DCM Cape Pioneer Trek 2011

17 – 22^nd October

A lot of pain, a lot of laughs and a whole lot of ostrich, leather wallet and all!!

107km Oudtshoorn – Calitzdorp 

Ascent: 2161m

From the ostridge capital of the world (quite appropriate looking back at how much of those birds we ate), a nervous bunch rode out from the high school. Soon the race split on jeep tracks over some steep climbs and me and Ischen found ourselves with Nevelle from Botswana whom we’d met at JBurg2C earlier in the year. We rode hard and, as the tracks got steeper we moved through the field.  With 5km to go and on tar road we just got our heads down and out popped a snake coming up between us… nothing like a bit of adrenalin after 5 hours in the saddle and we probably recorded one of the fastest finishes!  With no idea where the next woman’s team was we were so relieved to not see them for 30 minutes, it had been a hard day but was worth it to get a nice cushion going into the next stage.  A delicious ostrich steak, a very amusing video of the day and the presentation before retiring to the tents at 8.30pm

5hr10 1^st woman, 12^th overall

128km Calitzdorp – Riversdale

Ascent: 2576m

Was awake by 4.30 despite the 7.30 start to guys mixing energy drink which is never a good thing with a full bladder and tangled in a sleeping bag! With the sun already out and with our pink, thick leaders jerseys on I was baking by the time we reached the Rooiberg Mountain Pass.  Luckily the pace in the group we found ourselves in was pretty steady and with a nasty headwind we let some of the big guys on 29ers do the pulling.  Every time I went near the front some guy would complain that they got no shelter so I left them to it!  After the second water point we turned up into the Langerberg Mountain Range.  The climbs were so loose and steep they were impossible to ride far on and the descents were as bad.  Even the top guys hiked a lot and around 2 hours and about 15km later me and Ischen rode out with a complete loss of humor.  After the last feed we put in a massive sprint to tag onto 2 guys from Cyclelab Pretoria whom I’d met at the Epic.  We both blew 50 meters behind them and I shouted for them to hang on in such a desperate voice they did.  Once glued to their wheels the 10km downhill home was fantastic.. tar road with a 6ft, 98kg time trialist sat in front, doesn’t get much better! 

6hr40min, 1^st woman, 16^th overall

With our massage slot at 2.45 it was a quick shower and food later.  Lunch by Scooters (a cold pizza or soggy pasta) then became a bit of a social event as I dined with about 6 different people and by the time I left there was only 1 hour to dinner! 

106km Riversdale – Albertinia

Ascent: 2379m

Woke to that comforting sound of rain when your snug and warm in bed before realizing that it was actually time to get up and ride for 6 hours in it!  Carrying a gillet was a good option as I whipped it off before the hills and fun technical bits started unlike poor Ischen who lost a gallon of sweat in the first few hours in her jacket until the first waterpoint.  We’d found ourselves in a fast moving group but with a strong tail wind it was tough going to hang on and impossible to stop and take layers off.  The race then went into the Langerberg Mountains, all ridable even though we did find ourselves in a heap together at one point!  On the last technical descent down I heard a loud noise coming from the back wheel that only stopped when I peddled so ended up riding the last 40km as if I was on a fixie!  (Dodgy wheel bearing apparently that was soon fixed by our awesome mechanic, Conrad) With 20km to go we swung round and the strong tail wind turned into a head wind with some horizontal rain to add to the touch.  In the last 10km we definitely lost our humor again and finishing cold and wet at Albertinia High School my mood wasn’t lifted.  The poor kids had been spending all morning holding onto the tents until they gave up and laid our mattresses out in the classrooms instead.   Luckily we arranged a girl’s only room and with only 3 of us in there I had the best sleep of the week

5 hours 16, 1^st woman, 16^th overall

Dinner: Ostrich number 2 in the form of a burnt stew

95km Albertinia – Mossel Bay

Ascent: 1579m

A ‘recovery day’… I’m afraid my legs needed more than ‘only’ a 95km stage to recover!  The race was its usual ‘hectic’ start over sand, across rivers and up some vertical climbs before emerging out onto a long gravel section.  With some strong guys pulling the group along the pace was hard and even my bribe to slow down with a nice Kooksister from my back pocket wasn’t accepted (yes a bit sticky and not really recommended but to much sugar to consume in one go, from past experience I’ve named it the Kooksister Bonk).  Eventually we turned into a nature park with lions in!  Luckily we were with some big meaty looking guys so didn’t really feel too worried and in the end the only sign of wildlife were some huge piles of elephant dung!  On leaving the reserve we had a laugh at the guy ticking off the riders, just in case….!

