6-9 Apr Tour de Lakes

Gabby flying through the Prologue course

Over Easter weekend, Soul Star Racing riders Gabby Vermunt, Laura Thompson, Kat Jones, Aimee Burns and I (Jeannie Kuhajek) headed to Central Otago to race the Vital Signs Tour de Lakes, an awesome event put on each year for the last 17 years by Cycling Southland http://www.cyclingsouth.org.nz/index.php?pageLoad=108. Race Director Allan Dunn does an excellent job putting on a great tour and has placed an emphasis on growing the women’s event. We had 20 amazing women come out and race this year. Let’s get behind Allan and aim for an even bigger field in 2013. 

Prologue

The Tour started on Good Friday afternoon with a 5.4 km prologue in Cromwell. SSR made a great start with Gabby putting in the fastest ride of the field to begin the tour in the yellow leader’s jersey with Laura not far behind in third. Track-specialist Kylie Young filled the number two spot.

Stage One

Saturday morning, as we waited for the start of Stage One, 45 km from Kingston to Five Rivers, the sun bathed us in warm rays, warding off the morning chill. With a nasty climb right at the start of the stage, we decided to take an aggressive approach. I attacked on the climb less than a kilometre into the race. A very in-form Sophie Williamson (H&J Outdoor World) responded immediately and the two of us were clear by the top of the hill. We were soon joined by Haley Mercer (Benchmark Homes), followed by Laura, and then Julia Grant (Benchmark Homes) and Erin Criglington.  Motivated to gain time on Gabby, Sophie, Julia, Haley and Erin drove the pace and the bunch was quickly out of sight. Within less than 10 km to race, Sophie showed her impressive hill-climbing form, riding away on the final climb and grabbing the QOM jersey which she retained for the remainder of the tour. In an exciting finish, we reeled her in within one kilometre from the line. Laura powered away for a solo finish while I sprinted in to take second, Erin third. The break moved Laura into yellow and me into the green sprint jersey.

Stage Two

Saturday afternoon’s stage, 80 km Five Rivers to Manapouri, was a fairly quiet stage with any breakaway attempts by SSR riders quickly neutralised. Heading into Manapouri the bunch was keen and the finish got messy. In a long, gruelling sprint, speedy Southland sprinter Sequoia Cooper (H&J Outdoor World) came away with the win with Sophie on her wheel in second. Laura skilfully manoeuvred through the bunch to grab third with no changes in GC.  

Stage Three

Rainbow over Manapouri Sunday morning

Easter morning, we were treated to a brilliant rainbow brightening the skies over Manapouri as a light sprinkling of rain fell while we warmed up for Stage Three, a 20 km individual time trial from Manapouri to Te Anau. The course headed gradually uphill for 16 km followed by 4 km of gentle descent into the finish just outside of Te Anau. The drizzle passed by the time the first rider headed off, but the relatively still air in Manapouri became a crosswind en route as the course headed north, and then eventually a brutal cross-head wind over the last one third of the course. The result was trying conditions for race-weary legs. But strong riders prevail when the racing gets tough, and the ride of the tour came from Gabby who showcased her top-notch time-trialling ability and showed herself to be the strongest rider in the tour, powering to an amazing time over the 20 kilometers over 2 minutes faster than the next rider. Gabby’s time was 13^th fastest of the 103 competitors in the entire tour and beat all but two of the B-grade men. Awesome work Gabby.  In a mirror of the prologue podium, Kylie took second and Laura third, adding an extra 52 seconds to her lead.

Stage Four

Aimee winning Stage Four

After lunch, rain once again threatened on the horizon but fortunately passed with little more than a brief sprinkle before the start. The afternoon stage, 80 km from Te Anau to Five Rivers, was an exciting and dynamic stage with SSR putting in attack after attack. Eventually a three-rider break stuck and Aimee took the fourth stage win for SSR with Georgia Timpany (H&J Outdoor World) second and Julia third. Sequoia moved into the green jersey with Laura retaining yellow.

