"“I just cannot believe women are also capable of echelon riding and splitting the bunch in the wind,” he uttered totally flabbergasted after the first stage. The wind was very strong and after 10 kilometres, there was a 500 euro bonus sprint. That is a massive prize according to our standards. We happily ride our asses off for such an amount of money. Immediately, the bunch split apart. Christophe was ecstatic. “This is just like a men’s race! Incredibly exciting!” Four of us ended up in the first echelon, which made him even more happy. “Everyone told me I have a dream team, and it appears to be true!” Mind you, this was even before the climbing started – Emma’s favorite terrain. Emma, who is ex-world champ in time trialling and defending champion here in the Ardèche. When we hit the hills, Christophe got even more astonished. “The speed you make uphill is just madness. And most of you have such a great style on the bike,” he added in total disbelief. “So athletic. You look just like men, actually.”"

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Marijn Fietst» Blog Archive » Sometimes we’re not women, we’re just cyclists

Marijn de Vries, on what happened when a male ex-pro came out to the Tour de l’Ardèche.  It’s a VERY good blog!