24 Mar GrapeRide

Not such a good day on the road for Soul Star Racing at the Grape Ride in Marlborough today with two riders crashing on wet, slippery conditions. In its eighth year, the Grape Ride traverses a 101 km circuit through some of the most stunning scenery in NZ. The race starts from Forrest Estate Winery in Renwick, the capital of the NZ wine industry, then heads north to Picton. From Picton, the road climbs along Queen Charlotte Drive around the head of Queen Charlotte and Pelorus Sounds offering stunning views of Ngakuta and Momorangi Bays. A short bit of flat road leads onto Mahakipawa hill and more breathtaking scenery, followed by a descent to the mussel capital of NZ, Havelock. The race finishes with 30 km of gently rolling terrain back to the start.    

SSR was represented by me, Gabby Vermunt, Aimee Burns, and Kat Jones. Kat and I both ended up hitting the deck on the decent into Havelock where a diesel spill turned several corners into dangerous slick spots. Kat’s crash was pretty serious and she was taken to hospital with a suspected concussion. I came away with bruising and grazes on her elbow and knee, the worst impact being to the same hip I injured 5 weeks ago when I was hit be a courier van. Fortunately I was able to chase back on to the bunch after the crash, although damage to my rear derailleur meant that I had limited gearing for the finish. I also found out after the race that I also damaged the buckle on my shoe and ended up spending a significant amount of time after the race trying to get my shoe off.      

With several women in the bunch unmotivated to race, we were caught by four strong male riders at the front end of the recreational ride with about 25 km to go. The joining of the two races was unfortunate as it upsets both the women’s and the men’s finish, but for Julia Grant (Benchmark) it was absolutely gutting. Julia put in an awesome race, riding away from the bunch heading into Picton, taking out the KOM and staying away till within 20 km of the finish. Awesome riding Julia! Also, welcome back to racing Tracy Clark after hip surgery.  It's great to have you back in the peleton Tracy. 

Heading into the finishing shoot, Gabby did a great job getting position at the front of the bunch for the sharp turn into the shoot. The Grape Ride finish is a bit different from the traditional sprint finale with instead windy, technical finish. Not being familiar with the shoot, Gabby ended up losing a few spots before the line and finished an unconfirmed fourth. First across the line was four-time winner Karen Fulton (FreshChoice Team).      

So, while quite a poor race for our second outing, especially considering Kat’s serious injuries, but we’re focusing on the positives. The team has an exciting positive energy. We’re getting to know each other and learning heaps with each ride. Gabby, Aimee and I (assuming I can move!) will tackle Round 1 of the Elite Cycling Series tomorrow. We’ll miss you Kat. Heal quickly!

I'm on the hunt for some photos and will hopefully add some soon.