Riding on our own I struggled along the coastal path, scenic it was but with the narrow path, spiky bushes and sandy tracks I struggled to ride a lot of it and was pleased to find Conrad with coke at the feed followed by a nice downhill ‘home’ on tar! 

4 hours 51, 1^st woman and 16^th overall.

125km Mossel Bay – George

Ascent 2999m

After a neutral zone through town we came to the edge of the beach and 200 cyclists legged it down the dunes, paths and through bushes to get to the sea.  What a sight it must have looked for anyone out walking their dogs on a quiet morning!  Hugging the sea for 6 or so kms was also comical, especially seeing a wave in front nearly wipe out half the group!  It was sticky going though and a relief to get off.  Soon we were on long gravel climbs into the Outeniqua Mountain range and on our own from the first water point we were able to ride at our own pace.  The route was so scenic and parts very English like through woods and along fields though the temperature was a few degrees warmer!  There was a nice amount of climbing to keep it interesting, some good but not too scary technical descents and some lovely flowing single track near George, which we’d practiced the week before.  The thought of a real bed at Ischen’s and Pete’s kept our spirits high and finishing in 6 hours 30 in 11^th place was probably our best and most enjoyable day.  Tonight’s dinner:  Ostrich pie, delicious! 

95km George – Oudtshoorn

Ascent 1594m

It was hard to get motivated this morning waking in a real bed it would have been very easy to role over and sleep the rest of the day!  The ‘easy’ last day first went over Montagu Pass before some tricky rocky sections mid way, slow going and far from straight forward.  We both took the descents steady, no one wants to crash on the last day and with a lead of around 2 hours we had no pressure.  The two girls from Display Mania – Sludge Ladies caught us and we were happy for some female company.  They were having a great last stage and trying very hard to pull back the 12-minute deficit to the European Mountain Heros team.  We didn’t contest the finish riding in 2^nd, 11^th overall on GC and very excited to win another major stage race for Bizhub. 

After a relaxing afternoon in Oudtshoorn we enjoyed a fair bit of red wine, the best ostrich steak so far and was even awarded a tacky ostrich wallet and pen.  Our endurance finally ran out at 11pm and we failed the final ‘stage’ after race party… the lure of a bed all too great! 

1^st Bizhub Ladies: 32 hours 39

2^nd Mountain Heroes: 34 hours 36

3^rd Display Mania – Sludge Ladies:  34 hours 32

Oudshoorn Mountain Bike Marathon, South Africa 30th – 2nd October

Day One

Having arrived in South Africa on Tuesday and with the Cape Pioneer only 3 weeks away a three day stage race was perfect to get the feel back on the bike and get used to fat tyres, constant pedaling and lots of dust!  Ischen promised three pleasant days of scenic riding, which I thought quite amusing 4km in when we were hanging onto the lead bunch flying through the dust at over 30kmph.  20km later and we were still hanging on.  Finally the group split and we rode with a few guys with Pete hanging behind me on the descents.  I’d like to think he was hanging back to help me get back to the group as I took the corners in squares but maybe he just found himself stuck behind me and cursed me all the way down!!  I was just thinking how keen the guys in our group were driving the pace on when I saw it was Ischen leading the way possessed with the need to catch the front group again.  So, 40km in and we were with the leaders again.  One attack a few km later and we were dropped for the final time.  Ischen was eating a bar at the time and I was chatting with one of the many faces I recognize now in the MTB circle.

Back with Pete and two others there was chance to take in the fantastic scenery of the little Karoo.  Even if my legs didn’t feel 100% I had to smile seeing so many Ostrich running around in circles and lambs in the field while we are approaching winter at home. The area has had plenty of rainfall too and so looked so green and bright, not what I expected of a semi desert. 

After a long climb we stopped for a drink and my beloved Kooksister before we continued down to the finish working together with the group into the wind and crossing the line joint 1^st, 107km in 3hr50.  Catlin came in next having dropped another girl right near the finish so 1-2-3 for Bizhub on Day One. 

