Bound for the US

Dotting Your I's and Crossing Your T's.

2012-01-13T09:25:00.000+11:00

Google tells me there are 49 ways to dot your I’s and cross your T’s. I’m pretty sure it’s lying, but for the sake of this argument – I’ll let it slide. For those who are unaware of this saying, ‘to dot your I’s and cross your T’s’ means to take care of every detail, even minor ones or to be meticulous and thorough in your actions. So why the English lesson? Well the difference between being a good athlete and champion athlete often lays in one’s dedication to dotting your I’s and crossing your T’s in all aspects of training, recovery and nutrition. To reach the top level in any sport, it is not sufficient to simply undertake the prescribed training; equal emphasis needs to be placed on those extra ‘1%ers’, because at the top level in sport 1% can make all the difference.

I have just gotten back from the biggest 2 weeks on my Australian cycling calendar, competing in the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic and the Australian National Championships with the BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team. I feel as though I have been hit by a truck, reversed over several times and am now parked on by said truck and I’m 99% sure it’s just my bodies way of paying me back for not addressing the 1%ers as meticulously as I should’ve.

THE STORY:

Thoughts gathered and brain refreshed after a week hiding away in Ballarat, I met up with the BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team girls on New Year’s Eve in Geelong and welcomed the New Year with the first round of the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic. Despite not being a renowned criterium rider, I had come off a big block of training, was feeling strong and confident that I could help my team achieve a result in the series.

Day 1 at Ritchie Boulevard went better than I could’ve imagined – I was up the front for the first half of the race trying to do my bit for the team before retreating to the tail end of the bunch but still managing to finish with teammate Rochelle Gilmore rounding out the podium in 3rd place! I have only ever finished 1 round of the Bay Crits in the past 4 years I have done them, and the longest I had ever lasted on this course was 10min/45min – so on Day 1 I was already ahead.

It hurt, but I did it.
Day 2 in the Eastern Gardens was held in what could only be described as inhumain conditions, 42 degrees before you even got on the road. Unfortunately for us, the team didn’t have a great race but considering the conditions we were happy with our performance – we finished and still had all our skin. Day 3 in Portarlington I woke up with a queezy stomach (I’m blaming funsized chocolates which I shouldn’t have been eating in the first place, there’s nothing fun about them.) and so after ending up in the red zone by going with an early attack on lap 1, on lap 2 I went straight to the bathroom. 4th and final day in Williamstown our team was hoping for a bunch sprint and Rochelle finished it off with 3rd in the bunch kick for 4th overall. As for me? I had nothing. Riding my bike I was the equivalent of a dead horse, being beaten aimlessly to run.

After the final race, needless to say I wasn’t feeling confident leading into the National Criterium Championships in Ballarat the day after but fronted the start line with fingers crossed that the rest of the girls coming off Bay Crits would be feeling equally as fantastic as I was – they weren’t and mid-way through the race I called it quits.That left less than 48hrs to somehow master reset my body in some vague attempt to recapture what was my form leading into Bay Crits 1 week ago.
Last ditched effort to find my legs before the road race
D Day and I thought I was feeling good but turns my body was lying to me – how rude. The thing about that Nationals course is that you find out pretty quickly if you’ve got the legs or not…. And yeah, I didn’t. Lap 1 and I was blown out the back. Luckily there were a few other girls in the same boat and we lapped around drifting little by little from the back of the peloton before being pulled from the course at 3 laps to go. That was it, as quickly as it came around, Nationals was over. So here’s my question – WTF HAPPENED?!?!

It is so easy to get caught up in the atmosphere on tour that it is easy to get distracted and forget about the little things, especially for someone like me who has the attention span of a goldfish…what was I talking about again? Over the past 2 weeks I was going to bed at close to 11:00pm most nights, walking around when I should’ve had my feet up, not paying particular attention to my diet – and ultimately, I paid my price. Sure, these things may work for some people but not me. I was on a steep downward slope and as each day went by, I was feeling worse and worse on the bike. I was strong and knew I was good enough to be able to help out the team but when it came down to the pointy end of the race, when the best get sorted from the rest, I just didn’t have it. That’s the only explanation I have for my embarrassingly poor performances of the past 2 weeks.

It was evident who had put in the hard yards leading into the past events and they were ultimately rewarded for their sacrifices. In the end, it was those 1%ers that made all the difference. Back home now I have resorted back to my strict ways, I have my routines and sure they are time consuming and painstaking at times but they are all necessary for me to become the best I can be at my job. There are many different tips and tricks athletes use to gain that extra 1% advantage over their competition, as there are ways to dot I’s and cross T’s, and it doesn’t matter how you do it – you just have to make sure you do it.

I’m confident that it won’t take too long to unlock the form that showed its head a fortnight ago and now have only a few more weeks left working at my part time jobs and enough time to fit in a solid training block before hopefully competing in the NZCT Women’s Tour of New Zealand on the 22nd Feb. In the meantime I will have my glasses on, pen in hand and making sure every I and T is left dotted and crossed.

Until then stay safe and happy pedalling

M xx

P.S - OK, so the helicopter ride with the girls WAS pretty cool.

FOUND: Myfanwy Galloway.

2011-12-29T22:31:00.004+11:00

Hi! My name is Miff, you may remember me from such blog posts as ‘Limousin and the little things’ written here over 4 months ago, or vaguely remember my face from races in Europe nudging back closer to 5 – OK, I’ll admit it, I’ve been MIA on the blog front for a fair while.

As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in my familiar room in Ballarat - inhaling the tortuous fumes of raisin bread from the bakery next door as they waft through crevasses of my apartment.

Damn you Sunicrust Bakeries!!

I’ve retreated to the home of the Australian National Championships a week prematurely to take time out to screw my head back on and calm myself down before the torrential storm that awaits me in the Jayco Bay Criterium Series and the Australian Criterium and Road Championships. It is only now that I feel as though I’ve finally had the opportunity to take time out to reflect on what really has been a rollercoaster 4 months since I left the tranquil lakeside in Bellano. So what has been happening? People who know me say I talk too much – and I’ll agree, so I’ll spare the gory details and do my best to consolidate my thoughts in a few simple dot points:

I sustained an overuse injury in Belgium which forced me to return to Australia 3 weeks early
I actually had an offie – 10 days at my parents new holiday house in Bellano on Lake Como (ah-ma-zing) where I dutifully ate my weight in gelato.

Living the tough life in Bellano :)

My overuse injury got diagnosed as Medial Band Friction Syndrome – more commonly ITB Band Friction Syndrome found in runners on the lateral side of the knee, but because it would be unlike me to have textbook injuries, it was on the medial side of my knee. 5 rounds of cortisone by Iontopherisis, 1 cortisone injection and a bunch of physio and Pilates later and I’m feeling as good as new and have every intention on staying this way.
I had a pretty awesome belated 21st birthday party with my twin sister –21st, been away for 4 months, Playboy theme, seeing friends…Need I say more?
My sister and I at our Playboy 21st
I had the pleasure of signing for Commonwealth Games Champion Rochelle Gilmore’s Dream Team for the Summer and hit the ground running with a win and 3rd place at the Subaru Noosa GP in October and am now the proud owner of a pretty damn sexy looking Pinarello Dogma 2 thanks to Pinarello and Campagnolo Europe :)

The BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team

I road tripped to Port Macquarie where caught up with two of my closest friends and two pros Carlee Taylor (who recently signed for Vienne-Futuroscope) and Lauren Kitchen (Rabobank) and took a girls weekend away to race the first race of our Summer season – Glen Inness to Inverell where Carlee won and placed 1st in the KOM, and Lauren won the Sprint competition.
Carlee and Lauren contemplating going to 'Paradise' instead of racing
I got 2 new part-time jobs – receptionist at Kingston Physiotherapy and Brazilian Butterfly Canberra City which has been helping to keep my brain ticking over and my pockets full when I’m not training.
8. I raced the NSW International GP with the BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team where Kirsty Broun, the newest addition to the team, took the overall series and I decided to taste the bitumen due to a mechanical, finish the race, pass out at first aid, go home and realise I probably needed stitches, at 8:30 at night. Granted, I have seen the footage of the crash – and it looks as though I decided that throwing myself on the ground would be less painful than racing, it looks hilarious.
What would require my first lot of stitches! yummy...
I third wheeled the women’s preseason GreenEdge/AIS camp in Canberra where I tasted more than my year’s intake worth of stem, bled from my eyeballs and somehow didn’t die – and am now feeling a whole lot stronger and better for it!
I crammed in my last shifts at both jobs for the year by working 32hrs in 3 days leading up to Christmas and can’t wait for pay day.
Christmas has been and gone and was a lovely day spent with my whole family and friends – all without managing not to give birth to food-octuplets by the days end.
Christmas wouldn't be complete without an arvo nap...
I am only 2 days away from starting my 2012 season – I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous but excited at the same time in my whole life.
I’m scared to have a shower this morning after completely lobstering my back reading in the sun by the pool yesterday afternoon.

Oh, and there is one other little thing I let slide that I think deserved more of a recognition on my part than being put in dot notes – for 2012, I will be riding in my first UCI Professional Team – Team Faren Honda. Based in Italy, the team consists of names such as Nicole Cooke (current Olympic Champion), Rochelle Gilmore (current Commonwealth Games Champion) and Fabiana Luperini (5x Giro d’Italia winner) to name a few and has its eyes firmly set on wins in the World Cups, Classics and the 2012 Giro d’Italia. For the season I will be based in Bellano, Italy (tough life I know) and look forward to using this fabulous opportunity to develop my potential as a rider with the help some of the most successful and established women in the peloton! More information about the team along with recent interviews I have done regarding my 2012 will be posted once my new site is launched!

Although I’m itching to head over to Europe and start my campaign with Faren Honda, Firstly, I have my eyes firmly set on the up and coming Jayco Bay Criterium series (1st-4th January) where I’m hoping to be able to help a very motivated BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team to continue its winning streak with the first win up for grabs in 2012. Watch this space for more regular, I promise, updates on which will no matter what be one hell of an adventure.

Until then stay safe and happy pedalling :)

M xx

P.S I would also like to say a big thankyou to Jooann at www.tayjooann.com for putting in the hard yards with my new site! It is very much still under construction but I would love any feedback! So please feel free to check it out at http://www.myfanwygalloway.com/ and tell me what you think :)

Limousin and the little things...

2011-07-29T19:27:00.010+10:00

It seemed as though it was only yesterday I was driving back with the For Viored Brookvex girls from the Czech Republic when sure enough I was back on the road again – destination the Tour Feminin en Limousin in France.

I had just come off a good ride at Dwars de Westhoek, a UCI 1.2 here in Belgium a couple of days prior where I managed to finish the race in the less than ideal conditions… The race was 120km, included in which was a 10km circuit with 400m of cobbles which we had to jiggle over each lap – and I say jiggle, because there is NOTHING flattering about riding over cobbles!! :-/ I was sitting comfortably in the peloton before about midway into the race when the wind picked up and race turned quickly into a competition to see who could sit as close to the gutter and wheel in front whilst chewing as much stem as possible… Long story short, a lapse in concentration saw me fail at the former at the pointy end of the race and I finished in a group behind the peloton in 34th place – not a great result but it was a UCI 1.2 race, I finished, and considering that last year I crashed 20km in and broke my ribs, I think that is an achievement in itself. I was feeling good (after a couple of days recovery to regain movement in my arms – who needs a shake-weight when you have cobbles!!) and excited about racing Limousin!

Getting my hurt on at Dwars de Westhoek

The road trip was ‘only’ 8hrs and given that the team was already over from the UK after competing in Dwars de Westhoek, we took advantage of the few days in between racing to make a head start on the road trip and get an extra day recovery in before the start of the Tour. We arrived at our home for the night in Gueret (central France) in dark, cold and rainy conditions. I can’t remember what triggered it, maybe it was a combination of the tiredness and restlessness from the road trip, the miserable weather or standing face to face with what I was expected to be sleeping in that night – but all of a sudden I was feeling a long way from home… Scrambling for the iphone, I was nervously awaiting signal from what was one of my main sources of sanity on tour – wireless internet. I sat outside on the steps of the motel in the rain for the next 10min getting my fix, my reminder of loved ones and friends back home and just cried. Being out of your comfort zone in unfamiliar territory makes you appreciate the somewhat ‘simplicity’ of life back home…

I carry around with me a couple of reminders of home everywhere I go – a constant in a lifestyle which, for most amateurs at least, is sporadic and unsettled. I am not alone with my little qwerk, beyond the composed exterior of most professionals lies a regular human being who is just as vulnerable as you or I, and it is sometimes the small things such as this that keep riders going on Tour because every day they are faced with the same tiredness, food and pain and suffering and these mementos from home or Skype chats to the family are the only thing that you have of your own. Sometimes these little things are the only things that keep you sane and focussed on the task at hand.
Allan Piper shows a classic example of this in his autobiography when speaking of his relationship on Tour with Robbie McEwen – for Robbie ‘Crunch Muesli’ for breakfast was his Tour necessity and was one of his only requests on Tour, but Allan knew that ‘it was something [about the muesli] way beyond tasting better than other breakfast cereals, at least for Robbie it was.’

Being on Tour is about dealing with the insane tiredness and the emotional roller-coaster that is bike racing. . Bradley Wiggins is another professional who touches briefly on life on Tour in his autobiography ‘On Tour’ – he says ‘It’s about suffering and somehow getting the job done when probably the more logical and sensible option is to sit up, get off and book the first flight home to your loved ones’. He also advises riders try their best to flatten out the highs and lows experienced on Tour as a means of survival whilst highlighting the importance of simply being able to ‘just keep your head down and try to ride to your limit as often as possible.’

I feel that whilst I may highlight the less appealing aspects of being on Tour, I should remind you that I do actually love doing what I do. My blog was initially a reminder to myself of all my invaluable experiences I’ve had on the bike, but also to provide onlookers a glimpse into the reality of the world of cycling and whilst it may appear all rhythm and routine, organised and for the men at least, glamorous, if you scratch the hard perceived exterior of most professional cyclists you will find a person just like yourself equipped with their own unique strategies for undertaking these extraordinary feats out on the road.

Fix successfully gotten and it was time to wipe away the tears, get out of the cold and get changed for dinner. I was feeling good and determined to have a successful tour and knew that sacrifices made would all be worthwhile in the long run :)

The next day we were able to do a recon of the first stage of the Tour which started the following day – an 18km rather boring circuit to be completed 6 times with a couple of short climbs in it. Recon successfully completed and it was time to head to our race accommodation and home for the next 4 days – another boarding house somewhere in between ‘somewhere’ and ‘nowhere’ in the region of Limousin :) then down to the school canteen for a surprisingly nice dinner and too much baguette bread and off bed!

The team freezing our butts off at team presentation

Stage 1:

The morning of stage one and it was bucketing down, as it had been for the past 24hrs. What a great start to the Tour! Wet weather gear on and it was time to race. The race was rather uneventful to be honest with my goal to use the stage as a tester to hopefully predict good things for the next few days. A couple of attacks went, were brought back and I was happy to be up there for the first few but it came down to the classic ‘miss the break that sticks’ and a small group about 10 rode off the front midway into the race and stayed there leaving me to finish in the peloton behind about 1min down. My legs ended up feeling like poo during the stage so I was happy to make it through with the group!! Without a soigny for the Tour, I knew I had to pull out all devices to try and get the pins pumped for the next few days!

Stage 2:

Time Trial day. For those who know me, I am not renowned for my ability in the fight against the clock however secretly despite my lack of natural talent in this area, I actually really enjoy them!!!! I’m not sure if it is because there are fewer variables or because your performance is generally dictated by how hard you push yourself but for some sick reason, I like a bit of hurt! I didn’t have any aero gear except for an aero helmet which made me look like something out of Predator, and so expectations were low on me for this stage… I still put in a solid effort and was happy to finish midway down the classy field! The team then decided to hang around in a local pub after the stage to watch Cadel battle out the last 40km of the Galiber stage and between you and me, it was probably the highlight of the day ;)

PREDATOR!!

Stage 3:

Started off well. It was 126km undulating course with a couple of nasty KOMs thrown in for good measure. I was up there in the front group and rode out of my skin to get over the major KOM midway through the race with the lead split when a couple of kms later after successfully doing so, I cramped like I was being shot in my calves and glutes with a tazer. I haven’t cramped like this before and definitely have no desire to do it again. I’m not sure it was a combination of dehydration in the heat or simply my punishment for pushing my body harder than it appreciated but long story short – every time I turned the pedals with any force I cramped and it wasn’t long until the convoy past me, as did the bunches behind and I was creeping at around 20kph..On the flat. With 30km to go and the ambulance behind us DNFed – no excuses, I just couldn’t bear with it any longer.

Stage 3 started off so well...

That was it – Tour over. Just like that. Unclipping from the bike all I could do was sit on the ground outside the van in the rain trying to patch up the puncture in my will to live. Lesson learnt, no matter how boxed you are, make sure you eat and drink and hopefully this Tour served as an increase in intensity my body needed to get me to that next level in fitness… no doubt will see when I race today!

The last day of the Tour was spent at the pub and exploring the patisseries in the host town before commencing the epic journey back to Belgium. I arrived back home at 2am after another eventful trip and one of the first things I did was unpack my suitcase. I didn’t care what time it was but all I knew was that Belgium was home for the next month and all my stuff was going to be unpacked and have its own place in my room – just where I wanted it. Because sometimes, it’s the little things that keep you going :)

My next race is a 90km kermesse this afternoon in Brambugge – the same area which is playing host to a UCI 1.2 next weekend which I will be guest riding for! It will be good to see how the body has recovered from France and see what the area is like before the biggie the weekend after!

Anyway, enough of my blabbering – some people say I talk to much… and I think I’m starting to believe them :p

Until next time,

Take care and happy pedalling

Miff xx

Racing and a little too much information in Krasna Lipa

2011-07-11T10:00:00.001+10:00

Over the past week I have been living the high life with my team in the Czech Republic...Not. I hope you've made yourself a cup of tea or at least a strong alcoholic beverage as this is going to be a long one... And it ain't going to be pretty.

The Tour de Feminin in Krasna Lipa, a UCI 2.2, was my first race in the For Viored Brookvex colours, and a harsh reminder that I, along with most women, don't do this sport because of the glitz and glamour.

The team :)
For me the trip started off with a 13hr drive from Belgium to Krasna Lipa with a well welcomed pitt stop at close to 2am in a local hotel in Germany where the team and staff were able to get some decent shut eye and freshen up. Departing again just after 9am, we arrived in Czech with enough time to get to our accommodation and have a quick spin on the bikes before tea. Pulling up to the accommodation we were greeted by a 7 story run down school building. This should've served as the first warning sign for all of us to take extra precautions in relation to hygiene over the next few days...

We were staying on level 5 and the lift was so rickety and old that it could only hold 3 people at a time. We stretched the limit and would sneak 4/5 girls in but the next morning we heard that a team had loaded themselves into the lift and it had gotten stuck between floors - from then on it was strictly 3 people to the lift for us, or 2 if we felt that we had eaten too much.

At 4 to a room, the dorms were actually quite big and the girls and I had thought we'd scored the good room until 11pm on the first night when we could hear a guy snoring...from the next room. This was a trend for the next 4 nights and we would rush to get to bed before our neighbor did, because if we didn't, we were in for a long sleepless night.

Our room...excuse the mess :s

The bathrooms were communal - toilets and showers for use by both men and women. The toilets weren't too bad as they at least had doors but I had forgotten how confident most Europeans are with their bodies until I noticed that only 2 out of the 8 showers had shower curtains. It also wasn't uncommon for you to go into the bathrooms and have a naked person, male or female, happily standing there whilst you brushed your teeth or filled up your race bottles. I'm all for feeling confident about your body but somethings are better left to the imagination... Please. I was going to try get a photo of the bathrooms but couldnt do it without feeling like a dirty perv. And nice try euros but p.s, a face washer does not classify as a towel.

Before i knew it was race day and sitting on the start line after all the debacle in actually getting my butt over to Europe, i was excited about finally starting my first UCI tour. The gun went off and for the first 20 odd k I haven't braked so much in my life. 161 nervous girls meant that positioning yourself at the front was mandatory - if you wanted to live. It took me a while to get settled in the bunch but once I did, I really started enjoying myself and remembered just why I love racing! I managed to stay with the first bunch until the final climb 3k from the finish when i dagged off the back. I rolled in just over 1min behind and in 54th place. I was quietly stoked about my performance given the circumstances and lack of racing and was looking forward to riding into the rest of the tour! What was most exciting was seeing the other Australian teams and super legend Amanda Spratt take out the win with former track sprinter Nettie Edmondson in 2nd!!! It's always nice seeing other Aussies on the otherwise of the World, and doing so well!!

Back to the accommodation for showers and dinner, we were greeted in the kitchen by yet another serving of chicken and potatoes or rice if you thought the rice from lunch would taste better a second time round. In all fairness though, it was edible.

On this trip were fortunate to have 6 staff members accompanying us. Each night Jody and Ian were the Soignys in charge of tricking our legs into thinking the day's racing never happened. Gerard from Rouleur was our own personal photographer for the week, stalking our every move for an article about soigneurs on tour ( i can't wait the see the pictures he took, they are definitely uncensored) Then there was Steev our mechanic and assistant mechanic Boudewijn and last but not least, Rene our DS.

Day 2 and on paper it definitely looked rough. We had to climb that same set if climbs I had gotten dagged on the previous day 3 times before entering a 20k flatter circuit. My goal for the race was to finish first bunch. Up the climb for the first time, dagged. Chased back on on the decent and caught up through the cars a few k before starting the climbs the 2nd time. 2nd time up the climb, dagged again. This time got into a rhythm and got over the top in the cars and so managed to get back pretty quick. 3rd time up the climb and i somehow hauled my ass over with the first group, thank god. Rode in the bunch and crossed the line at the back of the first group - one happy camper :) Aussie Jayco rider Mel Hoskins took the win with Nettie again taking 2nd spot ahead of Aussie National rider Belinda Goss! Spratty again put in a huge effort to keep the jersey.

It was from the moment we got back to the accommodation that things started to go downhill... Having dinner I instantly felt ill. Attributing it to carbooverlading, I went for my massage and laid in bed thinking nothing of it. It wasn't until 1am that I knew something wasn't right, I rushed to the bathroom and felt sick. I emerged from the toilet and saw a handful of other riders including another one of our own, Gabby Shaw sitting out front. About an hour later the German National DS walked in from the lower level and said 'oh no, not you too' - turns out there was a bunch of us who had felt the wrath of dodgey fish night at the canteen.. I stayed up crippled with a fever and stomach ache until 5am when i crawled my corpse into bed. 6am and the alarm went off for breakfast as we had a double stage and had to leave just after 7am. Needless today, I wasn't feeling it. I felt as though I had a horrible hangover, without the awesome memories from the night before - I got ripped off big time. I hadn't felt that ill for a LONG time.

I couldn't even lift my head from the pillow let alone get myself out of bed and I quickly came to the realization that there was no way I was going to be getting on the bike today. I was filthy to say the least. Having to pull out of a tour is a hard and frustrating enough decision as it is, made even more so when it is due to unnecessary things outside of your control.

Welcome to the perks of lower level women's cycling. The higher ranked teams were put up in hotels whilst us club teams were in these dorms. Riding tours are hard enough as it is and after each stage it is particularly important to put extra emphasis on recovery strategies. Most higher level teams have staff to look after meals, washing and even booking different accommodation when the set accommodation it isn't up to scratch. Unfortunately this isn't the case for most other women club teams. Once we get home from the stage, it's into the open communal showers with hot water if your lucky (don't forget your thongs). Next its time to hand wash your kit in the sink and cross your fingers that it will dry in time for the next stage, otherwise you're riding in a wet chamois - yummy. Down for dinner and if it looks slightly poisonous or unappealing then tough luck, looks like you're going to starve unless there is a supermarket nearby where you can buy pre-made meals. After dinner you have to walk up 5 stories because the rickety lift has finally given way when legs burning, you eventually reach your bedroom and realize you've forgotten your room key on the table downstairs...Finally to bed where getting bedding provided to you is optional, I always bring a pillow and a towel so I don't have to use my backpack and paper towel or a face washer.
Before you know it, it's ridiculous o'clock at night and you shouldve been in bed hours ago but now you're lying awake because a dog is barking or the staff members of another team are all having a grand old time drinking beers - it's 2am and you've got 4hrs until you get up and have to do it all over again.

Our accomodation...

Welcome to pretty much women's cycling. And this was a UCI race!!! But what keeps me coming back year after year is the joy and excitement I get from racing and the people i meet along the way. I know if I continue to work hard my efforts will pay off and I will get the results which will enable me to eventually ride for a professional women's team and make all of this seem worthwhile. In the meantime, I'm trying not to stress too much and enjoy the ride - otherwise I'll never make it out alive :p

A big thank you to all the team at For Viored Brookvex for the support and a special mention to Jody Leach our swanky for sitting up with us and listening to a bunch of girls being sick. If you think being a male swanny for a team of girls would be the best job ever - ask this man. You definitely deserved a medal.

My eyes and ears will never be the same after this trip but i'll leave that all for another post. I'm now sitting in the van on te epic journey back to Belgium. I'm still feeling slightly average but I'm looking forward to getting back home, recovering and getting my body ready for my next race Dwars de Westhoek, a UCI 1.2 in Belgium. I broke my ribs at this race 20km in last year so here's hoping for some better luck!!! Lol...

Lost in translation in the race manual... I LOLed.

Until next time,

Stay safe and take care

Miff xx

Let the adventures begin :)

2011-06-23T17:31:00.005+10:00

Arguably one of the most enjoyable perks of being a cyclist is that as part of your job, you are required to follow the sun and the warmth all year round. For most Aussie cyclists, the drop in temperature, increase of clothing required to maintain bodily function and the ritual of strapping lights to your bike for early morning rides marks the time to jump in the big sardine can and venture North with the sun and your tanlines in tow.

This year, winter has decided to waste no time in gracing us with its presence. Those living in Canberra would be forgiven for forgetting what it felt like to ride with toes and fingers, waking up with the sun to ride to morning bunches and being able to show off those ripped calves you’ve worked so hard to obtain.

Unfortunately for me, this year I am also going to over to Europe to start my overseas campaign a few weeks later than usual. As I’m writing this post on the first leg of the long haul journey, one thing I’m not missing is religiously checking the weather in some vague attempt that it’ll increase the minimum temperature for my morning’s ride. It’s like standing in front of a bare fridge, shutting it, and opening it again to see food magically appear – don’t act like you haven’t tried it!

The build up to this trip has been less than ideal to say the least and looking back on the last few weeks, I can’t help but wonder how the hell I got to be sitting in this seat.

A month ago things were going perfectly, I had good form and was feeling strong, was healthy, had secured funds, was happy and excited to come over and try and make a name for myself. It all seemed too good to be true really, and unfortunately it was!

The week before I was heading down to Wagga Wagga to compete in the Wagga Motors Handicap and Criterium (7/8th june) I started showing signs of getting a cold – the muscle aches, sore throat, runny nose and excessive tiredness. Originally I didn’t think it would be anything that an extra dose of cement on brekkie wouldn’t fix but after a couple of weeks with no signs of the symptoms regressing, I got some blood tests back which gave me some unexpected surprises. It turns out that I have a ‘severe allergic reaction’ to something in the environment, but no one knows what. I went in to anaphylactic shock last year after crashing out at Stromlo Forrest Park and proceeded to get tests to determine the cause to no avail, I was then told just to carry an epipen around with me wherever I went ‘just in case’. Little did I know that the allergic reaction would return in the severity it had! I was getting allergy induced asthma and my muscles weren’t having a bar of it. Or anything for that matter. With 2 weeks until I was due to fly out, it was good to determine (hopefully) the cause of my ‘creepingness’ and equipped with an assortment of inhalers and nasal sprays (eligible bachelors, please line up in front in an orderly manner…) fingers crossed they will no longer be a limiting factor when I hit the big smoke!

One of the reasons I am able to here now is that I’m very lucky there are so many generous people out there who support me and want to see me do well. When I got an email during that same time saying that my accommodation had been double booked and that I no longer had a place to stay in Belgium, Drapac Professional Cycling rider and fellow Canberran Stuart Shaw threw me a lifeline and with less than a week until this day, I had somewhere to call home again! I was hoping I wasn’t going to have to resort to renting a window in the middle of the Red Light district but thanks to a bunch of friendly people, my European season will see me based in Oudenaarde, a fast becoming cycling mecca and home of the World renowned Spring Classics! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A week ago to this day, I took my bike in for a last minute tune up and when I asked the mechanics to call me if there was anything wrong – I didn’t expect them to tell me that’d found a crack in my chain stay and that there was no way this little bike was getting on a plane to Europe. I guess it is better they found the crack here as opposed to me finding it for myself when my bike collapsed under me during a race (Self-conscious much????) but a third big blow to my overseas trip in as many days saw me suddenly doubt everything I was doing – it seemed as though someone, somewhere out there reallyyyyyyyyy didn’t want me to jump on this plane! Fortunately for me, the great team at Cervelo, MaryAnn Simpson and the team at the BikeShed Canberra – I received a brand spanking new Cervelo R5 frame under warranty, yesterday. Better late than never right?? Lol. I am still yet to ride it and I can’t wait to rip the copious amounts of bubble wrap/foam off the new machine and take it for a spin!!! The new black and green frame got pimped thanks to Jason Chalker at the BikeShed Braddon and with lime green lizard skin bar tape and equally green Maxxis Refuse tyres – if nothing else, at least I’ll look good ;)

To top it all off, the return of the Volcanic ash from Chile grounded all flights from Canberra yesterday and it wasn’t until this morning I was able to find out if my flight from Canberra to Sydney was actually going to be flying. It didn’t, but after a quick trip to the Jolimont centre, I was on the next bus destination Sydney.
They say things in life worth having don’t come easy - and these slightly unnecessary inconveniences definitely haven’t made things a walk in the park. But despite the lemons life has thrown at me, I’m still sitting here now with a big smile on my face ready to make myself some lemonade :)

I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead, learning as much as my brain can absorb, meeting new people and doing what I enjoy.

My first race with the For Viored Brookvex UK based team will be the Krasna Lipa, a tour in the Czech Republic starting the 7th July but first stop will be the UK Nationals tomorrow where I will be able to cheer on the girls and hopefully make myself useful (or most likely pass out quietly in the corner as to not disturb anyone).

So watch this space and hopefully I will have more good news to report in the not too distant future!

Until then, stay safe and happy pedalling

Miff xx

p.s because my sole purpose in life is to embarrass my sister, I’d just like to give a shout out to the better half in the relationship – my gorgeous sister Bron. Happy 21st Birthday. I’m so glad I was able to celebrate even a few hours of it with you, it’s been too long. I hope you have a safe trip to the US and I’ll be on the sidelines in your own custom cheer costume, barracking for you the whole time (although I won’t be doing the splits, there is no way in hell that could end well.) I don’t know anyone else who would get as excited as you about spending your winter holidays doing more Uni but I know your hard work is going to pay off. Watch out for this name people, this girl will run the country one day (and buy me a car with her first million ;) ). Love you long time and miss your face already – Miff & Raoul.