Stage Five

Lake Wakatipu from the road to Glenorchy

Monday morning, the tour headed along the picturesque road between Queenstown and Glenorchy hugging the shore of Lake Wakatipu. The 45 km stage along undulating roads, including several substantial climbs, was challenging on tired legs. Coming into the fast finish just outside of Glenorchy, we launched Gabby off the front of the pack but the effort was just a touch too early and Gabby was swamped at the line with Sequoia taking the stage, Sophie second and Laura third.

Stage Six

Laura finishing the Tour at the top of Moke Lake Road

The afternoon took us 40 km back along the road we’d just come, up the steep side of Mt Creighton, over the punishing climb out of Wilson Bay, before turning off to finish with a 3 km grind up to Moke Lake. Kat did an excellent job for SSR controlling the pace over the first half of the course. Mid-stage, the long climb up Mt Creighton shattered the bunch and the front was whittled down to five: Laura, Gabby, Sophie, Haley and Julia. Sophie used her excellent hill-climbing form to up the pace on every remaining climb, pushing Laura to the limit and in the end prevailing to take the stage. Julia crossed the line second, with Gabby third and Laura fourth. Laura put in an amazing fight to keep the jersey. At the top of the final climb, it all came down to mere seconds, with Sophie taking the yellow jersey by 4 seconds over 9 hours of racing. SSR took the top even spots with Laura second and Gabby fourth, and Julia finishing third.

Thanks to Bruce Wilson and Rick O'Shay for some amazing photos.

We had a great tour and, although we remain in the steep part of the learning curve as a team, we’re moving forward rapidly, shaking off injuries and fine tuning our form. Our next race is this weekend in Round 2 of the Benchmark Elite Cycling Series in Hokitika on Sunday. While Kat and I take a break concentrate on healing up our injuries, Gabby, Aimee and Laura will be joined by Serena Sheridan in her SSR debut.

25 Mar Benchmark Round 1

Round One Top Women's Team: Kat, Gabby, Jeannie & Aimee

First win for Soul Star Racing!

Soul Star Racing earned its first win on Sunday, taking out the team honours in the first round of the Benchmark Homes Elite Cycling Series. The win made up for a not-so-great day on Saturday with both me and Kat sustaining injuries. Kat, however, was the star of the day on Sunday. After spending the Saturday afternoon at the hospital getting her injuries checked out, she still got on her bike and started the race—despite a whopping headache and broken shifter on her bike. Kat’s enthusiasm exemplifies the awesome attitude and commitment of the whole SSR team!

Kat, Gabby and Jeannie waiting for the start

Sunday’s race was Round 1 of the 2012 Benchmark Homes Series. The series, which debuted in 2005, offers some of the best elite racing in the country. Benchmark follows a European format of teams-based racing with each team backed by its own support vehicle in the race convoy. The Benchmark Series has no doubt elevated the level of racing in New Zealand and some incredible talent has emerged from the series.

With seven rounds over eight months, this year’s Benchmark Series, for the first time, is offering a separate series for female riders. The women’s series is an exciting step forward for women’s racing in New Zealand and SSR is excited to be a part of it. With the separation of the men’s and women’s races, the Benchmark series is apt to help grow women’s racing in New Zealand just as it has men’s.

While five four-rider teams have committed to the series, only three teams were able to race on Sunday due to travel constraints for the southern teams. Despite the small field, the twelve women racing put on a dynamic and exciting race.

All three teams were active right from the start with everyone having a go. Over the first 35 km of racing, attacks and counter attacks went constantly as each team fought to get the right mix in the break. Unfortunately, with me and Kat both feeling quite worse for wear, Gabby and Aimee were left to do battle with limited support.

Julia and Gabby working the break.

They both put in some serious attacks but, despite all the activity in the bunch, we hit the base of the climb as a bunch. As the road headed upward, Gabby upped the pace with only Karen Fulton (Tasman Team) and Julia Grant (Benchmark Homes) able to match her pace. The three were well clear by the turn around point at the top of the 4 km climb and, with a tailwind home, lapped it out together to build their lead. With less than 10 km to go, Gabby’s attempts to break free for a solo finish were denied. In the end, it came down to a sprint for the line with Gabby taking an awesome second behind Karen with Julia third.

