RochelleGilmore.com powered by HONDA

Australian Professional Cyclist

GIRO d’ITALIA DONNE 2011.

Ashleigh & Marianne by Anton Vos

Ashleigh & Marianne by Anton Vos

Well, you may have already heard that the women’s Giro d’Italia is getting tougher every year? Can it be tougher than last year? I guess only the climbers who race through until the final day can answer that after this year’s grueling 10 day tour.

On paper it looks tough and a few people who have done reconnaissance on the mountain stages confirm that it is as tough as it looks on the tour’s website; www.girodonne.it

I’m sure I am not the only sprinter disappointed that the Giro starts in Rome with three mountain stages! Does the men’s TDF or Giro ever start like that? It would be nice for us to have a few sprint stages with fresh legs. I guess this tour design favours the fitter sprinters- so perhaps the results will be slightly different to what we might have seen with flatter stages from day one.

2010 post crash

2010 post crash

I personally don’t expect much from myself at this year’s Giro, I have a really good base as I’ve done plenty of kilometres building up/into the last half of the season. I had an intense period of racing during the first half of the season, then a short break in May before building up a good base again. I’ve not done much racing during the past 6 weeks and I haven’t done any intensity work yet, this is why I’ll suffer when we hit the mountains straight up! Sure I’ve been climbing but at the moment, it has just been at one relatively slow pace! I’ll use the Giro to get back into race mode and for good hard training. I only plan to race six days, hoping to pick up a result on day 4, 5 or 6…. Need to get through the three hilly stages first! Day six finishes in Piacenza so I’ll drive home from there and recover before I prepare for two UCI one day races the following weekend; Cento in Italy and Dwars door de Westhoek in Belgium.

Stinging!

Stinging!

Our team, Lotto Honda will start with a full team of eight riders.

Ashleigh Moolman of South Africa will be our GC rider; being a tiny little climber I’m sure she dreams of winning the Giro d’Italia and in my honest opinion- she could achieve her dream sometime in the relatively near future. This year we could expect a top ten GC result from her. Last year was Ashleigh’s first year racing in Europe and she finished 17th on GC at the 2010 Giro d’Italia. Ash recently won the mountains jersey in Emakumeen Bira, Spain against the likes of Vos, Arndt and Johansson.

I will be our team’s sprinter for day’s 4, 5 and 6. The team’s domestiques will be; Cherise Taylor (Sth Africa), Marissa van der Merwe (Sth Africa), Joanna Van De Winkel (Sth Africa), Ludivine Henrion (Belgium), Cathy Delfosse (Belgium), and Vicki Whitelaw (Australia).

Who will the competition be at this year’s Giro d’Italia?

My GC tips are;

Attempt to continue

Attempt to continue

Mara Abbott:
Age: 25
Nationality: American
Rides for: Diadora-Pasta Zara-Manhattan.
Mara was last year’s Giro Donne winner with the U.S National Team.

Emma Pooley:
Age: 28
Nationality: British
Rides for: Garmin Cervelo.
Emma is the current world time trial champion.

Ashleigh on Stelvio 2010

Ashleigh on Stelvio 2010

Judith Arndt:
Age: 34
Nationality: German
Rides for: Team High Road HTC
In 2004 Judith won the World Championship RR and came 2nd to Sara Carrigan at the 2004 Olympics. Last week Judith won an extremely hilly tour; Tour of Trentino.

Other riders to mention are;

Fabiana Luperini, Italian;
Fabiana has just returned to the pro peleton at the age of 37 after a couple of years competing in Granfondoevents. Fabiana has won the Giro Donne five times in; 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2008. Fabiana will have strong support this year from her Mario Cipollini- Giordana teammates; Nicole Cooke, 29yo (Giro Donne winner 2004, World &Olympic Champion) and Rossella Callovi, 20yo (2009 Junior world champion and runner up at the last world cup in Spain).

NB: I rode on the same teams as Nicole and Fabiana when they won their latest Giro Donne classifications. Proud moments J

Pushies & Moto's

Pushies & Moto's

Marianne Vos: Dutch;
Mariana Vos, 24yo has won more races than any other pro cyclist this year, including track and cyclocross world championships, three world cups and this weekend she won the Dutch national RR and TT championships. Although Marianne hasn’t yet been recognised as a grand tour favorite she has proved this year that there’s nothing she can’t do…

Emma Johansson: Swedish;
Emma Johansson, 28yo is known for being one of the most consistent performers in the women’s peloton. Emma doesn’t rely on strong team support, her race smart tactics lands her on the podium nearly every time! Emma is an outside chance for this year’s Giro Donne classification after another impressive season of results and once again, she won her national championships yesterday!

Who are the sprinters to watch this year? Well, first we need some bunch sprints! The stages on day 4, 5, and 6 could end in bunch sprints but they’re just as likely to see the bunch split to bits… we never know!

Me on the 2010 TT ramp

Me on the 2010 TT ramp

The only rider that you’ll see on both my GC and sprinters list is Marianne Vos! Marianne would have to be the number one favorite for this year’s Giro sprint stages, as they come after three very tough mountain stages. Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, (German, 36yo) will definitely give Marianne a run for her money! Ina is in the form of her life, climbing likenever before! Ina also won her national RR championship this weekend. Othersprinters likely to be in the mix are; Kirsten Wild (Dutch 28yo), Giorgia Bronzini (Italian 27yo), Lizzie Armitstead (British 22yo), Martine Bras (Dutch 33yo), Shelley Olds (American, 30yo), and hopefully me (Australian, 29yo) J

Well, there you have it- those are my predictions for this years Giro Donne!

Who to follow on Twitter:

Marianne Vos @marianne_vos
Ina-Yoke Teutenberg @yokoteute
Kirsten Wild @kirsten_wild
EmmaJohansson @emmaprocyclist
Martine Bras @martinebras
Ashleigh Moolman @ashleighcycling
Emilia Fahlin @emiliafahlin

Australians:
Rochelle Gilmore @RochelleGilmore
Rachel Neylan @rachneylan
Carla Ryan @carlamryan
Bridie O’Donnell Bridie_OD
Tiffany Cromwell @tiffanycromwell

Staff:
Manel Lacambra @lacambramanel
Anton Vos @anton_vos
Roy Gershow @RoyGershow

website design by essendon web