Interview Scarlett Souren (EN)

 Interview Scarlett Souren

During this Spring, again a couple of young riders made their breakthrough in the peloton. One of them is Scarlett Souren. The talented Dutchwoman sprinted twice to podium spots against the best fastest riders in the World. The 20 years old rider from the VolkerWessels team also wants to grow on other terrains and even paused her studies for that. In this interview, she tells about how she all experiences it herself and she also gives you a little insight on how she prepares her race days.

You set a big step forward this year. Did you expect this yourself?

I knew that I had a good Winter. I've been in Calpe for a long time with the team and I trained more then last year. My watts also increased in comparing with last year. So that confirmed my feeling. I expected that it would go better then last year, but not that I would instantly compete for the podium spots.

You're a good sprinter. Would you like to continue in this specialisation or also get better on other terrains?

I also hope to develop myself further on other terrains. I took part in a few big classics this year and that pleased me very much. The Tour of Flanders is the coolest race that I ever took part in and it looks nice to be able to race there in front. Then you need to have more capabilities then only sprinting.

What attracted you to cycling?

I've discovered cycling through my father. It really started as a hobby but it became more serious every year. The most beautiful about cycling is the suffering and and the kick that racing gives to me.

What is the most difficult about the sport?

The most difficult about the sport is the pressure that you can put on yourself. I paused my health science studies because I couldn't combine it anymore with cycling. This felt for me as a big step and made me think “now, I have to succeed in cycling, otherwise I'm just not good enough”. But in the end, I also found out that I also need this pressure to perform, because it keeps me focused.

What do you eat on the day of the race?

It depends a bit on when the race starts, but mostly I also take oatmeal for breakfast, as I usually do. I eat rice or pasta, 3 hours ahead of the race. During the race, I try to take in 90 grams of carbohydrates every hour. But that's still hard for me, so that's something to work on. After the race, we always receive delicious pasta that is made by the staff of the team, so that we recover quicker after the race. Everything that we eat is served in big quantities.

What do you like to spend time on, outside cycling?

Next to cycling, I like to spend time with my friends. I like to go shopping with them or to go to a restaurant together. Next to that, I also like to cook myself. I can't stay quiet easily so I often take a walk on my rest days.

Is there a song or music style that you like to listen to before the race?

There is a playlist by the team that I like to listen to before the race. It really has a bit of everything. But I'm also not against a bit of techno music.

Where can we cheer for you next this season?

Next week, I ride in Veenendaal. After that I race in the Antwerp Port Epic, my favourite race of the year. The day after, I take part in GP Schelkens. Furthermore, I will race the London Ride & The Tour of Britain, 2 World Tour races in England. So, a very good & packed schedule!