B&M Photography

2011-05-30T08:12:00.004+10:00

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of doing a photoshoot with B&M Photography! Bonnie Elvin and Michael Phelan are two very talented and accomplished Canberra models who are using their expertise and experience in the industry to venture into the field of photography! I had a great time working with them and admired their professionalism and their creativity! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend B&M to help you build your portfolio! Thanks guys :)

Check out a few photos from the shoot below!

If you'd like more information on B&M Photography, please don't hesitate to contact me or check out their Flickr stream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/61373552@N06/

Until next time

M xx

The Result of a Sports Gels/Caffeine Induced Insomnia

2011-05-02T09:24:00.007+10:00

It’s 1030pm and I’m still awake. Normally by now my head has hit the pillow and I’ve passed out for the night… But no, not tonight. After gorging myself on a variety of gels, caffeine and sugary foods accompanied by the constant throbbing of my legs, I have a feeling it is going to be a longggg night. And to top it all off, I am busy trying to rehydrated after forgetting to put on sunscreen in all the excitement resulting in my skin getting a little more than a ‘kiss’ from the sun :S… For those cyclists out there I’m sure you can sympathise with me – this is anticlimax you could say of finishing a Tour.

In 2010 I was watching the Canberra Tour from a lot more comfortable position in the commissaires car as I was still undergoing rehab for various injuries and so was excited to finally be able to race it again in 2011 under the new name of the Loop Canberra Tour. New name and new management meant a new format and for us women, it meant longer distances as well having a 50min crit on the Friday, 114km (it wasn’t 109km-lies) road race Saturday AM and 20km time trial Saturday PM and to finish us all off (literally) an 80km road race on the Sunday with not a meter of flat roads. 4 intermediate sprints and 2 QOMs on the Saturday morning, 2 more sprints and QOMs on the Sunday as well as the very generous time bonuses given on the finish line meant that anyone had a chance to be in the money! I was just out to make sure that ‘anyone’ was the Canberra Cycling Club Team.

The Canberra Cycling Club team on which I was racing on behalf of consisted of Jessie Maclean, who is about to represent the Australian National Team in Europe later this month, Gracie Elvin a ‘mountain biker’ who does more than hold her own on the road and who is also competing in Europe this month and junior rider Alice Wallett, who we are still trying to convince that cycling is better than triathlon :)

It was an epic few days to say the least but I’ve done my best to try and briefly recap all of the stages:

Friday Stage 1: 50min Criterium

There were attacks, people chased them… more attacks and yet more people chase. Despite it being one of the most aggressive races I’ve been in with some threatening attacks from the Victorian Institute of Sport team (VIS) and a solo effort by team mate Jessie Maclean, from midway into the race it was obvious that it was destined to come down to a sprint finish. I tested out my sprinting legs in the intermediate sprint prime but got a bit excited and started my sprint way to early, getting pipped by Loren Rowney from the Bundaberg Sugar team. I figured that I didn’t have the sprinting form to win a race so I decided that I’d help Jessie Maclean out and shadowed her wheel as we came into the last few laps as she is pretty self-sufficient when it comes to finding a lead out. When the sprint opened up, people were going everywhere on the track. Jessie jumped right and I saw an opening on the left and it was a drag race to the finish with Loren Rowney taking out the win followed by Canberra’s Beck Wiasak and Kendelle Hodges from the VIS. I came in in 4th whilst Gracie Elvin picked up 6th and Jessie 7th. Although we didn’t win, we were in the time bonuses and put ourselves in a comfortable position leading into the road race the next morning. Since Loren Rowney was the overall tour leader and sprint winner, it also meant that I would be wearing the sprint jersey going into tomorrrow’s stage – don’t worry, I had a bit of a laugh too :P

Sprinting for intermediate sprint points, photo courtesy of Greg Long

Saturday Stage 2: 114km RR

For all those Canberra riders, you would be all too familiar with the Uriarra-Condor loop. If this wasn’t bad enough, we had to complete it twice and since I was in contention for the sprinters jersey I also had 4 intermediate sprints to contest…It was going to be rough to say the least!

Descending down into Uriarra crossing for the first time, it dawned on me that wearing the sprinter’s jersey (although I have to admit, it did look pretty awesome) was going to be more of a burden than a privilege, it meant that I had to contest the intermediate sprints. Luckily for me I had the best wing woman in the peloton to lead me out for them – Jessie Maclean gave me leadouts that Mark Renshaw himself would be proud of and as a result, I accumulated enough points to hold onto the sprinters jersey for another day. I was happy with how I was feeling on the climbs especially after the sprinting and so decided to try my luck in the QOM points as well, I scored some in the first 2 at the turn around and then again at the top of the 3 sisters where I got into a break of 3 riders until midway back to Stromlo Forrest Park but I soon realised that maybe trying to contest both competitions AND make it to the finish alive was a bit too ambitious and so settled for grovelling up the climbs instead.

Going into the last lap it was pretty much a repeat of the previous one – we contested the sprints, the pace was set up the climbs, Jessie Maclean and Kendelle scared us all sh!tless on the descents and by the time we knew it we were climbing the 3 sisters for the last time. I have to admit, I was very surprised to see that we still had such a large bunch, maybe it is just a reflection of the quality of women riders we have coming through at the moment, but all I knew was I didn’t like it…It is common knowledge that I time trial like a brick through water and so I needed as much advantage going into the afternoon’s stage as possible. Having lost their sprinter on the final climb, the VIS were launching attacks in the last few kilometres to try and get a break but to no avail – coming into Stromlo Forrest Park it was going to be another bunch kick. Gracie rolled up to me and said she was feeling good and it was like music to my ears – by that stage I was feeling like poo and so I told her to stick on my wheel on the crit course and I would follow wheels to get her lined up for the sprint. Coming into the final corner, it was the same sprinting ‘tactics’ as the crit and there was no way that I was going to make the same mistake happen twice, I kicked off the wheel in front later with Gracie still attached and sprinted for home – Grace Sulzberger was just ahead and when I rolled past her a few meters for the line, I realised that in my lead out gone wrong – I’d actually won. I’d freaking won a bike race. And not just any bike race, one in my hometown in front of my friends, family and coach.

the win :) thanks Brian for the photo!!

What went through my head? Well when I put my arm in the air the first thing I thought was ‘bullsh!t. I didn’t just win a bunch kick...’ Then when Grace Sulzberger rolled up and congratulated me I burst out crying – I’m a girl scout I know but winning a race in your hometown is something you dream of doing and it was great for me to finally repay all the people who have stood by me and helped me out by giving them a win. Gracie held on for 3rd and picked up more time bonuses which gave her a good advantage leading into the time trial that afternoon.

Photo courtesy of Greg Long - check out other awesome shots from the tour here

Saturday PM: 20km TT

The only thing I could’ve hoped for was for the time trial to be tomorrow afternoon, so at least I could have been leader of the Tour for longer than 2hrs… and gotten a pretty slick white leader’s jersey too. But alas, just when I was feeling on top of the world after my win there’s nothing like a time trial to knock you down again. Although I was riding on one of the fastest time trial bikes available, a tiny Cervelo P3 at 48cm and equipped with 650c wheels, I knew I was going to have to ride the time trial of my life if I was going to stay in contention in the tour. I enlisted the help of super coach MaryAnn Simpson and my twin sister Bron to follow me in the car and yell abuse/encouragement at me to help me stay focused on the 20km solo journey ahead. I was feeling strong going down to the turn around and was happy to be able to turn around without unclipping/hitting my foot (those of you who don’t ride tiny bikes won’t appreciate this luxury…) and on the way back had my eyes set on reeling in the few riders who were ahead of me. I was about to turn around and hit my coach and sister when I figured that if I rode faster, they would probably stop yelling – so I did. I rolled home and am happy to say rode the time trial of my life. I’m not known for my extensively long attention span and this was the first time trial where I didn’t think of what I was having for dinner, count, or even sing to myself. Although it wasn’t enough to match the big hitters, I was stoked and ended up finishing in 7th. Beck Wiasak smoked everyone for the win followed by Allison Rice and Jo Hogan rounded out the podium in 3rd. Gracie Elvin had an awesome ride and held her own for 4th putting her 3rd in GC leading into the final stage, a great position for us!

The tiny TT machine - and new kit!! photo courtesy of Greg Long

Sunday RR: 80km

Waking up Sunday morning, probably the first thing I said to myself was ‘thank god we don’t have to race 130km like then men’. Today’s stage was ‘only’ 80km but you’d be hard pressed to find more than a meter of flat road anywhere out on course. The GC leading into today meant that the race would surely be aggressive with 1sec margins separating 4 riders and a big 54sec gap to Beck Wiasak who was now tour leader. With the help from my teammates, I had accumulated enough of a lead in the sprinters competition to have secured the jersey however we weren’t going to let anything go to chance and so sent our junior rider Alice Wallett up the road to ensure no one got in some sneaky extra points. Although the pace was on up the significant climbs, the bunch still remained intact for ¾ of the race. Our priority was to keep Gracie up/improve her position on GC and if possible, get myself further up as well but to do this, we had to drop Beck Wiasak and Allison Rice on the climbs. Luckily for us, the other teams had similar ideas and gradually the elastic band was snapping. Going back up Mt Macdonald with less than 20km to home, Grace Sulzberg and Kendelle Hodges attacked over the top of the climb. I was sitting on the otherside of the bunch and all I coul do was watch them ride away. I knew that if they were still away going down into Uriarra, the race was over. It took a while for the bunch to respond but then a paceline was formed going down into Uriarra with our work horse Jessie Maclean driving it on the front. I found her wheel going down into Uriarra before she swung off and didn’t realise how much speed she had launched me down there with…that girl is crazy. I have never descended that fast in my life and at one stage I was convinced I was going to die. But I didn’t. I couldn’t let Jess down after she busted her ass for us and so maintained that speed going into the crossing and drove it up the 1st sister to try and get rid of some driftwood and to hopefully start to close the gap and keep Gracie up there on GC as for the moment, we were sitting in 4th position. Frustratingly, the bunch soon lost interest in chasing and it wasn’t until about 5km from home that they put in another last ditched effort. I decided it was better to have one of the team finish up on GC as oppose to both of us finishing lower down and so jumped on the front and gave a last ditched effort to bring it back. Once I blew, I knew my race was over. All I could do was the riders who were left roll past and keep my fingers crossed that they would catch Grace Sulzberger and that Gracie could hold her own in the sprint. When I rolled into the park I heard that Grace Sulzberger had held on to win by 30sec and had consequently take over the lead of the tour. Gracie Elvin got 3rd in the bunch kick and unfortunately dropped down to 4th in GC – by only 2 seconds!!!!

Despite the Canberra Cycling Team not finishing on top spot on the podium, I couldn’t have been happier. We haven’t raced together as a team before and I was amazed at how easily we all clicked and how dedicated everyone was to achieve a team result. In addition to Gracie’s 4th on GC, we held onto the sprinters jersey and so still made a nice profit for the weekend.

Although I only finished up 7th on GC, given that this time last year I wasn’t able to ride, I was pretty proud of myself. I’ve still got a lot of work to do before I fly out to Europe on the 22nd of June to start racing with the UK based Viored Team (post on that to come) but I’m happy with how things are going :)

A big thank you to Jason Parkes, Nathan Spillane, Peter Gough and the rest of the Canberra Cycling Club committee as well as SportsMaxx marketing and all of the voulnteers for another very succesful Tour :)and of course my coach MaryAnn Simpson. you rock.

You can read more about the race at VIS stomper Lisa Jacob’s ride happy blog and Bundaberg Sugar Rider Amy Bradley’s blog and full results can be found here

Next up is one of my favourite races – the Cootamundra Haycarters Handicap this weekend! It should be a slightly more relaxed atmosphere than Canberra tour and I can’t wait to try and mix it with the big boys :P

Next stop for these bad boys - Europe :)

Until next time stay safe and happy pedalling,

Miff xx

B2B - Bathurst Weekend of Racing

2011-04-19T10:24:00.002+10:00

History has shown the Bathurst weekend of racing to be one of the most popular weekends away amongst ACT/NSW cyclists. This year, it was no different with around 2500 cyclists said to have participated in the weekend of events. This year was my first trip up to Bathurst and mum and I road tripped up together for what turned out to be a pretty pleasant and successful weekend away :)

Saturday morning was the NSW hillclimb championships at Mt Panorama. The day before the race I went to go ride what I thought was the hill climb up ‘Mt Panorama’ on the race course... I was cutting laps of the Mt Panorama V8 track in both directions just to make sure I was familiar with lines and knew the climb up both directions as I wasn’t sure which one we were doing… and when I got home to double check start times, it turns out the course wasn’t on the race track at all – it was right next to it up a climb actually named ‘Mt Panorama’ – rookie mistake, dammit. So I went into the hill climb pretty much blind after only being able to drive up it once before the start but I don’t think knowing the climb would’ve helped me much anyway because with such strong girls on the start list and after making some stupid decisions pre-race, I had pretty much been beaten before I got to the start line. Oh well, as they say –‘shit happens’ and I definitely won’t be doing that again! Hats off to India Maclean, Elizabeth Tenney and Rebecca Wiasak for picking up the medals!

Start of the hill climb

A few hours later we had a crit which was held on the inside of the race track. The crit was only 25min and after my disappointing efforts of the morning, I was keen to hopefully redeem myself and get on the podium. For the first few laps I tried to be aggressive as I knew I wouldn’t be the only one with tired legs from the morning’s hill climb and besides, how much damage can you do to yourself in 25min?? My tactics worked – just under half way into the race a break including Rebecca Wiasak, India Maclean and myself broke clear and stayed away for the remainder of the race. I was confident leading into the sprint and knew that if I was patient, I had a good chance of taking the win. After a blistering last lap on the front from Beck, I edged over her for the win with Inidia picking up 3rd. I was quietly pleased with my win as I haven’t won a bike race in Australia before and even though it wasn’t by scale a large race, a win is a win and I was stoked :)

KOM/QOM presentation with Drapac Professional Cycling rider and another Canberran Adam Phelan, check out his site here

Waking up on Sunday to an icy cold, foggy and wet morning mum and I drove to Blayney for the real race – the Blayney to Bathurst or B2B. I was doing the long course event of 110km and each rider was seeded and to set off in waves according to their estimated average speed. I decided to try my luck with the elite men in the 40km+ wave and see how long I could last with the big boys! It was raining when we set off and the damp and miserable conditions hung around for the whole race…Once I got settled in to riding in the bigger bunch I felt quite comfortable until I started to suffer up the first pinch about 20km in the race, I couldn’t hold the wheel in front over the top and so got dropped on the decent and was left to be picked up by a smaller bunch of about 6people a bit further up the road. Jessie Maclean stomped her way over the top of the climb and stayed with the boys whilst India was in the bunch which caught me. I thought the race for fastest female was over until I saw Jessie’s pink jersey on the side of the road – she was one of the day’s many suffers of a flat tyre and although it was unfortunate for her, it meant that the race was still on! India was riding strongly in the bunch as we approached the KOM about 20km from the finish. We were climbing side by side when she suddenly asked if she had a puncture – I looked across to see her rear wheel was flat. Luckily for her she had 2 club team mates in the bunch who gave her a wheel and being aware of this, I quickly put the pressure on and road off up the climb. I got over the top of the climb solo and then was joined by 2 other men from that group. Together we all swapped off for the last 20km and crossed the finish line at Mt Panorama wet, covered in mud and just relieved that we’d made it through relatively unscathed. I had to wait a few minutes for some women who set off in the other waves to cross the line before I was able to find out if I had won the title of ‘first and fastest female’ but when I heard Paul Craft announce my name over the loudspeaker covered in mud and drenched with every inch of my life - I was over the moon! I would love to say that I won the race on pure strength, but I must admit luck did play a part in it – although it feels good to be the lucky one for a change :)

photo post race thanks to the Bathurst Western Advocate newspaper, just a little bit excited :)

I completed the 110km in 2:57min and the two wins in two days served as a good confidence booster leading into the first round of the National Road Series in Tasmania next weekend. Now time for a little Opera moment - Perhaps the most satisfying moment of the weekend was when I spoke to my coach and told her that I’d won – that all her time and energy she invests in me, and has for a long time, was starting to pay off again. I hope that there will be moments like these in the not too distant future where I can thank all the people who have stood by me and thank them for their continual belief in me :) – you guys rock.

Full results can be found here and a few pictures can be found on the NSW cycling site here.

Next up racing wise is the Mersey Valley Tour in Tasmania which is also the first round in the Women’s NRS. Although the field isn’t large at only 26 women, they are all of our best riders in Australia and each and every one of them will be a contender for the tour! I have never done the tour before as for the past 3 years I have been sick/injured but from what I’ve heard it is the hardest NRS for the women – let’s just hope my performance at the NSW hill climb champs wasn’t a real indicator of my hill climbing ability otherwise I will be definitely tasting a lot of stem :s

Until next time,

Stay safe and happy pedalling :)

Miff xx

A date with the Honda Dream Team

2011-03-25T09:13:00.002+11:00

Rolling up to races in custom painted cars, decked out in stylish kit and riding shiny top of the range bicycles – you’d be forgiven if you thought the girls on the Honda Dream Team got treated like rock stars. But underneath the glitzy and glamorous exterior runs a very professional set up out to one thing: win big bike races. I had the pleasure of riding in the Honda colours in support of Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist and Honda Dream Team manager Rochelle Gilmore in her quest to secure a spot on the Australian 2011 team to compete in the World Championships in Copenhagen.

Monday last week I was lining up alongside hundreds of other Canberrans to participate in the annual Amy’s Ride Canberra in support of the wonderful work the Amy Gillett Foundation does in raising awareness and promoting safety of cyclists on our roads. Having already decided to miss the Oceania Championships in favour of saving money and finding some form, it was a very welcome surprise to be offered the opportunity to be a part of all the excitement and ride on behalf of the infamous Honda Dream Team. To put a long story short, the conversation I had with Rochelle ended with her saying something like “Now, as part of our team contract it means you will have to ride the team Pinarello Dogma 60.1, wear a Lazer helmet, the team Oakley sunglasses and we will provide you with High5 nutrition products… Is that OK?” to which I replied something a tad less appropriate for posting than “Yes.”. Before I knew it I was sent all of my flight details, asked for bike measurements so my bike could be set up perfectly before I got down there and for clothing sizes so the team at Hotdesigns could make my own custom kit...In 2 DAYS!! I was amazed at how quickly and efficiently everything was organised, all that was left for me to do was jump on a plane in peak condition, ready to race!

I arrived in Melbourne Friday morning and was greeted by the other Dream Team riders Sarah Roy and Carly Light and a brand spanking new shiny custom Honda Odysee, loaded with Pinarello Dogma 60.1s…We were definitely going to be travelling the journey to Shepparton in style! Upon arrival, we were greeted at reception by Rochelle and our mechanic and support crew for the weekend Klas. Within 30min he had built all of our bikes and we were all kitted up in our new gear ready to do a recon of the course! I was waiting for someone to pinch me or for something to go wrong… nothing ever happens this smoothly! But when something is managed well and thought through, apparently it does. As we completed the recon as a team, the bike felt like a dream! Equipped with Super Record and top of the line Boras, I didn’t feel as though I was only flying but for all I knew, I could’ve had a motor too!

Back to the hotel and it was time for dinner. Rochelle had prearranged for us to go to an Italian restaurant and so the only decision we had to make was what sort of pasta we were going to eat! Over dinner we talked about tactics (sorry, not revealing anything there ;) ) and once we had devoured our food, Rochelle asked a question that there is only one answer to – who wants dessert??? That’s what I enjoyed most about my short trip away, and admired most about being with the Honda Dream Team. Although we were travelling to one of the biggest races on our calendar, somehow everything seemed relaxed and fun but still remained professional and organised. I don’t know how Rochelle does it, but she does. Being with the team really reminded me why I love racing and being part of a team :)

So then came race day and again all that was left for us to do was to make sure we had what we needed to perform at our best. Breakfast was already prearranged and put in our rooms, and for the race we had a nice fresh supply of High5 nutrition products. On the start line I couldn’t help but feel nervous, I mean I was going to miss this race because I didn’t think I was strong enough but it is amazing what you can do when someone trusts you and is confident in your ability. Out on the road I felt like I was riding like two people! Whether it was because I was determined to see Rochelle take out the title of Oceania Champion, or because I was dedicated to the team, all I knew was that Honda had definitely given me the ‘Power of Dreams!’ ;)

I’ll let you read the other rider’s blogs to find out what exactly happened in the race but in brief, things were pretty controlled until Shara Gillow decided to go up the road on the last lap. She was closely followed by Chloe McConville and Bridie O’Donnell and unfortunately we didn’t have the horsepower to bring them back. However Rochelle showed that she is in great form by winning the bunch kick for 4th and securing herself some UCI points. Although I am really disappointed that we couldn’t help Rochelle secure her spot on the Worlds team early on in the season, she is currently in awesome form and if this is anything to go by then I have no doubt that she will be stamping her name into the team in the not too distant future!

So that is just a sneak peak for what it was like to be part of the Honda Dream Team. I haven’t given away all of their secrets but let’s just say that the setup is amazing and arguably the most organised team environment I’ve ever been in. See, there is more to the team then just a bunch of good looking chicks ;)

As for me, I’m back in Canberra training, working at the bike shop and the gym and doing uni. The next races I’ve got lined up are a few local NSW races in Bathurst which I’m really looking forward too! I’ve spent the last few months competing in races which either count as selection or have something weighing on them so it will be good to go into a race with no expectations and see what I can pull out!! (Mind you, I can’t say I won’t be going in them to win them ;) )]

So until next time

Stay safe and happy pedalling

Miff xx

I needed help and someone gave me a ladder

2011-03-13T20:28:00.006+11:00

Slack, busy, lazy… whatever you want to call me, I’ll agree it has been a while since I updated this blog! Last time I wrote, I had just come off a very uneventful Bay Crits and Nationals and was in a bit of a ditch both physically and mentally…. But like most ditches, there is always a way out – sometimes, you just need a little help :)

So what’s been happening? Well after Nationals I was really eager to keep the ball rolling and keep the training up for my biggest target for the first half of the season – the NZCT Women’s Tour of NZ on the 23-27th Feb! Training was going great and I was starting to show some form, and a nice tan to match! A few weeks before I was due to head to NZ, I received a phone call from Kim Howard (manager and coach of the TDT R.A.C.E team) asking if I would be interested in racing a series of Criteriums over in Perth a fortnight before I was due to race NZ. After speaking with my coach we both decided it would be a great idea and a good way to get a hard hit out before heading off! So a week later I was on the plane to Perth and I DID actually write up a race report which I will post below (and sneakily backdate a few weeks so no one notices I forgot to put it up… until they read this of course – dammit.) and in summary – things went really well :) I was even able to spend some quality time on the beach, and I can happily say that I now have to use BOTH hands to count the total number of beach visits I’ve done in my life!!

We were fortunate enough to be staying right on Cottesloe Beach thanks to the team's sponsor Bartercard!!! Cheers guys!!

After the last crit was done and dusted, I got on a plane home back to Canberra. I got the classic just-been-on-a-plane-with-sick-people-and-recycled-air cold which saw me take a few days off the bike but I wasn’t really concerned, after the last few days of racing I was looking forward to a rest! But unfortunately for me it wasn’t the cold that would set me back – it would be a bloody injury #storyofmylife (got to love twitter) !!!!

Happy snaps from Perth day 1 - chasing a break for our sprinter Chloe McConville

I was all packed and ready to head yonder; flew down to Melbourne to meet the rest of the team only to find that our flight had been cancelled…So we had to wait 10hrs until our next flight, mentally I could handle that. But it seemed that my poor body couldn’t and when we finally touched down in Wellington at 3AM the morning of our first race there was no way in hell I was able to walk properly, let alone ride.
It was a tough decision, as it is for any athlete to pull out of a race but over the last 4 years I have been racing, I have gained the knowledge and understanding to ensure I have a healthy means to realise my potential and risking potential further injury and yet more time on the sidelines was not one of them.

So the rest of my time in NZ was spent hanging out in the ghetto… I was racking up km’s in the car instead of the bike and eating salads instead of indulging on the all you can eat buffets was probably the hardest part of it all lol! I decided to try and make the most of my time down there and spent every moment I could learning, helping out or watching. Riding in the team car, you become spectator to everything that goes on in the race and it is was very interesting at the end of the day to compare what the riders impressions of the race were, and what you saw. It was also good from a tactical point of view. With teams like HTC Highroad and Diadora Pasta Zara racing, there were no doubt a lot of tactics being played and it was interesting to see them all fold out! Whilst it was hard watching everything pass by from the sideline, I was really happy to be able to catch up with lots of my close interstate Aussie friends and couldn’t have been happier to see them up there sticking it to the pros!!

Couldn't help it.

Back from NZ and the focus was straight onto recovery. Onto the physio and developed a management plan within a week and I’m happy to say that things are coming along swimmingly :) and although I may get angry at my coach for acting like an over protective parent by limiting my training, I know that she’ll always have my back and so I’m just gritting my teeth and doing what I’m told :) not that I’d ever do otherwise… ;)

Unfortunately though, I will not be contesting the Oceania Road Titles in Shepparton next weekend. I decided to withdraw from the event after I returned from NZ. I am a bit frustrated and tired of racing major events when I know I haven’t been able to do the training or that I’m going into an event well underdone. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind being beaten, I mean it happens all the time lol!! But I want to know that I’ve been beaten by people because they have genuinely been better than me – not because I’m not fit or because of a 10000 other possible excuses… I hate that. That’s not me.

As I said before, things are progressing quite nicely and I’m feeling fitter and stronger as each days goes by. I’m loving training in Canberra at the moment, everyone is really supportive and are always up for a bit of friendly competition! I just need to remember to leave my ego at home some days… It would make some days a lot more comfortable!

The course of life never does run smooth and because of this I have been able to develop many valuable life skills. Through my experiences on the bike I have also come to realise that I perform best when I’m strong ..and happy. I’m proud to say that I’m now one; I just need to work on the other!! I also take inspiration from Winston Churchill -one of the most recognisable faces in History to date:

“If you're going through hell, keep going.”
“ Never, never, never give up.”
– Winston Churchil.

I take pride on sticking by these values and believe that they are what have made me who I am today and what is going to help me reach the top not only in my sport but in life.

So next time you see me racing interstate I will hopefully be well… me again :)
Call me cheesy but I’m going to leave you with a video I came across the other day… if you are ever in need of a bit of motivation, look no further…

Stay classy and happy pedalling

M xx

The truth hurts. I could have told you that.

2011-01-11T09:30:00.006+11:00

The Jayco Bay Criterium series and the Australian Open Road titles have been run and won, and instead of sitting cheekily in McDonalds abusing the free wifi privileges, I am happy to say that after an 8hr drive I am reporting from the comfort of my own couch happily nursing my soup bowl of tea.

Unfortunately for me, I kicked off what I secretly hoped would be a cracker of a 2011 season with a few disappointing results. First up was the Jayco Bay Crits around Geelong. I was racing for Kim Howard’s TDT R.A.C.E Team and was super excited to say the least about racing again! The atmosphere at Bay Crits is similar to that of a traveling circus. Its nuts, and you can’t help but get caught up in it! The first circuit was a ‘roadie’ circuit in the Botanical gardens with a nasty little pinch in it leading into the final stretch. This ended up being the place that I had my best performance, making a break and dropping off with 2 laps to go… From then on things weren’t working out exactly the way I had imagined it… I knew I was lacking the race intensity but I didn’t know to the degree just how much! The rest of the week was a slug fest on the short face-paced circuits and I was disappointed I was not able to contribute as much to the team as I would have liked – instead of starting breaks or helping our main sprinter Chloe Hosking out in the closing stages of the race, I was yo-yoing off the back of the pack and watching the finish from the sidelines – not a great mental boost leading into Nationals!

Bridging across to the break. Photo courtesy of womenscycling.net

After Bay Crits it was off to Ballarat for the Australian Open Road Championships. I decided to give the National crit a miss in favour of an extra recovery day and couldn’t have been happier to see my bestie Lauren Kitchen take out the title of Australian Criterium Champ!!! She took out the Open and U/23 divisions as well as taking out the intermediate sprint prize – equating to a prize of 63 Mars bars, 3 bottles of champagne and 3 boquets of flowers. Oh, and she now gets to strut around in green and gold jersey in any criterium :). Lauren won over break compatriot Jo Hogan which was initiated mid way through the race. The break was bought back by the Honda Dream Team to 8sec but as Honda started to use up their riders, the break blew out again and ended up winning by about 30sec! Chloe Hosking broke away with 1 lap to go to round out the podium in 3rd.

I was coming in to Nationals this year a lot differently from last year. I wasn’t with a team, an institute or members of my family… I was traveling and doing it solo (but fortunately had my coach waiting in the wings anytime to come to the rescue if needed). I know I keep saying this and you probably want to punch me in the face by now, but it was again a harsh reminder of how far I seem to have slid down the ladder, back to booking your own accommodation, picking up your own races numbers and even pumping up your own tyres *gasps*! It was like I was starting from scratch again, I was a no-namer out to prove myself. Sure it was a big slap in the face, but it was also a real eye opener. Firstly, it made me appreciate how fortunate I was to have the support that I did but secondly, it also reminded me that when you eventually do make teams and the logistics are all taken care of for you – you forget about the other riders who are self supported or new to the sport. Just like you once were. Next time you see someone who looks a little unsure, lost or needs a hand at racing – ask them if they’d like help because most of the time they are too scared/proud (guilty) to ask for themselves. Remember, that was once you too!

Anyway, after another day of rest and it was time for D-Day – the National road race. I honestly had no idea what to expect leading into the race, had I recovered from Bay Crits? How was my form? How was I going to compare to the other girls? And before I knew it, I was a mess. Both physically and mentally. In a race which most riders are trying to peak for and where you want to be at your leanest and fittest – I realized I was not. The gun went and the pace was pretty steady for the first 2 laps until Carlee Taylor attacked over the 2nd KOM and the pace lifted drastically, leaving everyone scrambling for positions behind. I clawed my way through 3 more laps before breaking into tears when I saw my coach in the feedzone. I was heartbroken and cracked mentally. I have no excuses, I just couldn’t do it. The group that went with Carlee over the top of the climb ended up by being the winning break – Alexis Rhodes taking out the title of Australian Road Champion over Garmin-Cervelo teammate Carla Ryan and Jo Hogan from Victoria. Carlee took out the U/23 title and the KOM jersey whilst Sinead Noonan and Lauren Kitchen rounded out the rest of the U/23 podium.

So that was my Nationals over and done with for another year… I’m just glad I get another shot at it in 363 days!! I strongly believe that this course suits me, when I’m fit, and am probably one of the only few campaigning for it to stay the same – at least for the next few years! Tomorrow is the time trial and from what I’ve heard about the weather – I hope the riders packed their water wings!

