Last month we talked to Cristina San Emeterio, coach of the WCC Team, following their first races together on the European circuit. Today we catch up with three members of this UCI Women’s Continental Team, from Ethiopia, Japan and Belarus.
Ethiopian Selam Amha Gerefiel, 24, has had plenty of success on the African continent, especially in the time trial where she has medaled on several occasions – including gold in 2019 – at the African Championships.
Things have changed. At the beginning of this year she was propelled into the middle of Europe, on a team with seven other young women from seven different countries, lining up at races with some of the best in the world. She is thriving on it.
“I love it. I am just so happy here. This team is a big opportunity for me. It was difficult for two years in Ethiopia and I couldn’t train with Covid-19. Here, I can focus on my training and races.
“The girls are like my second family. And my coach, she is sometimes my mother, sometimes my sister and sometimes my coach.”
Selam has already demonstrated determination as a member of the WCC Team, not least when she worked hard in the first part of the Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria (Spain), chasing to the breakaway in the first part of the race.
“I love racing, and pushing myself,” says the young talent who has suddenly found herself up against some of the best in the world.
“When I first saw some of them, I just went ‘wow’. These are riders I had only seen on TV before.”
Selam’s Japanese teammate Yumi Kajihara has more experience against the world’s best… but on the track. 2020 UCI World Champion in the Omnium and Olympic silver medalist in the same specialty last year in Tokyo, Yumi is enjoying her time on the road with her teammates.
“After Tokyo, my motivation went down but I am enjoying racing with the team,” says the 25-year-old who already trained at the UCI WCC in 2014 and 2015 as a Junior.
At the GP Crevoisien Tour de la Courtine, in Switzerland, Yumi was the team’s leader and won in a sprint from a bunch that included two of her teammates. After so much racing on the track, she revels being part of a team and is enchanted by the diversity of her peers’ cultures and languages.
Also training occasionally with the UCI WCC’s track group - her longer-term goal is Omnium gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – Yumi is finding the road cycling like a breath of fresh air. She wants to work on her technical skills in the peloton and although she confesses that she is not a climber, she cites the “beautiful mountains” as a highlight of training out on the road.
Meanwhile Dziyana Lebedz, 19, is making the most of the racing opportunities that have opened up for her with the WCC Team. Arriving in Aigle at the beginning of the year, she was immediately thrown into the team’s routine of back-to-back racing in March, April and May.
“When you have more races you get better,” says the 19-year-old Belarus. “Every race I learn something and every race I get better. “I’m tired but happy. It’s a good feeling to be tired!”
The Alpes Gresivaudan Classic in France on 5th June remains firmly etched on her mind – arriving at the finish of the 120km race with 3243 vertical metres of climbing: “In every race there are parts where you feel good and parts where you feel not so good. But that race was so hard. When I saw the finish line I just thought ‘oh my God’. I was so happy just to finish!”
The WCC Team is currently on a training block at the UCI World Cycling Centre before its next series of races: national-level races in Switzerland and France in the second half of July, followed by the CIC-Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées (2.1) from 5 to 7 of August and the Picto – Charentaise (1.2) on 14 August.
We will catch up with them after these races.
Photo : Selam Amha Gerefiel (© Bruno Lavit)