Letters From Abroad

September 2002

Letter From Abroad: Louise Moriarty

National road race bronze medalist Louise Moriarty has spent the past two months competing in Belgium and Holland against some of the top female riders on the pro circuit. With a possible place up for grabs in the world championships team, the Dubliner made the big move abroad in order to improve her standard, and has toughed it out against some very stiff opposition in that period.

Louise has ridden two stage races plus a handful of UCI one-day events and kermesses; hard races which are bringing on her form and honing her talent. IrishCYCLING.com has received three reports from her in that time and we are delighted to reprint her account below.

We hope that this will mark the start of a new series. Besides improving the level of the rider concerned, competing abroad is also of huge benefit to those at home, who can take encouragement from the example and go on to try out foreign racing for themselves. The new Team Ireland base in Belgium offers a great opportunity for Irish riders to travel to the continent and try their hand at competing in an international field; trips ranging from a few days to several weeks are possible, and the experience is invaluable both from a sporting and personal point of view.

IrishCYCLING.com would like to continue bringing you accounts of Life in this particular Fast Lane, giving readers a taster as to what international racing is really like. So, riders, whether you are professional or amateur, competing in America or Europe, feel free to send us your race diaries and reports and let others in on the experience….

Letter from Abroad: Louise Moriarty

12 August: ‘I haven't been in touch in a while, so I thought I'd send you a mail.  I've been in Holland for the past month racing against Leontien van Moorsel and the likes, as you do!  Some of the races are amazing - there are huge crowds as Lance Armstrong, Robbie McEwen and all the heads are in the men's pro races, and in the women's there'll be 80 or 100 girls (there were well over 100 in some races I did in Germany), tight criteriums averaging 42kmph or so - its doing wonders for my speed and bike handling!

I'm free till October, so the plan is to stay as long as I can keep racing.  Because I started off with very little fitness (after my finals in June), I am gradually feeling better and better and better ...long may it continue! 

I also got to spend a week in Belgium too, at the Team Ireland base. It is a brilliant facility, and fair play to Eugene (Moriarty), he's doing a great job.  If they continue with it, it'll make it so much easier for Irish cyclists to try racing on the continent, or to make the transition from home to abroad.

Anyway, I've attached details and results of some of the races I've done. Paddy Doran advised me to do this. I feel a bit silly sending results when I'm not even in the top 10, but I guess you could take into account that I'm competing against some of the best female professionals in the world!

Results:

GP Pharming - Zahrady - Krasna Lipa, 11-14/7/2002 - Czechia – UCI Cat. 2.9.2

Results   ---  94 starters ---  4 day, 400km stage race

Stage 1  112.2km  Thurs July 11th, 6 climbs between 267m and 548m

1. Trixi Worrack (Ger)

2. Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung

3. Areke Hassink (Ned) Rabobank - Dutch National Espoirs Team

51. Louise Moriarty (Ier) Movingladies @ 2.07

Stage 2  94.8km  Fri July 12th, 12 climbs, 5 of them severe

1. Bogumila Matusiak (Pol) Bonda - Lukowski

2. Anita Valen (Nor)

3. Trixi Worrack (Ger)

33. Louise Moriarty (Ier) Movingladies

GC

1.        Bogumila Matusiak (Pol) Bonda – Lukowski

43.  Louise Moriarty (Ier) Movingladies

Stage 3a  9km TT    Sat July 13th am, finish up a 456m climb

1. Trixi Worrack (Ger)

2. Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung

3. Bogumila Matusiak (Pol) Bonda - Lukowski

57. Louise Moriarty (Ier) Movingladies

GC

1.        Bogumila Matusiak (Pol) Bonda – Lukowski

45.  Louise Moriarty (Ier) Movingladies

Stage 3b   81.9km  Sat July 13th pm, 6 climbs, 3 of 20% gradient

1. Trixi Worrack (Ger)

2. Bogumila Matusiak (Pol) Bonda - Lukowski

3. Anita Valen (Nor)

47. Louise Moriarty (Ier) Movingladies

GC

1.        Bogumila Matusiak (Pol) Bonda – Lukowski

48.  Louise Moriarty (Ier) Movingladies

Stage 4   100.3km  Sun July 14th, 6 climbs, up to 590m

1. Anita Valen (Nor)

2. Tanja Schmidt-Hennes (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung

3. Monika Tyburska (Pol) Bonda – Lukowski

DNF Louise Moriarty (Ier) Movingladies

Final Ranking  

1. Bogumila Matusiak (Pol) Bonda - Lukowski

2. Trixi Worrack (Ger) [U-23 European Champion 2002]

3. Anita Valen (Nor) 

Acht van Chaam – NE, Chaam, Netherlands, July 31, 2001

Women - 60 km Criterium

1 Leontien Zijlaard van Moorsel (Ned) Farm Frites Hartol

2 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Farm Frites Hartol

3 Sandra Rombouts (Ned) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung

25 Louise Moriarty (in bunch, sprinting for 3rd )

Profronde Oostvoorne – NE,  Oostvoorne, Netherlands, August 8, 2002

Women 60km Criterium

1 Vera Koedooder (Ned) Dutch National Team

2 Sandra Misbach (Ger) Farm Frites Hartol

3 Vanja Vonckx (Bel) Vlannderen Iterim

16 Louise Moriarty (Ire)

Sparkassen Giro Bochum – UCI Cat 1.9.2     Germany, August 11, 2002

Women – 75km RR 5 x 15km circuit, with 2 (relatively short) hills and 2 cobbled sections

