they failed once again...

He tried everything to destroy my cycling career because he knew that was the point he could hurt me the most. He tried to manipulate races. His riders weren’t allowed to talk to any of us. I was anxious to run into him at races or to ride across his car in the caravan. And that seems to be totally alright...

When my grandfather died by the end of 2016, I hit rock bottom. He was the most important person in my life and I didn’t had the chance to say goodbye because I was in Girona, Spain.

He always was very proud of me, he never tried to change me, he never judged, he always tried to understand and support. He was the person who inspired me the most in my life and it seems like he knew I’d be ready to get back up my feet without him when he passed away.

I still miss him every day but I know he’d be proud of the person I became! It has taken some time, a lot of tears and even more setbacks to rebuild myself as a person and an athlete but I am proud of the woman I became through that. The journey was worth the struggles.

I might not have become world champion but I believe I’ve had a positive impact on this sport. I hope this story can inspire other young woman to pursue their dreams, to believe in themselves and to STAND up for themselves! If you can dream it, you can achieve it! We all have the power to create change...

 The Olympic Journey #1

Agua Marina Espinola is an ambitious young cyclist. At the age of 24, she's already the champion of her homecountry Paraguay. After she became one of the best riders on the national level, she also wants to make it on the international level. 2021 will be the year of Olympic dream. In these series you will be able to follow her on her Olympic Dream.This is how she experienced the first 3 months of the year.

 

 

My season started in January with a training camp. It felt like a little 'shock' to me because I had a little break after the national championships before. I felt that my team mates were already in a better condition but I gave myself 100 % and I enjoyed it in my way being around my old & new team mates. It was really nice to meet the staff again after that I didn't see them for almost a year.  

That motivated me to keep training. The team selected me for Strade Bianche and that made me feel really happy. It will be my first international race this season. I will be happy to finish at my best and enjoy the environment of racing again. It will be a nice opportunity to show my national colours in such an import race. The original plan was to start my season in the Setmana Valenciana but the race got cancelled.

The next races on my scheldule are in Belgium. I'm expecting a busy month in April and I hope to stay in Spain in May to ride some races over there as well. I'm happy and motivated to be in Europe so I'm looking forward to race and keep growing towards the Olympics, that is my goal this year and where I want to be at my best.