Day 2

With the temperature only 8 degrees first thing we set off with extra layers that were later pushed deep into my pockets as both the temperature and the pace increased.  For the first hour the bunch rolled along quite steady then it gradually got both faster and hillier.  We were a group of around 20 or so when the front 5 rolled off up a long climb.  Some of the guys obviously wanted to be back in the action in front so the pace was pretty high.  Mid way through we turned into the veldt and the track became narrow, rocky and sandy.  The guys were still putting in big digs at the front so at the back it was a constant yo yo and trying to hang on wheels while also hanging onto my bike was becoming a bit of a mission.  I was thirsty, hungry and had had more than enough of juddering over rocks and slipping in the sand, in fact I nearly shed a tear!  Finally the elastic snapped on one of the rocky descents and I dropped off.  Ischen backed off and I followed her wheel to the feed where Pete was waiting for us.  A muffin saw me right and the three of us rode steady for the last 20km to the finish. 97km, 3hr45. Can’t say it was my favorite 4 hours but is all good training and practice for the Pioneer, which goes through some of the tracks from today.  The scenery was urm… apparently very nice though I could probably tell you more about which tyres the people in front of me were riding! 

Ischen, my training and racing buddy

Not a bad place to ride!

Day 3
Forecast was a light drizzle so I was happy enough that the day started overcast but dry and a little warmer.  The bunch stayed together until the first big climb 15km or so in.  We got to the top in our usual group of 10 or so with 5 up the road.  Turning onto dual track through a nature reserve I stayed comfortably near the front and could see the tracks much better. Our bunch stayed pretty much together with the pace pretty high and yo yoing along as some of the men kept putting in huge spurts then dying off.  Nearing the end we came out on a main road and found we’d gone wrong and had 17km left on the tar, by then in a cold drizzle!  Pete saved my life with a bar and luckily I had much better legs than yesterday so didn’t really mind, unlike the other guys who were clearly not impressed!  We finished with 109km, 9 or 10km longer than the route and behind a few other groups but not affecting the overall positions.  Caitlin also went wrong and her group was turned round but she kept 3^rd overall with Ischen and I taking 1^st and 2^nd.

World Road Championships, Copenhagen 24th September 2011

I was selected for the British team to race at this years World Championships in Denmark, a country I’ve never visited unless you count a quick drive through on route to Sweden.  One week later and I still haven’t seen any more of Denmark other than some suburb near Copenhagen! 

My teammates arrived from various points in Europe on the Tuesday and we had chance of a good catch up over dinner cooked by the Sky Team chef.  Only the elite riders were allowed to sample the chef’s food and use his deluxe coffee machine which felt a bit odd as everyone else came down to eat buffet food and we were presented with homemade breads and salad with cucumber shavings and a red sauce spread neatly around the outside like something off Masterchef!  It was all really nice and healthy though we all added bits from the buffet when he wasn’t looking!  He always made dessert too, which was usually a healthier version of the buffet dessert just to stop us straying which I’m afraid I did on more than one occasion to avoid the nuts he seemed to add to everything.

Training leading up to the race was mainly out to the circuit and round splitting up to fit our own intervals in.  I always hate tapering for a big race as you spend the entire week analyzing your legs, how did they feel?  Tired from a massage?  Sore so in need of a deeper massage or a lighter one to avoid making them sore?  Too much training last week?  Too little?  Plus all the sitting around the hotel makes you feel so lethargic its hard firstly to get going on the bike then once going to keep it steady and not use all that nervous pent up energy! 

Despite the nervous moments the team was in great spirits with medals flying in every day, a bronze and silver by Emma P and Bradley in the TT and a gold and bronze for the junior girls and U23 guys. The days were also filled with massages and physio sessions digging deep into my problem shoulder and taping it up with Union Jack tape.  We also painted our nails, Sharon and Lizzie managing the full Union Jack on each finger while I still made a mess of making mine dark blue. 

