Brugge-De Panne

I am extremely happy! Exactly ten days ago I had to put eighteen stitches on my left knee and yesterday I managed to take off at the last of this year’s Northern Classics: the Brugge-De Panne!

On Saturday the doctor decided that I could remove all the stitches except one so, since I could move my knee very well, I decided with my sporting director to try to take part at this race.

We knew that the five days of forced stop would be felt but being part of the group was really nice!

It was a really hard race, the course was totally flat but very technical and with a lot of wind that made it hard and selective. I have always liked racing with the wind and yesterday I enjoyed it very much, I always remained in the top positions and every time the strongest teams opened their echelons I always stayed in the leading group. After about eighty kilometers the group broke up for the first time due to the wind, but the pursuers managed to mend the gap. Instead, twenty kilometers from the finish the decisive echelons were opened and sixteen athletes remained in the front, all the strongest girls were there and there was also me and my teammate Vittoria Guazzini! Ten other athletes managed to get back on us and than the technical part of the last circuit started, I felt my legs explode but I absolutely did not want to give up. The last few kilometers were very hard and my energies were at the limit so unfortunately I couldn’t do the sprint as well as I wanted, I’m still really happy with my fifteenth place!

I would like to thank my team for following me in physiotherapy in order to speed up recovery times as much as possible and my family for encouraging me to fight and believe that everything would work out in the best way.

Now there are still a couple of weeks left before the Italian road championships and I still have some time to look again for a good condition to fight together with my Fiamme Oro’s mates!!

I’ll keep you updated!

Twila Federica Muzzi’s pictures