What a few months it's been - the very first womens' Tour Series event, hosted by Johnsons Health Tech kicked off this summer. Peterborough, Stoke on Trent, Oldham and finally Woking all within the space of a month. To add to that there was the Smithfield Nocturne held in June. Now I work full time... so I had to book off annual leave for the Tuesday or Thursday it was that the race was held, then drive back to Reading in the evening ready to go to work the next day. By the end of it I was exhausted - from the travelling! The racing was fantastic, what a platform for womens' bike racing to take off from; the atmosphere, the courses, being on TV - amazing. Bring on 2012's rounds, rumour has it there will be 10 of them!
Then came the national women's road race championships, another epic drive up to Newcastle - or not as the case may be... as I decided to take the train. Bored out of my face, I decided to hitch a lift back with Em G to Reading than face sitting alone on a train for 6hrs again! The race itself was hard, a wall of a climb to get up and with riders such as Emma Pooley, Nicole Cooke, Sharon Laws and Lizzi Armitstead, to name just a few, ramping up the speed it was inevitable that the bunch was going to split up. Watching it back on the T.V. a few days later it was shocking to see just how much the field split up on that climb! I managed 14th place, of which I was very proud of :)
Today I got back from Czech... after competing in the Tour de Feminine in Krasna Lipa. We travelled out on Tuesday morning, leaving London and hitting traffic straight away - great start! The Tigertours bus was fantastic - 9 seater, 6 seats in the back facing each other with a table in the middle... and TV screens and a playstation to keep us amused. Then there was the little bed at the back... for taking a cheeky nap on. We drove all over the place picking up riders as we went... and eventually stopped at 2am to sleep. Up early and back on the road we eventually got to Krasna Lipa to sign on... with about 1hr to spare before the race sign on closed! As soon as we arrived at the boarding school (our accommodation) we got kitted up and went for a spin... discovering cobbled decents and broken roads... riding through fields and along tiny farm tracks and finally coming back just in time to make dinner.
Day one of racing, my word - around 180 riders on the start line I had never been in a race like this in all my years of riding - I was scared, I'll be honest. From the off the racing was fast - and with nervous riders in the bunch a slight touch of breaks rippled through the bunch to develop into full on anchors down for riders towards the back. Glad I put brand new brake blocks on front and back... might have run out of pads come stage 5! Up the climbs I struggled with my gear... 23 on the back just wasn't small enough for the climbs and I got dropped with 60 other riders. I managed to ride back onto the front bunch... but got dropped up the next hard climb - I finished alone about 2-3mins down on the winner. Not too bad. Severely dehydrated and cramped up I collapsed in a heap on the floor after the finish... looking my best, naturally, Rouleur photographer Gerrard dived in for some shots of my suffering. Big thanks to Jody for bringing that coke and sitting with me as I lay in the foetal position recovering.
Day two of racing... a number of riders caught out by the time cut on day one the start line was a bit lighter. I felt more confident with the riders around me... and avoiding anything caffeinated and drinking more during the race I felt like 10 men. I kept with the bunch up the climbs and found myself much higher up in the position, everything was going so well until I punctured. Not a problem I thought... put my hand up... pull to the side, take the offending wheel out and hold it up so the team car/neutral service can take the right wheel to me. How wrong was I. My teams car was ahead following a break away group... and neutral service went straight past me... along with every other team car. I was left on my own. Yes, I cried... and swore. Thankfully a chasing group wasn't too far behind, and Horizon Fitness stopped to give me a wheel change - my heros! I finished at the back of this group alongside Curley... neither of us willing to sprint to the death for 90th place.
Day three of racing... this time riders weren't starting because of time cuts and the much talked about bout of food poisoning that went through the boarding school occupants. We blamed the rice. The Germans blamed the fish. The Czech blamed the Germans. etc. No one knew what exactly caused it, but what we did know was around 50 people were unwell following the rice and fish meal. Miffy, Gaby, Gerrard and Jody were up all night with it... Miffy and Gaby had to pull from the race. A sad day for them both. Jody put on a very brave face and sorted all the riders legs out, cleaned and filled our bottles and spent the day handing bottles out in the scorching heat.
I rode the TT... and felt OK ish... a crap nights sleep and dodgey tummy meant I wasn't feeling amazing... but I was surviving... I did a good ride considering - averaging over 41kph on a rolling, uneven road surface with a tough wind. Happy with that!
On to the second stage, the 92km road race, Curley was sick on the drive to the start and had to call it quits then... there was no way she could continue. I was sick just before lining up. Nerves maybe? Got to the first climb, 9km into the race and I was sick again, this time all over my leg. Classy. I got dropped, but chased back on. Next climb, I was sick again... I got dropped again... I wasn't catching back up, but then a train held up the bunch and I rolled up to the back along with other riders. I stayed with this front bunch until the next climb where it all happened again. About 70km into the race and I was delirious, I was weaving around on my bike and just retching over the side... I was running on empty. None of my drinks or gels were staying down. I got to the top of a climb, and just started crying.... the broom wagon drove up beside me and asked if I was finished. I nodded and turned back. Game over.
Day four of racing, by now all that was left of our huge team in the race was Em G and Cath - two very strong, very tough riders. Lucky for them the sick bug hadn't hit them too hard, but that doesn't mean they weren't suffering some of the same symptoms. To have carried on and finished showed true grit and determination, I'm very proud of them girls! Not only did they finish, but Em finished 24th and Cath was in a chasing bunch not far behind, amazing rides!
The epic road trip home began at 1.30pm, the back of the van piled to the roof with bikes, bags and wheels. Our seating was already bagsy'd and shot-gunned with pillows and iPods. A few detours led us along cobbled narrow roads and to a river crossing... we were on a ferry by the late afternoon... sadly this ferry didn't take us to the UK... just over the river. We drove all night, stopping only for fuel and toilet stops. A fry up at 3am on the ferry was a welcome choice. Arriving back in the UK around 5am we began dropping people off on route, I jumped out just off the A2 and carried on my travels with a very tired James, who I woke up at 3am to declare plans had changed and I was now going to be in the UK early in the morning, not late in the evening!
So. For now I am focusing on catching up on lost sleep, and shaking off this sickness... but soon I shall have to turn my focus on getting as skinny and strong as I can to get my a** up climbs faster later in the year!
Peace out!
Nice one Ro, valiant hurculian effort despite the bug, hope you are feeling better x
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