19 April Diary
"Back in the Bunch"
Hi, how's it all going?
It's been full on over here since arriving in Europe but I am loving being back in the racing saddle full time again. After spending so much time away from cycling last year, I was prepared both mentally and physically for the tough racing but I could never have prepared for what awaited me in my first few European races! Cycling is a very unique sport for so many reasons but one of those is the fact that the fittest, strongest person does not always win. To win, involves not only strength, fitness and power, but also intelligence, patience, tactics, bunch positioning, teamwork and a certain degree of luck.
Women's cycling has grown immensely with 27 new pro women cycling teams starting up this year! This is a 100% growth rate! This means that what used to be the women's average numbered peleton of 100riders in a race, is now 160-180. Throughout all my years of racing, positioning is certainly one thing I had mastered in being able to move swiftly and effortlessly through the bunch. However, this is now the one thing I am struggling with! What has been so familiar for the past 8years of racing on the European circuit now seems so bizarrely foreign with feelings of vulnerability. I have always been told that the older we get the more we lose our nerve but I never thought it would happen to me! So, in the last couple of weeks, I have really worked hard on relaxing in the peleton and relearning the art of bunch positioning, and am feeling back to my old self again.
Before I left for Europe my first international race of the year was the first World Cup of the season held in Geelong. Australia holds the first of 9 World Cups throughout the world, so it is a fantastic way for the Aussies to start the year! However, I didn't have such great luck with a great, big, dirty nail piercing my back tyre on the last lap. (see photo) The pace was on at this point in the race and what was once a large numbered peleton had splintered and was spread out for kilometres behind the lead group. This meant that neither the neutral spares car, nor my team car could get to me quickly enough to give me another back wheel. Therefore, by the time I did get a wheel to continue, the race was well and truly down the road and all opportunity of rejoining the leaders was lost. I love cycling but times like these are difficult to digest.
A flight a day later to New Zealand was next on the agenda for the 5day Tour of Wellington. I rode myself into the tour and enjoyed a win on the last day, which was a 14km Time Trial. This was a great indication for me that things are on the right track. All previous ill feelings of the World Cup quickly disappeared and I left for Europe with an increase in confidence. (see photo)
After arriving in Brussels, I joined my new Belgium team Lotto-Belsiol, and 2 days later, 'enjoyed' our first race together in Italy where it was raining and 6degrees. It was a nasty race to begin the European racing not only because of the cold but because of the reasons I mentioned earlier. I didn't actually finish the race and felt so despondent. However, we stayed in Italy for the following week for a team training camp in the mountains on Lake Garda. (see photo) We had a wonderful time and it was great team bonding to start the year. We trained 4-5hours (130-160k) each day with massage organised every other day. There wasn't too much time for much else as the cold weather really takes so much more out of the body in trying to keep warm, so sleep was high on the priority list to prevent sickness and to recover well for the following training session.
All in all, I am enjoying the life of a full time athlete again. I have had a great 'welcoming back' reception from the European cycling peleton and can't wait to be spraying the champagne on the podium again soon! I am looking forward to the next couple of weeks, as there a number of World Cups on the calendar.
Until then keep smiling,
Sara