This year, I ended the season with an experience that was completely new to me: competing in China.
I have been to Hong Kong several times for World Cups and World Championships on the track, but I had never been to China, either for competitions or for vacation. When the team told me that my last two races would be the Tour of Chongming Island and Guangxi, I had mixed feelings: on the one hand, I was happy because the routes suit my characteristics and I saw the possibility of ending 2025 with a victory, but on the other hand, I was a little worried about having to face a long journey with a 7-hour time difference after a very busy and tiring season. Despite everything, I must say that I left home full of determination and also quite happy to embark on this new experience!
The first step was to pack my suitcase. The weather forecast predicted 30 degrees with high humidity, so I didn’t need to bring too many clothes: two race bodysuits, aerodynamic socks (now essential, especially for flat races), two tops and a pair of gloves were more than enough. Since we were flying directly to Germany after the races, where the Lidl-Trek October training camp was to take place, I also needed to pack some warm, heavy clothes. Although the winter jacket took up a significant amount of space, my suitcase was half empty, so the words of many girls who had already taken part in those races kept echoing in my head: “The food is terrible.” To be safe, I filled the available space with cans of tuna/salmon, crackers, agave, almond butter, and other food.
The journey was long but calm and after landing in Shanghai, a bus took us to Chongming Island where we were met by our guide and translator. We soon realized that she spoke very little English, and our communication was mainly facilitated by Google Translate, which led to some very funny episodes. Despite this, An, as she was called, or at least as we understood her name, immediately proved to be very welcoming, cheerful, and willing to resolve any logistical issues we encountered.
The Tour of Chongming Island is a three-day stage race completely flat, mainly on wide, straight roads: the only two QOM were on two bridges, which made us laugh a lot! The results were a little disappointing, but I’m sure our leadout team had a great experience that will definitely come in handy next year.
After a flight of about three hours, we arrived in the metropolis of Nanning. The landscape was completely different and, although it was a city with four million inhabitants, there was no shortage of greenery and the race passed through a wonderful national park that stretched across a hill. The day before the race, we went to check out the route and as soon as we entered the park, we found ourselves facing a very tough climb, about 1.5 km long with double-digit gradients: a wall that seemed endless. When I got back to my room, I called my husband and told him that the next day in the race we would have to accomplish “the Chinese San Luca” four times! The team performed very well and my teammate Anna Henderson managed to bring home a great victory and end the season in the best possible way!
Now I will answer the question you are surely thinking: “How was the food?” Unfortunately, the food was not the best. We ate a lot of plain rice, and in one hotel we were lucky enough to taste freshly cooked rice noodles, but everything was strictly without sauces for fear of contamination from prohibited anti-doping substances that could be contained in the meat.
Unfortunately, as is often the case, we athletes travel a lot, but we don’t get to see and visit much of the places we go to, so I can say that I only got a small taste of China and a culture different from ours. That’s why I’d like to go back, both to compete and redeem myself for this year’s somewhat disappointing performances, and to visit part of this immense country.
