“Want to Be Sharp All Day” – Two-Time UAE Stage Winner Heartbroken Over WorldTour Withdrawal Due to Sickness

The cycling season is all set to return, with athletes lined up and ready after a long winter break. For Dutch cyclist Charlotte Kool, however, the start of her competitive season is now delayed. Her team, DSM-Firmenich Post NL, announced that Kool will not participate in the UAE Tour Women.

This comes on the backdrop of an unexpected illness that struck her, forcing her out of action for at least a week or two. The race is all set to start in Dubai on February 8 and will continue until February 12. Kool’s absence has upset the team’s plans and forced strategy changes.

Charlotte Kool ruled out of the UAE Tour

When an athlete spends their off-season training rigorously, missing out on a chance to compete in the first race after the break is heartbreaking. It will pinch Kool even more after her spectacular performance during the tour last year. The Dutch cyclist won the sprint classification last year and was disappointed in missing out.

After putting in time and outstanding efforts in the winter, she was eager to show everyone her improvements and portray her skills. Unfortunately for her, the wait gets a little longer.

 “It’s emotional, a hard decision as I trained for months towards this first goal of the season,” Kool posted to her social channels. “I always try my best to avoid getting sick, and be the best version of myself everyday, but unfortunately I failed in this. For now it’s health wise the best decision. First moment to show my ‘winter improvements’ is gone, but we come back stronger as always.”

Her absence from the race now means her team will race with only five riders: Rachele Barbieri, Pfeiffer Georgi, Daniel Hengeveld, Becky Storrie, and Elise Uijen. Speaking to the media ahead of the race, coach Albert Timmer highlighted that their approach will be the only change in plans.

“With Charlotte out of the race due to sickness, we will take a more opportunistic approach to the three sprint chances available at UAE Tour and still continue our focus on doing a good lead out in those moments. There are opportunities where the wind can play a big role, so we want to be sharp all day, with good teamwork,” he said.

A missed opportunity

The fireworks at last year’s UAE Tour Women were courtesy of a nail-biting competition between Kool and Lorena Wiebes. The duo finished with three podium wins last year, and there was great anticipation to watch them battle it out once again.

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Heartbroken and resting, Kool must wait a little longer to show the world what she improved. Experts believe that a return in the Belgian race Omloop van het Hageland, which starts on February 25, will be the most likely point of return for her. All eyes now will be on how quickly she recovers and takes the field.

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