Finally Saturday came.  Holding off breakfast till 10 I filled up on cereal and bread and felt stuffed right up to the 1.30pm start time.  Arriving at the race we were taken into the Sky bus… what a bus.  It was huge yet only had about 10 reclining chairs each with ipod docking stations, an area for all your stuff and a choice of clear or frosted windows.  The toilet had a Dyson hand dryer in with a shower opposite and a room at the back for leg rubs and cupboards full of snacks and energy drinks.  At the front was a TV with a huge screen behind and surround sound music system.  I could have hidden in there all day but instead went for an early warm up as I guessed once we’d signed they’d be little time. 

The race started in front of a large crowd including some friends from Whitby, Rene from Rapha and a few other friendly faces.  It was a nervous peleton with attacks from the first lap though they never lasted long enough or hard enough to split up the field.  I guess all the top nations had one thing on their minds: a big bunch sprint.  No doubt many girls were given the same jobs as myself, Sharon and Emma which was to make sure nothing went away without one of us in and not to drive any breaks away.  While exciting for us to do those jobs, it maybe wasn’t the most exciting race to watch and with the fast rolling roads only one Canadian managed to get away for a lap.  I was feeling great and concentrated on staying round the front, which felt far safer than in the middle.  Working hard I was on my last legs when a girl rode into my back wheel breaking two spokes so I had to stop to change wheels. With no help allowed from the car I had a long chase back.  I got right up to 3^rd car before realizing they’d all just slowed down for a bend and once round they all sped back off.  The second corner though I got even further up and hugged the back of any car I could find before catching my breath and darting round to the next one.  Nearly a lap later I was back on and got back to the front in time for the last lap.  My last effort was made chasing an Italian back 3km to go.  Once back I drifted back with her while everyone sprinted past at which point a crash went right across the road stopping me and Sharon in our tracks.  We didn’t fall but I do remember having to pull my foot from someone’s wheel no doubt breaking a few of their spokes which I found quite ironic!!

All we could do at that point was roll to the finish listening out as to whether to celebrate or not.  Unfortunately there was no GB mention in the medals with Nicole 4^th again and Lizzie hugely disappointed with 7^th having been caught up behind another crash. I had mixed feeling; pleased with my legs, massively disappointed for the team, relived that we were all at least in one piece, shattered from my efforts and drained from concentrating so much so I had instant bags under my eyes!

I didn’t make the night out (in fact me and Katie nearly didn’t make dinner getting ourselves stuck in a lift). The caffeine wore off enough to make me feel lousy but not enough to let me sleep till 2am, plus while it was the end of the season for most, mine was just getting underway!  

Deep in concentration!

Tour Cyclist Feminine International de L’Ardeche 5-10th September

 With no team and some nice European tours coming up I got in touch with the organization in Ardeche who were putting 2 mixed teams together.  That sorted I then found flights were so expensive the trip was looking unlikely until my folks decided on yet another holiday and we drove down.  Splitting it into 2 days made the journey more holidayish especially with some nice food in an Irish bar in Calais and a bargain smart hotel in Valance.  Arriving first at their campsite and enjoying a quick dip in the pool and pain o chocolate (the only French I know so thought I’d better buy one!!) we headed over to our campsite. Our team consisted of 3 Brits and 2 French girls and we joined forces with the other mixed team making it a pretty sociable group.  With a small static caravan for just two of us accommodation was very good, any race where you get your own room is luxury!

That evening we headed to the prologue, a 2.4km loop that was over quick enough to give you a real lung burner and for me not to lose too much time despite a position in the 60s.

The following day from La Pouzin was a pretty flat 112km day, seems odd to be given easy stages early on when everyone is fresh and we wouldn’t mind a few climbs to split up the usual nervous first day bunch.  I attacked a few times and was in a few very short lived breaks but the race came down to a bunch sprint where I came in 16^th, glad to survive as it was twisty and there are a number of Russians in the bunch who don’t seem to value their lives all that much!  It was a good job it wasn’t too windy as the only jersey I was given was an extra large!

Day two was a split day, all be it only 100km of racing in total but out of the campsite from 6.30am until 9pm.  At Val Les Bains we raced a 3.5km time trial, up and down a small mountain.  Without turbos and with our flapping jerseys there was no time trail stress and I paced it pretty well and actually quite enjoyed the twisty descent.  Surprised myself with 28^th.  After a long wait we started again at 3pm.  The pace was flat out from the off up and down narrow roads and before long a break was away with all the major teams in.  Having just missed it our group got bigger and the pace became very slow.  Racing began again up a long 8km climb and feeling good I hung onto the pace set by HTC on the front.  3km from the top I was yo-yoing and just dropped off before the top.  Luckily I was in the cars soon enough and with a little help from the convoy drafting and sprinting past to the next one before finally tagging back on to the group.  Joining in the work to get to the finish I came in 16^th, moving up to 21^st on GC.