Aimee triumphed in the bunch sprint where she put in an amazing finish, holding the front over a gruellingly long sprint. Watching from behind I was sure there was no way she could hold on for the long. So proud of you Aimee! To cover all the top even spots, I crossed the line in sixth. With team ranking being based on the top three riders from each team, sixth was sufficient to give us the top team finish for the round.

Aimee leading the bunch into the finish for fourth. In fifth place
is super emerging talent junior rider Caitlin Holmes
(Tasman Wheelers).

We’re excited by the opportunity and support that Benchmark Homes and series organiser Lisa Ward is offering women’s cycling. We’re hoping that the great start to the series will entice more women to join in the fun.

Kat and I will be spending some serious time healing and recovering while teammates Gabby, Aimee and Laura up their training in preparation for our next race. We’re on the road again next weekend at the Vital Signs Tour de Lakes in Queenstown.

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.

17 Mar Oceania Road Champs

Soul Star Racing got things off to an awesome start with an exciting performance in the Oceania Road Champs in Queenstown on Saturday. The team was represented by four riders: 2009 NZ National Road Champ Gabby Vermont, 2011 Canterbury Centre Road Champ Aimee Burns, 2012 World Paralympic Tandem Pursuit bronze medallist Laura Thompson and me. Not only our first hit out as a team, the race also marked Laura’s return to racing after a two year hiatus from the road.

View of Littles Road hill

Queenstown turned on a stunner day for us and we were blessed with beautiful blue skies, dry roads, warm temps and calm winds. The course, four times around a challenging 25-km circuit including an exhilarating 100 kph decent followed by a short but punishing and brutal climb up the not-so-little Littles Rd hill; the hill was highlighted by a particularly enjoyable (or NOT!) section near the top with a slightly uncomfortable gradient of 18%. The first time up Littles Rd hill, only 3 km into the race, defending champion Shara Gillow (GreenEDGE-AIS) pushed the pace and the bunch splintered immediately. A crash on the climb caused chaos mid-bunch, leaving several riders, including Gabby, Aimee and Laura, to chase hard to regain the bunch. Laura, having been brought down in the crash, had to put in a massive effort to get back on. She then put in some powerful pulls for the team, showing impressive strength that, with a few more races under her belt, will no doubt become a serious weapon for the team. 

Gabby away solo off the front

With the pace off on the back side of the course along Speargrass Flat, Gabby took the opportunity to launch off the front, rapidly building a lead of almost 2 minutes. As we cleared McIntyre’s Hill, the second major climb of the course, and made the turn back towards the start/finish along Malaghan’s Rd for lap 2, several riders became motivated to get away. With three laps still to go and the testing course not well suited to a solo ride, we were quite keen to have someone join Gabby up the road. Optimistic at the pairing, we let Australian TT-specialist Bridie O’Donnell (Vanderkitten-Focus) escape the bunch.

Gabby and Amy powering through the feedzone.

Unfortunately Bridie, an experienced international pro cyclist and 2010 Oceania Road Race Champion, was confident to go it alone. She blew past Gabby in a massive attack, leaving Gabby still solo, but now chasing. Traveling at more or less the same speed, but individually, the two remained off the front for another lap. We reeled in Gabby the third time up McIntyre’s Hill and then Bridie not long after along Malaghans Rd. And the race was brand new once again.

With the bunch all together and the pace slow heading along the back straight I jumped clear until the top of McIntyre’s Hill when I was joined by five riders, Australian pros Gillow, Gracie Elvin (Jayco-AIS), Rachel Neylon (Abus Nutrixxion) and up-and-coming and massively talented kiwi riders Georgia Williams (KiwiVelo) and Reta Trotman (Otago). Georgia, Reta and I put in efforts to drive the pace but the three Aussies, being speedy sprinters, were less than motivated to work. 

