Boxing and ping pong tables

This year is off to a killer start with the responsibility of a new team (Marathonmtb.com), a new employment position (Vet Director Greencross Noosa), a ten month old sausage dog (Donni), a snappy bredli (Rusty), a boxing boyfriend, a mortgage on a studio apartment in Peregian Beach and a table tennis table. Only nine days in and my mastercard is credited to the hilt with promises of journeys to South Africa, Victoria (Australia), Italy, Germany and Timor Leste. I have spend 30+ years of my life avoiding commitment and now it has smacked me square in the face with the vengeance of jilted bride. So what will become of me?..

I suppose it is a case of (wo)man up or die.

Lucky for me I have a bike to ride, some fabulous tunes (plus a brand new ipod shuffle to listen to them on, thanks Andy) fabulous nurses and a fabulous boyfriend who does his very very best to make sure I tend to the task at hand and complete it within a respectable amount of time. How easy it would be to ride into the sunset and leave all this craziness behind me but then I look outside and see parents with children and jobs and pets and mortgages. I suppose if they can embrace responsibility so too can I... I hope.

So what of all these new found commitments and promises...

New team: I am very excited to be part of the Subaru-Marathonmtb.com team and this year I will be embarking on the Otway Odyssey, Absa Cape Epic, Domomites Superbike, Trans Alps, Tour de Timor. I will definitely be hanging onto the big wheels but trading my much loved Cannondale Flash for a Scott Scale RC. Benny J and the team at NBS will be backing me up mechanically, supercoach Nikoli is responsible for body and brain prep and ADIDAS eyewear will make ensure I can see whilst looking very very kool.

New employment position: I am now Vet Director of Greencross Noosa Veterinary Surgery and very proud to be a part of such a crack team of vets and nurses. Not to mention the unbelievable support offered by the Brisbane based Greencross hierarchy. Nose to the grind and I am sure we can grow this little team to be considered the most compassionate and well respected clinic in Noosa.

A Sausage called Donni: In a weak moment during 2011 I succumbed and purchased Andy a mini Daschund, he is called Donni. I have to confess, he is far from being the best behaved boy on the block and he has already been banned from Greencross Noosa Vets on bad behaviour (charged with the breaking into and stealing of pigs ear treats). I think the confusion and mayhem that surrounds the puppy life stage this is why I never aspired to human children. Fortunately for me, Donni is now almost 11 months old and becoming wiser by the day. Forever to be a daddy's boy.

A snappy Bredli called Rusty: Rusty is a carpet python we adopted because of his bad behaviour. He is still badly behaved but fortunately he is small and I think he has good heart somewhere deep deep inside...maybe? Andy thinks otherwise. This will be an interesting project.

A boxing boyfriend: Andy has grown a little tired of riding (this I cannot understand) and taken to the boxing ring instead. Andy "Cutter" Davison. Fortunately for me boxer boys have great body's and my Andy is now in tip top boxing shape.. with only the occasional black eye...Next fight scheduled for February with date TBC

A Table Tennis Table: My present to Andy for Christmas 2011... Tournaments will be a weekly event in Peregian Beach so if you are in the area call by.

No more to say

LIMBC 2011

The Langkawi Mountain Bike Challenge (LIMBC) is in its second year and going 'great guns' for such a young event. Fortunately for the organisers, they hit the main bullet points of any stage race by having a central 'home base' to allow rider interaction (the luxurious Bayview Hotel, Langkawi, that smacks all over camping as is the norm on many stage races), good (safe) food and lots of it, stages that started on time and they mixed it up a little with the stages which was a nice change. The downers are that the stages were not as initially advertised, the modifications were generally to shorten the stage and all with good justification (i.e the enduro on day 3 was routed through a buffalo wallow.. this was considered inappropriate by the UCI guys so the course abbreviated and the scheduled 6h reduced to 2h). The water stations on the first day were also a little hit and miss but next year I am sure all these minor glitches will be ironed out.

In all honesty, Langkawi is not a place I had even considered visiting until Andy Fellows advise me of the LIMBC. I subsequently managed to lure Andy D along with the promise of cocktails, pools and hot Malay chicks in swimmers, we were registered in a heart beat. The start list was not so exciting initially but closer to the event expanded to include many credible male and female riders from Europe and South Africa (i.e. the Colonago gals, the Bulls boys, the MTN guys and Speedy from RSA, Burry and of course the strong Aussie contingency that included Paul V, AJ, AF, KAOS, Jenny F, Bec H.... OMG).. scary stuff..

