By Jarrod Patridge
Q. You're riding with one of the biggest Pro women's teams in Europe, can you tell us how you started out and how you gotto this point?
I started in '98 as a mountain biker, as a last year junior in '99 I did the World Championships which are In Sweden, it was really nice to do it in Sweden. Then after that, I was a good friend of Klas and Susanne, who helped me develop on the road, because mtb is an even smaller sport than road racing so it's so hard. Then I changed and went to the road, but I still do some mountain bikes for fun, I miss all the technicalities! So since 2000/01 I have been on the road in Sweden and I tried a year in PowerPlate living in Amsterdam but that was not a good area for being a professional cyclist. I was young and I was there alone so after about 3 months I went home, no more!! Then 2004 I met Gustav and went with him to Italy in 2005, and there I was with my first professional team. I started with Bianchi in Italy, then went to Team SAFI Pasta Zara where I also raced with Rochelle and after that I changed to Team Bigla where I was for three years. I spoke with Rochelle and she invited me to join Lotto. For me the environment in the team is more important than money. You shouldn't do a sport for the money. But Rochelle told me the environment here is so good so I said ok I'll give it a shot! And now I'm so happy I'm in the Lotto team because they are there to help you, not to be a pain in the ass.
Q. What inspired you to want to become a professional cyclist and did you ever try any other sports?
I was a horse's girl when I was younger, my family all rode horses. But when I was 15-16 I sold my last horse and said no, I want to be a motocross rider! As a girl when you haven't ridden motocross since you could walk, you crash pretty easy. I broke everything! It was not my thing. The problem is when you're 16 they're going really really fast, so you should start when you're small. So then I said this isn't for me! But my parents were both cyclists when they were young but they never pushed me to be a cyclist. Actually my Mum was into horses so they told me to stay with horses and not start cycling because it's hard!
Q. How do you see yourself in the peleton? What are your main strengths?
I think I'm a good team rider because I know how the guys are riding, so for me it's important to have a good group that stays together, that you help & like each other. It's the small things that the men all do, but we still miss it a bit in the women's peleton sometimes. There are many women riders who are individuals; they drop their brain at the start! So that's my strength, I still have my brain in the raceJOf course I'm still a woman, so I can still do strange stuff too! For me, when you're at the races, why not enjoy it instead of being a pain in the ass for yourself & everyone?
I'm not a sprinter, but I love to work for my team. Like for Rochelle for example. So if there's a race for her I know I can do nothing in the sprint, so it's important for me to put my energy into helping her.Q. What has been your biggest highlight in your cycling career to date?
Oolala! I had a bad accident 3-4 years ago and I'm still not in the shape I was before. With the accident I was sick a lot because my immune system was low, so that was a bad period. Before the crash I had some nice wins, like my victory in the Thüringen Rundfahrt, that's one of my nicest victories because it's also how you win them. I did it perfect, I attacked at the right time and at the end thought "wow!" so that is one of my favourite memories from my cycling career.
Q. Is there that one race out there that you would love to win?
Yes! I think if you're an athlete, you should love to win. Otherwise you should do something else. Normally I should win one race a year, but still I haven't won this year so I have to work that out! It's really nice to stand on top of the podium and take the cheers of the crowd, you can live on that for a long time.
Also when I went to watch Gustav at the Giro, when he won the time trial I wasn't on the podium, but for me it was like I was because I know what he goes through, it was very emotional. It's similar to winning myself.
Q. While you were in Italy, did you get to see Gustav in many stages of the Giro?
Yes, I saw the Team Time Trial in Cuneo because I was staying there for two days. Then I took my Ducce from Bergamo to Valdaora which is close to Austria. It was a nice area for motorcycling! 340km it was, but it was so nice. I did it with pleasureJThen I remained there for the mountain ITT and the following stage. Then I went to Verona for the finish and it was really really nice, it was perfect!
Q. Many people who know you know about your passion for going fast! Can you tell us a bit about your current motorbike?
Unfortunately my motorbike isn't a fast one, you take all the wind in your face! It's a Ducati Monster
800cc, it's a pretty clean motor. You can take it to a bar or for coffee, not 250 on a highway! I know I could buy a faster one, but then my life would be pretty short. On the motorbike you're so unsafe, if you crash, you have to pay for it. That's one reason I didn't buy a really fast motorcycle, life is too fun.
Q. Let's talk about cake! Previously you mentioned that you love to make cake but don't get to eat them all. This must be good for those around you! Do you think you will have your own bakery one day?
For me when you do something, it's a way to relax or release anger, but then it's an angry cake! Normally I don't like to make cakes when I'm angry. But when I'm happy or I'm stressed, then I go and start to make cakes because it's so easy, I don't have to think about what I'm doing.
There are many riders who want to open their perfect bakery/café. Everyone I know, when you ask what they want to do after their career they say "oh I want to open a café" because you know when you're a rider, what do you do? Obviously you train, but then you stop for coffee! And you always have your idea for the perfect coffee place, "it should be like this, it should be like that" because you stop so often, every day you have to stop at least once. It's part of the rules.
So I don't know if I will open my own, but always when I go to friends for parties, I bring a cake. I just have to do it. And at the Giro on the last day I took three cakes, but now they say I have to bring cakes every time because Gustav won!
Q. With the World Championships being held in Melbourne this year will we see you Down Under representing Sweden?
After my accident I haven't been selected for Worlds. Last year I went to Canada for the World Cup with Sweden but I didn't do the Worlds. For me it would be an honour, but we don't have a lot of money to send all the riders, so it will depend on how many riders we send. Of course we could send six girls because we are few, but we are fast! We have Emma Johansson but currently there is an economic crisis at the Swedish Federation so I'm not sure if they're going to send a full team. Normally we send 3 or 4 riders, but it also depends on my condition. I won't go there if I don't have the legs because to be a good helper you need to have good legs. But for me it would be a really big honour to come to Australia and represent Sweden, so I'm really hopeful for that.
And finally...
Q. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Ooh! I'm a person who can get stuck on one thing and eat it like crazy, so I think it would be milk rice. It's boiled rice in milk. In Sweden we eat it as a breakfast with cinnamon. First you boil the rice, then put milk in it and boil it for 30 minutes. Then in the end if you want it sweet you put some vanilla sugar. You can eat it cold or warm, with cinnamon, or strawberry jam, or cream as a desert. That I could live on for a pretty long time!
Thanks Veronica!
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Canberra
Team-mates Patrick Shaw and Steele Von Hoff are leading the SP AusNet sprint championship and CreditCollect criterium titles respectively.
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