Me and eventual winner Gracie Elvin.

We were eventually joined by five more riders with less than 10 kms to go. Gabby, ever the fighter, once again took the opportunity to launch on a solo vie for the line. She was quickly chased down by Gillow. My turn to put in one last dig but I was hunted down and countered my Neylon with only 3 km the go.

To complement the testing course, the race ended with a challenging, uphill sprint. Aimee was in the mix, putting in a strong performance. The Australian pros proved too strong in the end, sweeping the podium with Gillow leading out Elvin for the win. Gillow maintained position for second, with Neylon taking third. First-year senior Williams was the top finisher for NZ in fifth place. While we left it all out on the road and didn’t have much left for the finish, we couldn’t be happier with our first outing.

We'll be back at it next weekend in Blenheim with the Graperide on Saturday followed by the first race in the Elite Cycling Series on Sunday.

Soul Star Racing

After kicking off my New Zealand summer season with an exciting weekend at the Armstrong Festival of Cycling in early December, including grabbing the QOM in the road race and scoring an awesome solo win in the criterium, I’ve had a rather quiet season. To balance out the lack of blog-worthy news, I have two exciting announcements.

Leading the bunch through Corner 1 in
Tour de Vineyards Stage 1

First, a bit about my season so far. The final week of 2011 I get off to a good start in the Tour de Vineyards, placing fourth in the opening prologue and winning the bunch sprint for second in Stage 1. Then, a latent sinus infection swamped my immune system and I was forced to abandon the tour after Stage 2. Essentially, in addition to a general complete lack of energy, congestion in my head made it difficult to stand without feeling dizzy—not such a ideal state for riding a bicycle.

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Early attempt to escape from the bunch at
Elite Roads Champs.

Eight days later, unsure as to how recovered I was, I headed down to the Elite Road Champs in Christchurch. Buoyed by the excitement of riding a ‘new’ bike (Brian and I decided to swap frames, his Specialized SL2 being a bit lighter than my aero-frame Litespeed), I went in with a positive outlook.  But seven times up “the hill”—a 1.5 km climb with an average gradient of 7.5%, up to 13.4% in places—was not something my body was keen on quite yet. I finished thirteeth in a disappointing and unremarkable performance. But, I did finish, a not so unremarkable feat given the successive cramping of every single muscle in my legs each time up the hill.

Feeling pretty worn out, still periodically dizzy and with lots of congestion in my head, I set training aside to focus on re-establishing some equilibrium in my body. After about 6 weeks, I was gradually feeling better and decided to start back doing some formal training again. Unfortunately, I encountered a slight stumbling block when I collided with a van that pulled out in front of me on my way to work. My bike took the brunt of the impact with the van, which was substantial given the damage to the frame and fork, while I did battle with the road. I landed hard on my right side/back. Cleared of any fractures or organ damage, I’m still working through exact issues. I am, however, extremely fortunate to come away with only minor injuries so fingers crossed.

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Holly sporting SSR kit

Now for the exciting bit. Team announcements! I’m happy to announce for 2012 my involvement with two women’s cycling teams. Over the NZ winter, I’ll head to the US where I’ll join the Chicago-based PSIMET Racing women’s team. Stay tuned for more about PSIMET Racing closer to May. While in NZ, I’ll be racing with the nearly formed Soul Star Racing (SSR). We’re planning to kick things off next weekend with our debut at the Oceania Road Champs in Queenstown.       

The SSR team is packed with talent with riders Serena Sheridan, Aimee Burns, Gabby Vermunt, Kat Jones, myself, and junior development rider Holly Edmondson. Headed by Team Manager Glenn Te Raki, SSR is a registered domestic trade team, I believe one of only two women’s team to be registered in NZ. Awesome progress for women's racing in NZ and we're hoping that SSR will help stimulate the emergence of lots more women's teams. We’re working on our official race schedule, to be announced soon, with racing planned for the next four weekends.

