In 2020, the Finnish cyclist, who took a break from competition due to exhaustion, decided to return to the Games a year ago after going for a run.
Lotta Henttala returned nicely from a three-year hiatus from road cycling at the annual Setmana Ciclista Valenciana in Spain. Henttala, 33, was second in the 119-kilometer opening stage. In the final race, only the Italian champion got ahead Elisa Balsamo.
Henttala was surprised by his good ranking.
– I knew I was in pretty good shape. But of course it’s really nice to be on the podium. When you think about what it was a year ago, it’s really cool to start the competition season like this.
According to Henttala, reaching the finish line was an emotional moment in a way, but on the other hand, he felt as if he had never been away from the Games.
– And when I was only second, I still got a bit stuck. Obviously I still want to win. I don’t know if the win would have been acceptable, but I could have been a little closer. You can feel the lack of competition, there wasn’t quite a flow. I still need races and finals, maybe at some point it will click.
Henttala’s team decided in Wednesday’s team meeting that the team will work in the opening leg for the good Henttala. Henttala is not aiming to win the four-stage overall race.
– At the latest on Saturday, there will be long climbs that are not for me. I’m definitely more of a helper. We have here Ashleigh Moolman-Pasiofor whom the overall race will certainly be run, said the Finn who drives in the Belgian AG Insurance – Soudal Quick-Step team.
Accidentally back to the Games
Henttala took a competitive break in 2020 due to exhaustion. During the break, he and his wife had their first child. The return to road racing actually started by accident.
– A year ago, I once went for a run and thought whether I should still try to drive. It was such a nice run. Then I got a contract with this team. This has been a really good team so far. Everyone has supported and helped. I probably wouldn’t have gotten second place today without the team.
Henttala is aiming for a place at the Paris Olympics. He participated in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. The Olympic place requires UCI points from international competitions.
– This was just one race among others. A long season still to come. For me, of course, this was a good feeling, we are in good shape and we are definitely going in a better direction. We got some points today, but we definitely need more to even get to the starting line.