Het Volk Women's RR 2008

Swift Racing are our adopted women's team for 2008 and through them we hope to map out the 2008 season.

Team Manager Stefan Wyman writes: Het Volk held on March 16 is the traditional start of the Northern European women''s elite road season since it started 3 years ago.

Emma Davies

Ine Beyen

Team Swift have taken part in all three editions so far so we feel like we know the course well. However the 2008 edition was made much harder with the inclusion of some tough climbs. To add to this the weather was as bad as it could have been with heavy rain turning parts of the course into tempary rivers.

These conditions led to many crashes, but fortunately for us none of the Swift Racing riders were involved in the crashes.

The race was steady to start, riding together in one group to the first of the 7 climbs. It was climb 3 and 4 that were going to be tough with the riders being told to hold position over the top due to the changing wind direction.

The race split apart over the fourth climb, with one rider going clear attempting a 80km solo. It wasn't to be and she was caught on the finishing circuits. Swift Racing had four riders in the peleton going in to the final two short circuits (Emma Davies, Ine Beyen, Louise Moriarty and Helen Wyman).

Passing the finish line for the last time, the race was together but shortly after it split into two, with Emma and Ine making the front split. All efforts would now be made to get Emma a good placing in the finish, which was only 100 metres after the final roundabout on the course.

However it wasn't to be. Having reached the roundabout in around 15th place, Emma suffered cramp in the sprint and wasn't about to get the position that she felt possible on the day. However she came home in 34th, with Ine in 48th. Louise and Helen follows shortly after in 104th and 105th.

Overall the team are very happy. Emma is backing racing at the top level for the first time with full fitness for two years and she has shown she still has what it takes to be up there in the biggest races in the world.

At only 21 Ine has shown herself well in front of her home crowd. And following only two weeks training after taking a month off at the end of the cyclo-cross season, Helen is already back in good shape.

The team now move on to Trofeo Binda in Italy this weekend, the first round of the World Cup in Europe in 2008.