To help the team meet the costs of racing, we’re trying out a Team Membership Club. Membership is open to anyone who wants to join and there are two membership options, “pro” and “supporter”. The Pro option ($250) includes an SSR team jersey (your choice of pink or blue) and the Supporter option ($120) includes an SSR team polo. If anyone is interested a lesser (or greater) membership, I’m sure Glenn is open to discussion. All funds will go toward rider development and racing costs. Any proceeds beyond the expenses of the team will go to St Johns Ambulance. For more information about the SSR team, visit the Soul Star Racing Facebook Page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Soul-Star-Racing-NZ-womens-cycling-team-SSR/347928735231222

Oct-Dec 2011 Spring Racing in NZ

Winning the 2011 Armstrong Festival Criterium.

From summer to spring. Not bad. We're heading to summer racing here in New Zealand. Here's what we've been up to on the road.

21-23 Oct NZ Masters Games

Lami warming up for the Masters Games kermese
Friday evening.

After returning from 12 full-on weeks of racing in the states, we’ve had a fairly quiet spring. This year’s New Zealand Masters Games was held in Nelson in Oct. With the event right here in our own backyard, Lami and I decided to check it out. Over three days of racing, we were treated to all four seasons, from baking heat to gusting winds to chilling rain. Between us we collected three gold and three silver medals. Not bad. The Tasman Wheelers did a fabulous job hosting. I’ve heard rumors that the event will be returning to Nelson next year. 

29 Oct K1 / K2

The last weekend in October, we headed up to the Coromandel Peninsula for K2(www.arcevents.co.nz), touted as the toughest one-day cycle race in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also one of the most scenic and varied with the route travelling through subtropical forest, pacific coastlines and rural farmland. The event is further unique in that it incorporates four different start cities, starting in a different town each year. You have to race it four times to experience all four routes. Definitely recommended!

The event is named after Kuaotunu, a community on the wild eastern coastline of the Coromandel Peninsula. In Maori, the name Kuaotunu means “to inspire fear in young animals.”  The 2 represents the almost 200 km that the ride covers. By coincidence K2 is the 2nd highest, and probably the most difficult to climb, mountain in the world.

Gayle, Jeannie & Lami in Auckland

 
Lami had a great race finishing 4^th in the Masters Division, while I also finished 4^th in the Elite Women’s Race, K1. We had a fabulous time hanging out with our friend Gayle Brownlee, how took excellent care of us over the weekend. The best part of the weekend (for Lami anyway) was the espresso machine that he inherited from Gayle’s mom!

 

Benchmark Homes Round 4 Winning Team: Tom Filmer,
Chris Sharland, Chris Nicholson, Brian Grant, Warrick
Spence, Dean Fulton, Jeannie Kuhajek

19 Nov Benchmark 4

In November we raced the final round on the 2011 Benchmark Homes Series, the Oxford Grand Prix. The Tasman Team had an all around fabulous day with team leader Chris Nicholson taking 2^nd in the men’s race and me winning the women’s race. Strong placings by the rest of the team gave us the winning team for the day and second team overall for the series.

9-11 Dec Crit Champs & Harbour Ride

For my birthday weekend in December I headed up to Auckland to race in the National Criterium Champs (www.smartsport.co.nz) at Takapuna (while Lami held down the fort at home). The crowd turnout was awesome with loads of people stacked all along the start/finish straight. 

Leading the chase in the National Crit Champs at Takapuna

With strong winds and long, exposed straights, the course didn’t quite suit me and, after a busy week at work, my legs did not want to race. Serena Sheridan (Mico Protrain) rode a great race, riding off the front in various breakaways for most of the race. Once the bunch reeled her in, Pip Sutton launched with about a lap and a half to go, holding on to claim the Championship Jersey in style. Rushlee Buchanan (Colavita) and Kaytee Boyd (BikeNZ) took second and third in a close sprint and I somehow snuck in on Kaytee’s wheel for fourth. 


First bunch heading across the Harbour Bridge.

