As the European Cycling Championship approaches, the hunt for the first rider to win the title twice is still on. Dutch sprinter Lorena Wiebes is determined to make history, but she remains cautious. Speaking the day before the road race at a press event with the Dutch team, Wiebes shared her thoughts with Wielerflits.
“Everything is going well. I’ve been doing some training races and criteriums to keep up my speed,” said the 25-year-old rider. Following a disappointing Tour de France Femmes, Wiebes has had time to clear her mind. “You have to quickly put the disappointment of the Tour behind you and focus on new goals. It’s helpful that this European Championship follows the Tour so soon. Those were not great days after the Tour, but you have to shift your focus and move on.”
Wiebes has the chance to leave the Tour de France Femmes behind with a second European title on Saturday, but she is not getting ahead of herself. “You saw in the men’s under-23 race that the group was completely split on the second cobblestone sector. That could happen with us too. It’s not necessarily a disadvantage for me, as I prefer to finish with a smaller group,” she explained.
“I think mainly Italy will aim for a sprint finish, but there aren’t many countries that will push for a sprint,” Wiebes speculated. “For me, it’s crucial to start the sprint as fresh as possible, especially since Elisa Balsamo has shown impressive form in the Tour of Romandie. You want to be as fresh as possible. But if you have to race hard to even get to the sprint, then you have to do that.”
Wiebes, who became European champion in Munich two years ago, reflected on the value of the title. “I almost don’t dare to set goals anymore, as my last two main goals didn’t go as planned. But it’s always nice to have such a jersey. It feels special to race in. It would be great to win it back.”
“As a Dutch rider, you always want to win, so there’s definitely pressure. I usually handle it well. I’m used to that pressure from my team anyway. A championship is something special. We don’t see each other that often, but you can already tell it’s very pleasant here. The atmosphere within the team is good, and that’s very important for tomorrow.”
Main photo credit: Getty