Despite the lack of results, I was still a happy little vegemite at Bay Crits :)

On a final note – during the course of the week there were quite a few photos taken of me and once in particular attracted a comment by someone saying ‘slightly overweighty’. They say the truth isn’t an easy pill to swallow and I’ll agree – it isn’t – however, this wasn’t news to me, this has been an issue for me for over a year. The third butt cheek is a result of an extended offy, injuries and a bit of a rough patch but hey, it happens to everyone. During times when things weren’t going my way, I found comfort in eating junk food and partying, I mean what makes you forget about things better than a bit of whipping-your-hair-back-and-forth and alcohol?? Except for 6hrs later when you wake up - your problems are still there and you’re punished with a massive headache for being so stupid as to think solving them would be that easy. I have no one to blame for the extra Kgs except myself, after all I’m the one shoving the food in my face!
Prior to going overseas and racing for SwABoLadies in Holland, I promised myself that I would use it as a chance to change and get back to the way things were and come back a new me but unfortunately life had other plans for me. Again, things weren’t going my way and I thought that eating would solve them. Although I didn’t weigh myself much over there, I can remember weighing myself one day and was shocked to see a whopping 61kg on the scales. For those that don’t think that is much, don’t be nice – it is. Especially on someone who is only 157cm tall. 158cm on a good day. That was a far cry from the 46kg I was 12months earlier…You could say from one extreme to the other?? And if that wasn’t a reality check and a half, a couple of days after that I was downloading my SRM files and I noticed that the ‘slope’ seemed a bit odd. I went to go check it and instead of being programmed in at 34.5Hz, it was set at 24.5Hz.. meaning that basically in a nutshell, I was putting out about 80W LESS than what my SRM was showing me. Ouch.
Weight in women’s sport in general is a widely avoided topic; it’s like that big grey elephant in the corner of the room that no one talks about. In my case however, being lean is part of the job description. My strength on the bike lies in my ability to haul ass up hill faster than anyone else and in order to do this, I need as least amount of ass to do so. If I wanted to be able to eat whatever I wanted to, I would have chosen a sport like sumo wresting, sit at McDonalds with 4 Big Macs and call it training. But I don’t.

Got no one to blame except myself

Despite the job description, it doesn’t mean however, that I’m going to stop eating in order to achieve ultimate ‘leanness’. As a well respected coach once said to me – my goal is to return athletes back into the real world as functional people. This statement always remains true to my heart and is forgotten or even ignored by athletes – yes. There is life after sport. Most athletes live in the moment and are willing to sacrifice everything physically and mentally for their sport without thinking what the later consequences will be. There are many women out there who are so skinny that they are doing themselves permanent physical damage. I am no Dr and will not go into the specifics, but it doesn’t take an expert to see that it can’t be good for you!

I remember riding the Giro and sitting down at the dining hall seeing what all the athletes are eating – you get the girls who are fueling their bodies for yet more grueling racing and some others that look gaunt as they feast on salad leaves. It’s just sad.

I know that I need to lose weight to improve my performance and sure, I could stop eating and achieve my target weight in a couple of weeks. But I won't. And I'm not doing to do that again - I don't want to. I am confident that I will achieve a weight that is sustainable and will lead to optimal performance in a healthy manner. I’ve already lost 5kg in a couple of months and I plan on losing the rest of it in the same way - without excessive use of salad leaves, shakes…or my fingers. It’s only January and if I have things my way, I’m going to have a long season ahead of me.

Life and I are back on speaking terms - I even received a Christmas card from it! So things are still on the up and I’m going to put everything behind me and do my damn hardest to keep it going that way. New year, new you. Right?

So to those commenting about my weight and thinking that I’m not taking things seriously, thank you for your concern but rest assured - I am. And I can’t wait to see your face when I succeed. :)

I hope everyone entered the New Year with a bang – and not only a massive hang over – and I wish you all the best for the coming year :)

Until next time

Stay classy and happy pedalling

Miffy xx

No rest for the wicked!

2010-12-23T14:53:00.004+11:00

It’s only been a month since I was training up a storm in Geelong, but Geelong camp seems as though it was years ago! Since then, I’ve been busy getting my butt handed to me on an AIS Women’s camp with the new 2011 squad in Canberra, working so that I can eat and live and doing summer semester and University because…well…to be honest, I have no idea. Maybe because I love the adrenalin rush and the sense of achievement you get when you have an assignment due at 12:00am, have 20min to finish referencing and are panicking, thinking ‘there is no way in hell I’m going to get this in on time’ – only to submit it at 11:56pm. Win. Or maybe because I’m like my sister and ‘love textbooks’? Nope. Not that either…:s All I know is that I’m getting an education…tick.

Fresh from being smashed by super coach Kim Howard and her TDT R.A.C.E girls, I had a few days to recover before yet more pain/eyeball-scratching-out/HTFU style training with the AIS girls. However, before that, there was a much needed Foreshore Summer Music festival to attend. AIS rider Lauren Kitchen traveled down early for camp from Port Macquarie to attend the festivities, and let’s just say, it was definitely a night to remember! I woke up 2 days later with DOMS from intense fist-pumping, but it was worth it - definitely a good way to start my run on the straight and narrow.

Lauren and I go way back - photo from the 2008 U19 National Road Title which Lauren won :)

I am no stranger to the AIS Women’s Canberra camps, in fact I’d probably consider myself a veteran tagalonger-er, so I knew it was going to be tuff. And I was stoked! I’m like that annoying little kid that you can’t get rid of – although luckily the girls learnt pretty quick that you can get me to shut up by making me do 10min SEs or sending me up Honeysuckle in filthy headwinds. Shy of that not working, there is always the classic halfwheel – guaranteed to work every time. For most of the duration of the camp, Canberra definitely but on its best weather – not. Many of the rides were done in the pouring rain where everything but your belly button was full of water. Oh well, at least it made for some much needed character building on my behalf! Towards the end of the camp, the girls were sent out bush with the final 6hr ride seeing them being directed to Wee Jasper – yup, I hadn’t heard of it either. The AIS team for 2011 is definitely a team to be reckoned with in up and coming races – I wish I wasn’t on the receiving end of their wrath! The team consists of full timers Lauren Kitchen, Alex Carle, Amanda Spratt, Shara Gillow, Ruth Corset as well as Megan Dunn and Carly Light who weren’t on the camp – look out for them in their new Jayco AIS kit!

This camp was run similarly to previous camps I’ve been on, each day with its own unique way of making you hurt like never before, however what made it different this time for me was that I also had to balance work AND summer semester at Central Queensland University between 4hr rides, ice baths and stretching. Considering what happened exactly 12 months ago when I failed miserably at this particular task – I was nervous at what was going to happen. Although I have culled the number of pre run-myself-into-the-ground jobs from 4 to 2, now working only at A’Hern Fitness in Griffith and the BikeShed, I knew it was going to be a tuff challenge!

I know a lot of people do it, balance work and training but I too dream of the day when I’ll be earning enough money riding my bike so I can sit at the coffee shop for hours sipping skinny lattes in the sun post ride. The work/cycling/uni balance is something I seem to struggle with everything I come home. Stuck between wanting to dedicate as much time to training and recovery pre nationals and our summer season, and the need to pay to live, short of pouring cement over my breakfast, I often end up on the phone to my coach whining about how tired I am. Finding jobs that allow for the perfect balance is the challenging part - I mean who doesn't want to hire a 20yr aspiring athlete who doesn't want to work 9-5, is studying part-time and wants a job where you can sit on your butt all day? Yeah, that's what I thought. But I’m very fortunate in my current circumstances where I love my jobs and have two very supportive bosses who recognize the importance of getting the balance right, and as a result – made it out of the camp ALIVE!!

So what’s next? Well after a very quite and sober Christmas and New Year, as I said in my previous post – I’ll be riding for Kim Howard’s T.D.T RACE team at the Jayco Bay Criterium series and participating in the 2011 Australian Road Nationals. I am really looking forward to Bay Crits as I think we have a very strong team and hopefully we’ll be able to get in the mix at the pointy end of the bike race! I am also pleased to announce that I will also be joining Kim and her race team in the 2011 NZCT Women’s Tour of NZ! I rode this tour in 2009 and really enjoyed the racing, I am hoping to get a good result there as I believe the courses are well suited to me and I will have a little more training under my belt!

Photo from the TT at last year's Nationals

A busy couple of months ahead but I’m looking forward to it! Also I have been having conversations with a few teams in regards to 2011… fingers crossed things go well but will keep you posted ;)

Until the New Year
Stay safe and stay classy,

Miffy xx

This one time, at Geelong camp...

2010-11-25T14:42:00.016+11:00

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

2010-11-25T14:35:00.006+11:00

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!

It can only get better from here... Right??

2010-10-26T21:37:00.003+11:00

Saturday was the Celtic Classic de Femme, the women's version of the infamous Grafton to Inverell and my first race back from what ultimately was a fizzer of a season in Europe.

After suffering from 'severe hay fever complications' disguised as the flu in Holland, a few broken ribs in Belgium and a bug that saw me creep for the Australian National team in France, I was keen to start to redeem myself and prove to myself that I could still ride a bike, and fast at that.

Unfortunately I was kidding myself in thinking that it was possible on 2 weeks of proper training against the strong talent which was tearing up the domestic scene back here in AUS whilst I was battling it out in Europe.

The day before the race I flew up to Port Macquarie to meet AIS cycling buddy Lauren Kitchen and together we trekked over to Inverell for the start of the race. On the way we drove over a 45k loop which was a new addition to the course and I'm thanking my lucky stars we did. The loop contained several graveled sections of road and a 1k section of dirt that had never actually been sealed. That, with a combination of more craters and other loose surfaces on the road, made me keep my Zipp wheels firmly sealed in their bags - never to see daylight on this trip.

Packed and ready to roll

The morning of the race we packed into the Swift and drove to Glen Innes for the start of the race. There I met up with some familiar, and new, friendly faces and rocked up to the start, buzzing -feeding off the atmosphere that comes with bike racing.

Stopping for a pre-race coffee at Maccas

About 10k into the race, I rolled to the front of the peloton where we were greeted by a herd of cattle spread across the road. The commissaires didn't put out a flag, or yell at us, so I glued myself to the back of the lead car as the cows were running across the road and had big f off horns and I figured they would be pretty game to take on a big 4WD… I rolled past the herd still glued to the car followed by ‘Sweet As’ rider Sally Robins when I looked behind and saw we were clear from the group. The comm was still with us so I figure everything was OK and decided I'd tempo and give myself a head start on the climbs, as my legs felt average to say the least, and hopefully the dirt before the bunch caught me. I reached the end of the dirt at the 20k mark when the bunch caught me and a couple of riders decided to have angry words to me about attacking through a herd of cows and when a rider had crashed.... Apparently a rider crashed towards the back of the peloton as I was glued to the lead car and I didn't notice!!! I felt bad that people would think I'd do such a thing- they obviously don't know me very well, I’m not completely heartless!

That aside, we were coming to the end of the first lap when the new Virgin RBS Morgan women's power house team started doing repeated attacks and counter attacks. My legs were feeling decisively average and I was glad that other people were willing to chase them down and give me a chance to sit on.

Coming into the straight run to Inverell, we ran into the base if Waterloo, which was where my tow rope snapped and I got dagged from the back of the group. The thing about hills is that there is nowhere to hide- you've still actually got to get your butt over it, the draft of the other riders isn't going to do that for you. I was then groveling my way up the hill desperate to keep the peloton in sight- didn't happen. Fortunately enough I caught up with Imogene Vize and together we swapped off into the nasty headwind and my race quickly got placed in the 'well at least it was good training' category. We did see the peloton at the final climb up Wire Gully and came agonizingly close to jumping on when the mountain goats attacked for the final KOM points and I dropped back like a sack of potatoes.

The ‘Golden Arches’ marked the end of the race

We rode the last 20km of the race by ourselves and crossed the line a few minutes down on the main bunch… The race was taken out by dark horse Loren Rowney (MB Cycles) who placed 3rd in the u/23 Nationals RR in January from Jo Hogan (VIS) and Simone Grounds (Bundaberg Sugar) edged out Kirsty Broun (Virgin RBS Morgan) for 3rd.

Women’s Podium – Jo Hogan 2nd, Loren Rowney 1st and Simone Grounds 3rd.

First race done and dusted, and although it didn’t go nearly as well as I’d have hoped, it served as a big reality check and a slap in the face.

This time last year, I had just come off riding for the Australian National team in the Giro Donne and the Tour Feminine en Limousin... A lot has happened since then and I’m stupid to think that after everything that has happened in the last 12 months, I am still able to ride at that level. I am still hanging onto that moment where I rolled off the start ramp in the prologue at the Giro in my first race wearing the Aussie colours, I know I will reach that level again but for now I have a few more months of ass busting training to do to try and make myself competitive again. I’ve got a couple of solid camps coming up and am feeling positive about the next few months. I know I have a lot of work to do leading up to Nationals but I’m confident I’ll be able to pull something out somewhere lol

Me at the 2009 Giro – despite what the face tells you, I enjoyed every minute of it :)

Until next time

Take care

Miffy xx

2010-10-05T23:04:00.006+11:00

My World Champs

Its Tuesday evening and i'm sitting on the couch trying to remember where i was this time last week...It may have only been 7 days ago but the events of last week seem like a lifetime ago and now it's 'back to reality'... or at least trying to hold it off for as long as possible.

This time last week I was drove down to Geelong with AIS cyclist Lauren Kitchen to the World Road Cycling Championships for what would be the 'epicest' week i've had for a longgg time. This year, we had 4 Canberran's lining up to compete to become the best in the World, so I couldn't help but show a little bias when it came to cheering for the riders!

On Wednesday was the U/23 men and Elite Women's TT. Representing Australia in the U/23 men were Luke Durbridge (WA) and Rohan Dennis (SA) – both World champions on the track and looking to add the U/23 Time Trial title to their already substantial list of palmers... Luke was the first off for the Aussies posting a blistering time over the first lap and his time over the first 6km would only be rivalled by rider David Millar who ran 2nd in the elite men category. Luke sat there for over 2hrs watching other riders trying to better his time, which was completed in the rain might i add. Rohan was sitting in 2^nd place for a while and it looked like Aussies might go 1,2 that was until USA rider Taylor Phinney pipped Luke by 1.90sec to snatch the gold medal away from the Aussie whilst Marcel Kittel from Germany rounded out the podium. 1.90sec over a 31.6km circuit is nothing. It can be made/loss in a corner, which line on the road you took... or in Luke's case, between riding on a wet course in the rain or being able to ride on dry roads as Phinney was. Who knows if Luke would have bettered Phinney if given the same conditions, all i know is that it would have been a hell of a lot closer race ;)

Luke Durbridge opens up the medal tally for the Aussies

Next up was the elite Women's TT. Pulling on the Aussie stripes (or should I say, spending 15min trying to wedge the skinsuit over your shoulders with the help of 3 other people and trying your hardest not to flex and rip the suit with your massive biceps) was Canberran Vicki Whitelaw, Shara Gillow (QLD) and current Oceania Champion Alexis Rhodes (SA). The 22.7km time trial was held over a modified course to that of the U/23 men, however, they were not exempt from climbing the infamous berg in the opening kilometres... Just for the record, I zig-zagged – i mean 'rode' up it the day after the TTs, and wow. These riders deserved a hell of a lot of respect! The designer of the course obviously has no children – i wouldn't wish that upon anyone!! Haha... just kidding, it did make for a very exciting race!!!!!
Shara was the best place Aussie finishing in an incredible 8^th place behind winner Emma Pooley. Shara is 22 years old and made her splash on the cycling scene in 2008. Her first race in Europe was the 2009 Giro Donne and a year later she is finishing top 10 in the World.. this is no doubt only an indication of Shara's real potential, so remember the name – no doubt you'll be hearing a lot more of it!!!! Vicki Whitelaw broke the top 20 finishing in 18^th place whilst Alexis finished just behind in 19^th. Both girls were a little disappointed with the final result, Vicki Whitelaw keeping a positive outlook about it in an interview where she states "(Today) it wasn't a factor of not knowing the course as we have been practicing this course since February," explained Whitelaw, adding, "There were positive sections today where I rode really strongly, but also some parts I really slumped, like at the start and I also thought I wasn't climbing efficiently." Whilst Alexis is hoping to try to redeem herself at the Commonwealth Games time trial next week "I wanted to run top ten and ended up nineteenth which is pretty disappointing, but there are 18 girls who are better than me which is just the way it is I guess."

Shara Gillow on her way to 8^th place!! GO SHARA!!

Day 1 of TTs completed and it was time to head back to the house at Torquay with the Canberra crew, not before I stopped at Maccas to use the free wifi... I knew I couldn't last a day without internet. Then it was off to bed for what was another epic day of TTing!

Representing AUS in the elite men's TT were Richie Porte and Canberran Michael Rogers. Mick has competed in a World Championship since 1997 and was hoping to make 2010 a memorable one, repeating what he had done in 2003,2004 and 2005 on home soil. Richie Porte was also looking like a medal contender, having burst on the cycling scene 4 years ago, he is now riding for Saxo Bank in his first season as a professional cyclist. It was Mick's turn to wait in the hot seat after positing the fastest time of the day until the final wave of riders came and saw the likes of David Millar, Tony Martin and none other than Fabian Cancellara slide him off the podium. Richie was sitting in third place after Tony Martin suffered a mechanical and looked to be able to hold on, but it was Martin who came home stronger to beat Richie by a mere 7sec. Both riders said they were disappointed not to have an Aussie finish on the podium (finishing 4^th and 5^th respectively)in front of a home crowd but I think they should be very proud of their rides regardless, to finish the way they did amongst such class acts really says something!

With the final day of TTing done, it was time to do some training of my own and I took the time to explore some of the coastline around Torquay and Geelong... I forgot how much I love and miss being at the beach, the stoney patches of ground leading to a brown and murky sea in Europe really doesn't compare.

Day 3 of Worlds – the U/23 road race and probably the most memorable day of the event, well for us Canberran's anyway!!! Lining up for the 159km race for Australia was Luke Durbridge (WA), Ben King (WA), Malcolm Rudolf (QLD), Rohan Dennis (SA), Joe Lewis(NSW) and Michael Matthews(ACT). I spent the first part of the race cheering on the boys from the top of the 2^nd hill as Ben King was in pursuit of the USA rider Ben King who had launched a threatening break in the opening stages of the race. With just over 4 laps remaining, I raced Carlee Taylor and Lauren Kitchen back to the start finish line to watch the closing stages of the race with the very nervous Canberra contingent and family. The race came together in the final 2 laps as the whole Aussie team lined up on the front to try and bring the break back and get rid of any drift wood leading into the sprint. 1 lap to go and the field was together with a couple of French riders making small attacks to no avail. With half a lap remaining, there was no doubt that it was going to be a bunch sprint and I stood by my bet from the beginning of the race that Bling (Michael Matthews) was going to be taking home the rainbows. Coming into the last bend the Canberra crew were holding their breath, biting their nails with their eyes glued to the big screen. Just over 300m to go it looked like Bling was boxed in but out of nowhere he shot out of the peloton and left everyone for dead behind him. He was going to be taking home the rainbows and was officially deemed the Best in the World, after what really was a very impressive season. When he crossed the line, there was cheering, screaming and tears coming from the Canberra supporters and seeing his family's reaction was probably the most touching part of it all! The Canberra cycling community is very close knit and it is always a big deal when you see a fellow rider do well :) Needless to say, there were plenty of reasons to celebrate that night... The whole Aussie team were on a much deserved high and it was contagious! But what happens out – stays out, sorry ;)

A picture says a thousand words....

Struggling from a severe lack of sleep, I dragged myself over to watch the Women's race on Saturday. Having raced the team members and stayed with them previously, I was eager to see them stick it to the internationals!!! I had the pleasure of racing with the Aussie National team for their last race in Europe – the Tour de L'Ardeche which was taken out by Vicki Whitelaw with Ruth Corset wining a stage and taking home the Queen of the Mountain jersey. Carla Ryan also won the last stage of the Tour and Tiffany Cromwell, Amanda Spratt and Shara Gillow were on fire!!! If their form was anything to go by, I would pick them for a good show. The women were faced with 'only' 8 laps of the guelling course but the pace was on as the field split up in the opening laps. Ruth Corset was the protected rider for the race, with Carla Ryan calling the shots on the road as team leader as radios were not allowed this year! I know these girls, and know that they put 100% into the race and although this isn't reflected in the final results, whoever watched the race on TV should agree. A lot goes on in a bike race, most of which isn't reflected in the final results.. I was riding the morning of the Men's road race when a cyclist rolled up to me and asked my opinion of the Aussie women's performance, stating that he thought it was disappointing that they weren't there at the end and that they should have sat in the peloton and done nothing, to at least make it to the finish. It is hard to explain to a non-racer that sometimes it is a riders job to do so much work for their team that they are expected NOT to finish, but it got me thinking that he is probably not the only one thinking this and with the best place Aussie being Ruth Corset who finished in 26^th place, I took the opportunity to ask the Australian National Women's Coach Martin Barras, his opinion on the race.

Martin Barras "I actually apologised to the girls yesterday for the way I got them into this particular race. The one thing I told them before hand and again in relation to the fact that this is such an exceptional opportunity for us is if you endeavour to have an impact in this race and to leave nothing unturned, turn yourself inside out basically then you need to have no fear about the end result or the outcome and sure enough the result or the outcome, lets' not lie about it, it wasn't fantastic for us, it wasn't a great result, but these girls, and i think it was obvious on television turned themselves inside out to provide a god result and certainly to provide a good race. In that respect i couldn't be more pleased. I tend to be very proud of my teams and i was particularly proud of the team yesterday, hopefully we can be proud and winning next time around."

So whilst many of you are saying that the Australian Women's team didn't perform well, sure i'll agree – on paper they didn't get a great result- but let me assure you that remember, this is only 1 race amongst close to 100 that the women race a year (sure is a bloody big one at that!!!!!) but everyone has bad days, and you got to creep. Unfortunately for the Aussie women, it appears that today was their turn ... but their results here certainly doesn't reflect how they have performed this year. I know I couldn't be prouder of them :)

Vicki Whitelaw looking after Ruth Corset

Italian Giorgia Bronzini took out the nail biting finish from Marianne Vos from Holland and Emma Johansson from Sweden.

Which leads me to think about another topic.. on a cycling forum someone made the following comment when the forum asked if they should cover women's cycling

" I've seen it over and over. A woman trains like any A-grade male racer for a season or two and the next thing you know she's a "professional". Most of them soft pedal for 100km until the business end of the race and they needlessly crash all the time. Sorry to say it CT, but leave the womens cycling to other websites."

Dude. Don't even get me started. Actually you already have, but i'll be saving that for another blog post.

After another restless night it was time for the elite men's road race. The Aussie team of Michael Rogers, Matthew Hayman, Stuart O'Grady, Cadel Evens, Allan Davis, Matthew Goss, Simon Gerrans, Baden Cook and Wesley Sulzberger lined up for a race of 260km starting in Federation Square in Melbourne and finishing up with 11 laps of the Geelong circuit covered by the U/23 men and the elite women the 2 days prior. I have to admit, most of my time during the race was spent doing interviews and running after other media stuff, but by the time I got to settle down and watch the last 3 laps – I was very pleased to see 2 Aussies still sitting in the lead group in Allan Davis and reining champ Cadel Evans. The crowd at the last 100m was close to 10 deep and I was struggling to fight my way through and get a glimpse of the riders coming into the last couple of laps. A great attack my favourite Gilbert looked threatening but was soon brought back and another bunch sprint was on the cards. Coming into the home stretch I could seen Allan Davis tucked in the bunch, under 300m to go I saw him step out the start his sprint only to have the screen blocked by someone's head – the 'perks' of being just over 5ft...I had no idea who had won. It took a minute for the results to come up on the screen and I was proud to see that "Alby" had finished the week off for the Aussies with a bronze medal – awesome stuff!! Thor Hushovd took out the win from Matti Breschel from Denmark. Post race I went to the media centre to listen in on the press conference where each riders were asked various questions from the media. When Alby was asked his opinion on the combined team effort he stated "I'm the only one standing on the podium but was definitely a team effort". I think this pretty much summed up the last 3 days of racing for the Aussies. Road cycling is definitely a team sport and I think the Aussies displayed great teamwork and sportsmanship - well done Cyclones you made us proud :)

Allan Davis on the podium – finishing up a great week for the Aussies!!

So the men's road race marked unfortunately the end of a very epic week. It was one of my best experiences to date and I can't wait to experience something like that again – hopefully from the other side of the fence ;) Now I got to get back to my own training, I'm super keen to get back into it! Nothing like watching the best in the business to get you pumped.

See you out on the road

Miffy :D

All photos courtesy of Jarrod Partridge and Cyclingtribe.com

Canberra – The Home of Champion Cyclists

2010-09-24T19:04:00.004+10:00

With the 2010 World Road Cycling Championships in Geelong and the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi fast approaching, we are once again seeing numerous Canberran's fronting up to compete at the top level in cycling. From the likes of brothers Brian and Neil Stephens, Stephen Hodge and more recently the Michael Rogers and Matthew Haymans, it appears that Canberra has a knack of developing some of Australia's most talented and successful cyclists. So why is it that Canberra seems to be the perfect breeding ground for elite cyclists? Is it the terrain, the climate, the cycling community... or just something in the water?

Canberra has boasted a very prominent cycling community ever since the territory's first cycling clubs were established in the mid-1920s. Previous research indicates that the state had its inaugural organised bunch ride on the 21^st November 1926, where members showed up at Hotel Canberra at 2:30pm to enjoy a spin with their fellow cyclists, and it appears that cycling in Canberra has never looked back since. Nowadays, cyclists can still meet at various points across the state everyday of the week to enjoy an easy spin (or a smash fest if that is more to your liking) with a bunch of other cycling fanatics.

So what makes Canberra so appealing to cyclists? One of the most important aspects is the terrain. Whether it is a flat ride or some long climbs you're after – Canberra has it pretty well covered. The infamous Cotter-Uriarra loop and Corin Dam hill climb are becoming Canberra's more 'iconic' rides with the running of the annual Canberra Tour (former Milk Race), the Canberra Women's and Junior Tour as well as the Australian Junior National Championships all being held on parts of these loops. With only a short 20min ride from the Centre of Canberra, you can be out in the quite back roads and able to train without worries of motorists, left with only your thoughts and those bloody TT efforts and the odd magpie to worry about. ..

After the inaugural Canberra Amy's Ride earlier this year, the Amy Gillet Foundation's 'A Meter Matters' campaign in Canberra

Another favourable facet for cyclist in Canberra is the weather. When i'm home in the summer, nothing beats a recovery ride around the lake in the sun before finishing it off at a coffee shop nearby where there you would be forgiven if you spent hours in your knicks basking in the sun sipping on some of the best tasting brew out... after all, chamois time is training time yeah?? Otherwise the long summer days prove ideal for spending hours lost somewhere out the back of Tharwa or Corin with mates. Sure, you could say I'm guilty of not enduring a FULL Canberra winter for 3 years now and so am a bit naive on the extremes at which it gets to... But Canberra cyclists are fortunate that there are enough dedicated cycloholics (and yes, i've officially made it a term) out there that no matter which bunch ride you turn up to – you are guaranteed to find a training partner to bitch to about just how rough Canberra winter is and how hardcore you are for going out - and how soft everyone else is for sleeping in.

Which leads me to one of the most important key to success for whatever you choose to do, not just in cycling but in life in general, and that is the availability of support. In Canberra we are privileged enough to have a very supportive, encouraging and friendly cycling community. Members of the state's most prominent cycling clubs, Canberra Cycling Club (CCC), Tuggeranong Vikings Cycling Club and the ACT Masters are all very receptive of new riders as well as being very generous and supportive of your cycling goals, however ambitious they may seem! The Canberra Cycling Club boasts an expanding junior cycling program whilst the Tuggeranong Vikings are doing an incredible job at bringing more Women into the sport and the ACT Masters are catering to the Veteran cyclists, many of which are still young at heart and representing the State at an International level!

The Canberra cycling community is very close knit - a picture of the annual Cart's Xmas Ride in memory of Mark Carter, a great Canberra cycling identity

In addition, Canberra is home to many cyclists currently racing on the Domestic and International circuits which provide riders to train against the best in the business. During the off season, it is not uncommon to go out on a training ride and find yourself riding next to a World Champion, a Junior World Champion, a National Champion, Commonwealth medallist or a Tour de France representative ... and on a few occasions I've had the hard task of choosing who's wheel to sit on... Do I choose the National Champ or the Commonwealth medallist's wheel to sit on today?? Having the opportunity to train with the best can only motivate you in training and make you push yourself that much harder. I strongly believe you'd be hard pressed to find another place in Australia where there is such a large group of strong riders who all train together and are friends on and off the bike. Most of the local bunch rides generally prove harder than the majority of road races I compete in... What better way to train?? In addition, the bunches in Canberra are not only beneficial physically but also mentally. The Canberra cycling community is so friendly that everyday you're out on the bike with someone, it's an enjoyable experience and can only motivate you to train harder and to encourage you to fling your leg over the bike every day.

Tracey Gaudry helps out up and coming Canberra cyclist Adam Phelan at the local crits

On another note, when they are home, the most valuable asset the professional riders have to offer is their knowledge and experience to those aspiring and up and coming cyclists. By listening to their advice and 'picking their brains' you can save yourself precious time by learning from their mistakes (they are human too!) and they can open your eyes up to what it actually takes to be a professional cyclist. I believe this is what gives Canberra cyclists an edge over other most other riders who are aspiring to turn professional. I have been fortunate enough to have learnt from top Women's cyclists such as Tracey Gaudry and Vicki Whitelaw, both of whom are champion athletes in their own right. The tools they have provided me with invaluable and they have both individually help to shape me into the cyclist and that I am.

Canberra has also developed a very successful junior development and Talent Identification program which has seen riders such as Michael Matthews and Alex Carle gone on to represent Australia at the Junior World Championships with Michael recently being selected to ride the U23 World Road Cycling championships for the 2^nd year and a row and Alex Carle currently competing for a professional Women's team over in the USA. Canberra's ability to identify junior talent and introduce them into the sport of cycling is no doubt envied by many other cycling associations but with the help of the staff at the ACT Academy of Sport, the National Talent Identification program and even the keen eyes of experienced coaches, it is evident that junior cyclists are continuing to come through the ranks and develop into the best in the sport.

Daniel Ellis at Beijing Olympics in his 2nd year as a senior rider

You would therefore be forgiven for thinking that the announcement that yet more Canberrans are representing Australia at the 2010 World Championships and the 2010 Commonwealth Games was foreseeable, it was just a matter of whom.

On a side note – this article has prompted me to take on the somewhat mammoth task of trying to track down all the Canberrans who have represented Australia at either the Junior or Senior World Championships, Olympic and Commonwealth Games. I have used to the best of my ability all available resources but have had trouble tracking earlier results! My sincere apologies if I have forgotten anyone or have got some information wrong – please contact me and I would love to set it straight!

Michael Rogers takes the cake for the most Australian World Champion teams with a total of 14...He is definitely cementing his name as one of Australia's best ever cyclists!

