"My mind said yes, but my body screamed no" - Shirin van Anrooij gives up Gavere World Cup

For Shirin van Anrooij, Tuesday was another day to forget. The 21-year-old rider of Baloise-Trek Lions, as usual, got off to a very slow start in the Gavere World Cup, but unlike the crosses in Mol, Antwerp or Flamanville, she did run out of steam and gave up before halfway.

"My mind said yes, but my body screamed no," Van Anrooij responds in her statement on Instagram. "I was so excited going into the Christmas period and I was so ready to show my fitness, especially in one of my favorite competitions, but a hard fall on my ribs last Wednesday during the training made this impossible. I was still able to fight the pain and do good races in Mol and Antwerp, but today it was too much."

In Mol she just had to give up to her teammate Lucinda Brand, in Antwerp Laura Verdonschot blocked her way to the top five. "Time to check that nothing is broken, which means you won't find me on the starting line in next few races. It's certainly not the Christmas season I was hoping for, but I guess you can't see a rainbow without a little rain."