Lola Bakker had a strong start to the mountain bike season by finishing second on Sunday in Albufeira, Portugal. The four-day Race Nature Albufeira started on Thursday with a time trial in which Bakker finished second behind Portuguese Melissa Maia. “Maia was very strong, and I couldn’t beat her in the other stages either.”
“In the last stage, I gave it my all and led for a long time, but I couldn’t hold on to it. So I finished second four times, and I was also second in the final standings. A great start to the mountain bike season, which includes the Far West Race in March and the two-day Volcat Igualada in Spain in April. However, in two weeks, I’ll hit the beach again for the National Beach Race Championships in Rockanje,” said Bakker. England’s Kim Babtista finished third in Albufeira.