The briefing and the final stages were as follows, day 1: marathon event at 62km; day 2 XCO at 6 laps 4.5km course; day 3 XCO at 6 lap course, day 4 Hill climb 27km, day 5 Crit track.... not quite as long as I was used to but the Hill climb provided some promise..

Day 1: 62km marathon...
I admit this stage was a lot tougher than I anticipated considering the published length and height metres, it was a very tough 62km and not just because of the heat and humidity. The course was very undulating, no long climbs but taxing short ups and there were several water crossings, muddy paddocks and ambiguous route markers with a few of the volunteers on siesta. I unfortunately dropped one of my water bottles early and my extra bottle failed to make it to the second check station as did the water truck. When I arrived at water station 2 with no water there was not much to spare and the attending support crews were somewhat reluctant to relinquish any of their precious water stores JIC their riders were in a similar situation. Huge thanks to Mrs Henderson (mother to the famous Bec and Ben) who literally saved my life by donating some water to my thirsty bottle. The race continued but my brain was elsewhere, I managed to finish but nothing spectacular, 10th in GC.

Day 2: XCO...
XCO is not my thing but what the hey this is as close to a worldcup as I ever intend getting, interesting it was too. I was, naturally, unranked in the womens field having no UCI points which made for a not great place on the start grid. The course started on tar and downhill briefly then sharp right onto the narrow muddy track and the rooty, tricky first climb. The first lap was a debacle and I think Nat Schneitter was the only girl to get a good run up the climb. I was towards the middle of the pack and and literally running up the climb. The course was up up up then down down down, I would rather not talk about the down but I am proud to say I rode it all the first lap and I managed to stay in touch with KAOS. Stoked. The second lap I crashed just after being warned by a nice bystander of the steep descent ahead. I damaged my rear derail hanger on the skid down the hill but it was intact until I smacked it again on the 3rd lap. The final two laps in my XCO assault were running up hill with a shitty rear derail and riding with very little finesse down until I was pulled after the 5th lap based on the 80% rule, at the time I was happy to be out but copped a massive time penalty for the experience, some 30-40 minutes for being pulled prematurely but managed to still place 10th. At this stage of the race my place in GC was not so great and the time penalty definitely threw me out of top 5 so all I could hope for was a top 10 finish. I was a little disheartened I checked my bike in for a check up....

The mechanics verdict: bent rear derail, bent chain link and chewed a few teeth of the large chain ring on the front.. cautious shifting was advised for the rest of the race...I think much beer was drunk beside the pool that afternoon


Day 3: XCO..
I started this stage a little disheartened but fortunately it wasn't so technical and as the race progressed I managed to ride past many of the other girls until I was in 4th. Shocked and happy I continued on with a bit of an adrenaline rush. Compared to the XCO, this course was a little less technical and relatively flat lent itself to a real 29er style smash fest and that was exactly what I did. This was the first day of the race that I actually felt like I was racing, placed 4th female.. very happy days..topped of with some sensational Japanese food harbour side post race.






Day 4: Hill Climb..
I knew from the start that this stage had my name all over it, or I hoped is probably more appropriated. This stage was 100% on tar and the hardest part was hanging with the boys from the start to the bottom of the climb (the first 14km). I wasn't sure what to expect in the first 14km but they were definitely NOT flat. I was counting down the kilometres to the base of the hill and happy to relax some when we arrived, the rest was up. I rode up and soon caught the lead group of girls (we were 5 in total) and we stayed together for the majority of the climb. With 4km to go, the climb got a little steeper and the Colonago girls paced it up a little, the next time I looked back there was only three of us. I was alone up the climb with the Colonago girls, how the hell did that happen? With 2km to go Viv went up the road while Nat kept an eye on me, their plan was obvious, I had no legs to follow Viv and stuck with Nat to the last few hundred metres there was a small sprint and I finished just 2 seconds behind Nat in 3rd. There was a brief recovery and time to turn around and ride all the way back to the Bayview, base camp for the week.