Day three and the legs felt like they were in a stage race and again eating at the venue meant we were out of the campsite pretty early.  At least its good food, plenty of salad and fruit and not the usual soggy French pasta and green beans.  We get a plastic tray with 5 different compartments, which is all good and well until you overfill one compartment or add a heavy peach on one side and it all gets pretty tricky to balance!  Today was 127km with 3000m of climbing so all the compartments were pretty full!  Along the valley on a false flat we averaged 43k an hour until a HTC and Garmin rider got away with a couple of others.  That settled the group down and it felt like we crawled up the first cat climb to over a 1000m altitude.  The pace up the next climb was again comfortable as I was well positioned at the front.  Only on the descent to the last climb did I slip back and before I had chance to come through the attacks came and I was left fighting round riders.  I ended up at the front of a group of 12 or so pretty annoyed that I’d felt so good all day and had missed the big move.  To make for it I got away on the flat headwind with two others to the finish but just got caught 200m from the line by the group I was with.  Still in 20^th and up to 20^th on GC. 

The penultimate day from  St Marcel D’Ardeche was 123km and the temperature by the time we started at 2pm was in the 30s.  The first climb was up and along a huge gorge, scenic if you had time to look but I was going through a bad patch that lasted for about 80km!! It didn’t help that my spoke broke 2km in and I had to chase back.   After drinking a ton I felt better by the third climb and at the top was just off the lead group, so in my usual position: not quite strong enough for the first 20 but ahead of the next group.  I was pleased to be there as I had a free run down a very tricky descent and caught the front group at the bottom.  With 5 girls up the road and 2 at 5min 30 Emma Pooley’s lead was in danger.  Feeling good at last I helped both her and Ashleigh from the other mixed team who was in 2^nd overall for the last 30 odd km, bringing the three back and the leaders down to 3 and a bit minutes with some pretty shattering through and offs!!  They both thought I worked for them when really I just wanted to get back to the campsite and jump in the pool before it closed!  Managed that with the British Rapha team, seeing all 7 foot of Rene launching off one of the slides made all the effort worthwhile!!

The final day was only 72km but with another 3 climbs was never going to be easy. The theme song from Chariots of Fire on the start line obviously acted as some inspiration to some riders as the pace was fast from the off and soon a group was away.  I jumped across with two others and it was soon back together.  The main climb was my worst… long, open, hot, not steep just a long, long drag.  I blew and crawled past mam, dad and a small group of Brits 1 km from the top but luckily tagged onto 4 others.  We were all keen to bridge back so all worked when we could.  30km later down steep gravelly descents, up nasty short climbs and through tiny villages we finally came back to the cars and tagged onto the main field of 20 or so right at the bottom of a steep 3km GPM.  I rode my own pace.  The leaders blew the field apart and dribs and drabs arrived at the finish 10 km later.  I came in pleased again for the good work out and glad the next group didn’t sweep us up. 

My overall position was 18th probably the best finish in a tour full of big climbs and top riders thanks to some good training over the summer back home and a needed break from racing.

Sorry for the long blog… 9 hours in the car is a pretty long way! 

Enjoying the time trial!

My team mates

Cooling off in a fountain!!

Mountain Bike Marathon Event, Selkirk in Scotland

Bruises upon bruises, scars on scars!!

With the bruises from the National XC coming out nicely I ventured up to Scotland with Rob for a weekend of riding and camping. Arriving on Saturday I took part in a coaching session and learned a little more in what is becoming an extremely complicated sport.  As well as been taught about braking, climbing and attempting wheelies pretty badly I also found my tyre on the wrong way and a worn our brake block all of which were sorted before Sunday’s Marathon. 

