(BeMC) Belgian Mountain bike Challenge

Sportfotos.lu

Over the three days we covered 260kms and 7800meters of vertical climbing. Even with those high stats I had not anticipated how tough on the body this race was going to be. Later on this year I will be racing the TransAlp with Sabina Compassi who I met last year at the GrandRaid and the Swiss Epic again with Mark. I quite naïvely thought the BeMc three days would be a nice reminder of how stage racing feels but without as much fatigue. The BeMC definitely reminded me and in the shower after stage three I had that serious moment of doubt of how much further I could really push my body, would I survive another 3/4 days of this?

What makes the BeMC tough is not necessarily the kms but more the constant up and down with little respite. Stage three in particular had a lot of really steep climbs followed by fast descents heading straight down which were over so quickly that you were soon back in your easy gear grinding up the next climb.

For 2016 the women's field was twice as big as 2015 with 27 starters and some strong names in the mix. I enjoyed my first experience of solo stage racing (I have raced a few stage races over the years -Trans Alp, Swiss Epic, Cape Epic, Trans Rockies, Andalucia Bike Race and Sudety Mountain Bike Challenge though these have all been in a pair) With no team mate to help with pacing or a wheel I knew well to hold on to when needing a bit of shelter to help recover I was always on the look out for others to ride with. In marathons and stage races you often find yourself around the same people and these become companions, I was really grateful for the friendly environment. At different times during the stages I was around 6 of the other women which made it really interesting and helped a lot in pushing each other on. It was interesting looking at what their strengths were but also realising where my own strengths and weaknesses lay.

My Race experience in Brief

Stage 1 was 67kms with 2200 meters of climbing so lots of steep climbs but also lots of fun descents. The trails were dry and fast and it felt good to be racing in the sunshine. I finished 10th in 3hours 42.

Stage 2 was a really interesting race for me with lots of close racing with some of the other elite ladies. We covered 95kms and rode 2350 vertical meters of climbing which I completed in 4h53. For the first 30 kms I held on to a group of three ladies. Petra Mermans was setting the pace and making it tough and eventually I dropped off around 30kms on a steep climb. At 40 kms Charlotte Davies caught me and we pretty much pushed each other, riding strong to the end. This stage suited me more as the climbs were more gradual and I finished 7th and moved up to 7th overall.

Stage 3, 100kms with 3100 meters of climbing is as hard as expected. So many sharp climbs one after another making it tough going at times. There was more single track today plus the Houffalize World Cup course which was great fun. I rode 80kms of the stage with Cemile from Germany who kept me in good spirits especially whilst my legs were burning. Cemile was looking stronger than me and I kept saying “stay here for another 20kms”, I am glad we stuck together for so long. After 6 hours in the saddle I was really glad to finish knowing I had given my all and pleased I had held onto 7th overall. Charlotte Davies finished 6th and is a UK racer to look out for on the marathon scene.

Overall podium -
Sally Bigham after spending the majority of the race making back time due to an early puncture took an impressive win. Jovana Crnogorac from Serbia finished 2nd showing consistent strength and Stefanie Dohrn from Germany who got stronger throughout the stages finished a well deserved 3rd. I did not follow the men's race to the same extent but looking at results they were very fast and the time gaps between riders were close indeed. Polish rider Tiago Ferreira took the win just a minute ahead of Wout Alleman and Robby De Bock. Ben Thomas did really well to finish 11th just 11mins down even though he had a lingering illness on the first stage.
Results can be found here.



The BeMC is well organised and friendly. The route is clearly marked and an effective bottle drop /collect services at the feed zones was well organised and quick to use, perfect for those who do not have a support person bottling for them. There were waffles and pancakes at the end of the stage and the location and trails were great. What else can you ask for? In Its 5th edition the BeMC already has a great reputation and I highly recommend it. I would love to return as many riders/ racers do.

Thanks to: Sportfoto.lu for the images

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