Day 5: Criterium..
Following the hill stage I was in 9th with a mere 13s holding me off 8th. This was the first time I looked at the GC results following my time penalty but it seems I wasn't so far down as I thought, 8th was close but 7th 15 minutes further down the ladder (Yo Speedy)..damn that time penalty from the XCO.. Anyway my plan for the crit was attack attack attack and that I did .. Schneitter, Fay and myself were the main drivers in the criterium and we managed to split the girls early and drop a few more on the way.. by the final lap there were maybe 5 contenders and the final sprint was a bit of a mess but I managed to hold 3rd for the final stage.. very very happy days







In GC I finished 8th, disappointed by my lack of XCO form but stoked to hold the Swiss girls in the climb and the crit.. next year I promise myself not to get lapped out of the XCO..

Post race Andy and I stayed an extra few days in Cenang beach and caught up with the famous Nat Schneitter (#8 in the world) for a few days of scooter sight seeing, beach time, hair styling and cocktail consumption....The food in Malaysia is pretty tasty and very affordable.. till 2012




Thanks to ADIDAS for my eyes, Cannondale for my fabulous 29er FLASH, INFINIT for fuelling the legs, SUPERCOACH Nikoli R and Andy D for keeping me sane and BennyJ and NeilJ at NBS for moral and mechanical support XO...

Team "nothing good can come of this"

When Peta Mullens contacted me earlier this year to ride alongside her and Katherine O'Shea on a female team at TDT this year I was very very very excited (to say the least...). I rode TDT 2010 and loved the course, the people, the scenery, the race atmosphere and the challenge... TDT is unlike any of the other stage races I have completed, it is really, really hard and should not be entered into without some serious gear and body considerations. The difficult nature of the race is not really the riding, it is due largely to the remoteness that is Timor and the logistical nightmare that the race organisers have to deal with every single day. Life in Timor occurs on 'Timor time' which rarely correlates with Garmin-time, everything seems to take that little bit more effort and extra time. Once you accept this fact, life in Timor is easy.

That said, my race prep was a little complacent and I didn't actually view the course profile until the week before I was to arrive in Dili... not only was there an extra day but each day appeared longer that I remembered....interesting..!

Soooo I arrived in Dili and caught up with team mates Peta and Kath a few days before race start, we were staying in a 'villa' at Timor Lodge. Funnily enough by day 4 of racing we saw our Villa at Timor Lodge as being 5 star rated. Team tactics were discussed pre-race and a team name decided (NGCCOT) ... team tactics were discussed again and againa dn again and ultimately we decided on the good old ad hoc approach.. see what happens each day and take it from there... the aim was to try and ride together, we were hoping for 1-2-3 in the female overall category and a win in the female team category.. at this stage none of us realised how unlucky our team was going to be...

Day 1...Dili>Laclubar (122km)
Peta smashed this stage and claimed the pink jersey with an amazing turn of form... I had a shocker playing the yo-yo at the back of the bunch... dropped and back on.. dropped and back on... dropped....not so lucky as it was into a smashing headwind along the coast. Peta managed to hang with the guys to the base of the final climb. Kath and I where, sadly, dumped on the 50km KOM...I more prematurely than Kath....but I did manage to catch her up by the end of the final climb and at the end of stage 1 team NGCCOT placed 1-2-3 stage 1.





Day 2...Laclubar>Beacu (109km)
Fortunately for me, this stage started up before going down so we three managed to get a bit of a gap on the other girls before the descending started... Mel Jackson and Kelly Bartlett are wicked descenders and would have been hard for me to hang onto without the tricky little ups that evened the playing field. With Peta in pink and Kath and I placed 2 and 3 respectively we simply had to stay ahead of the other girls.. easy?....not so as Peta stacked, go up and managed to stack again.... shame... her pink jersey all torn and a nasty abrasion to her right thigh she rode X-rated and a little more conservatively for the rest of the stage... Mel rode strong, Kath and I attacked her on a few occasions but she somehow managed to always be there when we turned around... until finally Kath attacked on the flat and got away.. I conceded second to Mel for her strong ride through the day and Peta straight to the Medic tent....1-3 stage 2 with a few scratches and bruises...

