{"id":34523,"title":"Laura Vainionp\u00e4\u00e4","description":"Laura Vainionp\u00e4\u00e4 is a Finnish racing cyclist living and racing in Belgium. She's engaged to Bingoal WB professional cyclist Lennert Teugels.\nLaura's journey has taken her from the sparsely populated region of Western Finland where she grew up to the heartland of Flemish cycle racing. At times it\u2019s been a bumpy ride but has ultimately brought her success, happiness and love.","content":"

Published in<\/strong>: COBBLES & CLASSICS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

Laura Vainionp\u00e4\u00e4\u2019s journey has taken her from the sparsely populated region of Western Finland to the heartland of Flemish cycle racing.<\/p>

At times it\u2019s been a bumpy ride but has ultimately brought her success, happiness and love.<\/p>

We caught up with the Carbonbike Giordana rider to talk about her cycling story, why she might be Belgium\u2019s fastest postman and her impending marriage to professional cyclist Lennert Teugels.<\/p>

\"LauraLaura Vainionp\u00e4\u00e4 out front. Image: <\/em>Bram Van Lent<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>

If Laura Vainionp\u00e4\u00e4 had been a few centimetres taller she might never have left Finland. She could still be playing Ice Hockey to an international standard, cross-country skiing in winter, riding her bike in the summer and who knows, maybe even \u201csettled down\u201d with a local boy.<\/p>

But she wasn\u2019t and the result was relocation to Belgium, taking up cycling seriously and becoming one of Belgium\u2019s fastest posties.<\/p>

But before we find out more about Laura\u2019s intriguing journey, let\u2019s expand our knowledge of Finland. If like me your understanding of Finland is limited to a belief that its inhabitants are all rally drivers or Reindeer herders then it may come as a surprise to learn there\u2019s some truth in those stereotypes.<\/p>

Is everyone a rally driver in Finland?<\/h3>

\u201cFinns have to learn small talk\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

Although it\u2019s a geographically large country, almost the same size as Germany, Finland has the least dense population of any European Union country. There are a mere 18 inhabitants per square kilometre. Compare that to the Netherlands with over 400 per square kilometre.<\/p>

Since it commenced in 1977, the World Rally Championship has been won by Finnish drivers sixteen times. That\u2019s good going for a country of under six million inhabitants. France leads the way with eighteen wins but the next best is Italy on three.<\/p>

\"FinlandFinland - famous for Reindeer and rally drivers. Image: <\/em>Saad Chaudry<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>

Having all those empty untarmacked roads covered in snow probably helps drivers to develop their skills. They\u2019re unlikely to meet any traffic to slow them down either.<\/p>

Finland has a pretty good track record in F1 too, having won the World Championship four times through Mika H\u00e4kkinen, Kimi R\u00e4ikk\u00f6nen and Keke Rosberg.<\/p>

And yes it\u2019s true, in the northern area of Lapland there are more Reindeer than people. Reindeer can cope with temperatures of -50C which is handy because it can get very, very cold in Finland.<\/p>

According to the World Economic Forum<\/strong><\/a>, the Finnish education system is one of the best in the world. That explains in part its success as an IT and electronics exporter. Its two most famous export names are Ericsson mobile phones (now Sony Ericsson) and Linus Torvalds.<\/p>

If you\u2019re asking \u201cLinus who?\u201d then you probably don\u2019t work in IT. He was responsible for the Linux IT operating system that revolutionised computing and formed the kernel of Android phones.<\/p>

So now we know. Finns are clever, like a burn-up and can cope with the cold. Oh, and they are famously taciturn. It\u2019s rumoured that Finns have to go to classes to learn small talk.<\/p>

Cycle racing in Finland<\/h3>

\u201ccycling is rarely an option\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Despite their success at motor racing, the most popular sport in Finland is Ice Hockey. Of the summer sports, football dominates. Although cycling is popular, it\u2019s not a strong competitive discipline.<\/p>

If cyclists in the UK and Belgium think training in the winter is hard, consider the options in Finland. With heavy snow and temperatures even during the day well below freezing, cycling is rarely an option.<\/p>

The alternative is Cross Country Skiing and hours spent on an indoor trainer.<\/p>

The most successful Finnish cyclists are Lotta Henttala who rides for AG Insurance - Soudal Quick-Step and Jaakko H\u00e4nninen who rides for AG2R Citroen Team. Good riders, but not household names.<\/p>

\"ImageFrom Ice Hockey to cycle racing. Image: <\/em>Bram Van Lent<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>

Laura\u2019s dad Arto is a keen racing cyclist, although he\u2019d put his hobby on hold when Laura and brother Oskari were born. Once Laura started bike racing at the age of nine, her dad recommenced his amateur career.<\/p>