Canberra Australian Representatives

Michael Aisbitt (World Track Championships)

Jane Armstrong (AWD) AWD Worlds and 2008 Paralympics

Gavin Bardsley (Junior World Championships – Perth)

Anthony Biddle (AWD) Blind Tandem (AWD and 2004 Paralympics)

David Bink (1990 Commonwealth Games)

Edward Bissaker (2010 Junior World Track Championships)

Alex Carle (2009 Junior Road World Championships)

Daniel Ellis (2010, 2009,2008 World Track Championships; 2008 Olympic Games; 2010 Commonwealth Games; 2006,2005 Junior World Track Championships)

Tracey Gaudry (2000, 1999, 1998, 1995 World Championships; 2000, 1996 Olympic Games; 1998 Commonwealth Games)

Matthew Hayman (2010, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001 World Championships; 2010, 2006 Commonwealth Games; 1999, 1998 U/23 Road World Championships, 1996 Junior Road World Championships)

Margaret Hemsley ( 2001, 2000 World Championships; 2002 Commonwealth Games)

Stephen Hodge (1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987, 1986, 1985 World Championships; 1996 Olympic Games, 1986 Commonwealth Games)

Chloe Hosking (2010 Commonwealth Games, 2008 Junior World Championships)

Kerry Knowler (Pilot Tandem) Para-Cycling World Championships

Alistair Loutit (2008 Junior World Championships)

Jennifer Loutit (2004 Junior World Track Cycling Championships)

Mitchell Lovelock-Fay (2010 Junior World Track Championships)

Jessie Maclean (2003 Junior World Track Championships)

Michael Matthews (2010, 2009 U/23 Road World Championships; 2008 Junior World Championships)

Robert McLACHLAN: (1992 Olympic Games)

James Meadley (2006, 2005 Junior Road World Championships)

Michael Milton (2008 Paralympics + other World Championships)

Sian Mulholland (World Track Championships – first woman to represent Australia in the World Track Championships)

Adrian Nolan (World Championships)

Brandie O'Connor (Blind Tandem) 2010 Para-Cycling World Championships

Tom Palmer (2008, 2007 Junior World Track Championships)

Michael Phelan (2009 Junior Road World Championships)

Sue Powell (2010,2009 Para-cycling Road World Championships)

Deane Rogers: (1995 World Championships, 1994 Junior World Championships)

Michael Rogers (2010,2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001 U/23 2000, 1999, 1998 Road World Championships; 2008,2004, 2000 Olympic Games, 1998 Commonwealth Games, 1997 Junior Road and Track World Championships)

Pete Rogers: (1999 World Championships ; 1998 Commonwealth Games)

Scarlett Snow: World Championship TimeTrial (x2 early 90's)

Neil Stephens (1996, 1992, 1991, 1988, 1987 World Championships; 1996 Olympic Games; 1998 Commonwealth Games,)

Kial Stewart (Junior World Track Cycling Championships 2001) + Pilot Tandem with Anthony Biddle 2004 Paralympics

Lucy Stewart (2002 Junior World Track Cycling Championships)

Rory Sutherland (2005 Road World Championships, 2002 U/23 World Road, 2000 Junior World Championships)

Vicki Whitelaw (2010,2009,2008,2007 World Championships; 2010 Commonwealth Games)

Oenone Wood (2008, 2007,2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 World Championships; 2008, 2004 Olympic Games; 2006 Commonwealth Games)

Alison Wright (2004, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 World Championships, 1998 Junior World Track Championships; 2002 Commonwealth Games; )

Holland Ladies Tour Day 1:

2010-09-10T23:50:00.004+10:00

Yesterday was the inaugural stage of the 2010 Profile Ladies Tour. On the schedule today was 112km of flat, windy, narrow and cobbled roads...But at least it was sunny :) a much welcome change after what was the gale force winds – torrential downpour – ‘i’d rather sit in bed and never leave’ kind of weather...

Profil day 1... no joke

Close to 30 teams lined up on the start line for this year’s event ; from teams such as HTC-Columbia and Cervelo to the local club teams such as mine (SwABo Ladies) and the Rabo Lady Force team. Although it was great to see so many women lined up on the start, I knew I had my work cut out for me to try stay in the top part of the bunch to avoid getting spat and making it a hard day in the office...

Things were looking good for the first 15km, was up there in the bunch although a bit nervous as it was my first real race back since I broke my ribs in July. My legs were feeling pretty ordinary as I realised that the last 2 weeks spent riding the hills in Italy – although good for my head longer term strength – was probably not the ideal preparation for the hard, flat, fast and did I mention flat? Race that is HLT. I started losing contact with the bunch after a couple of repeated sprints out of some tight corners where I was greeted with some dirty cross winds. Before I knew it, the bunch had spat me out the back and I was now facing the prospect of riding over 80km solo...Not something I would have like to have to do on the first day of a 6 day tour.

The peloton on a narrow cross wind section

But sadly, that is what I had to do. Stick my head down and try and chase a peloton of 150 riders by myself to make sure I didn’t get time cut. Once I got into a rhythm it was OK, but then we entered a smaller circuit of which ¾ of it was cobbles and by the end of the 1st lap, my whole body was complaining! But I kept plugging along and although it was nearly dark, I finished, and in time cut. Lived to fight another day – check. Then it was back to the hotel where we were forced to gorge ourselves on pasta and carry our full bellies up to bed.

Stage 1 was won by Ina Teutenberg of HTC-Columbia

On the plus side, our accommodation was very nice :) equipped with luxuries such as towels, washing machine and buffet breakfast – I was actually feeling a tad bit spoilt! ;)

Now to rest my legs and make sure that I don’t have a repeat of today’s performance tomorrow!!!!

Wish me luck
xx

*photos from womenscycling.net*

Holland Ladies Tour Day 2

2010-09-10T21:44:00.005+10:00

So i'm guilty of taking a blogging hiatus over the past week or so - but truth be told a lot has been going on and i've only now had the chance to catch my breath!

As I speak, I am currently sitting in a caravan park in France after officially finishing my season in Euro, and not in the way I would have hoped. But before I get to that, I have some unfinished business to write about with the Holland Ladies Tour and my last race with the SwABOLadies.

Coming to France I made the rookie mistake of leaving my computer back at the Australian base in Italy and am borrowing a teammates computer to write! I have already written Day 1 of HLT on my own computer, and so to save myself the pain of rewriting it, I'm going to put it up when I get my computer back on Monday :) so in the meantime here is my write up from Day 2 of Holland Ladies Tour

Holland Ladies Tour Day 2

Day 2 of the Tour and after yesterday’s performance, I knew I had to stay in the bunch at all costs as I didn’t want a repeat of yesterday’s events - a 90km TT against me and a peloton of about 150 riders.

Profile for stage 2.. flat anyone??

Right from the word ‘GO’, the pace was on again and girls were scrambling for position on the rough and narrow roads. The field at Holland Ladies Tour is no doubt by far the biggest field of girls I’ve ever raced against and the prospect of riding in such a large bunch proved daunting to most of the riders. With so many nervous riders jostling for position, the normal ‘ebbs and flows’ of the bunch were wild and untammed and the peloton was described as restless and dodgy by many of the elite riders.

Cervelo keen to set things up for sprinter Kirstin Wild

I was confident with my positioning during the early stages of the race until I took what I thought was the perfect opportunity to take a sip from my bottle.
Unfortunately for me, just as I raised my bottle to my mouth to savor some much needed fluid, the peloton slowed suddenly and the rider in front of me panicked, slamming on the brakes and sending me straight into her back wheel and onto the ground. It was one of those crashes which seem to happen in slow motion, you feel yourself falling and you know there is nothing you can do about it except to accept the fact that you’re about to eat dirt and try and brace yourself to minimize the damage.

Luckily for me, I wasn’t badly hurt, I just lost half my skin in what I’m claiming was a ‘fight with a bear’ instead of telling them the relatively unexciting story that was my crash. I grabbed my bike and after sorting it out which took a bit too much time, set out in pursuit of the peloton – again. Blood was pouring down my leg and the burn on my arm was stinging as the wind was blowing hard against it. I went to jump on the back of my team car to get a hand back up to the bunch when the Commissaires of the race decided they didn’t want me to and so my team car left me, with 100km to go, solo. I chased for about 20min when my team car reappeared and apparently after harsh words with the Commissaires, they were now allowed to try and motor pace me back up to the group which was probably already half way to Germany by then. I tried my hardest to stick on the car but when we hit a rough cobbled section, no amount of screaming or yelling could tell my body to shut up and I felt that my only option was to get in the car because at that rate, I was barely going to make it to the finish, let alone in time cut.

Stage winner Martine Bras won from a breakaway of 3 riders

My number 1 rule I abide by in my cycling is to ‘Never Give Up’ and today I broke it, which is no easy thing to do. I obviously had the choice to keep going but I believe that I made the most sensible one. I jumped in the team car then got panned off to the ambulance to get my wounds cleaned and some painkillers then finally left in the Broom Wagon left to my own devices and ponder what really was a disastrous and very disappointing tour for me.

That night, I didn’t sleep a wink as my arm felt like someone was constantly ironing it and I didn’t have any painkillers to trick my body into thinking that everything was OK…The next couple of days were spent hanging around the hotel, trying to tell myself that I didn’t need to eat as if I was still racing a Tour (Although I was thankful that I didn’t have to gorge myself on MORE pasta) and then I got a very pleasant surprise… but that’ll have to wait until my next post :)

Until then

Take care
xx

La Bella Vita :)

2010-08-27T00:25:00.010+10:00

Last time I blogged, I had just experienced my first ride in Italy since I was last there in 2009 with the Australian National Team. Needless to say the magnitudes of the climbs were a shock to the system as I hadn’t seen anything bigger than a highway on-ramp for the past few months. I was struggling to turn the pedals and on the first day I averaged a cadence of 60rpm. Including the downhills. OUCH! But I found that despite my ‘suffering’, climbing still hadn’t lost its appeal to me and I found myself eagerly searching for the biggest bergs around to conquer!

I had the pleasure of staying with fellow Canberran and professional cyclist currently riding for the Lotto Ladies Team, Vicki Whitelaw at her lovely apartment in Luino looking over Lago Maggiore. Each day Vicki and I would venture out together where she’d show me a variety of climbs around the area. On one particular day, I said to Vicki that I’d like to do a longer climb and she pointed me in the direction of Alpe di Neggia in Maccagno which is about 25km long. Within 10min I hit the base of the climb and weaved my way up on the switchbacks focussed on reaching the top. Turns out that about 5km up I took a wrong turn but at the top I found myself staring down at Lago Delio, a mountain top lake... Not a bad thing to stumble across. Still determined to find the top of Neggia, I descended back down and took the turn which I was suppose to and plugged my way through the little mountain villages to the top. Once I got to the top I was rewarded again with spectacular views.... A solid, but good day in the office. I definitely slept well that night!

Alpe di Neggia

Other highlights of my trip include watching the Tre Valli Varesine, a UCI 1.HC race in Varese. Vicki managed to get us VIP passes which meant we were able to get right up close and personal to the riders and jump in one of the official cars for part of the race! It was a great way to get another perspective of bike racing, especially Men’s racing as I have never been in a follow vehicle for a Men’s international race before. The hot conditions and repeated hills took its toll on the riders and only a handful of riders finished... At one stage I saw Mark Cavendish roll up to the barricades, jump off his bike, leap over the fence with his bike and roll away...Even the big names have bad days, they’re only human!

On the 19th, Vicki left for her campaign in the Plouay WC in France in preparation for the Trophee D’Or (where I hear she just won the TT –GO VICK!) and generously offered for me to stay on at her house as I had some unfinished business with some bergs to attend to... Although I was on the verge of scratching my eyeballs out after having to listen to myself 24/7, I was saved by the chance to meet up with 2 other riders from Canberra who have been selected to compete for Australia in the U23 World Road Cycling Championships. It was great to see familiar faces, oddly enough on the other side of the world! But it was great to catch up with them, over probably the best coffee in the World, and I’m amazed at how well they are doing and wish them all the best in their prep for Worlds!

View from Coffee, Lago Maggiore

A few mountain passes, scoops of gelati, too many coffees and a fungi pizza later it wasn’t long before my stay in Italy was up and I was on the plane back to Holland where I was greeted with wind, rain and cold temperatures... Welcome home?? The trip to Italy came at exactly the right time for me, my broken ribs and lack of performance was getting me down and the trip got me right back to where I want to be and now I have my eyes firmly set on my goals and there is no way in hell i’m looking back! I feel fit and strong, not sure if that translate into being fast yet, but it is more than I could have hoped for 3 months ago :)

My next race is Middag-Humsterland, a UCI 1.2 in Holland before Holland Ladies Tour, a 6 day/7 stage Tour starting on the 31st which will also be my last with SwABoLadies for the season. I haven’t raced for a couple of weeks and am keen to get stuck back in! Although I love training, especially in Italy :p, I ride my bike to race and that’s when I’m at my happiest :) so BRING IT!!!

I realise that it is hard to describe events that occur with countless ‘you really should have been there’ moments; and no doubt you are familiar with the old saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words?’ Well I’ve decided to make a sort of video montage of my Italian trip... just for something different :) – so let us know what you think! I’m by FAR no computer genius, but you could put a movie of grass growing to a funky beat and make it exciting... so here goes:

I’m also going to attempt to do a daily video diary of Holland Ladies Tour but lack of internet may mean a delay in posting (one of the pro’s of women’s cycling :p) but stay tuned!

Until next time

Take care

Miffy xx

2010-08-24T04:06:00.000+10:00

View from Lago Maggiore after a lovely pizza dinner on the water watching the storm roll in...perfect end to my trip non? report to come :)

Rookies Guide to Hill Climbing in Italy

2010-08-12T04:40:00.007+10:00

1. Before you leave the house, place one bottle of San Pellegrino in the fridge (don't ask questions, just do it.)

2. Put sunscreen on because you WILL burn. However, if you like the idea of getting skincancer or rad tanlines, then please skip to step 3.

3. Wear your helmet. Just because you’re in Europe and don’t wear a helmet, it doesn’t automatically make you ‘Euro’. Much thought and dedication goes into the making of a Euro Cyclist (see rules here) and therefore you just look like an idiot wannabe.

4. When you’re 10kg over race weight don’t expect to be able to climb well. You have obviously been training for the descents, not the uphill. So stop kidding yourself.

5. When the old Italian man riding with you asks if you want to go the flat or the steep way home, always choose the flat. Believe me, after experiencing the ‘flat’ way, riddled with the repetition of the word ‘Dura’– you’ll be thanking your lucky stars that you didn’t inflict what could have been the ‘steep’ way on yourself.

6. Don’t laugh at the man with the compact chain ring, because right about now you’ll be wishing you had one too.

7. When riding up hill, don’t look up the road. Believe me, its best you don’t know what’s coming. DO however, enjoy the view on your way up – it takes your mind off the burning ;)

8. Hills in Italy aren’t like those in Holland. They are about as steep as your driveway, but go on for about 10-30km; So don’t feel the need to ride hard for the first 100m = bad idea.

9. Climb the steepest hill all day – the one to your house in the hills (footage to come) and collapse on the couch with your nice cold bottle of San Pellegrino.

10. Enjoy yourself, because you’re bloody lucky to be there. And smile, because nothing feels better than a hard day in the saddle :)

Drop Box

2010-08-10T04:21:00.000+10:00

Noordeloos criterium today...800m course, back half cobbles, lots of corners... face says it all 'OUCH!'

<< Injury: A particular form of hurt, damage, or loss>>

2010-08-06T18:05:00.003+10:00

Injuries show no prejudice, whether you are a recreational sports person or Chuck Norris – they happen to everyone. Injuries generally manifest themselves as a massive inconvenience to say the least, and have a habit of occurring when things seem to be too good to be true.

The sport of cycling is definitely no stranger to injuries; in fact it comes with the territory. In a sport where you descend roads at >90kph on tyres 23mm wide, participate in mass bunch sprints travelling at >70kph with only a helmet on our head as protection, to those unfortunate enough not to have caught the cycling bug – you’d think we were mad.

Every cyclist has fallen off at least once, and is going to fall off at least another handful of times in their career. Take Australian rider Stuart O’Grady, he has punctured his lungs, broken 5 ribs, broken collarbones, head injuries... you name it and it seems like poor Stuart O’Grady has had it. Michael Rogers crashed in the 2007 TDF when he was in the virtual yellow jersey on the road, forcing him to withdraw from the race. Adam Hansen suffered a crash in his Giro debut back in 2007 and had to have surgery on his hand to put two of his fingers back together and Robbie McEwen had to cut his 2009 race season short due to a leg injury suffered in the Tour of Belgium...

Hardman Jens Voigt himself, a true pro.
video of Jens Voigt post crash in 2009 Tour

So why am I talking about injuries? Well if you take a look at all of these riders and their somewhat horrific injuries, they have all recovered from them and are still racing at the elite level. Crashes and injuries happen, it’s a fact of life; but more often than not it IS possible to recover from them, and come back to have just as good form or even better form than previously.
I haven’t had the pleasure of being exempt from injury and to date have suffered a broken wrist, back injuries, torn hamstring tendon and most recently broken ribs...oh and who could forget the road rash which leaves you constantly searching for a non-damaged patch of skin to sleep on or which makes you cry out in the shower? When such things occur, more often than not your first reaction probably isn’t suitable to post publicly on the internet but censored, is something along the lines of ‘damn. That’s annoying’.
All athletes are the same, and patience isn’t one of their strong points. With broken bones requiring weeks of rest or leaving you confined to the trainer for what seems like eternity, it is not uncommon to think that is all too hard, after all, you’re only human. Every time I feel like giving up – I remember why I’ve held on for so long and suddenly things don’t seem so hard :)

Chechu Rubiera post crash on Stage 5 Amgen Tour of California, the same stage which saw Stuart O’Grady having to abandon the Tour due to injury. (photo from: Justanothercyclist.com)

Of course there is always the desire to rush back into things when you see the slightest improvement, but one thing i’ve learnt over the past through years is to look after your body. In cycling, your body is your tool of the trade; it needs to be working as efficiently and effectively as possible to ensure success. Sure, some people think it is tough when they hear of people riding with injuries but most often than not these people are tiptoeing on the line of being hardcore and just plain stupid. Last year I jumped over to the side of stupidity. Shortly before I was due to ride for the Australian team in the Giro Donne, I suffered a nasty crash in a handicap race in NSW. I was taken to hospital with injuries to my neck and back. I was determined to not let this set me back and continued to train despite the pain and ultimately paid for my decision. During my whole time with the Aussie team, I was receiving daily treatment on my back and it became a limiting factor in my performance and upon returning back to Australia, had to have several weeks off to get it all sorted.

This is one mistake i’m not looking to make twice. Although this time my injuries are different, the recovery process is the same. It involves lots of patience, self discipline and learning to listen to your body. I have been reassured that I will not cause further damage by riding with my broken ribs – it just hurts a little but I am ‘picking my fights’ as you could call it and yesterday when I was scheduled to race in the rain, with cobbles and tight corners, I politely declined the offer - I need to recover properly before I start putting my body through such risks again :)

So the point of my story? Injuries suck, yes, but it IS possible to make a recovery however you have to be PATIENT and SMART. Listen to your body; after all you’re the only person who can tell what is going on and learn when the pain is OK to push through or when you’re body is telling you that enough is enough. Injuries happen to everyone, but what makes you different is how you deal with it, this is where the pros really shine.

Until next time, happy pedalling :)
xx

Veteran Cyclists

2010-08-02T21:55:00.007+10:00

You know, the ones who talk about how good they use to be, have bikes that rival those of the pros, race for 50th in club races, half wheel you in training rides, spend more time in their knicks than what is deemed socially acceptable...Not to be mistaken for hubbards (see definition by Joe Lewis here)

This weekend I had the privilege of watching my Dad compete in the ICF World Masters Championships in Soumagne, Belgium where men aged 40+ were competing to be the best in their age category in the World. To be honest, upon first hearing the name ‘World Masters Championships’ you’d think that the competition and the racing wouldn’t even come close to rivalling the likes of racing in open grades but after watching this race up close, that statement couldn’t be further from the truth!

Dad and I in London :)

For those ‘fortunate’ enough to have ridden the Australian Open Road Nationals course in Ballarat, this course was similar to that but on a smaller scale. A 9km circuit with a 4km berg on the finishing straight, tough to say the least!

Whilst I was waiting for my Dad’s race to start, the race for the 60years+ was finishing up. The race finished 1km up the hill, a thought that would make ANYONE cringe. On the final lap, two men were on a break out front, followed by a smaller group of about 4-5 riders then a larger peloton. When the last climb came around, the two riders still had a gap and were obviously going to win the bike race. I was surprised to find that watching these men cross the line inspirational and very motivating. Barely able to get out of the saddle and sprint, the winner literally crawled his way over the line where he was assisted by the crowd though sheer exhaustion.

In this race, age was definitely not a limiting factor. This man was probably old enough to be my grandfather and he had pushed his body to the absolute limit, just as any pro would. It was just proof that your love for a sport does not grow old with age and these riders still get the same kicks out of the sport as we do.

Before his race, Dad and I were chatting to a rider who had travelled from London to ride his bike and when we asked if he’d just raced (in the 60+ category) he said that “I’ve been here for a week and raced yesterday, these guys are all too young for me, i’m 70!”

Like many veteran cyclists, in his spare time he is often seen travelling to all the monuments in cycling and just spending quality time on the bike! Dad and I also had a great time exploring parts of the Liege-Bastogne-Liege course and the infamous Mur de Huy upon which the Fleche Wallone finishes.

the Mur de Huy: 1.3km long; 9.8% gradient; 17% max gradient.... all in the seat cause I can't get out of the saddle :s OUCH.

I often tell myself that when i’m older, I’ll realise when it’s time to hang up the bike but something tells me it isn’t going to be that easy. It is hard to give up something that has been such a big part of your life. Cycling has provided me with arguably some of the best moments and experiences i’ve had in life to date. When most people are thinking of retirement, I’m pretty sure I will still be trying to figure out how I can win the sprint on the morning bunch ride, after all as my Dad keeps telling me “You may have ridden for Australia, but you’re not a TRUE cyclist until you’ve won every Canberra morning bunch sprint!” Luckily for me, that is a long way off yet :)

In the meantime, next time i’m riding near a vet and he starts picking up my high heart rates, instead of worrying that he is probably going to think he is about to have a heart attack, I secretly know that he is getting that sick satisfaction you get when you push your body to the limit, is enjoying every minute of it and start to ramp up the pace ;)

I’m back in Holland now and have a busy racing schedule this week before I head off to Italy where my inner Vet will come out and I will try and venture to some of the climbing monuments on the Italian/Swiss border :P

Until next time

Take care xx

Andy Schleck may have narrowly missed out on the Yellow jersey, but it turns out he prefers pink instead ;)

2010-07-28T19:42:00.007+10:00

Yesterday was my first race back from my crash at Dwars door de Westhoek just over a week ago. Unfortunately since then, my ribs have made little to no improvement, however, I have still been training everyday (although confined to rollers and the ergo) and equipped with painkillers I thought i’d take a crack at the first Post Tour Criterium held in Stiphout.

I found some nice smooth bike paths to warm up on then went to go suss out the course. When I saw the course, a little piece of me died when I realised the whole circuit (1.7km) was bricks and that there were multiple corners which no doubt would require me to get out of the saddle and sprint out of (something which i haven’t managed to do yet :s) but I was itching the to ride and the pain from my ribs was nothing compared to how badly I wanted to race so after taking my spoonful of cement and sending myself some HTFU vibes – I was on the start line ready to roll.

The gun went and from then the pace was on. I managed to complete 2 laps sprinting out of the saddle coming out of the corners with the bunch but soon after my arm started going numb and equipped with the constant vibrations from the bricks, I could no longer sprint out of the corners and dropped back off the bunch. Determined not to give up, I TTed the race for about 20min before getting lapped by the field. At least I got some good training!!! When I got pulled from the race i could barely move my arm and the pain was a constant stabbing in my ribs....which is why I’ve decided not to race for the rest of the week and train instead.

Yep, that's starting to hurt :s (photo courtesy of Bart Hazen from dailypeloton.com)

Part of me knew that I wasn’t fully recovered to ride but I needed to race to prove to myself that yes, I did get injured and that injuries take time to heal. It’s a fact of life. I can still turn the pedals over so I consider myself fortunate but it looks as though i will be spending more time on the rollers/ergo and doing SEs uphill and avoiding potholes like the plague so I can be fit and ready to go for the Holland Hills Classic, a UCI race on the 8th of August!

Luckily for me the night only got better post race. After my team mates finished the race (Davina got a very respectable 5th place and Emily 15th) we went out to dinner to a pretty classy pub to get ourselves something to eat. I am still working on my Dutch so the menu might as well have been written in pretty little symbols...It managed to decifer the word fish and vegetables so that’s what I got! Although one thing i didn’t expect was it to come out on a dangling kebab stick waving in front of my face :S I litterally laughed out loud when it came out but it tasted delicious and turned out to be a very pleasant meal out with the girls!

Davina dropped us back at the race to commence her immense TomTomless journey home (when she said she used a map to get here, part of me was like.. what on earth is a map?!?! Haha) the fun really started to start :)

The Pro riders were racing later in the evening and Tracey, Emily and I went over to the registration to see if we could catch a glimpse of Contator and Schelck. There we were fortunate enough to meet up with Bart Hazen, a photographer for the Daily Peloton and the person responsible for the majority of these great pics! When Andy Schleck walked passed, equipped with our SwABo Ladies jerseys, Tracey asked if he would be able to get a photo with us. He willingly accepted even saying ‘Nice jerseys girls’!! pretty sure that made my night.

If that wasn’t enough, Bart said that he could get us a photo with Contador as well! Before we knew it, we were on the course with all of the photographers with the Pros. We had just walked onto the course and were now literally in arms reach of some of the best cyclists in the World! Contador was presented on stage and moments after, standing with us getting a photo. What a legend!

photo courtesy of Bart Hazen from dailypeloton.com

People may say that bike riders are just like average people, and in one sense they are. What makes these people so incredible is what they do. People like Andy Schleck, Alberto Contador and Mick Rogers put their bodies through incredible amounts of pain and display such strength, determination, dedication and passion for what they do. This is what makes them Idol worthy, and why us girls weren't ashamed to have red faces after meeting them :P

We spent the rest of the night walking the course, cheering for random riders and getting some very odd looks – but making a douche of yourself is half of the fun right??? There was even a DJ playing, an all too friendly reminder of nights out at home...verrrrry tempting, but taking one look at my outfit and unbrushed hair, I quickly was put off the idea of hitting the town! That’ll just have to wait :p

So what's next? Well I head to Belgium tomorrow to see my Dad. We were originally meant to be racing a crit down in Herentals but we didn’t realise it was on invitation only but i’ll probably still go have a look at it as Dad hasn’t been to one before! Then I will stay with Dad in Liege until the team recon of the Holland hills Classic course on the Saturday. In Liege i’m going to see if I can ride part of the Liege-Bastogne-Liege course...would be awesome!

A week and a bit later I’ll be off to Italy for just over a week – will be good to see some hills again! So a very exciting few weeks ahead in my standards which will make it even harder to make myself do my Uni work...Meeting pro riders, riding in the hills or learning about OH&S...hmm tough choice! I would much rather be on the bike than learning about the importance of washing your hands... :p

So until next time, stay safe and take care
xx

Pain's not bad, it's good. It teaches you things. I understand that...

2010-07-19T18:07:00.002+10:00

Yesterday was really one of those days where I would have been better staying in bed and emerging when night had fallen and the day was definitely over.

We left just before 9am to start the 3hr journey south to Boezinge in Belgium (pretty much spitting distance to France) for the Dwars Door de Westhoek a UCI 1.2. About half way we stopped for a bathroom break at a hotel just off the highway in which i’d learn upon arriving at the race start, i’d left my wallet equipped with cycling license. Luckily for me I still had my passport on me so I was allowed to race as I had proof that I was an actual person. It is probably also one of the only times where it is good to be a poor student – pretty sure if someone had stolen my wallet, they would be disappointed to find no money in it and a very limited amount on the credit card!!

Crisis avoided, I got to the start line in what I thought was pretty good shape! Stayed in the first few rows of the bunch until the first climb where my lack of hill climbing definitely showed... a 1.7km climb 16% at the bottom and av 4.8%. After I successfully hauled my butt up it, there was a little decent with a left hander...Coming into the left hander, a girl moved out and I told her I was on the outside of her.. She swung out a bit more and I got pushed out, my front wheel getting caught dead in one of the joins on the road. My front wheel pit stopped and i flew over the top of the bars, landing hard on my left side. No skin off, so I can still bathe with little pain – bonus! Just landed straight on my hip, elbow and ribs... In total, my race was just over 15km.

I was kindly helped out by the Red Cross team who loaded me up with ice packs and made me a nice comfy bed whilst I waited for the race to finish and the doctor to come and have a look at me. They even washed my jersey for me as it was covered in gel after both of them exploded on impact in the back pocket of my jersey!! Talk about quality service :P

They insisted that I got my elbow and ribs x-rayed so went to Hospital when i got back to the Netherlands. Another doctor said that my elbow probably wasn’t broken and my ribs could be fractured but I didn’t want to get an x-ray done as treatment would be the same regardless if they were broken or not.. PAINKILLERS! And lots of them... So fingers crossed that they are only bruised and I will be able to laugh and live a lie full of humour again in no time :P

It now looks as though my left hip is pregnant (slight exaggeration but you get the idea), i’m able to move my elbow more comfortably :) but my ribs are still a pain...oh well, at least I still have one un-injured side of my body to sleep on, so not all is bad!!!

So looks like some R&R is on the agenda for the next couple of days, but hopefully i’ll be back fighting in no time :) I’m going to take some of my own advice and HTFU, its going to take a bit more than a couple bruises to set me back!
My next race is meant to be on Wednesday but think I may be giving it a miss for safety’s sake. The post Tour crits are also on in the next couple of weeks so really excited to ride those, it should be massive!

I’ve also just finalised a little trip to Italy for a week to ride the bergs with long term mentor and friend Vicki Whitelaw in lovely Luino before she heads off to the Plouay WC in France! Can’t wait! I will also be able to see my coach who will be over there watching another one of her athletes Ed Bissaker riding the Jnr World Track Championships! Will be good to see another friendly face and show her my improvements!

Until next time, do some extra km’s on the bike for me :)
xx

‘It’s not wether you get knocked down, but whether you get back up’

2010-07-13T06:34:00.003+10:00

Since the TDF prologue, I have done a couple of races although without much success. Unless you call getting dropped within 10min of a 60km criterium or not even making it to the back of the peloton before getting pulled from the race being successful – then in that case, you could say that I’m undefeated.

