I'm feeling sick to the stomach with all these crashes

I remember when I first moved here, it was a nightmare. It would start as early as three in the morning but, now, I don't even notice it at night. I guess it's a bit like someone who lives next to a train track and eventually becomes immune to it.

I was hoping to be at home celebrating a few wins at the Giro Donne, which is our biggest stage race of the year, but I only lasted two days after crashing in frustrating circumstances.

I'd gone back to the team car to fill up the bidons (water bottles for the rest of the team). As I got back into the bunch, though, one of the riders in the peloton rode into my front wheel and sent me flying.

I landed on the bottles in my jersey but, rather than soften the blow, they made it worse. I managed to get to the end of the stage but I was in agony the next morning. As a cyclist you're used to falling and I must say I'm not one of those ones who bruises easily but I was black and blue all over.

I didn't want to give up easily but, after about nine miles of the third stage, I just had to get off my bike and retire from the race. Thankfully the subsequent X-rays didn't show any breaks so I'm hoping to be back racing in Germany on Monday.

I thought my crash was nasty until I saw the one involving Johnny Hoogerland at the Tour de France on Sunday.

I was at home watching it on television and it just made me sick to the stomach. In fact, there have been so many crashes at the Tour, I'm just relieved that my boyfriend, Adam, hasn't been riding in it.

When you watch a crash on TV, the first thing you want to see when someone hits the deck is that they start moving. Once they do that, there's a sense of relief. I had real sympathy watching Bradley Wiggins forced to retire after his crash.

He already had a minute and a half over Alberto Contador and he's such a strong time trialler that I felt he could do a great job in the race.

He was in great form after winning the Dauphine du Criterium and the National Championships.

For me, the National Championships were fantastic and to win was more a relief rather than a moment of elation. I wanted it so badly and my family and friends were all there to see it.

To wear the national jersey on the first day of the Giro was great, too, and I'm really looking forward to wearing it again in my next race.

Next year's Olympics is approaching rapidly and it will soon be just a year to go until the Games.

I know some athletes say they try not to think about it but it's on my mind all the time. I'm in London next month for a test event being run over the course.

It's a men's event so I can't ride in it but I'll be following in a car to get a sense of what it's going to be like.

Speaking of the Games, I've recently become an ambassador for Hornby, which is launching a special Scalextric velodrome set to tie in with the Olympics. It's certainly enough to get you in the mood for 2012!

To find out more about the new Hornby Olympic range, visit www.hornby.com