1 Kirsten Wild AA Drink Cycling NED 3u18:00
2 Angela Brodtka Team DSB Bank DUI zt
3 Emma Johansson AA Drink Cycling ZWE zt
4 Martine Bras Vrienden van het Platteland NED zt
5 Tanja Hennes Team Specialized DUI zt
6 Loes Markerink Team Flexpoint NED zt
7 Miho Oki Menikini Selle Italia JAP zt
8 An Van Rie Vrienden van het Platteland NED zt
9 Francesca Tognali Top Girls Fassa Bortolo ITA zt
10 Laure Werner AA Drink Cycling BEL zt
11 Judith Arndt Team High Road DUI zt
12 Jennifer Hohl Bigla Cycling Team ZWI zt
13 Trixi Worrack Equipe Nürnberger DUI zt
14 Aleksandra Wnuczek Pol-Aqua POL zt
15 Arantzazu Azpiroz Bizkaia-Durango SPA zt
16 Christel Pourias Team Lot et Garonne FRA zt
17 Noemi Cantele Bigla Cycling Team ITA zt
18 Kelly Druyts Vlaanderen Thompson BEL zt
19 Chantal Beltman Team High Road NED zt
20 Karen Steurs AA Drink Cycling BEL zt
21 Regina Bruins Team Ton van Bemmelen NED zt
22 Iosune Murillo Elkano Bizkaia-Durango SPA zt
23 Lieselot Decroix Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam BEL zt
24 Sjoukje Dufoer Vlaanderen Thompson BEL zt
25 Ludivine Henrion AA Drink Cycling BEL zt
26 Anita Valen Team Flexpoint NOO zt
27 Liesbet De Vocht Vrienden van het Platteland BEL zt
28 Jaccolien Wallaard Vrienden van het Platteland NED zt
29 Oxana Kozonchuk Menikini Selle Italia RUS zt
30 Emilie Blanquefort Vienne Futuroscope FRA zt
31 Giada Borgato Menikini Selle Italia ITA zt
32 Katleen Sterckx Nationale ploeg België BEL zt
33 Andrea Bosman Team DSB Bank NED zt
34 Emma Davies Team Swift Racinga GBR zt
35 Grace Verbeke Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam BEL zt
36 Joanne Kiesanowski Cervelo Lifeforce NZL zt
37 Miek Vyncke Vlaanderen Thompson BEL zt
38 Marlen Johrend Equipe Nürnberger DUI zt
39 Andrea Graus Bigla Cycling Team BEL zt
40 Sylwia Kapusta Pol-Aqua POL zt
41 Hannah Verhaeghe SCF Liedekerke BEL zt
42 Anne Arnouts SCF Liedekerke BEL zt
43 Magdalena Zamolska Pol-Aqua POL zt
44 Sofie De Vuyst Vlaanderen Thompson BEL zt
45 Malgorzata Jasinska Pol-Aqua POL zt
46 Andrea Thürig Bigla Cycling Team ZWI zt
47 Annemiek van Vleuten Vrienden van het Platteland NED zt
48 Ine Beyen Swift Racing Team BEL zt
49 Catherine Delfosse Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam BEL zt
50 Emmanuelle Merlot Vienne Futuroscope FRA zt
51 Nicole Brändli Bigla Cycling Team ZWI zt
52 Paulina Brzezna AA Drink Cycling POL zt
53 Emma Rickards Cervelo Lifeforce AUS zt
54 Audrey Cordon Vienne Futuroscope FRA zt
55 Karine Gautard Vienne Futuroscope FRA zt
56 Andrea Wolfer Bigla Cycling Team ZWI zt
57 Loes Gunnewijk Team Flexpoint NED zt
58 Mirjam Hauser-Senn Team Specialized ZWI zt
59 Madeleine Sandig Team High Road DUI zt
60 Mirjam Melchers Team Flexpoint NED zt
61 Eva Lutz Equipe Nürnberger DUI zt
62 Natalia Fraczek Pol-Aqua POL zt
63 Luise Keller Team High Road DUI zt
64 Chantal Blaak AA Drink Cycling NED zt
65 Suzanne van Veen Team Flexpoint NED zt
66 Priska Doppmann Cervelo Lifeforce ZWI zt
67 Njisk Nauta Team Ton van Bemmelen NED zt
68 Sissy van Alebeek Team Ton van Bemmelen NED zt
69 Laura Pisanechi Top Girls Fassa Bortolo ITA zt
70 Elise van Hage Team Flexpoint NED zt
71 Christina Becker Equipe Nürnberger DUI zt
72 Sharon van Essen Team DSB Bank NED zt
73 Mireia Epelde Bizkaia-Durango SPA zt
74 Claudia Haüsler Equipe Nürnberger DUI zt
75 Zulfia Zabirova Bigla Cycling Team KAZ zt
76 Irene van den Broeck AA Drink Cycling NED zt
77 Rochelle Gilmore Menikini Selle Italia AUS zt
78 Oenone Wood Team High Road AUS zt
79 Sarah Düster Cervelo Lifeforce DUI zt
80 Marina Jaunatre Vienne Futuroscope FRA zt
81 Suzanne de Goede Equipe Nürnberger NED zt
82 Pascale Schnider Cervelo Lifeforce ZWI zt
83 Patricia Schwager Cervelo Lifeforce ZWI zt
84 Monika Furrer Team Specialized ZWI zt
85 Hye Lee Min Team Specialized KOR zt
86 Annick Van Leuven Royal Antwerp Bicycle BEL zt
87 Vera Koedooder Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam NED zt
88 Lien Lanssens Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam BEL zt
89 Annelies Van Doorslaer Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam BEL zt
90 Elise Depoorter Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam BEL zt
91 Mieke De Clercq KSV Deerlijk Gaverzicht BEL zt
92 Goedele Van den Steen De Sprinters Malderen BEL zt
93 Eugénie Mermillod Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz FRA zt
94 Fanny Riberot Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz FRA zt
95 Tine Ghyselinck Vlaanderen Thompson BEL zt
96 Katrien Van Looy Vlaanderen Thompson BEL zt
97 Catrine Josefsson Bizkaia-Durango ZWE zt
98 Caroline Steffen Cervelo Lifeforce ZWI zt
99 Sarah Grab Team Specialized ZWI zt
100 Kori Kelley Seehafer Menikini Selle Italia USA zt
101 Serena Danesi Top Girls Fassa Bortolo ITA zt
102 Anna Farina Top Girls Fassa Bortolo ITA zt
103 Karina Hegelund Nielsen Team Specialized DEN zt
104 Louise Moriarty Team Swift Racing IER zt
105 Helen Wyman Team Swift Racing GBR zt
106 Kristen Lasasso Team Specialized USA zt
107 Gloria Presti Menikini Selle Italia ITA zt
108 Sofie De Nys De Sprinters Malderen BEL zt
109 Nana Steenssens Royal Antwerp Bicycle Club BEL zt
110 Josephine Groenveld Team DSB Bank NED zt
111 Roxane Knetemann Vrienden van het Platteland NED zt
112 Tina Liebig Team DSB Bank DUI zt
113 Liesbeth Bakker Vrienden van het Platteland NED zt
114 Arenda Grimberg Team Ton van Bemmelen NED zt
115 Judith Helmink Team Ton van Bemmelen NED zt
116 Sharon Vandromme Nationale ploeg België BEL zt
117 Melanie Bravard Team Lot et Garonne FRA zt