On your first day in the peloton win instantly. It is a dream that almost became a reality for Daniek Hengeveld. In the first stage of the Healthy Ageing Tour she was only taken back by the chasing peloton in the last hectometres. All Grant Thornton-Krush Bikes-Tunap Sports riders rode an offensive race and can look back on the first day of the season with satisfaction.
Driving 28 laps on the TT Circuit of Assen resulted in a race of 126 kilometres. A beautiful location for a nice first day of racing for Grant Thornton-Krush Bikes-Tunap Sports.
And all the runners were looking forward to it. They all tried to colour the race course, which was not easy on the flat track. Nevertheless, the Biemme outfit was often seen from the front.
In the penultimate round, Hengeveld, who rode her very first UCI race with the elite cyclists, set up her attack. “It was actually an unexpected action. We had the plan to drop Clara Lundmark off well for the sprint.”
“Still, I got a 10-second gap. Then I was like: trying is always possible, so I just went full steam ahead. With four kilometres to go, I had 25 seconds. “
With her attempt at failure, Hengeveld brought the team, partners and supporters into ecstasy. Hengeveld gave everything, but unfortunately she just failed to provide a thunderous surprise and to write the first stage of the tour to her name.
“I was really overtaken in the last hundred metres. Of course that’s a shame, but I’m more than satisfied with an eighth place in my first UCI race. And what a course, haha…”
The second stage of the Healthy Ageing Tour is an individual time trial on the coast near Lauwersoog.
Result
8. Daniek Hengeveld
14. Clara Lundmark
21. Quinty Ton
34. Melissa Van Neck
81. Marissa Baks
88. Nathalie Eklund
Photo Credit: Cor Vos