Page 21 - Kongresbogen18

Women project summary 2017

Catherine Marsal
Kvindelandstræner, landevej

A confirmation on
the world level

The season 2017 has confirmed Norsgaard managed to deal with As National coach, I can’t say
what we have already seen in the frustration and transformed it enough how proud I am of the
2016. Women riders are stepping into motivation, which at her age riders. They have the mentality
up big time on a world level and shows what she is made of. She and the capacity to go even
are placed 9th at the UCI world went to take silver in the road further. The project has reached
nation ranking. We started the race after a fantastic sprint. Un- the end of third year.
project at the 37th place, far out fortunately, an Italian rider was Also, the youth are growing and
the OL quotas. Eleven riders are away, and Norsgaard did not lo- showed potential during Tida-
now racing in UCI teams, which se gold, but won silver, indeed. holm U17 with a third place at
increase the chance of bringing Cecilie Uttrup and Pernille Mathi- the GC with Tusnelda Svanhol-
UCI point home after every ra- esen were two of the outsiders mer, two stages victories with
ces. Not only our riders are ra- for the ITT elite. They had train at Mie Saabye and a victory in the
cing in world level, but also they the perfection and were eager to team classification.
have an impact on the races they both enter the top 10. Uttrup
are competing in and the image took that place (10th) at less than Maria Bertelsen took Bronze in
of Danish women cycling has a minute from the podium. Ma- Youth OL, in her first year U17.
grown tremendously in the me- thiesen ended 14th confirming We can start to see a nice group
dia. We are now seen as one of her time trial abilities. of talent coming from the youn-
the top nations in the world. ger categories.
At the road race Amalie Diderik-
The main results of 2017, has sen wanted to defend her title Now we are now looking forward
been during EM and VM. with everything she had. As se- OL TOKYO 2020 and we will
Women riders have brought ho- cond leader, we had Cecilie Ut- keep pushing!
me 7 medals! Herning has been trup and both had free card in
a huge success (5 medals), with two very different race scenarios.
the double gold of Pernille Ma- Uttrup missed to stay in contact
thiesen in U23 category, the sil- with the front group in the last
ver in ITT U23 of Cecilie Uttrup climb but used all in her to bring
and the silver and bronze of Em- Dideriksen back for a bunch
ma Norsgaard in junior, respecti- sprint. Dideriksen came back to
vely in ITT and road race.
the group 500 meters before the
line, slalomed through the group,
found the very last energy to
VM, Bergen
sprint and took bronze, stepping
The riders were boosted to con- on the podium of a VM road race
firm in Bergen. Norsgaard missed for the second year in a row.
her ITT due to a mistake which I
take full responsibility for (her ITT
frame not homologated by UCI)..
Side 21