Incredibly, aged 50, he won the Finnish National Road Race Championship in their home town of Jurva. To complete the remarkable story, his son Oskari finished fourth.<\/p>

Laura describes her home town as being small and everything very far away. Races were typically 400 kilometres away in the more populous area around Helsinki where the majority of racing cyclists live.<\/p>

International Ice Hockey<\/h3>

\u201cThe risk to her health was too great\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Laura has a talent for Ice Hockey which drew attention from the national squad. In a nation where the sport is so popular, it\u2019s a significant achievement. In 2012 she represented Finland at the under-18 Ice Hockey World Championships held in the Czech Republic.<\/p>

The Finnish team just missed out on a podium spot when Canada beat them in the Bronze medal playoffs. But her success at Ice Hockey came at a cost. She\u2019d often play against the boys to sharpen her fitness, skill and explosiveness.<\/p>

Her height meant that she\u2019d taken too many hits to her head for it to be safe for her to continue. The risk to her health was too great. It was the end of her international Ice Hockey career as she decided to focus on cycling instead.<\/p>

Racing in Belgium<\/h3>

\u201cno one would ever come to Finland to look for cyclists\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Having transferred her allegiance to cycling, Laura made steady progress racing within Finland. By 2014 she\u2019d finished third behind the winner Lotta Henttala in both the road race and individual time trial.<\/p>

At the suggestion of her coach, she moved to Belgium for three months in 2015. As her coach put it, no one would ever come to Finland to look for cyclists. In that initial year, she rode and finished the Baloise Ladies Tour as well as the European under-23 road race championship.<\/p>

UCI World Cycling Team<\/h3>

\u201cencourage the growth of the sport in non-traditional cycling nations\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

By 2016 Laura was riding major races in Belgium including Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Dwars door Vlaanderen, Le Samyn des Dames and Brabantse Pilj. She\u2019d been encouraged to apply for a place on the UCI World Cycling Team based at their headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland.<\/p>

The purpose of the UCI\u2019s World Cycling Team is to encourage the growth of the sport in non-traditional cycling nations. Amongst Laura\u2019s teammates were riders from Egypt, Mongolia, Vietnam and Rwanda.<\/p>

Riders on the team, as Laura explained, have everything provided for them for the duration of their stay. Typically around three months. They have access to full team support as well as the opportunity to ride higher-standard races.<\/p>

Meeting Lennert<\/h3>

\u201cshe supported him financially\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Her peripatetic lifestyle might have continued for some time. She\u2019d live with her Belgium \u201cfamily\u201d in the Summer and back home with her parents during the winter months. But, then like a bolt from the blue, Cupid\u2019s arrow intervened.<\/p>

She was asked out by Lennert Teugels. Who was he she wondered? Fortunately, Laura\u2019s brother Oskari who was also living and racing in Belgium knew her potential suitor.<\/p>

It transpired Laura had even watched him win a race but had no idea who he was. Given the Finns\u2019 famous reticence, their first date must have been interesting but love soon blossomed. They share a passion for animals, cycling and exploring. Within a year she\u2019d decided to move permanently to Belgium to be with him.<\/p>

\"Lennert<\/u><\/a>They are supportive of one another in many ways. Bingoal WB professional Lennert<\/strong><\/a> is often to be found helping her at races and she supported him financially when he was forced to take a 50% pay cut at UCI Continental team Tarteletto-Isorex.<\/p>

Health Mate Team<\/h3>

\u201cshe knew she could trust Fien and Julien\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

For 2018 Laura was signed to the UCI team Health Mate Cyclelive. It was a difficult season. She felt the pressure to perform but combining racing, working and a season beset by injuries proved to be extremely stressful.<\/p>

\"ImageLaura (right) with former Health Mate teammate <\/em>Fien de Paepe. Image: <\/em>Bram Van Lent<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>

She had an option of remaining with the team for 2019. But opted instead to ride for club team S-Bikes Bodhi run by Health Mate teammate Fien de Paepe and Fien\u2019s boyfriend Julien van der Brande<\/strong><\/a> formerly a professional with Tarteletto-Isorex.<\/p>

After a traumatic year that had dented her confidence, she knew she could trust Fien and Julien, describing them as \u201cgood people\u201d. She\u2019s glad that she made that decision and has been happy staying with their teams ever since.<\/p>

Belgium\u2019s fastest postie?<\/h3>

\u201cBelgium has the quickest cycling postmen\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Riding for a club team puts less pressure on Laura. That suited her as she\u2019d started working for Belgium\u2019s postal service.<\/p>

According to Laura, it\u2019s a popular occupation for Belgian cyclists with quite a few of her current Carbonbike Giordana by Gen Z<\/strong><\/a> teammates also combining cycling with delivering the post.<\/p>