Day 3...Beacu>Illiomar (69km)
We started this stage with a real plan.. "hang with the bunch until the last climb"... it was the hardest day. The road was flat but very very bumpy and the bunch was motoring thanks to the "search to retain guys" driving the pace at the front.. When we reached the final climb we were the only girls to have survived the bunch... yeah... this meant a good time buffer and an easier final climb..:).. I was allowed this stage as the stronger climber but it was a tough up and long... team placed 1-2-3 on this stage and extended our lead by 16 minutes on Mel (the 4th female rider)... only now does the pain endured at the bunch pace seem worth while...Camp was set in a beautiful village in the hills which allowed some respite from the heat of the coast.




Day 4... Illomar>Com (72km)
Today the plan was to maintain, ride safely andconservatively as Peta was bruised and Day 5 was destined to be a big 142km day... alas it all came undone on the final descent.. Mel attacked, Kath followed... I tried to follow and wrapped my chain around my crank.. DOH!!...Thanks Rhino for being my knight in shining armour.... Peta followed only to stack over a wall into some pretty spiky looking foliage on the side of a big bend.. thanks Neil for extracting her from the bushes..... minutes lost but still safe in GC... Peta finished and straight to the medic tent (again) while I lined the bikes up at the mechanic for a check.. we were back on the coast and in a resort with running water (showers and real toilets...stoked!!)...Peta had a bad night following her medic visit she had an emotional moment and forgot to eat.. back in the medic tent with low blood sugar.. a quick glucose shot in the leg and off to lunch...only to return to the medic tent following dinner with some nasty retching.... Peta was having somewhat of a difficult first mountain bike stage race...






Day 5... Com>Manatuto (142km)
So the plan today was to stay together until the climb, being the strongest climber on team I was then to climb with the boys and take the stage... all nice in theory but this is what actually happened... We all stayed together until the climb as planned and I smacked the climb as planned managing to climb with a nice group of guys... spitting distance from the KOM and it all went horribly wrong.. my rear derail hanger snapped off...in hindsight I suspect I bent a link on day 4 with my chain catch around the crank issue and that link sought retribution today... Lucky for me I had a hanger in my back pocket but in replacing the hanger it all got confused and the chain was definitely not as it should be... with some assistance from the locals and a very nice rider (Jeremy) we broke the chain and re threaded it... on our way some 20 minutes later... I forgot to mention Peta flatted at the bottom of the climb and was planning on waiting for me at the KOM.. which she was but with another flat and no spare tube.. my 29 tube was no good so I left her to flag down a friend.. she was talking crazy that she was out of the race.. Kath had ridden on with Mel after seeing Peta with a flat and my broken hanger thinking that the team was doomed.....
By some small miracle we all finished the stage... Peta found a spare and maintained her lead ... I only lost 13 minutes to stay in 3rd by 3 minutes... PHEW!!



Day 6... Manatuto>Dili (88km)
The last day and all we had to do was maintain our positions for the duration of the stage.. I was the most concerned as I had a mere 3 minutes and Mel was riding so strong that I was less than comfortable... There were two climbs which gave me two opportunities to get away and I did... I managed to escape the rest of the girls on the first climb and stay with the lead bunch only to have some regrouping occur on the flat... I hit the second climb with vengeance and again managed a gap on the other girls...following the final climb we took a tour of the streets of Dili and finished along the river bed, down the esplanade and into the Kings palace... I maintained my lead on the other girls until the final 500m when the chasing bunch caught us and we finished in a big mass.... Kath won the sprint and I crossed second....

Another awesome stage race completed in a very unique part of the world... thanks ADIDAS for my eyes, NBSfor my clothes and CANNONDALE, INFINIT for my fuel and Andy for moral support...XO

Flight Centre Epic 2011

Well it has been a long time between posts and there should be no excuses BUT contrary to my life mandate work actually did get in the way... I maintain that work is a means of funding my riding but when my boss decides he is no longer coming to work, instead escaping back to the UK, and I am thrown into a Veterinary Director position at Greencross Noosa it is time to step up. I love a challenge.... Now I am finally taking a day for me.







In the midst of this small drama was the Flight Centre Epic. Due to heavy rains the course was shortened and re routed so no Ma Ma Creek..:(. Start and finish at Spicers Hidden Vale which, compared to previous years, was logistical bliss. The women's field was small but talented with the usual suspects and Jenni King. I was conservative on my expectations as I had been focusing on the Kona Mawson Marathon, unfortunately cancelled, and entered the FCE 'just because I could'. The course was only 75km but I knew it was going to be a technical nightmare (for me anyway)...