That was until Sunday when I competed in 60km criterium up in Obdam. After another disappointing ride on Friday, I was determined to finish this race at all costs. I was on the front at the start line (one of the lucky days when we weren’t asked to line up according to our race numbers, where i was always called up last...) And stayed there for the 1st half of the race where I was following a few moves and trying to get good position. The aim of my race was to finish. After my first races here in Europe, I wanted to prove to myself that I could actually still FINISH a race... pretty handy thing to do if you want to be a world class cyclist. I started struggling during the second half of the race and got dagged off the back once but clawed my way back on where I was physically sick in my mouth (yes, i know.. gross.) but the point was that I made it back on. I stayed tucked in the group for the rest of the race, going with one more move then deciding not to get ahead of myself and stick with my plan. I finished with the group at the end of the sprint = successful day in the office. With an average HR of 203bpm and max HR of 213bpm for the whole race, it was also a hard day in the office, for me anyway– OUCH.

I know the result on paper doesn’t seem like anything worth sticking on the fridge but looking back of the past few weeks I have to admit I may have nearly had my own Cavendish moment, like he did after he won his first Tour stage this year. It may seem odd to get so worked up about finishing a crit, but when you put so much time and effort into something you love because you desperately want to be successful at it, than any positive feedback you get in return feels like you’ve just won the lottery.

Since the TDF prologue I’ve started making a recovery from my ‘flu’ which turns out wasn’t really the flu at all but ‘severe hay fever complications’... which I guess is a good thing? So after a trip to the doctor, I’ve stocked up on medication which has already enabled me to smell and taste food again! Bonus.

I’ve also been watching the World Cup Soccer on TV... Not really one to watch soccer, you can’t help but get into it over here! Everywhere houses are draped in orange flags, posters, streamers... and this was before Holland made it to the final! On match days, people were seen wandering the streets decked out in orange shirts before retreating home to watch the match. You can’t compare the Dutch’s love for football to any kind of sport back home...They had to deter people from coming to Amsterdam to watch the final because they physically couldn’t fit any more people in the city! No other country has made it to the grand final 3 times without winning... and unfortunately the Netherlands broke a new record, although not the one they had hoped. They are now unluckily the only team to have made it to 4 WC finals, and not won once... Maybe 5th time lucky??

My next race is on Wednesday and i’ve been doing everything to make sure my legs will be feeling minty fresh :) All I know is that whatever happens, i’m not going to give up. You don’t get stronger by giving up when the going gets tough...

Also i’d like to take the opportunity to thank Dylan Cooper at Conceptis for designing and hosting my new website! and to my sister Bronwyn Galloway for doing the graphics! Great work guys – much appreciated :)

Now time to work extra hard on my tan - for those in Canberra, this is for you :p

Until next time
xx

TDF prologue wrap up - and 100th post!!!!!

2010-07-04T18:41:00.003+10:00

Yesterday, along with thousands of other cycling enthusiasts, I made the pilgrimage to the Mecca of cycling – that is, the Tour de France.

This year, the prologue was held in Rotterdam (50km from where we are in Oosterwijk) and in a mere stroke of good fate the race we were due to compete in was cancelled so it was off to the Tour!

When we arrived we were greeted with less than ideal conditions for the riders. The heatwave from the day before had disappeared and rain and cold temperatures were making it everything but comfortable for the riders. Luckily for us, the rain appeared to deter some of the crowds and we were fortunate enough to be able to get right up close to some of the biggest names in cycling. For the majority of the first wave of riders I was up at the ‘départ’ and saw riders such as Wesley Sulzberger, Stuart O’Grady, Adam Hansen and Bradley Wiggins roll up to start what will no doubt be a very long 21 days to Paris.
As the race went on, we made our way over to the finish and ended up at the finishing shoot where riders were picked up by their soignieurs and pounced on by the media. Just as we arrived, Mark Renshaw was making his way over to the media and I was a bit starstruck. Sofie’s boyfriend Boudewyn noticed this and proceeded to go over to Renshaw and say that an Australian girl would love a photo with him, and like a true pro he agreed and I had my first photo with a TDF rider, arguably the best leadout man in the World – Australian Mark Renshaw :)

I was buzzing with the contagious energy which seems to follow the travelling circus as we made our way around to the warm up area where all the team buses were parked and the riders were warming up. I made my way past the team SKY bus, pretty much the most badass bus out there, equipped with jaguars and enough bikes for a third world country – it looks like they really do get treated like rock stars! And made a b-line straight to the HTC-Columbia bus where I was hoping to get a glimpse of Michael Rogers before his start. I was fortunate enough to see him warming up surrounded by his support team before he disappeared into the bus for final preparations. I got talking to a lady next to me who was another HTC fan from Holland. Turns out she knew the bus driver of one of the HTC-Columbia buses and he gave her some HTC-Columbia caps – to which she proceeded to give me one!!! I was stoked – my first bit of free Tour memorabilia!

Equipped with my new cap, I wandered around the other team buses and got snaps of Contador, Basso and Andy Schleck, perved on the incredible bikes (i managed to spot a tiny looking Radioshack TT bike sitting on the roof racks – i’m pretty sure they’d have a spare they wouldn’t miss... right???) and soaked up the indescribable atmosphere that follows the Tour. Everyone shares one passion, that is for bikes, and when you’re there it is like everything is forgotten and it doesn’t matter where you are from or what you believe in.

When the last few riders rolled off, the crowds had grown and the best view we could get was off the big screen as the riders were going so fast we saw them for a split second before they vanished again. When Cancellara went over the line to clock the fast time by 10sec, it was though the big Swiss rider had lived up to his expectations as the best timetrialist out there and the crowd went wild!

Seeing some of the biggest names of cycling in person made me a bit shell shocked. Sure, one could say that they are simply regular people, but to me what makes these people so incredible is the lengths they go to and pain they endure for their sport. They are definitely another breed of human and their commitment and dedication to their sport is definitely something to be admired!

When the race was over we headed back to Boudewyn’s mum’s place conveniently located 2km from the start of the Prologue to have a dinner of pancakes. Long ride in the sun in the morning, Tour de France in the afternoon and pancakes for dinner – pretty awesome day if I do say so myself!!

Unfortunately I woke up sick again this morning, I think the rain and the cold wasn’t exactly what the doctor had ordered in terms of my recovery, but it was worth it. I’ll have the day off today and try and knock this thing on the head for good! Fingers crossed i’ll be fit and fighting for my next race on the 9th!

Until then, I will be religiously watching the Tour, focusing on my recovery and enjoying living my dream :)

On a side note, i've been informed that this is my 100th blog post. Wow. that's basically like a short novel! It has been 2 years since I started this blog from a little house in Kutztown, Pennsylvania... boy i've come a long way since then!

Take care
xx

Off to Belgie, a whole other country in half the time it takes to get from Sydney....

2010-07-01T05:30:00.003+10:00

My second race in Europe was Heusden-Zolder GP Ward van Ende; a 114km road race which saw us travel across the border to Belgium which, from what I saw, was pretty much like Holland – except there were more cobbles. Although this race had only about 75 or so entrants, the weather conditions (it was 36 degrees when we were on the start line – felt like the Australian National titles all over again!) and the short sharp hills meant that it was still going to be a tough little race. Under normal circumstances I think that this race would have suited me wel but unfortunately 2 days prior, I got a nasty flu which saw me pretty much confined to bed for most of the day... I woke up on Sunday feeling better and keen to race so I thought i’d give it a crack anyway.

The first 40km of the race went well for me, felt really comfortable up the front of the bunch, strong up the hills and even went with a little chase group... but that’s where my good ride ended. I think given my current level of fitness, I was a little too keen... got a bit excited :p After then I started having trouble breathing when the pace lifted and think I let the heat get to me a little bit... I got dropped just before the peloton entered the finishing circuit at 50km (they completed 9 rounds of the circuit afterwards) and the commissaries pulled me from the race. Not exactly what i’d planned to happen, but an improvement from my last race – step forward in the right direction! The other SwABo Ladies girls found the weather conditions a bit difficult and another was also coming back from illness but our latest recruit Emily Collins from NZ represented SwABo in the 2nd bunch across the line – very respectable result from someone who has only just arrived in the country!

My next race was due to be yesterday (Tuesday) except I woke up Monday morning sick as a dog again – surprise surprise. Turns out it probably wasn’t my brightest ever moment deciding to race so I decided not to repeat it and sit out the race in Noordwijk.

My next race is a 60km crit in Epe tomorrow evening, about 1hr15 away from us. One thing i’ve noticed is that anything over 60min is considered ‘a long way’ to travel to races here... I’m just grateful if it takes less than 2hrs!!! Mind you, our newly acquired car has no radio or air-conditioning in it, so i guess the least amount of time we can spend in there the better!! So hopefully my tonsils will stop trying to dig their way out of my throat so that I can race :)

On a side note, I was getting my stuff organised for the race today and was looking at my Zipp 404s when Sofie said to me – I don’t think that is a good idea... there are cobbles – i quickly banished my Zipps back to their bags. You can definitely tell who the tourists are at races by looking at the people who rock up on carbon wheels to cobbled crits! Either that or they are people who are obviously quite comfortable wiping their noses with spare $100 notes... It appears I am still on my “L” plates when it comes to racing here in Holland but by the end of my stay I am sure I will be a fully qualified Dutch racer :)

Apart from training, the rest of my days have been spent catching up on things back home, reading and discovering my long lost love in “Underbelly” – all I can say is “where have you been all my life!!!!” Sadly I have nearly finished the season and am looking for something new to latch onto...any suggestions??

On Friday the Netherlands are playing Brazil in the Soccer WC so we might head into Gorchiem to a pub and watch it with the locals on the big screen.

Personally, I’m looking forward to Saturday – the start of none other than the Tour de France, the Mecca for all cyclists. This year the Prologue is in Rotterdam – that’s only 50km away baby!!!! So guess where i’m heading??? TO LE TOUR!!!!!! If things go well, I will hopefully be watching my idols and some of the biggest names in cycling compete in the biggest cycling event in the World. I will definitely be cheering extra loud for the record amount of Aussies competing this year – Awesome stuff!!! Will also be taking my camera for sure, so expect some happy snaps!

Fingers crossed i’ll be racing tomorrow, i’m super pumped! I know it may sound cliché, but I really am enjoying ‘living the dream’ . To the average person, training for hours a day, punishing yourself in races and travelling for hours to races may seem stupid and somewhat crazy– but for those keen cyclists, you know what i’m talking about :)

Until next time
xxx

Rabo–probably-not-a-great-start-to-the-season-Ster Tour of Zeeland

2010-06-21T23:45:00.001+10:00

Thursday the 17th was the start of my first race in Europe, a 7.1km TT in the forever windy Zeeland. RaboSter Zeeland is a UCI 2.2 3 day tour attracting big names such as Kirsten Wild and Marianne Vos. The tour is renowned for its atrocious winds and narrow roads, and with a quality field such as the one which was there meant that I really had jumped in the deep end...the one with really huge waves, sharks and no life jacket.

The time trial started at 6:30pm and looped around the centre of Vlissingen. I was off at 6:59pm and I have to admit it was a little off putting lining up against teams like Cervelo and Lotto Belisol fully kitted out with time trial bikes, disk wheels and aero helmets whilst I was tapping along on my little Cervelo road bike... but it was going to be a good test for me regardless of the end result on paper. Overall, I was please with my result, although on paper it looks pretty shocking (148th out of 183) I was happy with the way I rode and the feedback I got from my SRM – definitely a step in the right direction!

RaboSter TT

The next day was a 114km RR starting in Middleburg. Again, the race didn’t start until 6:30pm and so the morning was spent with a much needed sleep in, a bit of a spin to freshen up the legs and some quality time with Sophie Kinsella. I have never started a road race that late before but apparently it is quite common here as it doesn’t get dark until about 10:30pm!

I was feeling good when the SwABo Ladies rolled over to the start of the race, the wind was chilly and blowing a gail but I was keen get my first experience of Dutch racing. A very respected member of the cycling community and a mentor of mine places great emphasis on the importance of ‘position, position, position’ and if there was one thing I learnt from that race, it was that you could be the strongest person out there, but without good position the only place you’re going is straight out the back. In the neutral section, everyone was scrambling to get to the front and as a result I found myself at the tail end of the bunch before the race had even started. To make things more interesting, as soon as the flag was raised, Cervelo decided to get rid of some of the drift wood and put the pressure on. Needless to say it wasn’t long before I was in the cars and thinking to myself ‘what the hell am I doing here’, but I soon found my rhythm and kept plugging my way along in pursuit of the bunch. I caught up with a few other girls and we got a paceline going and made our way over to the finish. Half way during the race, I found myself wishing that a car would come and pick me up but then I started thinking that i’m not going to get better by giving up, and that the only way i was going to learn and get stronger was to keep going, so quickly ‘giving up’ was never an option. I made it to the finish at around 10pm, and it was only just starting to get dark. I was relieved to cross the line and was proud of myself for finishing the way I did.

Despite me finishing stage 2, I was just shy of the designated time cut and so learnt Saturday morning that I was not able to start the race and that my day would be spent following it from the car. I was disappointed not to start as I was keen to learn from my mistakes yesterday and try something new, but 20km into the race the wind picked up and it started raining heavily and it wasn’t long before I was quite enjoying the warmth and comfort of the car.

full results of te race can be found at http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/rabo-ster-zeeuwsche-eilanden-2-2

I also got to meet some of the team and the management staff for the first time at RaboSter. Hans and Edwin were our support staff for the few days and were in charge of yelling abuse – I mean encouragement – at me from the team car, equipped with novelty horn and everything! The girls riding apart from Sofie and myself was Natalie and Afke who both put on a very strong performance! My first impressions of the team were very good, everyone was very welcoming and more than happy to give their little Australian-tourist-with-no-clue-a-hand :) Although i’m still not convinced that croissants or bread with chocolate sprinkles is an ideal breakfast or pre-race meal... but i’m sure they have their own opinion about my vegemite :p

Now i’m back at the farm and our latest edition to the team Emily has just arrived from NZ! So we now have a full house full of cyclists!! My next race I think will be on Sunday – still not sure, but I am keen to redeem myself! Feeling stronger everyday so there is not much more I can ask for :) i’m being spoilt and enjoying the sunshine...life is good :)

Until next time

Take care xx

Hallo :)

2010-06-17T02:27:00.003+10:00

I’ve arrived in Holland safe and sound. After a 4:30am wakeup call on Tuesday to catch the plane from London to do yet MORE travelling, I am glad to be able to unpack my suitcase and settle in somewhere for a few months.

Sure, people have told me Holland was flat and so I was expecting it to be reasonably flat but with maybe some rises, even just a little hill... but no. Nothing. The highest point in Holland is apparently 300m, and my bet is that the 300m of elevation is on an on-ramp to the highway that I passed on my way in. Looks like i’ve found my SE hill :S

my berg.

Apart from the obvious lack of hills, the specially designed bike roads also caught my eye. These roads are just like normal roads, except they are about 1m in from the actual traffic roads – great for road safety!!! The Dutch could teach us a thing or two about road safety and cyclists!

my own bike road

I have only been out riding a couple of times but I have already noticed the great deal of respect given to those on two wheels. Cyclists don’t get beeped at, yelled at, or have things thrown at them by cars, instead motorists put themselves at risk to avoid cyclists or simply wait 10sec until the road is clear ahead. Holland is definitely a country built for bikes.

I am staying on a farm in a little village called Oosterwijk, which is just outside Leerdam. The house is a very modest farm house built in the 1600s! I am staying in the loft with two NZ girls (one of whom arrives Monday) and we have our own little living area up there as well. The only downside is that we have to basically climb a ladder to get to our room, and the bathroom is downstairs... so my phone light is mandatory when making a trip to the bathroom during the night to prevent me from killing myself.

My room in the roof

The farm isn’t used for farming; instead it is a hobby farm with a horse, 5 sheep, chickens and roosters, 2 cats and 2 Pomeranian dogs, so no need to worry that the meat I eat for dinner is going to be poor little Bambi! Alice and Theo (who own the house) grow all of their own fruit and veg and on my first morning I was treated to homemade bread and jam with a coffee...and rumour has it that this is a regular occurrence – yes!! The best way to describe this place is probably like a country B&B, and i’m not going to lie – I’m loving being spoilt!

Home :)

So i’m off to my first race tomorrow, RaboSter in Zeeland which starts with a 7.1km TT at 6:30pm! The next day is a 113km RR starting at 6:30pm with the 3rd and final stage a 134km RR starting at 12 noon...Looks like i’m going to have a lack of sleep Friday night but it is reassuring that everyone is going to be in the same boat! Rumour has it that the race is going to be incredibly windy as it is on the water...hard and fast. To be honest i’m not expecting great things as it is my first race here since coming back from illness, but i can’t wait to give it my best and get my first Euro race under my belt :)

From here in Oosterwijk, tot ziens and take care xx

A Rough Start To A New Beginning

2010-06-14T07:23:00.003+10:00

I’m in the home of the Sunday Roast, Red double decker buses and the only place where ‘cloudier’ is a legitimate weather forecast...London. or more specifically, Richmond where my Mum and Dad live.

My trip got off to a less than ideal start... I rocked up to the airport, smile on my face and asked if it was possible to check my bags all the way through to London Heathrow. ‘No problem’ replied the ticket agent, ‘that’ll be $1800 excess’. As it turns out, Cathay Pacific only allow 20kg baggage allowance and some extra allowance for sporting goods, to which apparently bikes do not classify and they charge $79 per kg over. Fml. So panic struck as I literally couldn’t afford to pay the fee and it appeared that my only option was to fly to Sydney and see if I could persuade Cathay Pacific to help me out. I had rung my flight agent who go back to me just before my flight to Sydney and proceeded to tell me that she had contacted Cathay and apparently the quoted $79 per kg over was for domestic flights....and it costs $113 per kg over for international flights... my excess baggage was going to cost me $2599!!!!! Yeah, I could pay that...if i didn’t eat for the rest of the year... or maybe I could sell my kidney??? People pay big bucks for those things right??

So to cut a long story short, it turns out that it was actually cheaper for me to change my ticket and fly with Virgin Atlantic where my bike travels free, and it left only 10min after my original flight which seemed too good to be true... and it was. It got delayed 3hrs... so I spent about 6hrs sitting around Sydney airport... hmmm...fun.
We finally boarded the plane and the flight itself was horrible but hey, can’t complain.. at least I got here!!! I’m finally in EUROPE BABY!!!!

I was relieved to see my parents – I haven’t seen my Dad for nearly 1yr and my Mum for 6mnths...Needless to say I’ve missed them.

The first thing I noticed about London was that everything seemed to be a shade of grey. It was overcast, which I quickly learnt was a trend for the weather here, so much so that my mum like many others have resorted to describing the different types of overcasts...such as mizzle: cloudly with a bit of misty drizzle, or cloudy with sunny patches. My personal favourite was seeing the weather forecast on the news say that tomorrow will be ‘cloudier’... but i've been told it gets better????

The riding here has surprised me. I half expected to have to ride laps of Richmond Park the whole time I was here but today Dad and I went out towards Kingston and ran into a group of riders, we decided to tag along and went for a lovely ride through Surrey Hills. It was great to meet up with more like minded people, they were super friendly and very welcoming!

Ergo with a view of the Thames - Mum and Dad's backyard

I have one more day left here in Richmond before I head to my home for the next few months in Holland :) My first race will be RaboSter Zeeland, a UCI 2.1 :S... jumping straight into the deep end! I’m looking forward to the challenge :)

So from Richmond, take care and until next time!
xx

2010-06-09T10:44:00.003+10:00

OK so maybe i’m freaking out, just ever so slightly, at the fact that i am leaving the country tomorrow... for 3months.

On one hand i’m excited because I am finally going to be able to race in Europe! But on the other hand i’d be lying if I said i wasn’t scared of the unknown, and what lies ahead! Sure, plenty of people have done it – jumped on a plane headed somewhere they have merely seen on a map, stay with people who they have never met, and put everything on hold to chase a dream - but for some reason it isn’t making it any more unnerving! But the potential gains from my trip are far outweighing the losses and i’m sure the moment I jump on that plane, my brain is going to realise this too :)

Over the past week I have been simply trying to tie off my loose ends before i leave. My personalised kit arrived and it looks great! I stoked with it and am really thankful to Champion Systems for being able to manufacture it in my limited time frame – it has turned out a treat!

I also competed in my first race since Nationals in January, a good old Canberra Club race from Stromlo Forrest Park to Fairlight rd and back, twice. Any Canberra rider would probably agree that it was a great way to get myself back into racing! So it didn’t go as well as i’d hoped, but it is always good to get that first race back under your belt and it turned out to be a great workout as well, can’t wait to see what I can pull out in a couple of weeks!
As the temperature has continued to drop in Canberra, I have spent my last few days sitting on the ergo inside, not my preferred way to train but at least i am staying warm as the last thing I want to do is get sick before i leave!

Now all that is left for me to do is finish packing my bag – which reminds me, note to self: PACK MY PASSPORT! Get a good book, fit my new handlebars and purchase some extra baggage allowance... I have a feeling that I will be needing more than the 20kg Cathay Pacific are kindly offering me :S

Thinking about my trip now, i’m stoked! I have received lovely words of encouragement which have really brightened me up!! I know that one of the main keys to success is to believe in yourself but it is great to know that other people out there believe in me too :) I am looking forward to starting this new chapter in my life and have no doubt that it will bring many new experiences, challenges and opportunities. Whatever it brings i’ll be ready..... so bring it.

My next post will hopefully see me safe and sound on the other side of the world...
So for the last time in Australia for 3 months, take care
xx

Pimped out courtesy of Lorna Jane :)

2010-06-08T18:15:00.002+10:00

this one time, at Geelong Camp...

2010-05-31T19:27:00.003+10:00

if you got the impression that this post would resemble something off American Pie then i'm sorry. it's not. you might as well leave now and go back to the google search.. whatever that may be :s

Over the last week and a half I have had the great pleasure of going on my own mini ‘training camp’ down in Geelong. I was staying with none other than Kim Howard and her family at her beautiful home on the outskirts of Geelong – home of the 2010 UCI Road World Cycling Championships. I used this opportunity to get one last decent block of training in before heading overseas – ooooo and i certainly did. Over the course of the week, I did more training than I have done in a very long time!! And the best bit about it all?? Apart from actually making it through alive, I also feel a million times stronger than I did before! Bonus :) I saw numbers on my SRM that I’ve never seen before in my life!! I’m just hoping I don’t wake up and this is all a dream...

Every day I went out with either Kim or some of the girls she coaches on the roads of Geelong just to get some Ks in the legs and be able to relax and not think of anything except riding my bike! I was spoilt – meals cooked, clothes washed...Kim also provided me with some great advice about my career and gave me another perspective on things...I mean she knows her stuff! As a former pro and mother of HTC rider Leigh Howard himself, I jumped at the opportunity to pick her brains! I am very thankful for her kindness and even though she enjoyed bagging me out for my excessive sleeping, i'm sure she's just jealous of my ability to pass out on demand ;)

The weather in Geelong was beautiful; clear skies and warm temperatures (well for us Canberrans anyway!!) it was a nice change to growing frost on the morning bunch rides! I even went with Kim to watch some of her girls race a circuit race at Albert Park in Melbourne. I was feeling good and keen to race so I check to see if I could get a late entry the day before... but no luck :( Oh well, it was good to watch anyway! I like to consider myself a pro at telling people what they should do in races... your own personal sideline critic. I’m sure people can’t wait for me to start racing just so I shut up!! Ha ha. I am so keen to race its ridiculous! I’m going to do my first race this weekend... a good old Canberra club race out at Stromlo! Now time to practice what I preach!

It wasn’t all training when in Geelong...Whilst I was down there I also had the delight of meeting Sam Leslie, a much respected physio from Werribee who has helped many cyclists go on to win numerous world championships and world cup medals. A real legend in this own right. Sam contacted me after reading my blog (so it’s true – someone other than you is reading this mum!!!) and said that he recognised some of my symptoms and thought he could give me a hand, and that he did. The first day I met Sam was a real eye opener, when he explained to me what his theory was I have to admit I was asking myself what I’d gotten myself into...But when he finished explaining it, I was amazed. It made total sense. So we started treatment and testing and the results he found were incredible, how the slightest manipulation can cause a drastic difference. I have been to see many physios/sports doctors who have all told me the same thing... and it hasn’t worked...Although I am grateful for all the advice and help they have given me, it looks like it took someone who thinks outside the box, who throws away the text books and makes decisions based on what they find, on not what they should find to help people with unusual symptoms like mine. Sam has done a great deal to help me, and has left me with all the tools necessary to help with my recovery. I am now confident that with his help I can hopefully nip whatever the hell this is in the butt!! I would highly recommend Sam to anyone who is having any niggling issues; I think that he may just have the answer you’re looking for...

So now I’m back in Canberra and the weather has been wonderful....not. Been on the ergo for the last two days but fingers crossed I’ll be able to hit the roads tomorrow :) I’m just tying up loose ends here before I leave next week... wow, it sounds so close saying it out loud!! This is another chapter of my cycling career that I’m definitely looking forward to :)

Ciao for now
xx

SwaboLadies Cycling Team

2010-05-29T07:38:00.004+10:00

So I’m heading overseas on the 10th of June and won’t be coming back until September, as you do...
To do what exactly? Well to race my bike of course :) oh, and I guess I should visit my parents too...:P

For the next 3 or so months, I have the great pleasure of riding for a local Dutch club team – SwaboLadies Cycling Team. Rochelle Gilmore has been a great help in my quest for a team for the 2010 season and has very kindly reached into her bag of contacts and put me in touch with Hans Blom, DS of SwaboLadies. I am very privileged to have help from someone like Rochelle and really appreciate the time and effort she put in to help someone like me :)

So why a Dutch team? I know that the typical style of Dutch racing doesn’t seem as though it would be up my alley; however, I believe I have a lot to learn by competing in these sorts of hard and fast races (how to place myself in an aggressive bunch of 200 girls, on dodgy roads and in most often less than ideal conditions) and I will be able to improve on my weaknesses (such as my ‘renowned’ lack thereof ability on the flat) and develop into a stronger, more rounded cyclist. In addition, Holland has races on at least every weekend and what better way to improve myself in races, than to race. I will be able to gain the valuable race experiences that unfortunately you can’t get back in Australia.

For the length of my stay, I have had a very generous offer from one of the girls on the team, Sofie van Horik, to stay with her and her family on their farm in Oosterwijk which is apparently just outside of Lebermann... and if you don’t have google maps handy or a creepily insane knowledge of geography, 30min south of Amsterdam. Upon accepting the offer, I learnt that two NZ girls will also be staying there which means i’ll have plenty of training buddies!! Hopefully they like coffee stops....otherwise we may have problems :p.

I am heading back from Geelong today, sad to go but will be happy to see my gorgeous sister who is holding down the fort back home :) as well as my coach, who has had a much needed break from me :p

For more information about the SwaboLadies Team, you can check out their website at http://www.swaboladies.nl but good like deciphering it ;) i may have to add Dutch to my every growing list of languages to learn.... However, surfing the site I noticed that you can buy sort of ‘fan cards’ of the girls... maybe i’ll have my own trading card when i’m over there ha ha

Update from my time in Geelong to come!

Ciao for now
Take care
xx

2010-05-23T11:56:00.001+10:00

Karool - an experience like no other

2010-05-19T12:33:00.002+10:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of going to get a massage with Jill Dobkin at her studio which she calls 'Karool', the Australian Aboriginal word for 'Stone'. Located in the Narrabundah business park, it is definitely one of Canberra's best kept secrets.

I was fortunate enough to stumble upon this gem at my weekly pilates class in which Jill is a participant. Jill suggested that I should come and pay her a visit after displaying my obvious muscle soreness and tightness in our last class (post SEs mind you) and I accepted, after all what did i have to lose!

After an initial consultation where Jill asked questions about my current health, injuries and general well-being based upon which she then created a self-care strategy plan to enable me to live a better quality lifestyle which she sent me shortly after the treatment. After the assessment, I was rewarded with 2hrs of pure bliss. I had warm basalt stones to sooth and relax my tired muscles..Reflexology to subtly release tension from various parts of my body...It was an experience like no other i've had before. I left 'Karool' feeling refreshed, energized, relax and like a heavy weight had been lifted off my shoulders...My body hadn't felt this good in a long time!

To say the least, I'd say Jill is a magician but don't just take my word for it and go pay Jill a visit yourself!!!

For more details check ou www.karoolmassage.com.au

Take care
xx

So what does it take to be Pro??

2010-05-12T13:28:00.005+10:00

So what is it that makes some riders THAT much better than others... are they simply genetic freaks or is there some way that us ‘mere mortals’ can close that seemingly huge gap?

If you take one look at the current cycling scene in Australia, noticeably on the track, it is obvious that there are numerous athletes who just seem leagues better than everyone else. World Champion at 19?? Yeah no big deal...It seems that to make an impression back home, it is now necessary to win multiple World titles! (Don’t get me wrong, I'm not taking anything away from their performances!!! To be the best in the world is not an easy thing to do!!! and to do it multiple times?? that's insane.) Every year times are getting quicker, technology is getting greater and all in all everyone just seems to be getting better.

I would love to get into the head of riders like Mick Rogers, Fabian Cancellara,Jens Voigt Lance Armstrong and figure out just what makes them tick.

One thing I have learnt over the years is that to be an elite cyclist (or any elite sportsperson for that matter) you have to be committed, dedicated, passionate, organised and have a clear head space, just to name a few. Being an elite cyclist is a full time job. Training hasn’t finished when you jump off the bike after a hard day in the saddle... oh no...You still have to get food into you, have a shower, stretch and if the session was hard enough, sit quietly in the foetal position in bed whilst you recover.

I was fortunate enough to have a chat to professional cyclist Rochelle Gilmore of the Lotto-Belisol cycling team whilst she was down here training before heading over to Europe to start her season and she was generous enough to let me in on some of her secrets for success. Whether it is getting all of your cycling gear all set out the night before so you are organised for the next day’s training session or you are religiously logging every detail of the days ride into your training diary, I’m sure that there is way more to becoming a successful athlete that meets the eye and that everyone has their own little secrets that work for them.

In my opinion, the main key to becoming a champion cyclist is passion and a clear head space. You got to love what you are doing, otherwise why put yourself through that crippling pain??? In addition, you got to love to hurt. In most races it seems as though the person who wins is not only the strongest out there, but they also know how to hurt themselves the most. Another key is to believe in yourself. You genuinely have to believe that you can win, because if you don’t no one else will! Some pros (most noticeably during sprinting) will put themselves at incredible risk or do things which seem blatantly stupid jut to be able to cross the line with their hands in the air because they believe they can win.

Jens Voigt- one of the more silent achievers in the peleton. One of my role models and someone who definitely knows how to hurt!

Having a clear head space is also another useful thing to have when trying to be successful. Sure, that is not always possible, things pop up uncontrollably all the time – that’s life- but being able to put those things aside and learning how to deal with them is probably one of the most beneficial things you can learn to do. When you are training, you can’t be finishing an assignment or worrying about what is going on at home because of exactly that -you are out training. There is nothing you can do about it until you get home, so don’t stress about it! (Easier said than done, but that’s just the facts)

So although it helps to be genetically gifted, and i’m taking nothing away from the success our athletes are currently experiencing, but there are other little things you can do to ensure that you give yourself the best opportunity possible to achieve your potential. After all, it’s not one giant step that does it, but lots of little ones.

