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Folks she is aware of name her ‘Gee’, however most individuals within the US weren’t aware of Geerike Schreurs (SD Worx-Protime), or how you can pronounce her identify, till she hit the large time of gravel on the 2024 Life Time Unbound 200. A relative newcomer to gravel racing and a first-timer at Unbound, the Dutch rider completed second to winner Rosa Klöser, one other debutant, in an thrilling eight-rider dash to the road in downtown Emporia, Kansas after 203 miles (327km).
Saturday’s fierce dash, to finish a race that performed out over 10 hours, 26 minutes and two seconds, was additionally the quickest version of Unbound Gravel’s north route which has been accomplished now thrice.
“Once I realised it was for positive going to be a dash, I attempted on the ultimate kicker to assault, and use my huge core, my weight, on the downhill to get a niche,” laughed the tall Dutch rider referring to her peak, at simply over six toes.
“I had a very good lead out from Sarah Sturm, she was on the entrance on the final nook, I mentioned ‘simply go, go, go’,” mentioned Schreurs of her fellow Specialised rider. “I feel the strongest really gained right this moment. Rosa [Klöser] was actually sturdy. I’m actually blissful that I may dash to second place right this moment.”
Coming into her first Unbound Gravel race, she already had a robust outcomes sheet, together with a win at The Gralloch two weeks in the past, second at Wörthersee Gravel Race and The Traka 360. She additionally made a visit to the US and completed fourth at Belgian Waffle Trip Arizona. However 2024 is her first full season racing off-road occasions, so even she was uncertain of what she would uncover at Unbound about her skills and her opponents.
“I don’t know everybody so effectively but as a result of it’s my first yr. It’s my first time at Unbound. So it’s at all times type of arduous to see how everybody will likely be within the dash,” she mentioned within the combine zone to media after her second place at Unbound 200.
“It’s actually superior. It’s actually totally different. I’m blissful that I can expertise this. I’ve such an incredible sponsor behind me, they let me come over from Europe to be right here, particularly Specialised. That’s actually superior.”
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A biking profession reboot
Her path to gravel glory is a bit sophisticated. Gee’ started racing a motorbike when she was 19 years outdated and she or he did it for enjoyable. “I performed volleyball for a really very long time and needed one thing totally different.”
Her biking profession started in 2008 with a membership group and after a number of years on the Continental degree she simply stopped racing when her group closed its doorways. In 2017 she started working as a soigneur for groups Hitec and Cylance, then touchdown with Lidl-Trek in 2019. In 2023 she took a possibility to concentrate on her driving once more, this time with SD Worx-Protime.
“She give up biking, which at the moment I believed was actually unhappy that she did as a result of she was actually sturdy as a highway bike owner,” SD Worx-Protime sports activities director Anna van der Breggen recalled in a YouTube video about Schreurs put out by Specialised. “She began fairly late and she or he actually favored it, however it was additionally fairly totally different [to be part of] the bunch if you don’t have the expertise. I keep in mind she crashed many instances, and she or he had some nice outcomes.
“I don’t know the way it got here up, however I advised it, why don’t you strive gravel racing. She had a gravel bike and she or he favored it on the roads round right here [Netherlands] so she was optimistic about it,” Van der Breggen mentioned. They each questioned if it was doable after so a few years of Schreurs working as a soigner, however Van der Breggen mentioned the timing was proper since gravel was rising.
“If you see the qualities of Geerike, it’s one thing she will actually do effectively. The longer it takes, the higher she will get. And he or she is in fact very motivated. We prefer it that there’s a gravel rider racing in our package. Group SD Worx-Protime is actually supporting this. We’re serving to the place we will to provide her the perfect preparation and supplies, along with Specialised to make her the perfect gravel rider.”
Schreurs completed second at The Traka 360 this yr, whereas the 200 final yr, the place she got here fifth within the girls’s class, was a pivotal level in her gravel journey as ‘the primary occasion that obtained me into gravel’.
“I do know now that I used to be a very good soigneur. By at all times taking care of another person, you typically neglect your self, ‘what do I would like, or what do I would like’,” mentioned Schreurs. “Once I made the choice final yr, I believed I do one thing lastly that I wish to do. And I don’t let anybody change my resolution. I really feel blissful about it, that I used to be courageous sufficient to make that call and return to the place I didn’t [leave] on a superb feeling.”
Now with a podium at Unbound Gravel 200, Schreurs mentioned she deliberate to remain within the US to to compete on the Oregon Path Gravel, held June 26-30 as one of many world occasions for the Gravel Earth Collection.
“I’m actually trying ahead to it [Oregon Trail] as effectively. It’s going to be one other American expertise. And have a while between to only calm down and luxuriate in America.”
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