I must say my Cannondale 29er rocked the start and I was flying till the first descent.. mini stack #1 .. Jenni King literally flew by at a million miles an hour which left me some catch up when we hit the tar.. nice job 29er.. The initial 30-40km was swell.. climbs and flats and nothing to techy.. I LOVED it.. and managed to keep Jenni close. Then the tricky rocky descents started and I lost Jenni... never to see her again... stack #2 and #3 in quick succession... damn!! Then back into the Spicers single track which is great for most but not so great for me.. I honestly think this year I rode the techy part of the course better than previous years but still not quite good enough...second again...very happy to have survived...

Another top year at Spicers but I seem to have blanked out the middle 20-30km so I am not sure if there is a reason for that..Thanks to Andy and Donni for their support.. apologies for throwing water bottles at you..:( Thanks ADIDAS that I can see and INFINIT that I kept my legs turing for 4+ hours..:)



So whats now.. E Timor in 2w then Malaysia and the line up for Malaysia is HOT!! .. with a tidy local 8h in the middle (TRIPLE 0 at Pomona)
I am very excited about Timor.. teaming up with O'SHea and Mullins for a kick arse female team.. yeah yeah yeah!!

The Tour De Tweed 2011 (aka. battle on the Border)

My second road race ever (not counting local club races which would make it my forth) and to say I had NO IDEA what was involved was an understatement. The Tour De Tweed is an annual road event held near the QLD/NSW border (hence the title Battle on the Border). The race includes a 5.5km TT, 72ish KM RR, 84ish KM RR and Crit, this would be my first ever TT and my very first Crit so I entered Womens A.. how hard can it be?... Note to self: the race number does NOT go on your bike, both plates are meant for your jersey...

I rang Andy after the TT to tell him that I maybe home earlier than expected, I anticipated a massive arse kicking from my female competitors and neglected to wear a teardrop helmet/skin suite and bring my TT bike to stage 1.. I lost 20 very crucial seconds...4th in category
Oh well, I thought, with no expectations for the rest of the weekend I may as well continue racing..at the start of the road race I noticed that I seemed to be the only rider with pockets full of tools, gas, spares...there must be something I missed in the briefing?.. game on!.. Womens A started with the Elite C guys.. they were a great bunch to ride with and I was stoked when the course headed uphill almost immediately as the hills are known to sort the bunch fairly smartly. Over the other side and the womens field very rapidly reduced to two riders (Corissa and me). We rode 2 laps crossing the same hill from front and back each lap and each time Corissa managed to sneak past just in time to get the KOM points.. Note to self: burn yourself at the top of any hill as there maybe KOM points there. Anyway over the top of the last climb the boys started racing and Corissa and I were left to finish the womens race.
Day 1 and two stages down I was in second place.. surprise.. with a 10+ minute margin to 3rd.. super surprise... so one of the officials suggest I find myself a spare set of wheels for the next stage as it seems riders do not change flats in road races, they get spare wheels handed to them from a support vehicle.. that explains why no-one carries any tools.. clear as mud...



Day 2 and in the pink spotted jersey (by default as Corissa is not able to wear the pink leader and the spotty KOM jersey) my plan was to burn little miss pink on the hills (except there was only really one hill per lap) so this is what happened...I earned my spots for sure.. I was KOM over the first climb and seemingly clear of the other girls for a bit. I stayed with the bunch and tucked in through transition and onto the second lap.. then much to my dismay I glance back to see the pink jersey taped to my wheel... damn.. the same hill came around again on the second lap and a few guys bolted, I had only so many climbing legs but tagged to top ahead of Corissa. Down the other side and on the flats to home there was no shaking the pink... shame.. still in second with a 30+ second gap to first and 14+ minute gap to third.. comfortable with a crit to go...

Day 3 and my very first Crit race ever.. fortunately the ladies field was small and the overall places were pretty much fixed so we agreed to ride together for 30 minutes + 3 laps and spring for places. I placed third and learned how to pedal around corners on my road bike.. woohoo..