The dream :)
In other news, i’m finalising plans to head over to Europe to race at the end of June – more details to come :) but I can’t wait! I am also going down to Geelong next week to do a bit of a training camp, taking myself out of Canberra so I can get away from work and concentrate on what I really want to do – ride my bike :)

Until next time
xx

Canberra Tour from the eyes of the light blue, super charged mini convertible...

2010-05-02T15:09:00.002+10:00

Oh, and did I mention the seat warmers??

Over the last 3 days I’ve spent roughly 8hrs in the commissaires car watching Women’s A grade with Robyn Sprouster (com) and Kim Howard (coach extraordinaire) at the Canberra Tour.

My decision to do this came when I rode around the infamous Cotter-Uriarra about 3 weeks back. I was scrambling for a smaller gear (unfortunately you don’t get much smaller than a 27th) and when I’d reached the last gear in my cassette, my SRAM gearing would jump to a harder gear whenever I tried finding something smaller than my 27th. I’m pretty sure that is just my bike’s way of telling me to harden the f*%$ up, Carlos Sastre won the 2008 Tour on this bike so i’m pretty sure it is more than equipped to be ridden up the 3 sisters!! Anyway, it made me realise that I was barely strong enough to ride up the 3 sisters, let alone race up them!

Watching the race from the commissaires car, I was able to get a feel of what it is like being on the other side of the bike race. Although I would have much rather have been racing than sitting in a car, it proved to be a valuable learning experience. Over the past 3 days I learnt that being a commissaire and running a bike race brings a great deal of responsibility which a lot of riders don’t realise. Believe it or not, the coms actually care about your safety. If they fine you or give you warnings, it’s not because they are evil power crazy officials, but because they actually value your life and that of the other competitors and don’t want you to DIE! When you’re racing you bike, you get so pumped on adrenalin that you don’t realise what risks you open yourself up to, believe me, I do it all the time! Crossing double white lines on a blind corner on open roads to improve your position may seem like a great idea when you’re racing, but when you’re watching the race from behind, you could swear you had a death wish. So lesson no. 1: Coms are there to protect us and make sure that you have a safe environment to compete in! They are friend, not foe.

Apart from learning the ins-and-outs of commissairing a race, I also learnt maybe why some coaches get so frustrated and women’s racing gets a bit of a bad rep. OK, to be fair it is easy for me to criticise the race from the comfort of a car but this is what it looks like to everyone from spectators to selectors. Compared to the men’s races (we were getting commentary from every grade through the race) the women’s race wasn’t very aggressive. We kept hearing about repeated attacks from the men’s grades and time gaps and bunches getting caught over and over again. Meanwhile our race mainly stayed intact until the closing stages of the race until it became a race of attrition and only the strongest riders survived the final climbs. Fair enough, I understand we don’t have as many people in our races or really many teams but it still doesn’t mean that we have to sit in the bunch and play survival. This was a hilly tour, yet recognised non-climbers were sitting in just praying they’d get over the final climb, where in my opinion they should be making the climbers work leading up to the climb and if you get a break, sweet! You’ve just given yourself a head start on the climb...makes sense right? But that’s just my opinion. In addition, the scribe in the com car (in this case me) takes notes of every rider who gets a significant break and at what distance into the race. Sure you may not win the stage but at least you would have had a go if you attack, you wouldn’t have just been a spectator...and people actually do take notice. So lesson 2: don’t be afraid to have a go. Better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all! And you know what? Sometimes you do get lucky. Don’t just hang around and wait for something to happen, have a crack...whatcha got to lose?

So that’s just a little of what I learnt over the course of the weekend. Hats off to all the girls who rode, it is definitely one of the hardest women’s Tour around at the moment. Well done to Jo Hogan who won the tour overall and also to all the Canberra girls who rode, it was great to see so many of you in there and racing as a team! And to all the volunteers, race organisers, commissaires and the CCC, congrats on yet another very successful Tour!!!!

Probably the questions I was asked most over the weekend were ‘and why aren’t you riding? ’ as well as ‘do you wish you were racing??’ I never like answering that first question because truth of the matter is I don’t really know how to respond. I’m not riding because I’m sick. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, in fact no one has a concrete answer and it’s frustrating to say the least. I can only string a couple of solid days on the bike together before I fall in an unexplainable heap. But you know what? I may not be better now, but I’m closer than I was yesterday. Don’t give up on me just yet, the fire is still burning and I’ll be back stronger than ever...I may just need a little bit.

And yes. I do wish I was racing. That’s the reason I ride bikes, why I train... so I can race. I love the thrill of it, the adrenalin pumping through you and the way you make your body to things you never thought imaginable...all to win a race.

Not much has been happening apart from the Canberra Tour, I went to the Lorna Jane VIP Event at the Canberra Centre on Friday which was great fun! I have to admit, I spent most of the time ‘ooo’ing and ‘ahhhhh’ing over their new winter collection – gorgeous!!!! I can’t wait until I can pimp myself out in all of it!

the mini :) courtesy of Greg Long!

Until next time, take care xx

A new look for a new beginning :)

2010-04-25T17:13:00.011+10:00

One of the little projects I have been working on for a couple of months is in the final in stages of completion, and not a minute to soon!

Upon hearing the news that I would not be sporting ACTAS kit for the 2010, I started considering the idea of designing my own personal kit. Although I am very proud of my local cycling club (Canberra Cycling Club) and would be honoured to race in club colours, it was suggested to me that I get some personal sponsors on board and ride in my own kit to try and promote myself as a rider and get some much needed financial assistance.

A close cycling friend of mine Tiffany Cromwell, a rider from South Australia currently competing with the Australian National Team, is a freelance fashion designer whose kit I have been flaunting for the last couple of months. She runs her own fashion label Tiffany Jane and I am loving her Signature kit in Black and the Star Gazer kit in white and pink. The clothing has all the features you are looking for in a quality kit from the fresh and unique design to the breathable and comfortable material it is created with.

As a big fan of Tiff's work, I thought who better to design my kit then Tiff herself! And before I knew it she had come back to me with a design better than anything I could possibly have imagined...I love it!! Thanks heaps Tiff :)

I am currently in discussions with some clothing manufacturers to help put this kit into reality, but hopefully i'll be sporting my new kit in no time!!!

Until then, check out the design and let us know what you think!!!

I will post a progress report in the next couple of days of all things on and off the bike! I have an interview with the PR people from Lorna Jane on Tuesday so fingers crossed it goes well!!

Take care
xx

Lorna Jane Ambassador for 2010

2010-04-25T14:15:00.002+10:00

As promised, this entry is not going to be all dark and gloomy but rather about something great that has happened over the past week!

Just before Easter, I sent a sponsorship proposal to Lorna Jane clothing company asking if they'd like to support me for the 2010 racing season. Earlier this week I received an email from the head office saying that I'd been chosen to be one of the ambassadors for the Lorna Jane label!

For those of you who are not aware, Lorna Jane is an Australian multi-million dollar women's fitness-inspired brand created by Lorna Jane Clarkson in Brisbane back in 1989. Since then Lorna Jane has built her company based on motivating women to achieve their best through Active Living with concept stores all around Australia and in Singapore.

I have been a long-time admirer of Lorna Jane clothing and strongly believe that women deserve to look and feel fabulous when being active. Lorna Jane achieves this with their current range of active wear which can be view at the online shop at http://www.lornajane.com.au/content/cms/Active/3799/

I am very honoured and feel very privileged to be chosen to represent such a renowned brand and look forward to being able to further help promote active and healthy living amongst women and be a worthy role model for women in the community!!

Stay tuned xx

I miss that...

2010-04-11T21:06:00.003+10:00

Today I went for my longest ride in say.... 2 months?? Nothing epic, just a 3hr loop around Cotter-Uriarra but cruising around, it reminded me what I’d been missing out on and with the Canberra Tour coming up at the end of the month, I couldn’t help but think about where I was this time last year.

This time last year I was locked up with 12 other girls on a 6 week altitude camp at the AIS. I was eating, breathing dreaming cycling. I didn’t have to work, or cook (unfortunately i still had to clean) and all i had to do was ride my bike. To those non-cycling enthusiasts, this could seem like a nightmare but to those aspiring cyclists, this was a dream. I underwent gruelling training that was designed to ‘bring us back on our knees’ and as a consequence I was rewarded with impressive form which saw me place 3rd in 2 stages of the Canberra Tour. As a result of all my hard work, performances and dedication I showed throughout the camp, I had been given a scholarship with ACTAS and the honour of being chosen to represent Australia in the Australian National/AIS team in the Giro Donne in Italy, arguably the biggest Women’s race in the World, and the Tour of Limousin in France. I felt as though I had the World at my feet, that I was one step closer to living the dream and had finally proved to most importantly myself and everyone else that I had what it took to make a career as a professional cyclist.

Fast forward to 2010 and it seems as though that world I had in front of me has crumbled at my feet. I had a shocker Nationals, got sick just after and couldn’t ride the Women’s Tour of NZ and the level of training I have been able to complete since then has been embarrassing to say the least. And to answer a few questions I’ve heard: Yes, I am still cycling. No I do not go out partying every night therefore purely inflicting this on myself. Yes, at the moment I am fat and slow but you know what? I can change that... you can’t change the fact that you’re a douche and finally Yes. I can handle this. You have no idea.

I am back working (I now have 4 jobs...) and seemed to have gone from having all my doors open, to all of them slamming me back in the face. What makes it even harder is that I no longer have the support that I use to, in the time where I could use it the most.

Reflecting back on all of this, I couldn’t help but think what has changed and what I wish hadn’t...

I miss being the one who made everyone else suffer in training/races, instead of the one begging for others to take mercy on me

I miss having the lean physique and able to fly up hills, instead of resembling a heavy weight line-backer who is struggling to simply haul their butt up there

I miss the pain you feel when you’ve known you’ve given your all, instead of the stabbing pain i get in my chest every time i make an attempt at anything ‘hard’.

I miss racing...and celebrating with the team after a good day in the office, instead of hearing about it all the next day on cyclingnews... or even facebook.

I’ve changed...change back. I miss me.

Now is where you start playing your violin solo I know... But everyone has a right to a whinge every now and again and i’m using my pass to one today.

I know that everyone encounters setbacks, it even happens to the best. Talk to pros and you’ll hear the all too familiar story of time off for broken bones, glandular fever...Most recently Heinrich Haussler, who was seen as a hot favourite for the Classics, tore a ligament in his knee and was forced to withdraw from his whole classics campaign and reassess his goals for the rest of the year. I tell myself these things every time I think ‘why does this only happen to me??’ and when the recovery stage seems to be drawing on or centuries. It happens to the best.

At the moment I am still working hard to plan my racing season but it seems as though I now have to play the waiting game to hear back from people...A hard thing to do when patience isn’t you’re strong point but as hard it is to believe, people do have other things to think about than me :P

I also want to take this time to congratulate all the girls in the Australian National/AIS team or a fantastic start to the season. You are all doing a great job, I only wish I was there to say this in person.

I promise my next entry won’t be as dark and emo, hopefully i’ll have some good news to report!!
Until then,
Take care xx

Remembering the good times...

Chloe and I in Italy

So...Now what??

2010-04-07T08:53:00.006+10:00

The most important race on the Australian Calendar has been run and won, so what is next you ask?

Well after Nationals, it seemed as though my body had finally cottoned on to the punishment I had made it endure leading up to Nationals and had decided quite abruptly that enough was enough. I had to have some time off the bike to let myself recover both physically and mentally. There was a lot of pressure leading into Nationals (I have to admit, most of it was self inflicted) as a good result there would pretty much set me up for most of the year, or at least open up a few opportunities and give my 2010 season a good kick start!

Recovery days soon turned into weeks and I still wasn’t getting any better. By this stage I’d had blood tests for every virus/deficiency known to man and was still with no concrete answers to justify the reason I was feeling so cr@ppy. Frustrating to say the least.

I decided to go on a little holiday to get my mind off things and had a generous offer from my sister’s Godmother and my mother’s long-time friend, to come and stay at their beach houses in Adelaide. An offer which proved too good to refuse! I was also fortunate that a few of my closet friends in cycling would be down there during the same time that I would be! Carlee Taylor lives in SA and Lauren Kitchen was going to be staying with her to train before heading to New Zealand and Chloe Hosking was going to be down there also! I was staying right on the waterfront at Henley Beach for the first few days then moved down the road to another beach front house at the Grange. The houses were both at least 4 bedrooms with the house at the Grange being 5 stories, so I had plenty of room to move!! The master bedroom was on the top floor but it was definitely worth getting lactic during the walk up there! The view from the room was amazing; it opened up onto a balcony overlooking the beach and at night you could actually fall asleep to the sounds of the waves crashing down below... remind me why I came home??

view from Henley house

Perfect locations, great company, awesome riding and probably most importantly, good coffee!! Most of the days were spent accompanying Chloe for parts of her epic rides preparing for her up and coming season with HTC-Columbia, riding along the beach or through the hills. It was probably one of the most enjoyable bike riding trips i’ve had for a long time. Cruising through the hills overlooking the city and riding with a great bunch of people made for a welcome relief from everything back home and most importantly, I was able to reflect on the months passed and reassess my goals in cycling. I realised that cycling is still my main passion and it is what motivates me to keep ploughing on when the going gets tough. I am still determined to make my passion my ‘job’ and make a career as a professional cyclist; and for this to happen, things need to change.

I am now back with my former coach MaryAnn Simpson and doing things old school, going back to basics and what I know works for me. I learnt a lot during my time at ACTAS and am grateful for all the support they have provided me with over the past year; however I realised that it is their job to provide champion athletes and I am unable to meet these standards in my current state. I hope that I will soon be in a position where I can work with them again in the future.

So what’s next for me you say?? Well when I stop making a career of contracting every virus known to man, which unfortunately doesn’t pay very well and does not have a World Championship, I plan on heading over to Europe to race. I am still working out finer details however I plan on heading over at the end of May and staying there until the end of August. I feel that in order to continue to race at the level I have been and to achieve my goals, Europe is where I need to be. After my experiences last year, I am looking forward to going into the 2010 season knowing what I need to improve on and using this year to make myself a confident and strong rider in the European peloton.

In the meantime I am working hard as a personal trainer with A'hern Fitness and at the Uni Pub to fund my trip and am slowly but surely chipping away at my Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science with the University of Central Queensland.

Oh, and did I mention I got a new ride?? That's right, I am now the proud owner of a Cervelo r3SL thanks to the BikeShed. The Trek is still with us, just taking a hard earned rest :D

the new ride (photo thanks to Bron ;) )

Life is forever changing its course so no one knows what tomorrow will bring...all I know is that as long as I am racing my bike, I’ll be happy :)

Until next time.

Take care xx

The race that stops a Nation...

2010-01-09T10:19:00.000+11:00

... OK, Slight exaggeration to those non-cycling enthusiasts but anyone who enjoys getting around on two wheels will agree, today is one of the most important days on the calendar!

After a couple of rest days post TT, which saw the running of the National Criterium Champs , it was time to put the game face back on for the RR. My prep over the last couple of days consisted of plenty of motor pacing, down time at the coffee shop, massages, recovery and plenty of mental rehearsing for the race (if only I put this much effort into my school work!!! :p). I had driven over the course numerous times and knew it like the back of my hand... but unfortunately for me, knowledge of the course would be the least of my concerns!!

The Women’s race kicked off at lunch time and by then, it was already over 40C on the road. Perfect race conditions...if you’re a desert camel. I warmed up in an ice vest and had a biddon glued to me at all times in attempt to keep myself hydrated. My legs were feeling great during the warm-up and when my coach asked how I was feeling, I gave him a very confident “9-10/10” today was going to be a good day in the office, or so I thought. I rolled to the start line with my game plan and as always,excited to start racing!!!!

When the gun went off, the girls set off at a pretty solid pace up the first climb. Last year’s race was one of attrition but also about your position in the bunch so I forced myself into the top 10 on the climb. 1st time round and I was feeling good, happy with my bunch position and with the legs. 2nd time up the climb and the pace was on, but this time I was drifting back... and quickly at that. My body suddenly felt like a bag of lead and i was dagging on the back of the main group...not a good feeling when you have 8 laps remaining!! Made it to the top of the climb and forced myself back into the top 10 on the decent, hoping my legs were just getting warmed up. 3rd time up the climb and same story, except when i went to get out of the seat, i had a sharp pain in my lower back and left leg...what the???
(at the end of the race, i remembered that I changed my cleats the day before the race, thinking i was doing the right thing by ensuring my equipment was all up to scratch... but i hadn’t ridden them under load and realised that my left one was slightly out of whack. I had no float in my pedals and so after a few laps riding in the cleats; the poor position was having a negative effect on my already sensitive lower back.... rookie mistake!!!!!! Note to self, and to anyone for that matter: do NOT change your cleats just days leading into a big race, but ensure plenty of time so you can make necessary adjustments to avoid feeling like a complete idiot and sacrificing your chances of performing well).

So I was scrambling back onto the pack yet again playing survival, which was not my intention at all!! Leading into the race, I was hoping to be aggressive in the early stages of the race knowing my fitness wasn’t where it should have been so that I could help set up a good result for my ACT teammates. A few more laps went by and I got dropped but was determined to finish. The temperature had increased to what felt like a million degrees and I was getting biddons every lap but nothing seemed to be helping me. It literally felt as though you were melting! I took a mouthful of food and couldn’t stomach it because of the conditions (I learnt later that eventual race winner Ruth Corset was throwing up in the closing stages of the race!!!! What a legend!!). I was catching groups of riders who were also feeling the effects of the weather but realising that there was nothing major riding on their performance at Nationals, took the option to pull out. I had worked my butt off, like many other riders going into the race and I would have thought giving up would never be an option for me... and usually it isn’t. I was dagged solo off the back about 15min down on the peleton with 3 laps remaining... I dragged my butt up the highway climb to the feed and broke down. Saw my soigny and pulled the pin. If I had been still in contention in the race, sure I would have kept going, after all it is only pain, but i was near last and the pain in my back was increasing rapidly...There was more for me to lose from continuing than to gain.

So that was the end to a rather disappointing Nationals campaign. I went in with such high expectations and put a lot of pressure on myself to perform well that I guess my goals for the race became a bit unrealistic for my current level of form and fitness. I guess the bottom line is, i just didn’t have it on the day.

Although disappointed that i’d gone against my number 1 rule and that was to “never, never give up”, I was pleased that amongst all the emotions running through me, I was able to stay focused on the bigger picture and that is the importance of my health in the longevity of my cycling career. Race to finish over 15min down and risk losing all of the positive work my support team and I have done to ensure the full recovery of my back, or pull the pin and although to have to live with the consequences, be fit to fight another day.

My results at Nationals may have not been what i'd hoped and what i'd needed to get some offers for racing later in the year but I was still able to go away from the trip with a whole load of experience and new found knowledge!

Full results can be found at http://www.aorcc.com/images/Women's_RoadRace_Sat_9_%20Jan.pdf

I was fortunate enough to be able to pick the brains of some of the Nations most elite cyclists in Vicki Whitelaw and Tracy Gaudry and I'd like to thank them for sharing their experiences with me and putting up with all of my questions over the past week... It is much appreciated and the tools you have provided me can only help me to achieve my goals in the sport!! I believe that I still have a lot to learn about the sport and having people like Vicki and Tracy around to 'mentor' me is definitely invaluable.

So thanks for hanging in there with me and sorry I haven't got some more happy news to report, but hey, you have good days and you have bad ones... that's life, and it happens to the best of them!

Until next time,
xx

a bitter/sweet Nationals TT 2010

2010-01-06T09:10:00.000+11:00

The ACTAS team headed down to Ballarat on Monday a few short days before we were due to start the TT so we could get settled in and familiarise ourselves with the course one last time before D day. I was lucky enough to be sharing an apartment with Vicki Whitelaw and her husband Dave, Alex Carle, Bec Doolan/Laura Meadley and our new soigny extraordinaire Sarah Page.

For the couple of days before the TT we had a good time just relaxing and gossiping (as you do!) but when Wednesday morning rolled around, the once relaxed atmosphere of the apartment suddenly felt icy and cold. Having 3 TT specialists in the same apartment meant that it was game on. Not being ‘renowned’ for my TT ability (lol) i was lucky not to have the same expectations which were placed on my roommates but regardless i was still a little anxious coming into the event, determined to prove to myself that i could in fact do a 28km TT and show those who doubted my ability wrong. Leading up to the TT, people questioned my decision to race the TT and the question ‘are you serious??’ and laughing were generally accompanied with it...Great confidence booster!! :s

Alex and I rolled over to the course together around lunchtime to begin our warm up. I was starting a mere 1min in front of Alex which only meant one thing...I was bait!!! Haha. I completed my warm up in what i thought was more than enough time to get to the start line however i rolled to bike check to realise that Sally Robbins, who was starting 1min ahead of me, was already on the start line! Oh well, i got there in time so i guess that’s all that matters  but note to self: it pays to be organised.

I rolled off the start line pumped on adrenalin (maybe from my near start miss???) and smashed it up the climb up the highway. My coach said that previous results showed that the person with the fastest time up the hill generally pulled up well overall as there weren’t many other places on course where you could make up time. I caught my 1min marker near the top of the climb and began the ‘flatter’ section of the course trying my hardest not to throw up my breakfast. Yep, think i may have been a bit too ambitious up the climb but oh well, i just had to limit my losses on the downhill! Just over half way into the course i was thinking i was on a good one and was happy with how i was riding when i heard the all too familiar sound of the disc wheel coming up behind. Just at the moment when Alex came past me i heard the sound of a punctured tyre. For a split second i thought it was Alex but then quickly realised it was my front wheel. Dammit. Unfortunately, it is a battle between you and the clock, so sadly this basically meant game over for me. We had some troubles with the wheel change but once that was done, I tried my best to relax and get straight back into the swing of things. I was impressed with how quickly I managed to regain my focus as I was determined to finish what i’d started in as best of a position I could.

In the end, I finished 27th and 8th in the U/23 classification. Disappointing result on paper, however I was thrilled with my performance pre and post puncture and both amazed and proud of myself for actually completing a 28km TT!!

The ACT crew got some great results also with Vicki Whitelaw placing 4th and Alex Carle 3rd in the u/23 category as a first year senior...Awesome ride girls!!!!

Full results can be found at http://www.aorcc.com/images/Day1_Womens_Time_Trial.pdf

My hardcore TTing self:

2010-01-01T07:45:00.005+11:00

So i know, its been a while since i’ve updated my blog but as part of my New Year’s resolution i’ve decided to dust of the virtual cobwebs and start to re tell my story, and what perfect time to start with Nationals due to commence next week!!!

But first i think it’s only fair that i take a short trip down memory lane in attempt to justify my lack of blogging and explain what may have happened for people to start to raise eyebrows at my fitness and ask ‘what happened to you? You’re slow.’

So i left this blog rather rudely half way through a very successful tour for the Aussie National team, i’m not going to even pretend that I remember the finer details of the stages however Tiff Cromwell went on to a well deserved stage win after being in a break for the last part of the race and Ruth managed to come away with a very respectable 2nd on GC  For those who are at all interested in finding the rest of the results for the tour and reading probably a more detailed race report than my own, there was quite good commentary streaming via the web on http://radiomeilleursjours.musicblog.fr/r44705/Tour-Cycliste-Feminin-Limousin/

Limousin was my last race in Europe with the Aussie team so after another epic car trip home, i was left with just under a week to tick a few more things off the ‘to do’ list before heading home to Aus. I took a few last rides through the hills, ventured to beautiful lake Como and ate my weight in gelato before saying goodbye to the team and commencing my journey home (after a quick detour past London to visit Dad who had moved there just after the Giro).

My time with the Aussie team could only probably be described with one word: unbelievable. I’m wouldn’t be lying if i said that whilst i was over there, i was living the dream. The only responsibilities i had were to ride my bike and look after myself to ensure i was able to do my best come race day. Boy now i think of it, i have definitely forgotten how relaxing it was not to have to think about money, work, house, pets etc...oh well guess that’s just reality! Of course this wouldn’t have been possible without a fantastic support team. I’d like to thank Beth Duryea, Dave McPartland and Laura Garvican for all of their invaluable help and advice which enabled me, i believe, to come away from the trip as a better, wiser and more rounded athlete.

When i got home, my instructions were simple ‘do not get back on the bike until your back has fully recovered’. I was having around 3 physio appointments a week, massages and doctor’s appointments to try and get myself sorted but it seemed as though one problem was ‘fixed’ another one was waiting around the corner to show its ugly head. If it wasn’t my back, it was my neck or a random 8mm tear in my hamstring tendon??????? I was taking advantage of my forced break off the bike to get a job and try and earn some much needed dollars! I ended up scoring a job at the Uni pub/nightclub in Canberra which probably could have been what helped get me through the recovery. The team of people i work with are amazing and i love working in the nightclub!! I know, not ideal for recovery as i would start at 7/9pm on Sat night and if i do close then wouldn’t leave until about 4am on Sunday morning but you got to live a little!!! I have to admit it has been a bit of a juggling act trying to find the balance between working (so i can earn money = buy food = live) and training and sure i’ll admit it, i failed on numerous occasions leading to more time off the bike due to illness/overworking and ultimately putting me well behind the 8 ball in terms of training which i found out rather harshly on the AIS camp which was being run in Canberra. I was getting smashed everyday by these girls, and it wasn’t fun.

These may have probably been some of the most emotionally challenging months i’ve experienced in my sport to date but i’m now confident that my injuries are well behind me and i can continue to move forward. I've got a fantastic network of support looking after me at ACTAS and feel as though i am on my way to achieving my goals and ambitions in the sport.

Things have also changed rather drastically at home as well. My sister finally moved back home and it's been great having her around, i didn't realise quite how much i missed her!!! She is my best friend and only wish the best for her in this New Year! My Dad moved over to London for work during my stint with the Aussie team and in early December Mum moved over to join him. I'm so happy for them both, I know it has been hard for them spending so much time away from each other but i'm glad they are able to finally get on with life with each other again. So it's just Bron and I at home for the next 18months or so... which has definitely proved interesting...Let's just say its a bit of a learning curve ;)

Bron and I :D

So that's whats been happening with me over the past few months or so. Next week I leave for Nationals where I will compete in the TT (yeah, i'm shocked myself) and the Road Race. I am happy with my current form considering where i've come from and i hope that it will be enough to get me the results i am after!!!!

Until then, hope you have a wonderful start to the New Year

Cheers,

Miffy

Tour of Limousin, Part I

2009-07-29T05:13:00.000+10:00

Stage 1: 105km

Stage 1 was a relatively undulating course with 3 categorised climbs and 4 intermediate sprints. Our plan of attack was to have our newest member t the team, Jazzy Apples rider Ruth Corset as our GC contender and save Chloe for the sprinter’s jersey and as our sprinter on the flatter stages. This left Tiff Cromwell, Shara Gillow,U19 rider junior world’s representative for Australia Kendelle Hodges and myself as the work horses for the Tour. On paper we were definitely one of the stronger teams and were confident that we would be able to come away with a good result for the team.

The field split up relatively quickly with a break consisting of close to 10 riders, including our own Ruth Corset, get clear up the first GPM. The break contained riders from most of the bigger teams in the Tour so the peleton was in no rush to bring the group back. The weather was shocking, after about 1hr of racing you could see the dark clouds gathering overhead and it wasn’t long until the heavens opened around us, turning the roads into streams. Thankfully the heavy rain lasted less than 1hr but we were left to ride the rest of the race with wet shoes and chamois which we didn’t rate highly. At around the 70km mark, the peleton split up the GPM. I was feeling strong and managed to make it over the top of the climb in the front bunch but unfortunately, whilst reaching for my biddon on the decent, I hit a pothole and my hands slipped off the bars which left me sliding along the greasy roads into the dirt. I watched my bunch race on ahead as I was putting my chain back on and pulling half a tree out of my rear wheel but got my act together just in time to jump onto the back of another bunch which had formed over the climb. Chloe and Kendelle were in the bunch and since we had the rest of the team up the road, we just rolled along with the group to the finish. We came close to catching them at one point but with half the bunch working for team mates up the road, the gap blew out again by the finish. In the end, Ruth’s group dwindled down to 5 girls and she placed 3rd in a close bunch finish, Tiff and Shara rolled in in the 1st bunch behind them, a little over 3min down and my bunch rolled in a further 3min behind them. So overall, not a bad day in the office for the team. I was happy with my form and how I positioned myself in the bunch although a little frustrated about the crash as I can only wonder if I would have been able to hang with them and got a better result for myself at the end of the day. But Ruth is 3rd on GC which is now the main priority and hopefully we’ll be seeing her in pink by the end of the Tour!

Stage 2: 99km

Today’s stage was the ‘flat’ stage of the tour. It consisted of a slightly undulating loop outside of town before coming onto a flat 10km circuit around the town. The majority of the race was run on tiny, narrow roads and the back straight of the circuit could be compared to a goat’s track with moss growing down the middle of it. Our plan was to firstly roll with attacks and protect Ruth’s position on GC and hopefully set Chloe up for the stage win. Luckily for us, Lotto Belisol, who was one of the stronger teams of the tour, had similar ambitions as their rider was currently in the leader’s jersey and they were hoping to set up Rochelle Gilmore for the stage win.

As Marv would say, today was definitely all about ‘position, position, position’ and unfortunately that never quite happened for me. My inexperience on narrow roads and my lack of confidence moving around in the European peleton (although it is improving) saw me quickly squeezed out the back of the bunch and just trying to hang on. I was left praying that someone would put the pressure on at the front of the bunch so the field would become strung out when I could make up around 20 places by simply stepping into the wind and TTing it up the side of the bunch. However, the moment the pace eased and the peleton swelled up, I was back to where I had started. Frustrated with what was happening, I made a solid attack from the back of the bunch to the front up the last climb before entering the circuit in town. I managed to stay there for the majority of the first lap where I was able to go with a few breaks and take the pressure of the other girls but when a counter attack went after I had just chased a bunch, I didn’t have the legs to stay up the front an found myself down the tail end of the peleton yet again. It was virtually impossible for me to move up on the narrow back straight of the course and if that didn’t make for a big enough challenge in itself, thunderstorms welcomed us towards the end of the first lap throwing in a whole other load of challenges I would have to face.
Meanwhile, the team put in an excellent group effort to look after Ruth and Tiff put everything on the line and produced a really gutsy ride to get Chloe in as best as possible position for the sprint. Chloe put up a solid fight to hold on for 2nd in the bunch kick which meant more celebrating for the team!

So although frustrated that I was unable to contribute much to the team today because of my positioning in the bunch, I was able to walk away with yet more lessons learnt from the race which I will utilise to improve my ability for my races to come. I was also happy again with my form today and felt strong throughout the race and the back didn’t cause any concern for me today which was awesome news! I just hope that ‘ll get a chance to put my form that I seemed to have finally uncovered to good use instead of wasting it trying to bridge splits in the bunch because I’m down the back!

Stage 3 and 4 report to come...

GP Cento Carnavale, a day I'd rather not remember...

