This one time, at Geelong camp...

The home of the 2010 World Road Cycling Championships, the Jayco Bay Criterium series, the Sun Herald Tour...Geelong is fast becoming the home of cycling in Australia and this week it was the host of the TDT RACE women's cycling camp. The RACE women's team is a leading domestic team consisting of women from all over Victoria. The team is run by super coach Kim Howard, who might as well be my surregant mum after the amount of time I spend at her house!! There are 8 girls on the team including 2 under 19 riders and last week they were all up (well they came and went- apparently there us a thing called work that has a knack of getting in the way??) in Geelong for what was a pretty solid week of training!! And just because I didn't endure enough pain in that 1 week, I stayed on for an extra 5 more days just to ensure I returned home a crippled, painful mess!!

The RACE girls on a recovery ride to Barwon Heads

I don't want to give the team's little training secrets away but what i will tell you is that there were a lot of hours involved, a motor bike and a friendly visit to the Nationals course in the cold and pouring rain - a bit different to the 45 degree heat of last year's race! Oh, and who could forget the ergo?? I wish I could! :p

RACE team gathering at the headquaters (ie Kim's place)

I even had the pleasure of being able to race with the girls at a St Kilda crit! Even though we were down wind from the petfood factory, it was a good hit out :) and the girls rode very strong!! GO TEAM!!

Sarah Riley and I at the crit

A bit of good news in this post also. I will be racing for team RACE along with Chloe Hosking in the jayco bay criterium series held from 2-5th January down in Geelong!! We even got a bit of a write up in the Geelong Advertiser which was pretty exciting - you can check out the article here.

So I'm on the plane heading back to Canberra a little fitter, a little stronger and with a hell of a lot more messed up tan lines. I definitely learnt what it was like to hurt again and maybe even toughened up a but too :p thanks Kim!!

So what's next?? Well AIS cyclist and good buddy Lauren Kitchen is paying me a visit tomorrow ahead of an AIS camp held in Canberra which I'm tagging along on starting Monday, which leaves me a couple of days of recovery and some quality hours at the brew shop before some more stem chewing, eyeball bleeading, head cracking nanima road motor paces and SE smash fests. I'm excited. We'll I have exactly 3 days to convince myself that I am :p

Oh and Qantas - those florentines you served were amazing, way better than those stupid biscuits and dip. well played.

mmm.... yummy :p


Until next time,

Miffy xx
www.myfanwygalloway.com

p.s Thanks to Bec and Chloe for the photos!!!

21st edition of the Canberra Tour de Femme

The 21st Tour de Femme has been run and won for another year, this year taken out by current American criterium champion Theresa Cliff-Ryan riding for team BikeShed. With the support of her mascot whippet Gorda, Theresa out sprinted commonwealth games bronze medalist Chloe Hosking and Jessie Maclean who has signed with the recently established Virgin RBS Morgan women's team.

The grey clouds and cool temperatures didn't deter the women as over 600 riders fronted up to partake in a lap of the well renowned 'lakie' . This year the women raced along Parkes way then up through Yarralumla before the run off Adelaide ave. Back to the Yacht club!

The start at the Yacht Club

The race pace was on early with newly signed AIS rider Alex Carle riding for team Suzuki launching an attack from the gun, however the women weren't going to let the bronze medalist in the u/23 national timetrial get away that easily and she was brought back before the decent on Parkes way. Team Suzuki showed that they were going to lay all of their cards on the table, not confident that they would be able to out kick the world class sprinters, with each team member launching repeated attacks up the road. A late attack from Laura Meadly looked threatening when she launched up hopetoun circuit but was caught on the off ramp down towards the lake- the race was destined to be won from a bunch kick. Chloe Hosking opened the sprint but Theresa was quick to respond, edging her out for the win.

Theresa edges out Chloe for the win

The 21st edition of the Tour de Femme proved again to be a great day out for all the women regardless whether they were in it to race or ride with friends. It was great to see all the riders encouraging each other and the smiles on their faces when they crossed the line!

Riding for the fun of it :)

Of course the race wouldn't have been possible without the tremendous effort put in by MaryAnn Simpson, Jason Parkes and the rest of the Canberra Cycling Club. And a big thank you has to go out to the BikeShed for the cycling goodies and the Fyshwick markets for the yummy fresh fruit!!

Team BikeShed were out in force!!
Bring on Tour de Femme 2011!!

And a big thanks to Brian Simpson for the happy snaps!