All done and dusted and I placed second overall (down by a mere 34.7 seconds, 20 seconds of which was lost in the 5.5km TT Hmmmm)... more road races to come..:)

2011 Australian Mountain Bike Marathon Championships

The MTBA Marathon Champs have always been a bit of a thorn in my racing schedule

Why?
The MTBA marathon Champs is a race I really want to do well at but it is inevitably held two weeks back from the Absa Cape Epic so I am generally lo on my motivation scale and they tend to be more technical than I like so I have a habit of crashing out.. last year I fell on a very uncomfortable stick and two years ago I cracked my lid.. so why do I persist? why do I think "this year was going to be different"?...NFI... but fortunately for me this year WAS different.

This maybe considered a "sandbag" but I entered Vets (Veteran Women) to try and break the hex, thinking if there was no pressure I would at least finish, and the womens field looked strong on paper. The venue was all new and the race format different to previous years: laps of a 29km course (3 laps) with a course that was secret squirrel until race day...Mt Joyce Escape Recreational Park (not far from Beaudesert and Boonah in QLD). I was a little concerned that the short distance held some unpleasant surprises and in that respect I was correct. Each lap was 29km and I estimate 20km single track which for many mountain bikers is considered a dream but for me it is my worst nightmare....

The womens field were fortunate to be first on course, 30 minutes ahead of the guys. I am the first to admit I maybe went a little hard at at the start as I knewthere was maybe 6km open trail/paddock before I was destined to zimmer frame through the single track like a flounder on a mud flat. My game plan kind of worked as by the time we hit the single track the womens field was reduced to three (Jenny Fay, Jenni King and myself). The single track was really pleasant initially and generally upward which allowed me to hang onto the tail of the two Jens as they danced easily through the tight corners. The track then turned down and Jenny and Jenni were gone, but a cloud of dust despite my best efforts to hang on and not crash. I rode the remaining 2-and-a-bit laps without seeing another female rider, which was fortunate as I stacked a few times and cramped, snapped my front bottle cage and lost a bidon, walked some 'tricky' bits that in hindsight probably weren't really so tricky and crawled home managing to hold third overall and 1st in Vets.

Jenny Fay rode a sensational race finishing ahead of Jenni King and then there was me.... the hex broken I was completely shattered but in one piece.....awesome course and thanks to my new Cannondale Flash 29er for getting me out of several very sticky situations on race day.

Cape Epic 2011 (ADIDAS LADIES)

It is only 2 weeks since my return from the ABSA Cape Epic 2011 and already I am saving and planning for 2012. I am not entirely sure what it is about this event that makes it so irresistible: 8 days of racing, approximately 14 550m ascent and 707km but each year I see the same faces returning again and again. This year is my third ABSA Cape Epic and I think my most enjoyable, except my number one supported (Andy Pandy) decided to stay home, I doubt he will do this again. I have already signed him up for 2012 Mixed team.

Jodie and I arrived Friday 25th March to a sunny temperate Cape Town, a welcome change to the wet tropical weather we were experiencing in Queensland. We managed to find a great little B & B on Beach Road called The Dolphin Inn and there we stayed pre and post CE2011. This may seem inconsequential but it is strange how important a big warm fluffy bed and bath become at the end of 8 days racing and camping. I LOVE CAPE TOWN, the flat topped mountain, the Waterfront, the cheap daiquiris, the RSA accent, the cheap prices, the 1AUS:7R exchange rate, the man eating seals and the wildlife (all I have ever seen is seals, baboons and squirrels)

Next most important is the people that made this trip possible to both Jodie and I: ADIDAS, ADIDAS, ADIDAS thanks for the opportunity to race under your banner, ADIDAS EYEWEAR thanks for the awesome EVIL EYES, Flight Centre Merida for the loaner steed (Team 96), INFINIT Nutrition for the energy and recovery that allowed me to back up day after day. Without you guys this race report would not be possible as I wouldn't have been able to race.

So to the race, Jodie and I raced in the female division and the start list was daunting with the likes of Team Colnago (XCO world cup pedigree), Team USN (XCM world ranking pedigree), Team Attix5 Ladies (RSA CE veterans) and the other Australian girl team of Jenni King and Nikki Fisher....all the ingredients for a tough race. I was quietly optimistic, this was to be my 3rd CE and there is a theory that your legs remember what is required to complete this gruelling 8 day event but Jodie had no idea what lay ahead.