2009-07-29T04:52:00.002+10:00

We all have bad days, thats a given, and it turns out that I was apparently just about due for one.

The GP Cento Carnavale was about a 4hr drive from Varese and was 11 laps of a flat 10km circuit on narrow roads with two cobbled sections in it, just my kind of race! The team for Cento was Chloe Hosking, Rochelle Gilmore, Emma Mackie, Tiffany Cromwell, Shara Gillow and myself. Our plan was to follow attacks and work for Rochelle in the sprint. Sounds simple, right?

Well unfortunately I was having troubles even BEFORE the race started. Although we arrived at the race in plenty of time to spare, the teams presentation took way longer than expected and so my warm up consisted of rolling to the presentation and sitting on the start line. Then it turned out that my rear wheel was flat and so a quick wheel change was on order before we got under way.

From the word "go" the bunch was pretty much strung out and whilst trying to move up, another rider suddendly swung out infront of me, sending me off the road and falling into the grass. Barely 5km into the race and I was already having to chase back onto the bunch! The dirty crosswinds weren't making my life any easier either and it was a couple of kms until I was able to rejoin the back of the bunch. I held my position for another lap when an attack went and I was dagging off the back of the train, doing my best just to get back on! I rejoin the pack again by the end of the lap, and just as we hit the cobbled section, my front wheel goes flat. So another wheel change and I was chasing onto the bunch yet again. Legs screaming and back burning, I never quite got on the back of them and at lap 6, the sag wagon pulled me out of the race....

So there we have it, a far from ideal say in the office on my part but the team did come away with a great result! Emma Mackie was in the breakaway which got caught with less than 2km to go, then Rochelle was set up perfectly by the rest of the team to come home in 2nd place behind World point score champion, Fabiana Luperini.

Although my day didn't precisely go to plan, I did get to experience racing on cobbles for the first time which was a bit of fun! And it was a good chance to experience a different sort of European racing instead of the hard hilly stages of the Giro!

Next on the agenda is Tour of Limousin in France. On paper, we are considered to be one of the stronger teams so hopefully we'll be able to come away with a few more results!

Until next time

Ciao Ciao
xx

Rest, rest and more rest!

2009-07-20T04:24:00.002+10:00

Alora, the Giro is done and dusted and lots of recovery is what the doctor has prescribed! Since coming back from the Giro, I’ve been on a diet of 1hr recovery rides and rest days. A bit frustrating when you’re all the way over in Italy with beautiful weather and mountains to climb, but I know that if I want to be in some sort of form for Cento (18th July) and most importantly the Tour of Limousin (22-26th July) then I have to grit my teeth and deal with it.

On the positive side, it means that I have been able to go do a bit of my own exploring and sightseeing. Over the past week, I’ve caught trains and gotten off at places that ‘sounded cool’ and been on long walks around the place having no clue where on earth I was headed. I figure I’d take the risks and I was often rewarded with beautiful scenery and new experiences.

One of my little adventures led me to Lago di Varese (lake of Varese) where I decided I’d have a bit of a picnic and walk around the lake. Lake Burley Griffin has NOTHING on this lake. It is 27km in total with a bike path running the whole way around with lots of places to stop and enjoy the view. I got off the train at Gavirate and wandered my way down through the cute little town to find the perfect spot for lunch.

Another day was spent shopping in Milan with the girls. It was a epic day, with a 1hr train ride to the Duomo (Cathedral where the main shops are) and then we spent close to 4-5hrs wandering the streets. Upon getting off the metro, it was about 5secs before I was approached by a guy who asked if I wanted to marry him (if only life was that easy!!!). You know the type, the salesmen who spot tourists a mile away and try to sell them stuff they never knew they wanted until you met them. He tried selling me a bracelet and after denying his proposal, gave him back the bracelet and made a bee line for the shops!

Luckily for us, it is the time of the year when all of the sales are on and everything is 30,50,70% off!!! However, we were not the only ones looking to take advantage of the cheap prices. In the shops we were packed like sardines and had to wait up to 20min to try an item of clothing on and god forbid if you wanted to actually buy something! It took another 20min of your time before you could actually make the purchase. It was a good experience and I came away with a shirt/dress for my efforts. I would have liked to have gotten more but so much time was wasted hanging around just looking at stuff! There were so many shops to be looked at that in the time we were there; we never left about a 300m radius around the train station!

Another rest day saw Laura take the girls and I to Lago di Magiore for a nice relaxing ‘recovery’ session. The water was cold enough to be refreshing but not so cold that you couldn’t swim in it! Donning our new Victoria’s Secret swimmers, we took the plunge off the rocky ledge into the water below. We then dried ourselves off on the rocky edge in a miserable attempt to free ourselves of our tan lines. Unfortunately, a few peoples’ pasty white bellies served as a perfect reflective surface for the suns rays resulting in a not so pleasant sunburn!

Apart from that, there has been multiple movie watching sessions, trips to the Gelateria across the street and numerous treatments with soigny extraordinaire Beth. My back is slowly but surely making a comeback and I look forward to seeing what sort of form I’ll be in come the Tour of Limousin early next week!

But before then we have to tackle the GP Cento Carnivale, a 110km pancake flat circuit race equipped with cobbles. Exactly my kind of race :)

Until next time,

Ciao Ciao
Miffy xx

p.s my computer isn't cooperating with uploading photos... but you can see my happy snaps at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=275166&id=746470234&l=7a4717fe97

and all of a sudden it was like being hit in the head with a dead fish...wtf??

2009-07-11T06:12:00.003+10:00

It seems as though as quickly as it had started, my time at the Giro has ended. Today I did not start stage 8 of the Tour.

I've been managing a back injury since I was involved in a crash at the Cootamundra handicap over a couple of months ago back home and unfortunately the stress of stage racing has taken it's toll on it which is why it was suggested that I do not finish the Tour. Beth our soigny has done an amazing job getting me as fit as possible to step over the bike everyday but unfortunately not everyone is as talented as our mate Jens Voigt and my body simply would not shut up and do what it was told. I am now back at the base in Varese on strict instructions to do as little as possible so that I can be back flying for our next race, GP Cento Carnevale on the 18th July.

Needless to say i'm crushed not to be able to have finished what I had started but one thing i've recently come to terms with in my cycling career is that it is always best to look at the bigger picture. I was in no state to be of any use to the team and for the last couple of days I was simply doing my best to drag my butt to the finish. As I said preivously, I didn't come here to be a spectator in the Giro Donne, I came here to race. Dragging my butt to the finish isn't my idea of racing, it isn't in my nature and I know under normal circumstance I could do better. By stopping now i'm able to give my body a better chance to recover and hopefully be back to my old self in no time.

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

I'm sorry to those who have supported me thus far, I really appreciate all of the words of encouragement and best wishes! It really means a lot. I hope that this is simply a small hurdle which i will overcome and I will be giving you all something to cheer about in no time.

Now i'm going to go drown my sorrows with pizza and gelato :p

Until next time, Take care

Ciao
xx

Then there are the days which don't necessarily go to plan...

2009-07-10T04:50:00.001+10:00

Apologies again for the delayed updates, who would have thought that the further south we go, the more stone age the motels and the less likelihood of the having internet? But success at last!

Stage 5:
Stage 5 was suppose to be a ‘flat’ stage, and I say ‘flat’ because my idea of a flat stage is one where there are NO HILLS. This ‘flat’ stage comprised of 2 rises of around about 3% which carried on for a good 5km each. Each lap of the course was 27km and for today’s stage we were to complete 4 laps, making it roughly 120km. So I started the stage feeling OK until we got to the first drag and someone (I think it may have been cervelo) decided to lay the smack down. I quickly discovered that my legs weren’t feeling quite as good as I thought/hoped and was struggling at the tail end of the main bunch at the second climb and the majority of the first lap. Coming into the second lap, I knew that in order to hang with the group I needed to position myself as close to the front as possible so I could drift back though the bunch up the climb. Easier said than done. My legs were missing their kick and so gaps in front of me were shut down before I could even get my legs to respond. So I got dropped going up the first ‘false flat’ again. Thankfully I was not the only one and after about 10km of riding solo, a bunch caught me and by the end of the lap we were back at the end of the bunch, where I had just enough time to say Hi to my teammates before being dagged at the bottom of the second climb. And this time I was by myself…(I didn’t know at the time that there was a grupetto about 10min behind me). Coming into the last lap I was thinking to myself ‘please just make time cut…’ when I thought I felt my rear Zipp going flat. I was struggling and thought it was simply my mind playing tricks on me however by the end of the first drag it was evident that my wheel was flat and by the top of the 2nd climb, I was riding on the rim just in time for the decent. Determined not to get pulled from the race and with no communication available through my radio and no spares vehicles in sight, I decended praying that I wouldn’t eat tarmac for the second day in a row. With just under 10km to the finish on the decent, grupetto passed me and the police motor bike told me to jump on and looked at me as if I was stupid going about 15kph on a decent. After finally getting through to him that I had a flat he was on the radio and I had 4 police motor bikes around me. 4km to go and still riding on the flat, a spares motor bike rolled up to me and I got a wheel change, better late than never I guess? I sprinted my butt off to the finish because the police escort and the sag wagon in tow meant that I was now officially the end of the race. I was relieved to finish and it took every bit of mental strength not to give up then and there. But I made it to the end and lived to fight another day… I just hope that I won’t be paying the price too badly after my close to 40km of TTing tomorrow!

Stage 6:
Rest day. That is what today’s stage was meant to be for me. After the ride yesterday, I was somewhat relieved to be told to look after myself and get through the race using as little energy as possible and this meant that as soon as we hit the climb, I was to go straight to grupetto. But as always nothing is quite as it seems and this whole stage is uphill from the word VAI. With the GC contenders firmly in position, today gave the opportunity for those riders lower on GC to get away. This was our team objective today, to try and send someone up the road. But the bunch had different ideas and the pace was on from the start and at some point a group of around about 6 (including Ina Tutenberg and Giorgia Bronzini) slipped away up the road. This group eventually stayed on for the win. The bunch was strung out up the climb before a lengthy decent and by that time for me it was basically game over. Riders were going backwards as the 6 prior days of racing were finally taking their toll. I lasted about 50km with the group before getting spat then spent a while in the convoy trying to drag my butt up to no avail. What hurts the most is seeing riders grabbing onto their team cars and being towed right up to the bunch…Pretty sure that is called cheating. Not long after, a group of about nearly 20 riders came up behind me and I had no choice except to just sit on and limit my losses. Next minute, police motor bikes rock up around us and before I knew it there were riders (from the dodgy Italian teams) grabbing onto the bikes and being towed up the road…Our bunch then dwindled to about 10 riders including Regina Schneider and Charlotte Becker from Nurenberg and Linda Villmanseun from Columbia. As long as those girls were staying there, so was I. I mean we weren’t even grupetto! So it was a long ride to the finish and my legs were counting down the K’s before we would hit the wall with about 800m to go of cobbles at an average gradient of 16%. It was similar to the finish of the Timetrial, except way longer. Girls were zigzagging everywhere and Regina Schneider decked it in front of me and I was thanking my lucky stars that I didn’t come down too. So I grovelled my way to the top of the climb and lived to fight yet another day.

Reading back on my reports you could say that I’m hating life, but you couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m loving the challenge and the invaluable knowledge I’m gaining each and every moment i‘m on the bike. Sure there have been tears but that’s all part of character building. I’m only growing as a bike rider and what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. If I come out of this in one piece I might as well be made of re-enforced steel.

Stage 7:
Lost: legs, if found please return.
When you get dropped within the first 30km of a 120km stage race, you start asking yourself why you do this sport. Today’s stage started at the base of a climb (over 10km in length) and needless to say it wasn’t long before mushroom clouds were seen exploding left right and centre. I made it to the top of the climb dagging between the peleton and one of many chase groups. The chase group of at least 10 riders caught me on the decent and we were joined about 20km down the road by grupetto. We were now a bunch of close to 25 riders and it was again just a case of getting to the finish in one piece. It wasn’t all bad, as it gave me a chance to have a chat to fellow Aussies Kate Bates, Rochelle Gilmore, Emma Mackie and team mate Belinda Goss. One rule of thumb is that you NEVER attack grupetto, unless you feel the need to race for about 140th on GC which most of the lesser teams feel the need to do. With a group the size of ours, you would think that there wuld be no need to get towed but at least 5 girls latched on the police motor bikes nd we never saw them again. Then there were the girls who grabbed on up theclimbs or who motor paced behind their team cars as comssaires turned a blind eye just wishing we’d hurry up and get to the finish. Apart from pissing the girls off, Kate made a good point in saying something similar to ‘these girls who keep on getting paced will be the ones who will always get dropped and never get any better’. Here’s to that. You might as well face the fact that you aren’t strong enough yet to hold onto the main pack and use the rest of the ride as a training ride so that you can learn and one day you will be able to stick with the big girls. It was a long ride to the finish but we made it there in one piece… Turns out it was a hard day in the office for all with no ‘distinctive’ peleton to be seen…

Off the bike, it’s been a ritual of eating, drinking, recovering and sleeping. Safe to say I never want to hear/see the word pasta ever again and I would never have thought I’d see the day where I dreaded having to eat and the very thought of it made me sick. But this is apparently what it’s like to be on tour and you force yourself to eat/drink not only to recover from the day’s race but to ensure you are properly fuelled for the next day. You got to put up with the rain in order to get to see the rainbow.

Our team of mechanics/soigneurs are working around the clock to make sure we have to do as little as possible and it is only by doing tours like these where you truly start to appreciate all the things that they do. On arrival at our motels, Dave has our bags up in our rooms and room allocations all sorted. Nico our mechanic pulls out the hose and cleans/fixes/adjusts our bikes and gets them ready for the next day’s race. Beth and Laura do our laundry, get us food (apparently we go through nearly 20 bananas a day!!), wash biddons, make race food and look after logistics. Then Beth gives up to 6 riders massages/treatments and changes dressings and makes sure we are fit to fight another day whilst Laura analyses files from the day’s race and calculates our hydration loss and asks us questions about each stage to get a better understanding things like if we feel good on the bike if our power is high, or if we feel bad but power still high and vice versa. So whilst we are resting and watching movies, everyone is working their butts off to make sure we can race the next day in the best conditions possible. I definitely feel privileged to be part of this team.

So 3 more days of racing and this means 3 more opportunities t try and make an impact/impression on the race. I came here to race, not to do a 120km training ride every day and I’m doing everything I possibly can to make sure that I can recover and get the form back which I had at the start of the tour so that I can finally fulfil my role for the team and help Tiff claim the white jersey. I’m sick of being a spectator in the game, I want to start being a player. Jens Voigt stated something along to lines of “when my legs start to burn I say to my body ‘shut up boy and do what I tell you to do’”. Tomorrow, I’m going to bring ear plugs.

The tour may be done and won by the time I next get a chance to update but until then, take care.

Ciao
Miffy xx

We're Back Online

2009-07-08T05:38:00.001+10:00

Yes it’s been a while since I’ve last updated, but this is because I’ve been travelling around the North of Italy with the 2009 Giro Donne. For the last 3 days I’ve been in a little motel somewhere near Pisa, with no internet, much to the horror of most of the girls! As we speak I’m sitting in a nice 4 star hotel in Fermo right on the beach, the sun is shining and looks like a perfect day for racing. Unfortunately from today onwards we move hotels every night so there is no time to get settled and long transfers after racing become the norm.

So here’s how the Giro Donne has played out so far:

Prologue:
The prologue was a 2.5km hotdog loop around the streets of Scarperia. It started with a short rise before a long downhill straight and uphill finish. I was pumped with adrenalin leading into the TT. Rolling up to the start line and seeing the likes of team Columbia and Cervelo, and people wearing their national jersey’s and the World Champion bands was overwhelming. As I was rolling up to the start, Marv wished me luck and said to have fun. I’m riding for my country in one of the biggest women’s stage races in the world. How could I not have fun? Sitting on the start line awaiting my start, I couldn’t believe what I’d gotten myself into. I was about to embark on one of my biggest learning journeys yet, that some of my biggest dreams were starting to unfold right in front of me. The clock hit 0 and it was time to go off, and just as quickly as it had started, it was over. I’d just finished the first stage in the Giro. Kirstin Wild from Cervelo won it and Tiff Cromwell was the best placed from the Aussie Team in a time of. A little disappointed, I finished in with a time of 2min29.

Stage 1:
Stage 1 was a 99.9km loop from San Piero to Sieve and Pratolino di Vaglia. It was a relatively flat course with 2 rises in the 2nd part of the course, the first one an average of 3% for km and then the last one a nasty 2km steep finish. My job for the day, and the Tour, is to be Carlee’s right hand man. It is my responsibility to try and help Carlee to position herself in the front of the bunch and help her whenever she needs it. I have to admit I was a little nervous with the role that I was given as Carlee (along with Tiff) is one of our GC contenders and so it was my responsibility to make sure she had to do as little as possible to save herself for the hiller stages when GC would be decided. Overall, I was really happy with how rode and fulfilled my role. I was positioned in the top half of the field for the whole race and managed to get Carlee into some better positions leading into the bases of the climbs. I’m not sure if I was still running on adrenalin or was just ‘in the zone’ but looking back on the race now, I don’t know how the hell I managed to fit through some of the gaps I did or move around the bunch like I did. One of the highlights for me would have been sitting on the back of the Columbia train as they dragged a few of their riders to the front. Definitely a cool moment there. I finished off the back of the main group with some of the other Aussie girls as my role was done for the day and I had done all that I could to help Carlee. It was then just a matter of getting myself to the finish using as little energy as possible. After the race, we rode back to where the van was to find our own seats with our own protein bottle, sandwich and bags all laid out in front. Buckets with water and towels were there to cool ourselves down and Nico and Dave were taking our bikes off us as we rolled in. I couldn’t believe how well organised the team is, and little did I know that this is what would happen everyday that we were on tour :)

Stage 2: 15km TT
I woke up this morning with a sickly feeling in my stomach. I’m not the best time trialist the world has ever seen and frankly, to be honest, they make me feel a little nervous. However, Marv came and spoke to Lauren and I shortly before departure and said that today we’d be having a ‘rest day’ and for us to only go 80%. Oddly enough, instead of feeling relieved, I was a little worried. Going 80% in probably my biggest time trial to date? But I soon looked at the bigger picture and my role in helping Carlee was far more important to me than giving everything in the TT, so I took the opportunity to conquer my fears and concentrate on my technique and practice my race script instead. The time trial ended up being quite enjoyable, I was happy with the way I rode it although the sharp pinch 500m from the end on cobbles through some narrow road through the houses proved somewhat of a challenging surprise (a girl who passed me shortly before we hit the climb literally came to a track stand!). I still finished mid field (I think 69th) however I think there were a few other girls who were having ‘a rest day’ also :p Tiff was our highest place getter on GC and now sits 3rd in the young rider classification

Stage 3: 90km, Monte Serra hill top finish.
What is today? Today is the most important day of our lives until tomorrow. Day 4 was dubbed the ‘Queen Stage’ of the Tour. It was on this stage last year that Luperini broke away from the field to win by 1min30 and secure the leader’s jersey. Needless to say, similar to last year, today would have a major impact on GC. Again today my role was to help out Carlee as best as possible. Loud cracks of thunder sent us off and within minutes, there was a heavy downpour and we were soaked to the bone. This made the 50km of flat before the climbs a lot more interesting. I was unable to move up through the bunch as I had on the first stage as there were mini ponds on the sides of the road and so was forced to fight my way through the much more edgy bunch. Visibility was minimal and scretching brakes and yells were heard frequently and of course there were a few crashes. I got caught up in one but fortunately managed to unclip as the girl infront of me tumbled down the side of the road but Lauren wasn’t so lucky getting caught up in another crash and after requiring a bike change, slipped on a white line as she was being towed back into the bunch! Looking a little worse for wear, she but on a brave face and set a good example for the team which is why she is our team Leader. She is a bit of a tough nut :P . Meanwhile I was still struggling with position when I heard over the radio that Carlee had punctured. I used the opportunity to go back with her and help to tow her back up to the bunch with Chloe and Belinda before the base of the first climb which was rapidly approaching. We managed to get her up in time but the mass of riders negotiating the narrow roads made it dfficult to get into the first half of the bunch. I was still in the tail end of the bunch when we hit the climb, I started to pass riders when the ‘grupetto’ started to form. Lauren and I managed to get into another group in front of grupetto and tempoed to the top of the first 9km climb. Our job was done, there was nothing else we could do for our GC riders now except to make it to the end of the race in one piece. If only it had happened that way. On the 10km decent, I was feathering the brakes to get some of the leftover water off before coming into a hairpin turn when much to my shock nothing was happening. The corner was coming up fast and still nothing from my brakes. I signalled to the girls to come past and took the corner as wide and best I could but slipped out and found myself in the gutter. Loz stopped to help me and the US team car also helped to peel me off the road and get me back on the bike. The rest of the decent was slow and tedious as there was still little response from my brakes. A small group caught us at the base of the decent and dragged our butts with them to the finish up Monte Serra.

All in all, not a terrible day in the office but not one of my finest either. I think I let the weather conditions get to me and never quite settled in. But I was able to take away a few things from the race also, like the importance of positioning in the bunch, that when a small bunch forms behind the leader’s bunch you do not attack it and all roll to the end together just to name a few.

This tour has been one of the steepest learning curves of my career to date and i'm enjoying learning the ins and outs of international racing and I feel that this experience can only help mould me into a bigger and better bike rider :D

Until next time,

Take care

Ciao xx

2009-07-02T00:53:00.002+10:00

Ah recovery days. After smashing yourself for over a week, it’s nice to unwind with a cruisey ride where you have time to take in the scenery around you and even make a brew stop or two. That is what we have on the program today :) After a pretty solid few days, my body is relishing the fact today I will not be crawling back from this ride on my knees. And how exactly have I come to reach this point? Well since our last double session, we’ve ventured close to 4hrs south to do a recon of Stage 3 of the Giro Donne (also dubbed as the ‘Queen stage’) which includes 2 climbs which are close to 9km in length. The stage starts of with a flat 50km before winding through a little town up the first climb, then down a long decent with another flat section not long before we start the climb to the hill top finish up Monte Serra. It is definitely going to be a tough one but at least now I’ve seen the climbs so hopefully it will not be too much of a shock to the system as I know it’s humanly possible to haul my butt up them!

We’ve also done some more motor pacing and yesterday ventured up what is more commonly know as the ‘Basso Climb’, I’m just hoping that means I’ll now climb like him! Now just a couple of more days for our bodies to recover before we tackle the Giro Donne head on!

Off the bike, the girls and I have enjoyed yet more gelati, grocery shopping, Italian lessons, shopping excursions and pizza eating. I even managed to catch up with fellow Canberran Vicki Whitelaw and her husband Dave who are currently living about 40km from where we are! It was great to catch up with them and hear how Vicki is coping with life as a pro cyclist, plus it was nice just to see another friendly face! It sure is a small world! We originally met at what the girls call the ‘chocolate spoon café’ which was dubbed that as the hot chocolates are actually served with a chocolate spoon! However, much to my disappointment, it was closed so we had to settle for another café where I had a very respectable hazelnut smoothie, not quite a chocolate spoon but I still rated it :)

We’ve also hit up the train to do a spot of shopping Varese before getting stuck in a thunderstorm in hail whilst having yet another mouth watering gigantor pizza from della Motta. Hmmm. I’ve finally mastered the food ordering process and can now add/change ingredients at my discretion; nothing is going to stop me now!! Who knows what random concoctions I’ll come up with next! We also had fun talking to one of the waiters who when we proceeded to give him a tip, kindly declined it in what we thought was a very polite manner before adding ‘I only take notes’, all in good spirits though. After having a bit of a laugh over that, we decided it would be funny to leave him a $5 Aussie note which he took as a souvenir, little did he know that it was well below the value of the 15 euro tip that we’d originally left for him!

Today I’m going out the lunch with some of the girls to Bar Cavour, home of my very first Italian hot chocolate. Apparently they don’t have a menu and you simply ask for whatever ingredients you want on your Panini or salad and voila! Just for something different.

My roommate Belinda Goss has also finally arrived! It’s great to have someone else around, started to get a bit lonely! And the U23 boys have come back to the base and Marv and Laura both arrive today so the base is crawling with action!

Our nights have been filled with more high stakes UNO bliss and we have decided that we are going to hold the inaugural UNO World Championships! Winner takes all. We’ve also discovered one of the dangers of owning a credit card = online shopping. Last night, the girls and I spent hours scavenging through the Victoria’s Secret website and we ended up with an order bordering on $400 worth of swimmers and dresses! You could hardly blame us, with a one day only sale of 20-60% it was an offer we simply couldn’t refuse!! So hopefully when we get back form the Giro, we’ll have a nice little package waiting for us on the doorstep . It was also an excellent team bonding exercise, with girls each giving their 2 cents worth, phrases such as ‘you’d look so hot in that’ and ‘nah, you have to be a skinny bitch to pull that off’ were thrown around and peer pressure was used heavily on the indecisive. I ended up with a bikini and a dress, chosen for me with the help of the team of personal shoppers :P can’t wait until they arrive!

Yesterday was also our last Italian lesson until we get back from the Giro. Ariane treated us those who had done their homework to a lovely homemade cheese cake. We’ve learnt a lot in our lessons and I now feel confident that I have been provided with enough material to get by in Italy  it was also another great team bonding experience, with the girls each discussing how we could cure the ‘drought’ that has plagued a few of us over the last few months :P

We’ve also are starting to get organised for the Giro which starts this Friday with the 2.5km prologue. I didn’t actually realise just how fortunate I was to be apart of the Australian team. I wouldn’t be joking when I said all you had to do was ride your bike. At a brief meeting we had yesterday, we were told that all meals/snack food/biddons was taken care of, that our washing would be done every night for us, we’d get massages at least every 2nd day and all of the recovery stuff and bike equipment taken care of. We sure are spoilt!! I feel a bit lazy actually…

Well I think that is all that has been happening over the last couple of days..I’ll try and give another quick entry before we head off for the Giro as who knows when we’ll have internet!

Until then, take care and best of luck to all those riding the Canberra Tour!
Ciao Ciao

Miffy xx

Just like living in paradise...

2009-06-27T15:12:00.005+10:00

Eat, ride, eat some more, stretch, recover and sleep. They are basically the only things you have to worry about over here. Forget work, forget all the dramas back home and concentrate purely on what you are here to do, ride your bike.

Over the past few days, we’ve embarked on more challenging training rides such as double sessions and more recently a 6hr ride with SEs and a 10km climb followed by some pacelining in the 35 degree heat!! We also rode over part of the 2009 World Road Race course, it’s definitely one for the climbers! Although it may have seemed like an epic day in the saddle, after a recovery day yesterday we are ready to get stuck in and do it all over again today! Motor pacing this morning then in the arvo we are pulling out the big guns with some power climbs!

Off the bike, we have started having our Italian Lessons. Ariane has been given the duty of teaching us some basic Italian so that we can survive whilst we are over here. We’ve had a couple of lessons so far and I’m really enjoying learning another language and make an effort at every opportunity I get to try and practice it with the locals. I even managed to order myself a piece of steak (I made sure I learnt how to say the word ‘beef’ so I wouldn’t end up eating horse or anything :p) from the butcher who then proceeded to have a conversation in Italian with me to which I had to reply ‘Mi scusi, non capsico!’ I’m still working on it but my goal is to be able to have something that sort of resembles a proper conversation with someone by the time I get home!!

Not surprisingly, the girls and I have also ventured across the road for numerous gelati trips. The man who owns the shop makes the gelati fresh every morning fee from preservatives and with all natural ingredients (yes, so that gives me the right to have it everyday and not feel guilty :) ) and since he uses whatever ingredients he has on hand, you never know which flavours he is going to have!! So far I have had: banana, coconut, strachiatella, hazelnut, strawberry, some rice crispy one, a ferrero rocher one and something called ‘biscotto’ (which is basically the cookies and cream equivalent to gelati)!! My favourites so far are by far the biscotto and banana however these seem not to be made very often…Oh well, just means I’ll have to get extra when it is there :P And since we are talking about food, I think I’ve mastered the whole ‘cooking your own food in Italy’ situation. I now know what you can and can’t buy (no, don’t bother looking for ‘mixed herbs on spices’ in the racks…) and have been introduced to the world of fresh bread and cheeses. Yesterday I bought a fresh loaf of bread form the pizza restaurant called Risto around the corner, it was still warm when I bought it and needless to day it didn’t last long after I used it for lunch and made the tastiest bruschetta know to man for dinner that night!

The girls and I have also taken UNO to a whole new level, making it ‘high stakes’ UNO. Screams and shrieks can be heard well into the evening as whoever loses is forced to do whatever punishment the group has decided on before hand. So far Chloe has been the only unlucky one having to wear chamois cream on her face instead of sunscreen and today has to do the motor pacing session in leg and arm warmers which may not seem bad for those of you back home, but when it’s a lovely summers day like it is here...Let’s just say I’m glad its not me!

So apart from that, nothing much else has been happening. Belinda Goss arrives today so I am no longer by my lonesome which will make for a nice change! Rumour also has it that we are going to do a recon of the time trial and one of the climbs in the Giro (the Monte Serra) tomorrow which will be good! And we are also thinking of heading into Milan to do a bit of shopping either Monday or Wednesday and we have a date with the Pizza restaurant scheduled in there too!! Beth is also back so we are being pampered with massages and Ariane now comes twice a week for Italian lessons!
So things are looking pretty good over here. I think my body has finally started to adjust to the time zones after waking up at 5-530am everyday since I’ve been here, I was relieved this morning to roll over and see my watch was ticking over close to 630am!! Success!! And I’m starting to feel my legs again too which is good considering the training that we have coming up! Not to mention something we call the Giro starting just around the corner….

So until next time, take care

Ciao

Miffy
xx

P.S Uploading photos seems to be a touchy subject for my computer at the moment... I will try again soon but in the mean time feel free to check out my photos at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=275166&id=746470234&l=7a4717fe97

2009-06-25T15:09:00.007+10:00

After a rather late night, I was not surprised to find myself awake at the ungodly hour of 5am. Unable to get back to sleep I admitted defeat and jumped online to wish my twin sister a Happy Birthday. It has been 3 years since we last celebrated our birthdays together as this time last year I’d just arrived in the USA and this year I’m in Italy…When you put it that way, life sounds kind of tough :P

So I had a long chat to my sister and she revealed that for part of my birthday present she’d hacked into my blog and totally redone my layout and so VOILA :D Although I was angry she’d hacked into my account, I forgive her because I think that the layout is bloody awesome, gold star for effort :D

On the agenda today was a 4hr ride with some SE climbs. Have only being been here for less than 24hrs, I was exempt from the efforts and so casually ‘tapped’ up the 10% climbs taking some happy snaps as I went. After we’d finished the efforts we rode round the Swiss border and round a beautiful looking lake (pics below) before riding though a rather hectic Varese back home to Castronno.