Their number includes teammate Jens Teirlinck. If you\u2019re not familiar with his name you might have seen him on TV at the Koppenbergcross. He\u2019s the rider who impressively shot from the back row to lead the first time up the Koppenberg.<\/p>

The early starts allow time in the afternoon to train, although it\u2019s a job best suited to early risers. When Laura first started five years ago she began at 4:30 in the morning as her round included newspaper deliveries.<\/p>

\"ImageCelebrating victory with her Carbonbike Giordana teammates. Image: <\/em>Bram Van Lent<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>

Who, I want to know, is reading a paper at that time? But now she starts at a more leisurely 06:00 and delivers the post on a heavy post bike. As soon as she\u2019s home in the afternoon Laura dons her cycling gear and is out on her bike for another couple of hours before having a late rest.<\/p>

I wanted to know if the names and addresses were a challenge to her, given that Flemish is her third language. Apparently, she\u2019s blessed with a photographic memory and learns the routes without difficulty.<\/p>

Laura might not be the fastest postman in Belgium, given the competition but it\u2019s probably safe to assume that Belgium has the quickest cycling postmen. The sooner they finish their deliveries the earlier they can go out training and it must be tempting to sneak in a few intervals between houses.<\/p>

Top results<\/h3>

\u201cdashed straight from work\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Laura is modest about her results and claims that she is just average at everything but she\u2019s rightly proud of some of her standout victories. In 2021, for example, she edged out Ireland\u2019s Megan Armitage in a two-up sprint at the culmination of the GP Jolien D'Hoore.<\/p>

She\u2019d dashed straight from work to ride the tough race set in the bergs of the Flemish Ardennes. Having little time between the culmination of her post round and the start of the race at 2:30 pm, Lennert had prepared everything for her and drove as fast as he dared to make the start.<\/p>

\"ImageLaura spends a lot of her time on her bike as a racing cyclist and postman. Image: <\/em>bpost<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>

Not only did Laura outsprint EF Education-Cannondale signee Megan Armitage, but she beat four-time Belgian national champion Jolien D'Hoore and Kim de Baat who would capture the Belgian crown the following year.<\/p>

2019 was a successful year for her and included five victories. These were sweeter as her family were over from Finland to witness her success.<\/p>

This year she was victorious in the provincial road race champion for Oost Vlaanderen (East Flanders). It was a title she\u2019d specifically targeted being close to where she lives with Lennert. She overcame the panic of a flat tyre to make it back into the peloton for the big bunch sprint.<\/p>

\"LauraLaura is the champion of East Flanders. Image: <\/em>Cycling Hustler<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>

Although she has a powerful sprint the mass sprints are not something she enjoys. As the riders thundered across the line, led in by former cyclocross World Champion Thalita de Jong, Laura crossed in fourth place.<\/p>

As the first three were from outside of East Flanders she was awarded the title of provincial champion and wears the distinctive green jersey with pride.<\/p>

Ambitions<\/h3>

\u201cperilous bunch sprints\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

For the past five years, Laura has ridden for Fien and Julien\u2019s club teams, although we shouldn\u2019t confuse the concept with say a British cycling club. They\u2019re a very professional outfit and although all the staff are volunteers, it\u2019s run to a very high standard with liveried team cars and mechanics.<\/p>

\"ImageLaura and Lennert plan to marry in 2024. Image: Laura Vainionp\u00e4\u00e4<\/em><\/p>

As a result, the team receives invitations for some of the top races where they line up against the very best of the women\u2019s professional teams.<\/p>

But does Laura want to become a professional herself? She\u2019s quite honest and admits that whilst she enjoys riding and racing, she\u2019s not comfortable with the cut and thrust. The constant fighting for positions and perilous bunch sprints.<\/p>

\"Julien<\/u><\/a>She\u2019s reached a level that she\u2019s comfortable with and she\u2019s had opportunities such as riding the World Championships on road and gravel that most riders can only dream of.<\/p>

Having ridden the European and World gravel championships this year, it\u2019s something she may do more of. Especially as Finland is blessed with kilometre after kilometre of gravel roads.<\/p>

Wedding bells<\/h3>

Laura and Lennert recently announced their engagement. It came as a surprise to her as, although they\u2019d discussed it in the past, she wasn\u2019t expecting it when he proposed. Lennert had already asked her parents\u2019 permission but she was completely in the dark.<\/p>

Being practical racing cyclists, they will marry out of season, probably in October 2024.<\/p>

We wish them both every happiness for the future.<\/p>

13 December 2023, Tim Costello.<\/em><\/p>

My thanks to <\/em>Bram Van Lent <\/em><\/strong><\/a>for the use of his images.<\/em><\/p>



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