Ashleigh Moolman Shows Early Spring Form At Le Samyn des Dames

Hitec Products’ Ashleigh MOOLMAN sprinted to second place at today’s Le Samyn des Dames in Belgium after an aggressive team performance. The current South African national, and African continental champion opened the tough, uphill sprint early and was only narrowly beaten by Orica-AIS’s Emma JOHANSSON for race honours. Sofie DE VUYST (Futurumshop.nl) finished third. “My team did an awesome job from the start. We raced aggressively and were represented in every major break away,” Ashleigh said. The 116km race was made up of one 27 kilometre loop and four tough 21 kilometre circuits featuring two short climbs. Vera KOEDOODER (Bigla) launched a characteristic early break only a few kilometres into the second Belgian race of the season. The peloton control the lone leader however, and she was reeled in as they reached the finishing circuits. The only threatening break of the race escaped as the peloton crossed under the finish line with two laps remaining. Consisting of four riders, Anna VAN DER BREGGEN (Rabo/Liv), Jessie DAAMS (Boels-Dolmans), Maaike POLSPOEL (Giant Shimano), and Chloe HOSKING (Hitec Products) the break gained a maximum advantage of 40 seconds before being caught just before the base of the first climb of the circuit. While Specialized Lululemon and the Hitec Products team tried to animate the race it eventually came down to a small bunch of 40 racing for the finish. Ashleigh explains that the last five kilometres were quite “hectic”. “I tried to keep my cool and go with the flow. As we took the last corner with about 800m to go I suddenly found myself on the front,” Asheligh said. “At this point I felt I had two options. I either sit up and take the risk of someone jumping me, or I sprint early. I took the sprint long and unfortunately I was passed by Emma JOHANSSON just before the line, “Any one of us could have podiumed today, it just turned out that I was at the right place at the right time entering the uphill sprint, “It was really great to finish with five Hitec riders in the front group and two in the top ten,” she said. Team Director Marc Bracke said he was happy with how the team rode. “The plan was to be aggressive when we entered the finishing circuits and for every rider to be free to play,” Bracke said. “Races like today are excellent preparation for the World Cups and I think we raced as a team today,” he said. Hitec Products team for Le Samyn les Dames: Audrey Cordon, Chloe HOSKING, Lauren KITCHEN, Elisa LONGO BORGHINI, Ashleigh MOOLMAN, Thea THORSEN. 2014 Le Samyn des Dames Results Images copyright Sportfoto.nl