Later that afternoon, Lauren suggested that we go out and find ourselves an authentic Italian hot chocolate (ciocolata) to try. Rumour has it that they are so thick that you put a spoon in the middle of it and it stands straight up…needless to say it wasn’t long before we’d jumped on the townies in the direction of Bar Cavour. Our journey did not go incident free mind you, lets just say that I may have lost a little skin on my leg and that the score is Townie 1, Miffy 0. There will be revenge!

So we ordered our ciocolatas and Lauren got hers with panna (cream) and my draw literally dropped when the waiter placed my order in front of me. Sitting there was a cup of chocolate ‘sludge’ which tasted exactly like chocolate pudding…apparently these things are everywhere and it’s simply how the Italians do hot chocolates!! Yummy :)

Loz and her Ciocolata con Panna

Me and my Ciocolata

We then casually rode the townies back home so that we could greet out newest addition to the family, Chloe who had just arrived from the Netherlands after a tour with her Moving Ladies team. It was great to finally see her again as I haven’t seen her since she left Canberra nearly 3 months ago!

the Townies

For dinner that night we embarked on a journey to Varese to go and sample what was some of the best Italian pizza by Dave McPartland, our coach until Marv arrives on the 1st. After trying to decipher the 100 different types of pizza (pizza with mozerella, tomatoes and basil or mozerella tomatoes and oregano etc..) and with the help of the very patient waiter, I managed to order a pizza with fresh tomatoes, basil, artichoke, mushrooms and mozerella. Oh my goodness. Apart from being close to 3 dinner plates in size, the pizza was probably the best thing that has happened since the invention of the Italian hot chocolates! Each of the girls devoured their pizzas whole and were all in agreement that they could probably eat more! Pizza is never going to be the same again. Ever.

After rolling ourselves out of the restaurant, we jumped back on the train to Castronno and dinkied the townies back home where the girls had bought me a delicious chocolate cake and card to celebrate my birthday which was unexpected and very sweet of them :)

So not a bad way to spend my birthday. Nice weather, good ride, yummy food and probably some of the nicest company you could ever ask to spend your day with. I just wish my sister was here to enjoy it all with me!

Tomorrow we have an easy ride and our first Italian lesson! I’ll be fluent before you know it :p

Until next time,

Ciao
xx

What dreams are made of :)

2009-06-24T14:51:00.001+10:00

23hrs of flying and 7 plane meals later, and I’ve finally arrived in Italy! The flight was anything but cruisey but it all quickly became worth it as we began our decent into Milan airport. I was greeted by the stunning view of the sun beaming down on the glistening snow capped muntains which surrounded us. See it doesn’t have to be minus a thousand degrees and miserable to have snow! Pretty sure someone should have told Canberra this.

So I was great at the airport by soigny extraordinaire Beth Duryea in the unmistakeable AIS team van and it was only a short drive to Castronno, Varese which I will be calling home for the next 6 weeks!

Pulling up to the house, it was nothing like I had expected! It is a 4 story ‘complex’ with self contained apartments varying in size on each level. I’m staying in room 6 which I will be sharing with Belinda Goss when she arrives on the 26th and Tiffany Cromwell who arrives on the 2nd of July but for now I’m in here all by myself! Lauren Kitchen is sharing with Amber Halliday and Carlee Taylor, Shara Gillow and Chloe Hosking are bunking together. We are each responsible for cooking/preparing our own meals for the length of the stay which is good as it teaches us to still become independent whilst away racing and gives us the challenge of trying to fend for ourselves in a country where we have no idea what is going on! But fear not, I have come equipped with my Italian phrasebook and dictionary on my Ipod touch and have been informed that we will be having Italian lessons twice a week for the duration of our stay!

After unloading all of my gear, I was faced with my first challenge of a trip to the supermarket to buy some essentials for lunch (so I could eat something which actually resembled real food!). I only had a couple of minutes in the shop but I was quite impressed with my efforts and came out with all the essentials to make probably one of the tastyest sandwiches to date. I would give myself an A for effort in this challenge :)

In the afternoon, I went out with the girls for their second session of the day to spin out the legs. It was about 28 degrees and you couldn’t have wiped the smile off my face! I think it was just after we’d ridden through the middle of Varese and then out pass the Lindt factory onto the windy undulating roads when I said to myself “yeah, I could get use to this :)”

The day was capped off by a trip to the Gelati store which is literally just across the street! The owner hand makes it fresh every morning and it’s safe to say that he will be seeing a hell of a lot more of me whilst I’m here!! Equipped with my Italian dictionary, I was able to decipher all of the flavours and settled for a mixture of stracciatella, banana and coconut. Oh my. I’m pretty sure I’m never going to eat gelati in Canberra ever again! The taste in your mouth as the ice slowly melts on your tongue and the refreshing feeling it gives you as it slides its way down your throat…Jealous yet? :P

So that pretty much sums up my first day in Italia :) It is everything I could have imagined and o so much more! I will upload photos shortly of the house and where we are staying so until then stay tuned!!

Take care
xx

..And we're back!

2009-06-15T21:06:00.002+10:00

So I have to admit, it has been a while since I have last updated my blog but now it’s time to dust off the virtual cobwebs as my bicycle and I are about to embark on yet another overseas adventure. Last year I was off to the land of drive-thrus and fried chicken and this year I’m escaping the harsh Canberra winter and heading to the home of the Godfather, gelato and Ferragamo shoes. That’s right people, I’m off to Italia :D

I recently got the unexpected pleasure of being invited to ride with the Australian National team in a 6 week stint over in Europe competing in some of the biggest races on the Women’s calendar including the Giro Donne in Italy and the Tour of Limousin in France. This certainly did come as a surprise! Let me paint the scene for you. I’d just finished having coffee with my coach after discussing plans for the rest of the year, dreading the thought of having to endure the cold months where you ask yourself ‘what the hell am I doing in this sport?’, when 20min into my ride home I received a text message from my coach saying to ‘please ring, it’s urgent’. I quickly rung him back desperate to find out what was wrong when he said ‘Barras (Martin Barras the Australian Women’s Head Coach) wants to know if you want to ride the Giro.’ My initial reaction is probably not suitable to publish on the net but it was quickly followed by a ‘HELL YES!!’ and ever since then it’s been a snow ball effect of activity getting myself prepared for my first stint donning the Aussie green and gold against the best women racers the world has to offer!!

So it has been a while since I’ve blogged and what’s happened? Well life has full of ups and downs of course but that’s all part of the character building and what makes you tougher, I guess. Some of the prominent events have been my involvement in an Altitude Study at the AIS where I was locked up with 12 other girls for 6 weeks during which we underwent various testing and gruelling training sessions which were designed to ‘bring us back on our knees’ all whilst sleeping at altitude to determine if haemoglobin mass had any impact on performance. The study was a huge success and I would do it again in a heartbeat. We were luckily enough to undergo a training program set by Martin Barras and the whole study was organised by Laura Garvican who was assisted by sports science extraordinaire Dave ‘you animal!’ Martin and Torben our very own German doctor :P. I learnt a lot about myself both as a bike rider and as a person during that camp and started to prove to myself that I might actually have what it takes to make something out of this sport! I am also learning more about my body and how it adapts to certain training and most importantly, when it’s telling me that enough is enough and I need to recover. During the last few months I have also had the honour of becoming a of the ACT Academy of Sport and wear now my state’s colours with pride in competition. It was a bittersweet transition as it involved me leaving my old coach with whom I have a bond which could not compare to any other. But I’m not afraid to try new things and am a firm believer in change. My ultimate goal is to make it as a professional cyclist in an international team as well as compete for my country in the Olympic and Commonwealth games and being part of the State Institute seemed like the next logical step to achieving my goals. I am now coached by Glenn Doney and have enjoyed the challenge of the training and have formed a close bond with my big yellow ergo who I have nicknamed ‘Moose’ (I spend a lot of time on there, so it’s good to have a good relationship!!). I’m now doing some more time trial style training (shock horror :O) because to be a good tour rider you need to be able to climb hills fast and have a strong time trial in you. I’ve come to terms that in time trialling, pain is the key. You just have to swallow the hard cold fact that it is going to hurt, bad.

Canberra Tour has also been and gone and overall I was happy with my performances on the Saturday (getting 3rd in both stages) albeit a little disappointed with my efforts in the Sunday race. I was part of the decisive break on the road and at one point was virtual race leader but I got too preoccupied with the race and as a consequence my nutrition suffered and there is no worse feeling then seeing the race ride away from you 100m from the top of the last climb…I was left to ride the last 7km to the finish line with a big mushroom cloud over my head praying that I wasn’t going to get swallowed and spat out by the rapidly approaching pack. I managed to hold on and pick up 5th, making me 5th on GC. I learnt a lot from that tour and I think I’m a better rider having had experienced that. It has highlighted an issue that I have tried to overlook for too long and I am now more determined then ever to settle the issue once and for all. Unfortunately I didn’t have the legs but maybe with a bit more work I’ll get there and crack a podium finish!

Off the bike, I’ve been working up a storm at Aerofit gym owned by Commonwealth and Olympic Games representative in the 20km walk (now if that isn’t a tough sport…)Nick A’Hern and his wife Jen and have recently completed my Cert III in Fitness. I also started my degree of a Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Laws at the University of Canberra but chose to defer it until next year when I am in a better mindset to give it 100%, even though it means I’ll still be at Uni when I’m old and wrinkly….

So that’s pretty much all that’s been happening in my bubble over the last few months since coming back from the Women’s Tour of New Zealand. I depart for the AIS base in Varese on Saturday the 20th June where I’m told I will be greeted with close to 30 degree weather and sunshine (thank goodness!!!) and I’ll be arriving on my Birthday, the 22nd June. Last year I arrived in the US on my 18th Birthday and this year I will be celebrating my 19th in Italy…Boy life’s tough :P

I’ll be racing the Giro with a relatively young team comprising of Shara Gillow, Carlee Taylor, Amber Halliday, Lauren Kitchen, Tiffany Cromwell and fellow Canberran Chloe Hosking who has definitely making a name for herself riding with the Dutch Moving Ladies team!!! It’ll be great to catch up and be able to share this experience with her! Under the watchful eye of Martin Barras and with the support of Beth Duryea and Dave McPartland it’s going to be a tremendous experience. I can’t believe that I’m one step closer to living the dream…I’m super motivated and can’t wait for it all to come about!

And so another chapter in my life as a cyclist is about to begin, and something tells me it’s going to be a long but invaluable one :)

Stay tuned
xx

The new kit out in action at Canberra Tour

looking hardcore at a photoshoot

NZCT Women's Tour of New Zealand

2009-03-03T10:16:00.001+11:00

A reality check and a fantastic learning experience, this is what the 2009 NZCT Women’s Tour of New Zealand was for me. I had been fortunate enough to be chosen to ride along side some of the Australia’s top up and coming riders to compete on behalf of the National Talent Identification Team. Members of the team included team mentor and current Oceania Time Trial Champion Bridie O’Donnell (VIC), Rachel Neylan and Lisa Jacobs (SA) and Shara Gillow (QLD). We were one of 14 other teams from 8 different countries to contest the tour and what we may have lacked in palmers to our name compared some of the other teams, we made up for with grit, determination and dedication.

The Tour was made up of 3 Stages with the decisive stage to be the final day which finished on top of the infamous Admiral Hill. Stage one, 132km, was a relatively flat lap course with a 1km climb each lap. Although there were numerous attempts from riders to break away, it was clear from the start that nothing was going to be left unmarked and we were destined for a bunch sprint.

Like any bike race though, the race didn’t go incident free. For starters our radio frequency got hijacked by another New Zealand team before turning into nothing but static for the rest of the race, there was a crash which saw two riders retire from the race and to cap it off a dog was running loose on the course with 500m to go just to add a bit of excitement to the already hectic bunch finish.
The stage was taken out by Australian Rochelle Gilmore closely followed by fellow Australians Chloe Hosking and Peta Mullens.

Day 2 was run on a similar course and saw us trek down to Martinborough before returning to Masterton after 132km of racing, over 260km of racing in less than 24hrs!

There were again 2 sprint primes in the race and two KOM climbs. Rochelle Gilmore was wearing the leader’s jersey after the brilliant combined efforts on behalf of herself and her team in addition to leading the sprint classification. Ruth Corset was leading the KOM competition and donned the polka dot jersey after dominating the climb yesterday and Chloe was wearing the young rider’s jersey after her stella performance against some of the best sprinters around. Stage 2 was going to be a test of the fittest and see who had recovered well from the day before. It was obvious that some riders had recovered better than others with riders dropping wheels in the bunch and the peloton was more reluctant to chase down breaks. This proved good for our team as Bridie launched a solo attack which would have been the most significant attack of the day. There were a few more attempts at breakaways but in the closing stages of the race the sprinters teams weren’t letting anything get away and we were again in for another bunch finish.
Rochelle Gilmore took out the stage in fine style closely followed by Chloe Hosking.

Stage 3 was the final and decisive stage of the tour with all riders separated merely by seconds. It was the most demanding course of the tour, 125km of undulating terrain with a finish a top of Admiral hill which was around 12km in length. The tour was over for the sprinters and it was now time for the hill climbers to show what they were made of. The stage was the most eventful of the whole tour with many riders eager to get a head start on the climb. The first attack to get away was a solo one initiated by Kathy Watt shortly after 45km into the race, who managed to stay clear until the final hill. At the 70km mark, an attack made by Peta Mullens from the Australian National Team and Amber Halliday from MBC cycles looked threatening and saw a small group of riders attempt to bridge across including our own Rachel Neylan. This break proved to be the move of the day as a member from each of the stronger teams had someone in it.

Behind them, the peloton was still in tack before hitting the base of the first KOM climb at just over the 100km mark. At this stage, the peloton splintered into several smaller groups. In addition to the riders who had broken away earlier in the stage, there was now another classy chase group down the road which included several members of the Australian National Team, the Chinese and Japanese National time and two of our own members from the NTID team Shara Gillow and Lisa Jacobs. This group managed to pick up all but two members from the earlier break on the climb. Amber Halliday put in an awesome performance to take out the stage by over a 1min, followed by Min Gao and Lang Meng from the Chinese National Team. Shara showed that she is a rider to look out for in the future by coming home in a very respectable 8th place, taking 2nd in the U23 category and the performance of the day went to Rachel Neylan who managed to hold on for 9th place.

This tour was a massive learning experience for me on many different levels. Although I was disappointed not have done as well as I hoped on the overall GC, I still achieved some of my personal goals and was able to reflect back on each day and highlight the things that were good and the things that were probably not so good. On the first stage, I found that it took me close to the 30km mark to feel comfortable moving around the peloton as it is not everyday that I get the chance to ride in a peloton of that size and I was nervous being around riders who I hadn’t ridden against before. Once I started to feel comfortable in the bunch, I was then able to assist my team in chasing down breaks and ensure that our GC contenders were well protected in the bunch.

Lisa and I also learnt that porridge, although being tasty and delicious, probably isn’t the most ideal pre-race food and that we were better off having toast and other simple carbs which were more easy on the stomach!
Sometimes you just have to make those mistakes yourself.

Unfortunately the final stage wasn’t my best day in the office and consequently I payed the price. I was struggling to position myself properly in the bunch and often found myself out in the wind or boxed in with no where to go. This proved to be costly, as my bad positioning made me miss what proved to be the decisive attacks of the day. I was disappointed not because I had missed the winning break, but because I had failed to fulfil my role for the team which was to be in any break which went in the 2nd half of the race. From that point on, I was struggling both physically and mentally and just didn’t have it in me when it came to crunch time. Oh well, it happens. So although I didn’t achieve the ‘result’ I would have hoped for, I learnt more in the last 3 days of racing then I have probably over the last year. I learnt more about myself and which areas I need to focus on, how important it is to ensure you are kept well hydrated and recover properly for the next stage and most importantly, the joys and ins and outs of riding as part of a team. I felt very privileged to be able to ride along side the riders of the NTID team and be associated with such a fantastic group of girls! With the help of our team manager/coach/chauffeur John Forrest, we came away from the tour with 8th and 9th place on overall GC, 2nd in the U23 classification and as a result of the dedication put in by the team; we also took out 2nd in the teams’ classification.

In addition to the racing experience, we were also had the opportunity to experience some local hospitality in our home stay accommodation. I was staying on an 11 acre farm just outside of town with my teammates Lisa and Shara which was owned by a lovely couple named Dave and Dale. Each night we were treated to lovely home killed meat and veg, our clothes could be found washed and hanging in the dry room waiting for us when we came home, our beds made, floors vaccumed…everything we could have asked for and so much more! We were being spoilt and needless to say we didn’t want to leave. We were even treated to a bbq on our final night and had abalone! Although it didn’t look particularly appetizing it was delicious and Dale’s mouth-watering recipe had us all going back for more! So a big thank you for the lovely hospitality we received from our new Kiwi family :D

Tomorrow is the International One Day Cup of Cycling held in Masterton on a flat 9km circuit. We are doing 14 laps of the course which is filled with manhole covers, diesel on the roads and railway tracks with 2 trains scheduled to be coming through the course during our race! It is also forecast for rain and wind just to add to the excitement! It is going to be a good race; the team is going in with nothing to loose and with everything to gain.

Wish us luck :D
Happy cycling

Bay Crit Day 5: Ritchie Boulevard

2009-01-14T19:49:00.002+11:00

My 5th and final day in sunny Geelong and my time at Bay Crits is rapidly coming to an end. The Ritchie Boulevard crit is the last crit of the series and is run down on the waterfront in a car park. This course is probably one of the fastest and it is not uncommon to see the whole peloton strung out from one end of the course to the other. It is a hot dog circuit at it’s best and the men do approximately 60 laps which means that they do around 120 standing starts during the whole crit! The straights are only 300-400m long which doesn’t leave much opportunity to move up in the pack, so it’s best to make it easy for yourself and be up the front on the start line and stay there. Easier said than done mind you. This crit far from suited me and I unfortunately got stuck towards the back at the start line and things didn’t get much better from there on. I lasted for a grand total of 10-15min, my worst effort so far. Not the best way to finish! There were again a few crashes during the race, however fortunately no one appeared to be seriously injured. I think in total there were 3-4 crashes? Kirsty Broun hit the deck twice whilst Chloe also came tumbling down. The crashes all happened on the first hot dog corner and were partly due to the combination of sand and dirt on the course and the speed at which the riders travel! So there were a lot of laps out and it all got a little bit confusing! Lauren and the NSWIS crew did a lot of work chasing down dangerous attacks in the closing stages of the race noticeably by Nikki Butterfield and Peta Mullens which meant that the race came down to a blistering bunch sprint. Chloe had to finish several places ahead of Josie Tomic to get the 2 points she needed to move herself up into 2nd place however a well ridden ride saw here claim 4th whilst Chloe picked up 3rd in the sprint behind Kirsty and Rochelle. Rochelle placed in the first sprint, securing her overall victory in the sprinter’s competition whilst Kirsty extended her lead on GC to take out the crown for the series.

So that is another Jayco Bay Crit Series done and dusted and overall I’m very pleased with how it all turned out. It was a vast improvement on last year and I enjoyed being able to be part of the NSWIS team. Olivia Gollan, our team manager, was awesome. Having ridden the crits on numerous occasions, she was able to provide us with lots of useful advice and tell us what each of us could do to use our strengths. I felt very privileged to have been able to work with her and it was a definitely a very enriching experience! Looking after our team was Olivia’s first experience as a manager and I’m sure it felt unusual being on the other side of the fence, however she did an awesome job looking after us and making sure we were well fed and taken care of! So a big thanks to Liv!

I’m a little bit shattered after the crits so I don’t think I will ride the Nationals TT tomorrow in Ballarat. After discussing it with my coach, we both believe that I am well under prepared for it and it would do me best to rest up and put everything into the road race on Saturday! I can’t wait! Hopefully the bay crits will give me the volume I need in order to come off into a successful Nationals campaign! So Ballarat, here I come!

accelerating out of the corner for probably the 60th time that race ha ha
Take care
xo

Bay Crits Day 4: Portarlington

2009-01-14T18:29:00.003+11:00

Today’s race was on the waterfront at Portarlington, about 30km from Geelong. It is described as the toughest circuit of the series with a leg snapping climb on the back straight with a slight uphill drag to the finish. Like yesterday’s stage, it was survival of the fittest, and a course more suited to the roadies in the pack. Lauren Kitchen from the NSWIS squad is a very talent hill climber and is defending champion on this course and was looking to impress again today. This race saw numerous riders launching early attacks to try and stretch the pack. First to attack was Peta Mullens but she was seen as a dangerous attack and quickly chased down by the bunch. Next to attack was team mate Jess Griffiths, a first year U/19 rider who is improving every time she races and is definitely a rider to watch out for! As soon as she was brought back by the pack, another attack by an MBC rider saw her gain maximum points for the first intermediate sprint whilst Rochelle took 2nd over her team mate Lauren. When the MBC rider was swallowed by the pack, a gap opened up in front of me on the climb and I saw my chance to attack. Without even thinking I kicked out of the pack and started riding away from them. No one came with me and the pack was slow to react so it saw me ride away solo. I was away for 4 laps and managed to gain a lead of around 17sec, but I began to feel the impact of the wind blowing in off the water and the climb on the back straight started to take its toll. I was caught by the bunch and managed to slot myself in the pack out of the wind. With around 6 laps remaining, the pack started to fracture and feeling the impact of my earlier efforts, I was unable to stick with the lead group. A group of 10 managed to sneak away containing the majority of the top 10 riders on GC (including Chloe and Lauren) and so there was no real need for me to bring them back. In my group was NSWIS rider Ashlee Ankudinoff and we were starting to line things up to try and win the bunch kick as there were still places to be claimed when a crash involving Belinda Goss saw our chase group be given the red flag just as we were about to launch our attack. Kirsty, Chloe and Nikki Butterfield managed to avoid the crash and ended up finishing the race in that order respectively. It was a fantastic result for Chloe who is proving she is one of the most consistent riders of the competiton! Lauren was also looking good for the finish however the crash happened right in front of her and so she missed the break. I was please with my efforts today, I managed to launch a pretty significant attack and also finish what people call one of the most toughest circuits of the series. Not a bad day in the office if I don’t say so myself! I was a little tired on the ride home and got dropped by my team mates on the climbs, but hey, I worked my butt off! Ha ha and it felt good. Chloe has moved herself up into 3rd on GC with her result today and hopefully we can try slide her up in front of Josie Tomic on tomorrow’s decisive stage. Fingers crossed!

attacking up the back straight

Take care
xo

Bay Crits Day 3: Geelong Botanic Gardens (short course)

2009-01-14T18:08:00.003+11:00

Today’s race was again held right outside our door step in the Botanic Gardens. It was held on a 2km course over the other side of the gardens with a couple of tight corners at both ends and a slight rise out of the back one just to mix things up a little bit. From the time the race started, the pressure was on. This crit is basically the survival of the fittest and within the first few laps the peloton was strung out and the elastic band showed signs of snapping. I was clinging to the pack for dear life as the hammer was being thrown down and one by one riders started dropping off. It was hard to see who was causing most of the damage, but whoever it was, was doing an awesome job at it! Unfortunately this race was scared by a crash involving our NSWIS team mate Meagan Dunn. Meagan’s front wheel slipped out as she was driving it around the first bend and she crashed, breaking her collar bone. It was a very unlucky thing to happen, and she was lucky that no other major damage was caused! Meagan has now had an operation to fix her shoulder and hopefully she will be on the bike fighting fit in no time, I wish her a speedy recovery! The crash meant that the race stopped for around 18min whilst the riders were being attended too. The clock continued to run due to TV commitments and so we started the race with around 15min remaining. The bunch had regrouped (which most of the girls weren’t too happy with) and so the pressure was on again to regain the advantage that they had but into the bunch. As soon as we rolled out, I felt my legs. The lactic acid that had been building up over the last half of the race had accumulated in my legs and so I was struggling big time and I think so were the other girls. I managed to stay in the race until just under 5min remaining when my bunch of 5 other riders got pulled out. I was a bit disappointed not to be able to make it to the end of the race, but looking back on last year I think I lasted less than 10min? So that in itself is something to be proud of! The stage got taken out by surprise winner Rowena Fry, a mountain biker from Tasmania. It was a tactfully well timed sprint and a well deserved win. She attacked right as the peloton swerved left and no one was expecting her to go! Peta Mullens rolled across the line to pick up 2nd and Kirsty Broun rounded out the podium for 3rd. Chloe Hosking rode another brilliant race to finish 5th and so has moved herself into 5th on GC whilst Rochelle Gilmore scored herself a few more sprint points to extend her lead in the Sprint Classification! Tomorrow’s stage is one I have been looking forward to all week, Portarlington. Can’t wait! Hopefully I’ll be able to report back with some good news from the team!

Warming up before the crit

Take care
xo

Jayco Bay Crit Day 2: Botanic Gardens (long course)

2009-01-08T15:58:00.001+11:00

After having probably one of the best night sleeps ever, I wearily scrambled out of bed to attend a meeting with the entire squad at 7am. With a squad as large as ours, its hard to get everyone in the same place at once but you can almost guarantee you’ll find us all at a buffet breakfast so it was as good a time as any to get us all together to have a chat. I’ve never been away with the NSWIS team before, but I have often admired the way which they conduct themselves both on and off the bike and I was excited and felt privileged to be a part of such a reputable squad! After our briefing, it was simply a case of eating ourselves silly before heading out for a 30km rec ride. When we came back, we had a couple of hours to chill and do our own thing before it was time for lunch and to start getting our stuff together! The Geelong Conference Centre is located inside the Botanic Gardens which is convenient as the start line for today’s and tomorrow’s races are literally less than 500m up the road! The NSWIS and Mazda girls all rode over together as a squad and cut a few laps of the course, sussing out potholes and strategically placed islands in the middle of the course before parting ways to do our own warm ups. This course was more of a roadie’s course, with only one real significant corner and a slight uphill on the back and finishing straights. Just as we were heading over to the start line, the men’s support race was on their final lap and unfortunately there was a crash less than 200m from the finish line which looked pretty nasty, one guy’s carbon wheel was bent clean in half whilst there was another broken carbon fibre frame. Some of the guys were seen by the ambo’s but I don’t think there was any really significant damage which is always good! Not the best thing to see just as your about to commence your race though.

Based upon yesterday’s results, we started on the 2nd and 3rd rows from the front, meaning that we had a bit of work to get up the front! The race was pretty solid for the most part, with several riders keen to have a dig however, nothing was going to be left unmarked as it was yesterday and all moves were soon brought back by the pack. There were quite a few moments though were the bunch would ease up and things started to get a bit sketchy in the bunch and with people doing everything they can jut to survive, there were moments where I got a bit scared! But I didn’t crash, and I was able to get out of those situations, so that in itself is a bit of a confidence booster! One of NSWIS’s goals for the race today was to protect Rochelle’s sprinter’s jersey and in the 1st of 2 intermediate sprints, they had a textbook lead out which ended up in a break of all the NSWIS riders up the road, taking the pressure of Rochelle who was then just able to get towed across by the bunch. Like the girls’ said in the debriefing after the race, it is not often that plans work but today it did and it was great! To be honest, I’m not too sure how things went in the 2nd sprint, all I know is that the girls did their job and Rochelle is still leading the sprinter’s competition. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned for the girls in the closing stages of the race and a slow in the pace with less than 1km to go caused the pack to congest, making it difficult for the girls to move up and get their trains sorted. In the end, Kirsty Broun edge off Rochelle for the win. Chloe rode another awesome race to finish in the top 10 again along with Meagan Dunn.

I was very please with my race, it was the first Bay Crit that I’ve finished so that in itself was an achievement for me! I also managed to chase down a few attacks as well as launch a few of my own which I was quite pleased about. I like to be able to contribute to races, I’m not a fan of sitting back and watching everyone else control the race. The main thing I believe lets me down is my bunch skills, well lack of. Or maybe it’s just my confidence? I generally found myself on the outside of the pack, either in the dirt or the wind. I would occasionally be able to find some gaps and work my way up the middle of the back but I was a bit nervous. Meagan made a good point in the debriefing when she said that ‘you can’t be afraid of crashing, otherwise you’ll go nowhere’. I think she is dead right. I’ve crashed a lot in my time ha ha and sure you get a bit battered and worn but you walk it off and your good to go! So that is one goal for tomorrow, to try and stay in the mix with the pack as well as try and survive! We are racing mid-arvo basically on the waterfront so it will be very windy! We also have Amy’s Ride tomorrow and it is great that we are able to support such a great cause and help make the roads we train on safer for everyone!

getting underway
Until next time
xo

Jayco Bay Crit Day 1: Williamstown

2009-01-08T15:56:00.000+11:00

Day 1 of the Jayco Bay Criterium series and Williamstown was buzzing with excitement. The place was crawling with enthusiastic cyclists keen to meet their teams and get stuck into what is a fast and intense series of racing! One of my favourite things about big races is that you get to see the rest of your cycling friends from around the country who you don’t get to see very often and it’s great to catch up and see how they are going! This year, I am racing on behalf of the Geelong Mazda team and staying at the Geelong Conference Centre with Gary Sutton and the NSWIS team. We also have the pleasure of having Olivia Gollan as our team manager and I am really looking forward to getting to know her and learning from her experiences!

The Williamstown circuit is roughly 800m in length and it is a rectangular circuit with a difficult round-a-bout corner at the end of the front straight. The wind was strong and so there was a nasty headwind going into the back straight which started to take its toll on the dropped riders. The Women’s race was run shortly after the men’s support race and we were all called up for team introductions and 45min of racing. The pace was on from the start and showed no sign of ever slowing down! He field was strung out for the majority of the race, a trend for the men’s racing as well, and it was basically a case of survival of the fittest. In the end, I think only 12 or 15 girls actually finished the first crit. I was in the last group to be pulled by the officials, with just under 15min of racing. I didn’t get to see much of what was happening in the race or who was doing the damage, but from what I herd is that Josephine Tomic launched an attack shortly after the last intermediate sprint with 15min left of racing and she slipped away from the pack, managing to hold on for a solo victory. At the race debriefing, most of the girls said that teams were relying on the other teams to chase and this hesitation and reliance on others; let a dangerous rider quickly disappear out of sight. It was a very smart and tactful way to ride the bike race and a very well deserved win! Rochelle Gilmore, riding for the NSWIS team won the bunch kick for 2nd holding of Australian Criterium Champ Kirsty Broun and Chloe Hosking who is also riding for Mazda rode an excellent race to finish 4th! Giving her a start on the front line for tomorrow’s race.

I was disappointed not to have been able to hang in there until the finish and was a bit down on myself after the race. My initial thoughts after the race were ‘what am I doing here’. But then I remembered that this is probably the hardest series of criterium races in Australia and they are more suited to power athletes, which is not my strong point. My main goals for the series is to hopefully improve my bunch skills and improve my confidence in being able to hold my own in the bunch, and stay close to the front! As well as finish at least 1 race! I think that it is possible, I just have to ride smart and look after myself.

Tomorrow’s course is in the Geelong Botanic Gardens and is the longest course of the series, about 2.5km. It is more of a Roadie’s course and has a bit of an incline in it as well as wider roads with more chances to move up! So hopefully I’ll be able to do something then!

Stay tuned
Xo