Get to know Ellen van Loy
Belgian cyclocrosser Ellen van Loy finished 9th at the World Championships in Louisville, but this former volleyball player first got her feet wet in triathlon. She now works a full time job while racing at the highest level of the sport.
Slowtwitch: Ellen, thank you for your time.
Ellen: No problem, thank you for the interview! It's not every day that I'm being interviewed by American media.
ST: While based in the USA, we view ourselves actually as International.
Ellen: Even better.
ST: You have had a busy weekend with the Bpost Bank Trofee in Lille and the Superprestige Hoogstraten, but I guess by now you can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Ellen: There are still 2 busy weekends to come with the Bpost Bank final in Oostmalle on the last Sunday, which is for me the most important. If I can get a decent result there I can get third in the end ranking in the Bpost Bank Trofee.
ST: Does that mean you can soon return 110% to your job as an educator?
Ellen: At the moment I am already back at work. I must say that I missed the guests in our home during my days in Louisville! Most of the people I work with have Down syndrome and are between 40 and 50 years old, they are also good supporters.
ST: How many people do you work with and do some of them come to any of your races?
Ellen: I work with 8 people, 5 women and 3 men. Because of logistics and psychical disabilities, it is not possible they visit a race.
ST: Talking about racing, you finished 4th in Lille behind Marianne Vos. Were you happy with that effort?
Ellen: 4th is a good result for me, but maybe I could have gotten on the podium. I had mechanical problems just after the start and had to struggle to get the top three back in sight. When Vos saw me coming she probably thought they were going too slow and attacked. The pace went up again and the podium was gone.
ST: Do you like that course in Lille?
Ellen: Yes, the surface is a lot like the course I train on every week and close to home so there were a lot of people cheering for me.
ST: How did Hoogstraten go for you?
Ellen: I didn't have good legs on Sunday and seemed to have problems getting awake, maybe still a bit off jetlag? But all the riders in the front are probably suffering in the same way, because I managed to get a second in. My best result in a Cat 1 event ever.
ST: Do you live very far from either of these events?
Ellen: Last weekend, the races were less then an hours drive so I can't complain. Next weekend it will be different with Middelkerke and Heerlen in Holland. Those are races that are about 100 miles from home, so still relatively easy to do.
ST: The World Championships in Louisville, KY though required a bit more of a trip.
Ellen: It was completely something else. The bikes and my suitcase had to be with the federation on Wednesday and I left on Saturday, a week before the event. It was also the first time that I flew to the States and the first time I experienced jet lag. I now have more respect for the American riders who come here for the races around Christmas, the so called holy week.
ST: You ended up 9th there and when we saw you after you seemed quite pleased with the result.
Ellen: It was my second time in a World Championship. The first time in Sankt-Wendel in 2011 I had a flat on the worst possible place, just behind the pit and lost a lot off places. Last year I couldn't race in Koksijde because I fractured my hand during the national championships. Now everything fell finally into place, and although I finished four times in the top ten in the World Cups this season, a World Championship is still a bit different. Every good racer is there and a few more Americans that I didn't know.
ST: What did you think about the Louisville course?
Ellen: I found it a very good course, and it had everything a course needs. Even when it is dry it can be challenging. The riders just go faster then and it is maybe a bit less technical, but maybe more physically hard.
ST: Were you at all surprised by the spectators, costumes, noise and general atmosphere?
Ellen: We heard that it would be different, but it was still an eye-opener. I found the atmosphere much friendlier, crazier and I think for the riders also better. People always will have their favorites but when I saw the support given to the riders in the very back off the field, that was heart-warming! In Belgium people cheer only for the first few in the race and their favorite rider(s). Sometimes they even make fun of the racers in the back, probably because they don't realize what you have to do to get there. The costumes were also hilarious. I even saw people with antlers made from handlebars, Evil Knievel and some half naked people.
Also the Americans were very welcoming and even thankful that the Belgian crossers made it over there.
ST: Are you telling us there are no half naked people at the cross races in Belgium and Holland?
Ellen: Maybe it’s to cold to be naked, but I don’t see many of them. In Oostmalle, after the last race, there’s a big party so there’s a big chance we see some naked people.
ST: Did you talk with some fellow Belgian athletes about it, and what did they generally think?
Ellen: I think we are all on the same page. In the end they all very much liked the course and the atmosphere!
ST: Did the general experience make you want to return for some other events, or maybe just as a tourist?
Ellen: It would be nice to return for racing. In September there are a lot of races around New York, so that would be a good way to start off the season. But as it is at the moment, I will have to go working. I already used up a week from my holidays to go to Louisville.
ST: How much vacation time do you actually have?
Ellen: I have 22 days of vacation; half of it is already gone with World Cup Rome and the World Championships in Louisville.
ST: Did you and your husband have the opportunity to see some sights too?
Ellen: We arrived on Saturday, a week before the event, and left on Monday after the race. Most of the time we spent on training and resting. Because off the flood risk, we raced a day early so I had a day with my husband on Sunday. We walked around downtown and went to a shopping mall. While training I saw some wild deer close to the houses. We don't see that often in Belgium! I took my time to look around and enjoy the scenery, but always with the race on my mind.
ST: All well with sponsors?
Ellen: At the moment I am my own biggest sponsor. Wheels, tires, shoes, sports nutrition, I have to buy it full retail. Maybe there are some interested sponsors reading this? Feel free to contact me! I guess in Belgium being a woman is still a big handicap in sports. If I rode the same results as a man I was in a big team and wouldn't have to worry about anything, and certainly wouldn't have to work anymore.
ST: It is better here in the USA, but still not perfect. Here actually amateur males and females often can snag sponsorships, even if just great discounts. Do you see at least some kind of improvement in Belgium?
Ellen: For amateur males maybe, but not so much for women.
ST: Is there a specific area of sponsorship where you’d appreciate a partnership the most?
Ellen: I think wheels are in cyclocross the biggest cost, but I should ask my husband who is also my mechanic.
ST: Before we let you go, we know your husband is a triathlete and we are curious if you have participated in any triathlon events?
Ellen: Tom used to be a triathlete but had to retire because of his back. But it is through him that I started in endurance sports! He always said I had talent for cycling. I used to play volleyball and started cycling in 2004 and triathlon in 2006. I even won a duathlon and some smaller local triathlons. But when the competition was tougher, I had to admit that my swimming and running were just not good enough. I raced against Sofie Goos and Tine Deckers before they turned professional, and I think they are known on Slowtwitch! People suggested that I should try cycling and I did. I quit volleyball and triathlon and started training more seriously. My husband is a physical education teacher and makes my training plans. But because of my very irregular working schedules, he has to adjust a lot. But so far it paid off.
ST: Is there anything else we should know?
Ellen: I would like to thank all the people who supported me and hopefully will keep on doing. I got to know a lot of people in cyclocross and am very grateful to be able to live this life. Racing a full season and working full time is not easy – a day should have at least 26 hours! I think the triathletes here know what I am talking about. You soon neglect family and friends but they are very understanding.
I hope this season keeps on going like now and I hope to confirm next season.
You can follow Ellen on Facebook right here