The format of the 2011 event was a prologue 27km, 3 long days (89km, 104km, 125km), a time trial (32km), 2 long days (143km, 128km) and then the final day (59km). Each year the race route changes but amazing trails, spectacular scenery and really scary riding is always guaranteed.


The prologue was in the Tokai forest and the trails amazing. Jodie proved to be the sensible rider here, reminding me we had 8 days of racing. We maintained a great tempo and placed third on the stage. This was a dream come true for me, I was so excited that if it all stopped here I would die smiling. I suppose I always knew I could podium at this amazing event and there it was an indescribable feeling, so much more than Amazing.....from Tokai we moved to Saronsberg (Tulbagh) for three nights. That evening at dinner team ADIDAS Ladies were on the podium in third.

Stage 1 (89km) was a whole other ball game. The first long stage and a real test of team racing as we are required to stay always within 2 minutes of each other. In 2010 I lost my team mate on completion of stage 1, three days in hospital with dehydration and heat stress. In all honesty I had flashbacks this year as Jodie woke with upset gastrointestinal tract, unable to eat for the duration of the stage. Not being able to eat is bad and this made for a very long stage. There was a time when Jodie threatened that she maybe 'unable to finish the stage', I had visions of hitting her (visions only I think). I was not going to let this happen again. We did what we could to complete the stage and Jodie received the necessary post race TLC from the ADIDAS crew to ensure she was on top of her nutrition for stage 2. I was a little worried this year may play out similar to 2010 but the main reason I chose Jodie as a team mate was because I knew Jodie just how mentally tough she was. It would take more than this to break her. My concern was that this kind of set back on stage 1 was destined to make the rest of Jodies race particularly difficult...

Stage 2 (104km) Jodie was like a new person and team ADIDAS ladies rode really really well. All smiles. The planets aligned, Jodie recovered and team ADIDAS Ladies was back on the podium that evening (3rd in ladies)..woohoo

Stage 3 (125km) This stage is a mystery to me as I can't recall what happened but I have a feeling we rode a little too well stage 2 and Jodie again suffered some nutritional set backs. That's racing. BONUS: today we leap frogged to 3rd overall as the Colnago Ladies suffered a 1hr penalty for feeding outside the zone... sweet...we did finish at Worcester (home for two nights).


Stage 4 (32km) I do recall as the time trial track as it was similar to 2010 and as awesome as I remember. Team ADIDAS ladies rode well and Jodie gave me a really really scary lesson in how to descend really really fast.... we placed 3rd on this stage, highlighted by our access to the ABSA winners lounge on completion of the stage..on the podium again at dinner.

Stage 5 (143km) The distance was daunting after 6 days of racing but the course designer (Dr Evil) was kind. The 143km was open and fast, bunches formed quickly and it was hang on as best you can for as long as you can and try and stay out of the wind. The big strong boy riders were good for this, especially when we played the girl card..:)The most amazing aspect of this stage is the Groelandberg climb toward the end which reminds me of a moonscape. We rode the same climb last year and it is spectacular... down and through to oak valley. We managed to maintain 3rd overall and set up base camp in Oak Valley, our final destination before home.

Stage 6 (128km)This stage had some great single track and team ADIDAS ladies were riding well, all smiles, until we flatted. It is amazing what a dent your ego takes when another girl team passes you fixing a flat. Try as you might to catch them as they only seem a few minutes ahead day 6 legs do not do speed well. BUT in the closing 5km of the stage we spied the offending ladies and rallied to place minutes ahead of them... victory against those girls and 4th in stage.

One stage to go and we reviewed our overall seating: we were still in 3rd, 7 minutes behind second and the world cup pedigree Colnago girls breathing down our necks with a mere 1 minute separating us and them in 4th... To maintain our position in third we would have to make up the 7 minutes on the ABSA girls as I doubt we could hold off Colnago....

Stage 7 (59km) Eight days of racing and it all hinged on today.... Unfortunately after 7 days of racing Jodies legs rebelled and there was nothing we could do but tempo to the finish. Team ADIDAS ladies placed an outstanding 4th in the ladies category after 8 hard days of racing. Sure there was some initial sadness as third place was so close but 'thats racing'. A huge achievement for two girls from Australia against such a strong international field... till next year....

Thanks again to ADIDAS, ADIDAS EYEWEAR, INFINIT, Flight Centre Merida....