Beaten by the kids

This year the media team embarked on a mission to follow categories one and two and feel the racing from within. Boy, were we beaten hard by some eight and nine-year olds. This is our story from Lieveren.

Hello, I am Connie Hayes, I am part of the media team for this year’s Jeugdtour. I raced at Assen myself as a teenager between 2013 and 2018 and now race semi-professionally for the British based conti team O’shea Racing. When José needed some help with the media for this year’s tour I did not hesitate to come back and help after the amazing experiences the race had given me when I was a young rider. I had always said I wanted to give back to this race. This year it worked out because I am coming back from injury. 

Today me and José took on the role of sweepers for the youngest race categories. Now, do not get me wrong: I know these kids include some of the stars of tomorrow but I will hold my hands up and admit that I did not expect category one to be just so fast! 

I decided that I would film the start of their race, then leisurely put my phone away and then get on my bike and join José behind the bunch. Well… let’s just say I didn’t expect to have to get my heart rate up and draft the jury car for nearly one kilometer to catch back up to the super speedy kids after this serious error! 

Yeah, José here, 46 and not so fast but always smiling on the bike. I knew from last year these kids are fast but this year they went even faster. Or I just became slower. The category 1 girls Amy and Valerie were sure they would beat me. And yes they did. I rode around doing 200 watts normalized power and still was beaten. It was humbling especially when Valerie caught up with me after the finish and said: I told you, you couldn’t beat me. Thanks. My poor old ego in shatters.

No, in all honesty, it’s an amazing thing to do because you see how the racing spirit is already instilled in their hearts. Young James Keene was dropped from the bunch on the home straight but fought so hard in a headwind to make it back. Or Alice, Georgia, Amy and James’ sister Felicity in the grupetto of category 1. Four riders from France, Hong Kong, the UK and the Netherlands racing together and everytime you think they reached their limit, they get out of the saddle and go again. Next year I will just do the commentary too. 

For me and Connie it was a true joy seeing them race from the first row. I did need a massage with our in-house massage therapist Sil after because the legs were sore after two races. If you want to book too, just click here. My legs are ready for the VAM-berg tomorrow. Or maybe I should take a rest day……