Although these series of rides by Chain Reaction aren’t actual races it might well have been with a mass neutralized start and fast blast up the first of many climbs.  Approximately 85km and 3000m of climbing meant the course was either up or down.  I was climbing well and descending ok for me, pretty slow but considering how steep some of the single track was I was pretty proud of myself to be riding most of them.  Once on one of few downhill open tracks I got into the biggest gear and flew straight through what looked like your standard small puddle… trouble was I think it was more of a crater and I came out in full superman position.  Lying face down I did a kind of ‘body check’, i.e. nothing feels broken best get going.  With a little help from a guy fixing his puncture I rode on and gradually assessed the bits that hurt.  As well as a few bloodied bits my shoulder was agony and I considered taking the 45km course with it not been a race and all.  However that never happened and once riding hard again the pain subsided and, filling up briefly on biscuits at the feed station, I rode the full 85km.  It was an amazing last climb, up for ages then onto a steep single-track climb before popping out onto a rocky barren top that could have been the moon the time we’d climbed for!  The views were amazing and taking them in I missed a turn and rode down an extra single track (yep me getting carried away and wanting more single track!!) I eventually found the right track and continued down to the finish.  By then my shoulder was giving me some stick every time I stopped and scooted off which was quite often near the end with lots of mud, rocks and a fast bumpy descent. 

I finished 1^st woman which obviously doesn’t matter it been a ‘non competitive’ event but you try telling the rest of the guys I was riding near that.  I was worried that this country didn’t really have marathon events apart from these sportives but sportive or not it was a still a good race in my eyes!!

Hopefully the shoulder will get better… sleeping in a tent with a deflating mattress wasn’t the most comfortable and typing now is a mission but it seems I can rest my arm on my bars to ride so that’s the main thing!!

17 July National Cross Country Championships, Aske near Richmond

A month ago I had that feeling of ‘what am I training for now?’ I searched the website and found that the National XC Championships were on my doorstep at Richmond.  Ok so my XC experience consisted of trying to hang onto Michelle in Guisborough Woods and the wonderful dry fast flowing single track out in South Africa but hey it can’t be that hard…or can it…

On Friday night I went to see the course and take part in a coaching session.  2 hours later we’d done most of the course, I learnt a few invaluable tips on positioning and that my tyres were perfect for the dry plains of Africa and I was terrified, throw in a day of torrential rain and I arrived on Sunday to find a mud fest and I was a nervous wreck! 

At 2.30pm we set off behind the senior and junior men.  The first section was probably the scariest and hardest.  Through a steep wood I managed to skid the back wheel in the general direction I intended to go but the next descent got the better of me… 3 times in fact!  It reminded me of dropping of the edge off  a black run on a ski run except with a few wheels underneath instead of some nice secure skis.  The descent wasn’t scary, wide and thick with mud surrounded by nice soft fern.  My error was that each time I went down it I locked up both wheels and was apparently one of the fastest down…would have been impressive had it not been for the corner at the bottom which sent me flying each time and sent my bike even further into the bushes.

Following that the course entered two sections of wood that twisted around: slippy roots, muddy descents, steep uphills and a few man made obstacles thrown in made it a little tricky for me and by the 4^th time round I decided that running the technical bits was way faster than my other technique: riding, slipping, falling, running, riding, slipping, falling etc etc!! 

Starting off at the back of the grid I’d moved up a few places straight away with a crash to my side.  After that I moved through to yoyo in 5^th place with a friend Gabby.  Even though she was also struggling with the technical bits she caught me up on these before I pulled away on the uphill tracks to finish in 5^th.  I was pleased to a) survive all be it with legs looking black and blue, b) not look like a fool by pulling out cos I was scarred and c) finish smiling and planning the many ways that I can improve with a bit more confidence and practice. 

Right, where’s the race calendar…

Tour Feminine Krasna Lipa

Tour de Feminin Krasna Lipa 7^th to 10^th July

Having found a last minute slot on team Forvioed Brookkvex, a British based team run by a long time friend Rene Groot I started the tour in Czech Republic for the 3^rd time.  The opportunity came up to race at the National Championships the week before just as I was looking for some more races and missing a bit of rough and tumble of Europe racing.  Last time I raced with Rene was years ago but could have been last week as I waited round the corner of King Cross down in London armed with plenty of reading material for the long drive.  Long would be an underestimate.  From leaving Whitby at 6.30am Tuesday (early enough for an anniversary breakfast on the river in York) we arrived at race HQ in Krasna Lipa 5pm Wednesday after stopping in Germany at 2am for a brief rest.

