"I have the mentality of a winner, so it's really hard seeing SD Worx taking all the victories" - Emma Norsgaard about the struggles of racing 'against SD Worx'

After starting her season at the UAE Tour, Emma Norsgaard returned to her favourite Belgian classics, where the Movistar Team rider will enjoy another level of freedom as long-time leader Annemiek van Vleuten retired at the end of last season. Having these leadership responsibilities, she realizes just how hard it is to crack the seemingly invincible SD Worx - Protime ladies, she confides in her blog at GCN.

"Something that’s different for me this year is that I have more chances to race for myself since Annemiek van Vleuten retired. With Annemiek, we always had a safe card to play. For so many years, she was the one winning everything, so obviously we could not have a rider trying to go in an early breakaway or a late attack. I really enjoyed working with her, but I also think this is going to open up opportunities for me to seek victories or success in different ways."

"I have the mentality of a winner, so it's really hard seeing SD Worx taking all the victories. It's frustrating, and it's something that's not super great for me, but it gives me fuel for my training – I know that I have to be better."

"To beat SD Worx, we have to be smarter than them," she notes. "They obviously have the strength, which is ahead of the rest of us at the moment, so we have to work with other teams and make it harder for them. A lot of the time I think we play into their hands, basically giving Wiebes the victory in almost every race."