160 starters 80 or so finished, 56 in main peloton

1 Bertine Spijkerman (Ned) Netherlands National Team      1.53.32 (38,579km/h)

2 Kate Bates (Aus) Team Ondernemers van Nature

3 Tanja Hennes (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung

26 Louise Moriarty (Irl) Team Movingladies   (same time)

27 August: ‘The week before last I raced 3 days in Belgian kermesses. The UCI registered teams competing were Ondernemers van Nature, Dutch National Selection, Vlaanderen T Interim, PowerPlate Bik, and some members of Farm Frites Hartol. Due to the absence of some of the usual riders (gone to the Tour Feminine), the pace was slightly slower (38 – 42kmph average), so I used them to practice attacking, bridging across to breaks, sprinting for primes etc.

‘Then at the weekend I rode a two day stage race in Holland. The UCI registered teams competing were Ondernemers van Nature, Dutch National Selections A and B, Dutch Junior Selection, Vlaanderen T Interim, PowerPlate Bik, Farm Frites Hartol feeder team (Novilion), and some members of Farm Frites Hartol and British National squad. On the first stage (RR, 112km), torrential rain, narrow roads, and a bunch of 120 girls meant there was total carnage. After all the crashes I ended up with a big time deficit, which I wasn’t able to make up despite having a much better day on Sunday’.

‘Next up is a UCI ranked race in Nuremburg in Germany this Sunday, which I'm really looking forward to. After that, I expect that I'll only have a few kermesses and crits left.’

Brasschaat Kermesse, Belgium, August 13, 2002

78km, 59 starters

1 Kate Bates (Aus) Ondernemers van Nature

25 Louise Moriarty (Ier) Individuelle

Puivelde Kermesse, Belgium, August 15, 2002

90km, 61 starters

1  Nana Steenssens (Bel) Zwijndrecht

21  Louise Moriarty (Ier) Individuelle

Hassdonk Kermesse, Belgium, August 18, 2002

90km, 56 starters

1  Kate Bates (Aus) Ondernemers van Nature

29  Louise Moriarty (Ier) Individuelle

Grote Prijs Van Boekel, Holland, August 24-25, 2002

120 starters

Stage 1 - August 24: Boekel - Boekel, 112km

1 Anouska van der Zee (Ned) Team Farm Frites-Hartol  2.47.11   

2 Kathy Bates (Aus) Ondernemers van Nature   @ 0.01

3 Vera Koedooder (Ned) National team  @ s.t.

75. Louise Moriarty (Ier) Team Movingladies @ 23.09

Stage 2 - August 25: Boekel - Boekel, 60km (Criterium)

1 Debby Mansveld (Ned) Vlaanderen                 1.31.51

2 Kathy Bates  (Aus) Ondernemers van Nature

3 Esther van der Helm (Ned) National team

47. Louise Moriarty (Ier) Team Movingladies @ 0.14

Stage 3 - August 25: Boekel - Boekel, 4.7km (TT)

1 Vera Koedooder (Ned) National team 6.08.23

2 Kathy Bates  (Aus) Ondernemers van Nature 6.09.01

3 Anouska van der Zee (Ned) Team Farm Frites-Hartol 6.09.55

62. Louise Moriarty (Ier) Team Movingladies 7.10.11

Final General Classification

1 Kathy Bates  (Aus) Ondernemers van Nature 4.24.57 (40kmph)

2 Anouska van der Zee (Ned) Team Farm Frites-Hartol 4.25.01

3 Vera Koedooder (Ned) National team 4.25.05

65. Louise Moriarty (Ier) Team Movingladies 4.49.35

2 September: I did a big race in Germany yesterday.  The first lap was brilliant, really fast, and I was third wheel to Judith Arndt and Petra Rossner coming towards the first sprint when they stopped the race. The professional men (Eric Zabel and Co) were using the same circuit, and they stopped us because we were gaining too much on them!

A while later Rossner got away with a girl from the Nuremburg team.  With a representative from each of the strongest teams out front, it was really difficult to get away - you had some or all of the remaining members of the Saturn and Nuremburger teams on the wheel.   On the final lap, two little groups escaped.  I misunderstood an instruction from one of my Dutch team-mates and tried to bring her across to them, but the rest of the peloton was sitting on her wheel.  That effort sapped me a bit and I didn't have much left for the sprint for 10^th, ending up 22nd overall.  Up front, apparently Petra Rossner, she of the formidable sprint, had trouble with her bike, and Jenny Algelid, of the Nuernberger team got away from her.  Funny that happening, in Nuernberg!

Rund um die Nürnberger Altstadt – UCI 1.9.2

Germany, September 1, 2002

Elite Women, 80 starters, 65km, 41.64kmph

1 Jenny Algelid (Swe) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung    1.33.40

2 Petra Rossner (Ger) Saturn-Lolland        0.09

3 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn-Lolland       0.49

22 Louise Moriarty (Irl) Mov. Ladies Groenewoud    1.22

Want to contribute? Mail your Letter from Abroad to Shane@irishcycling.com. Thank you!