Our accommodation for the race was in an old boarding school with a dodgy lifts, paper thin walls and  shared unisex bathrooms with no curtain in sight.  It was a far cry for the luxuary I’ve grown accustomed to in South Africa and I did wonder why I was back here in my ‘off season’ out of choice!  However all things have a plus side and the girls on the team are definitely that, all really nice, interesting and always a laugh.  It was a pleasure sharing a small room with three others! 

Day One started at 1.30, a hot afternoon but I felt good and made the racing more interesting by attacking as often as I could and sitting in the first 20 as much as possible.  Unlike last year I was never quite in contention to try for the combined jersey of climbing and sprinting which I held last year for 3 days, my closest been a 4^th in a sprint.  However just like last year the racing was controlled, nothing got away and groups were constantly coming back.  Over the last climb I was near the front and with 1km out was perfectly sat in 3^rd wheel.  However an Australian went down the side and I ended up 6^th, unable to move back up and unwilling to risk my life on the last few bends.  We lost 2 girls, Emma Trott had a bad leg and Sofie was out of time.

For the third night running I ended up with sleeping tablets due to a guy snoring so loud next door he might as well have been in the room.

Day 2 was another aggressive one for me, attacking with the GoGreen girls but never getting any real distance.  The longest was a few minutes out front before been hauled back.  Over the same climb in Kransna Lipa three times the group split the last time and it looked good until another train stopped us and everyone tagged back on.  I made one more last ditch attempt 5 km out, attacking then looking up to see a pretty big hill in front!  With no choice I kept going and had two girls for company.  Looking back was quite satisfying to see the whole peleton strung out but the Australians were controlling the race well and it was another bunch sprint downhill.  I nearly came off on a 90 degree bend then ran out of gears with my compact and came in 16^th.  That night we had fish and rice then celebrated Rene’s birthday with a drink down the local. 

Another sleepless night… this time because of the fish or rice or the whole unhygienic communual thing, or just a bug… whatever, half the floor was up ill.  I wasn’t sick but by morning had the other extreme. 

Day three and another two of our riders didn’t start due to the bug.  I managed to ride a Personal Worse ever 18km time trial finding myself out on a windy road overtaken by all 5 riders ahead of me on GC while I felt drained of all energy.  I’m pretty sure a full carbon time trial bike would have made any difference and I impressively slipped from one end of the GC to the other! Looking for anything highly calorific that I only needed to swallow once I started the afternoons 93km on the middle of a donut!  It was a desperate ride, demorilizing to find myself slipping to the back on every hill after been attacking off the front yesterday.  However I kept myself entertained playing the slippage game, descending as fast as possible to the front then slipping to the back on the climbs.  It worked and I finished with the main field. The whole day I’d managed a bowl of cereal, jam sandwich, a donut and some bread at dinner and lots of electyryte but at least felt human after another quality massage and solid sleep in the back of the van.  Going out for the toilet in the night I had to laugh when I’m pretty sure I heard next doors snorer despite him been 5 floors up!  Speaking of which those 5 flights were becoming a stage in them selves now the lift was broken, oh the luxury of woman’s cycling!!

Day 4 saw only 2 of us start and only 114 starters out of 190 odd 4 days ago.  Out of all the tours this one is one of the hardest for new teams and cyclists as once your dropped the hills are relentless and whats more you’ve got to survive rough accommodation, masses of staires and dodgy food all on a suffering immune system!  Today was the hilliest day as we did a loop further south into the longer hills.  Luckily I felt a bit better and, while I was in no state to attack I did hang onto the front group which split a fair few times.  Still with a stomach that made me looked pregnant I failed to eat anything and by the finish laps round Kransna up the same climbs again I started to blow.  I knew things were going bad when I had to chase back on with a huge Lithuanian, however I made sure I did more turns as she smelt like she’d ran out of wash powder on Day One!! The last time up I sat up and rolled down to the finish feeling pretty dizzy and totally spent. 

Not the best tour I’ve done by a long way, in fact one of the worse but sometimes you need these illnesses to make the next race feel better and easier!  It was a real shame the bug wiped out our team as we were not only doing pretty well we were also have a great laugh riders and staff together and I’ve met even more great characters. Now just the epic drive home, wheres Ryan Air when you need it!