It’s that time of year again… when cyclists flock to South Australia for a week of riding around and spectating the Tour Down Under!

In addition to a solid week of hilly training, I will again be throwing my hat in the ring for the women’s Renditions Homes Cup criterium series. Here’s hoping the cold I woke up with this morning doesn’t affect me too much – first race is tomorrow.

For those that don’t know what the TDU is all about, here’s a few photos that capture the vibe! Also check out http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/ and CyclingNews for race reports etc.

Podium girls? Woo!

Williamstown saw the final day of racing and again I asserted myself at the start line to obtain a decent position. Alas my nerves overcame me on the first corner into the roundabout and within a lap I was pretty much at the back and fighting just to stay in contact. Needless to say, I was one of the first few to be pulled off by the commissaires. Bit embarassing really.

However I was then free to enjoy spectating and was lucky enough to witness Mel Hoskins’ classy ride to take out the series, as well as Caleb Ewen’s spectactular sprint in the men’s race. Add to that AJ’s solid performance to take third in the men’s series and seeing the likes of Greg Henderson and Robbie McEwen also racing and it was something special to be there and see it all. I definitely had a good dose of fun once my racing was done

The level of racing in the women’s field was certainly up a notch this year, and it’s clear to me that if I am interested in returning, it would be more appropriate for me to be in a support level field (if they were to run one for the women). I had fun, made new friends and made some progress with my crit riding – as evidenced by racing a local B grade club crit once I got home and getting through it “breathing through a straw”!

Until that race, I wasn’t quite sure how to wrap up my bay crits experience – let’s face it, I didn’t actually finish a single race. But after yesterday’s club crit where I rode with ease, I know it really made a difference to my racing – a hugely positive thing to take away. Thanks heaps to team Degani, particularly George the sponsor who was generous and patient enough to give us girls a go and to Bec Domange for managing the team and of course the girls for their encouragement.

It’s now back to real life for me with work, managing our house move and things like that.

L-R: Myself, Sarah Riley, Tanya Matthewson, Laine Hammond, Nicole Whitburn.

Portarlington’s circuit is a longer one than the last two race – 1.7km and hilly. So I went in with some hope that this would be one where I could at least hold on a little longer. The course is infamous for crashes on the top fast downhill left-hand corner, and as a result had been advertised as being run in reverse this year, in order to mitigate that corner.

However, always expect the unexpected – when we arrived we found out that race director John Trevorrow had changed it back to be run the usual direction after seeing the support men struggling with the right-hand corners in the reverse direction whilst warming up in the morning!

After a nice pep-talk from Greg Henderson and Mark Jamieson in the Degani tent (thanks boys!) I was out to ‘go get em’ and set myself up well by hopping the barriers and inserting myself in the 2nd row from the front lining up at the start. This is a small thing for most, but a step in the right direction for me that I’m proud of. Evidence: spot the bright orange sunnies in the background pic below.

This gave me a good spot going into the first right-left chicane corner before going straight up the short sharp first hill, which I climbed ok. Sadly as each progressive corner came, I slipped further and further back until I was in the 2nd chasing bunch. And then we were pulled by the commissaires! A bit too early and unneccessarily in my view, as we could have continued chasing for a while quite safely on that course and we still had the bunch in front in sight, but whatever that’s bike racing I suppose. C’est le vie.

Believe it or not, I was proudest of myself so far in this race – as a full time corporate professional first and foremost and a part time bike rider just for fun, I’m totally ok with that.

Reports and photos can be found on CyclingNews as well as CyclingTips and some speculation on the showdown in the real race at the pointy end between Mel Hoskins and Chloe Hosking in Williamstown to fight it out for series yellow. (Go Mel!) Here goes…!

Today’s racing was hot. Hot. HOT!!!

46 degrees hot apparently, according to the CyclingTips race report from the men’s race (which was *after* the women – and as one bloke acknoledged tonight, probably hotter than their race). I made good friends with the ice in the esky whenever I could.

The main report is on CyclingNews of course, and actually includes info on the womens race. I have nothing much to add…just like everyone else out there today, I suffered in the heat. And it really wasn’t very pretty or fun. But that’s bike racing. Suck it up and move on.

warming up in the team Degani tent, photo by Bec Domange

First race is definitely how it felt for me – it’s been pretty much a year since I lined up at a race of this quality and it all felt a little bit uncharacteristically new. Whilst there are many faces that are familiar to me, most are in different kit which makes it hard to recognise who is who in the zoo. There are some new young faces too, which adds to that feeling that I’ve been out of the racing scene on the east coast of Aus for a while.

Ritchie Boulevard is my favourite of all the bay crits circuits, so I was happy that we started with this one. It has such a fantastic carnival atmosphere, is right on the picturesque Geelong Eastern Beach, and the course has fairly wide sweeping corners that I feel ok about.

The team had strong rides from Sarah Riley and Nicole Whitburn, whilst the rest of us seemed to be finding our feet somewhat – and that’s ok as the team attitude is really supportive to have fun and take this fantastic opportunity to learn.  In the men’s action, Greg Henderson took the win for Degani and I was fortunate to be able to congratulate him in the lift in the hotel afterwards, which was cool. I might be have a chance to stammer some more star struck gibberish to the men at the team dinner tomorrow night. We are being very well looked after

It was fun today being a part of the action during the debut of Greenedge’s womens team and also watching the men race. I have missed this special bike racing atmosphere, that’s for sure.

The official report of the day’s racing as well as photos can be found here on Cyclingnews and a race preview with info on the teams and how the racing works can be found here.

Whilst those words are attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, they are most vividly imprinted on my mind as a result of a road trip when I was about 12 and a certain song about graduation, which probably reveals my age somewhat.

So I find myself again on a plane, with my bike packed and my body exhibiting all those signs of nervous tension that I like to think I’ve grown out of by now, yet they’re still there. What am I doing?

I’m off to race the Jayco Bay Criterium series in Melbourne with team Degani Bakery Cafe, that’s what!!! I
have had a subdued year racing-wise this year – other than my Adecco Win4Youth experience (which wasn’t a race), I haven’t really
done any significant racing since early in the year. So I didn’t expect to really get any opportunities thrown my way – I thought
the racing scene had probably forgotten about me and frankly I was content with that. Yet three weeks ago I got a note from Bec Domange
saying that she is managing a team for the bay crits this year and would I like a ride?

Hell yeah! A ride with a team of great girls in the bay crits? The universe is clearly throwing me a
bone to get my racing head back on and get into it – I’d be an idiot to say no to a perfectly good opportunity like that!

So even though I have more than the usual amount of butterflies inhabiting my bowels at the thought of
revisiting what was probably the worst racing I did away last year (I had terrible gastro and was completely useless), I have come back and am willing to put myself out there and line up again for another go.

If there is one thing I am good at, it’s putting myself in challenging situations. It’s the best way to grow. Bring it on!

www.degani.com.au

I generally try and keep my ‘cycling’ persona online (on this blog and on facebook) at least somewhat separate from my professional persona (on linkedin). However, in places the two do occasionally and unavoidably connect (hey – they’re all me!). One of these is that of professional development and the analogies between sport and day-to-day career. I came across this article recently, which I can relate to from both sides of myself and thought I should share:

- The Future of Self Improvement – The Dilemma of Coaching Yourself.

It has taken me quite some time to put some words down to describe my experience. I must admit to feeling a bit lost without my W4Y team mates now that now that the whole thing is over and I have returned to the day to day of ‘real life’. That’s probably normal after such a HUGE event though. Anyway, here’s what happened…

My Win4Youth Experience:

Renewing friendships on Day 1: Catching up with Lars

I had left the Adecco Win4Youth training camp in Gent in March with 75 new friends across the globe, a job to prepare for and the training and support to do it. Months later in September, I arrived in Avignon trained and prepared to do my best and greeted by friends whose training I had watched remotely via the online coaching software and who were just as enthusiastic as I.

Each of us had a responsibility, to ride, or to drum, or to drive support vehicles, or to report with photos/video etc – the organisation was phenomenal and it was really something special and unique to be a part of such a professional team. The vibe of focus toward the job at hand not only amongst the riders but now also including so many supporters, was such a buzz!

Our CEO amongst others, at the start

The air of anticipation was strong before the day of the climb. Our reconnaissance drive up the mountain in the team bus brought a hushed sense of awe and real respect in everyone. This was the final clear realisation of just how challenging our ‘job’ would be!

Bruce doing the Haka!

The day arrived a perfect 25 degree day although with probably 25-30km/hr winds. The start line greeted us with encouragement of jembe drumming, cheering and an inspiring Haka by Bruce (from NZ) – and finally we were off! As I climbed along at my own rhythm, some people went faster than me and I went faster than others. I got a banana from the 3rd supporters team – almost got blocked by one our buses on my approach tho! I tried to offer advice and encouragement when my breathing would allow it. I like to think that I inspired Lars from Norway to push harder when I passed him on a corner and said how to use them to go faster. I also hope my advice to Jeremy from Britain to put his disappointment in dropping his chain behind him to focus on the rest of the ride was useful (I think I was a bit terse when I said it!).

Team Green! my fave

The climb was long, hard and windy once above the tree-line. However at just about every turn there was someone cheering my name! I tried to show with at least a smile or a wave to each group of supporters that they were helping me. My favourite moment was on one of the last corners during the forest where amongst shouts of “it’s Anna, from Australia!”, I clearly heard our CEO, Patrick DeMaeseneire say “she’s going fast!” as even he cheered for us, together with our Adecco supporters.

I was so pleased to see Lars eventually finished about 3 minutes ahead of me, as I knew he was aiming for a particular time. Jeremy and I eventually came together and spent our final moments of the climb in a spirited ‘sprint’ for the line – competitive to the last even amongst team mates.

I was so happy to have finished but I was already thinking about the next job at hand – to go back down and find my room mate Lorraine from Canada so I could give her some support in the last few kms of her climb. I got some gummy bears from the famous and much-anticipated candy vendor at the summit, as well as some water into me, bought a pair of lucky Ventoux socks (thanks for the $ loan Peggy!), and then descended in what was the scariest 6kms I have ever done downhill – such wind, so many cars, so much braking!

Riding to the top together

I found Lorraine riding together with German Diego from Portugal, Mohammed from Malaysia and Anand from India. So together with our mechanics Hans and Justin, George from Greece, and Lorraine’s husband Joe, we all rode to the top together to complete the climb. When Lorraine reached the top at 3 hours and 30 mins then it was really over – every single one of us had made it, all 75 of us!

So how did I do? I am very proud to say that I finished in 1 hour and 38 minutes, which happened to be the first female to cross the line and 10th overall amongst the men; 14 minutes behind Cyril Perraud from France who crossed the line first amongst the team.

This experience has re-inspired me to pursue my personal cycling goals and given me many priceless memories and friendships. Thank you Adecco Win4Youth

Lorraine after finishing!

A select few photos (of Me!) and my Youtube videos from the event are available at these linked locations.

This great video taken by David from the media support crew pretty much sums up the day and then there is this official video of the final climb which was shown at the celebration dinner.

Here are some more photos from the day of the Ventoux climb. I’m still trying to find some more of me (as proof, haha!), but there is at least one that proves that I went back down again and joined my roomate and good friend Lorraine in her ascent. These are all other people’s pics – thanks heaps for snapping that one of me Andy.