Sunday morning was an early start with the TelstraClear Challenge Harbour Ride (www.telstraclearchallenge.co.nz) scheduled to kick of at 5:50 am. Unfortunately the start was delayed and we spent quite a long time waiting on the start line. Finally, a bit after 7:00, we headed away as the first group of cyclists to ride over Auckland’s Harbour Bridge. Gusty, frigid cross winds made the crossing not all too pleasant, but once off the bridge we were on our way and racing. The constant up-and-down terrain over 110 km was a real challenge to already grumpy legs. Combined with an upset stomach I had a less than stellar race, finishing 10^th—although the field was pretty classy so no complaints.Emma Crum earned the win with a strong ride from beginning to end. The ride also doubled as a fund raser for multiple sclerosis, raising over $90,000. Thanks to every who contributed. Marion Webb was an incredible host. Thanks so much for the wonderful time!

3-4 Dec Armstrong Festival

The highlight of my spring racing was the first weekend in December when we headed down to Christchurch for the Armstrong Motor Group Festival of Cycling (www.festivalofcycling.co.nz), a Saturday-Sunday road race-criterium pairing. The Armstrong Festival has faced some enormous challenges this year with February’s earthquake wiping out the courses for both Saturday’s and Sunday’s races. Rather than being discouraged, Simon Hollander and the team at Tailwind Events put in a colossal effort to establish new routes and make this year’s Festival possible. Lami put in two solid days of racing, but with the lack of big hills on the new course, the racing wasn’t quite his style, finishing mid-bunch each day. However, putting in multiple attacks both days, he made the racing challenging for the other riders. In the Women’s race, I had a great start to the road race on Saturday, grabbing the Peak Fuel hill climb prize. The race was fairly dynamic but in the end came down to a bunch sprint. After touching wheels with another rider as we scrambled for position, I was forced to sit up in the sprint and rolled across the line in 10^th. The following day, I made up for it with what I would consider my best race to date. Taking advantage of the tight technical course well suited to my riding style, I was able to escape from the bunch about half-way through the race. Determined, I dug deep and held the gap for an awesome solo finish!

Armstrong Festival Criterium Podium: Sequoia
Cooper, Jeannie Kuhajek, Emily Collins

11 Sep Benchmark Round 2 (Healing Old Wounds)

Back in New Zealand after 13 weeks of crit racing in the US, a bit of a break from racing is in order. But not quite yet. Two weeks after returning home, some unfinished business beckoned.

Round Two Tasman Team: Brian, Garry, Warrick, Chris,
Daniel, Sean, and Jeannie with Kieran on camera duty

Three and a half years ago, I crashed badly in Round Two of the Benchmark Homes Series in Timaru, making an ambulance exit from the race. Given the severity of the crash, I was extremely lucky to come off with a concussion, broken collar bone, and some missing skin. I don’t recall much about the event, having hit the ground more or less head-first and blacked out for some time, conveniently coming to just before the ambulance arrived (= short wait!), but it hangs over my head as the race I didn’t finish. That is, until now. This year, the Benchmark Homes Series returned to Timaru for the first time since 2008, and with it my chance to finally finish the race.

Saturday afternoon, I met up with my Tasman teammates: Brian, Chris N, Daniel, Sean, Tom N, and Warrick, and Managers Garry and Kieran, himself healing from a broken collarbone suffered when a car drove into him while he was racing in France, and together we made the long drive down from Nelson to Timaru. Rain forecast for Sunday thankfully held off. Roads remained dry and we were presented with an overcast but otherwise beautiful day. Temps were a chilly but constant 13 °C (40 °F) and the winds fairly innocuous—especially for a Benchmark race.

View of Centennial Park Timaru, Photo by Steve Attwood

After 3 months of flat, smooth roads and short, fast racing in the US, 115 km of mixed rolling terrain, punchy climbs, and long false flats on rough New Zealand chip was going to be a challenge despite good fitness. The course was the same as in 2008, a short 15 km lap through the narrow, windy and scenic roads of Centennial Park, followed by three 33-km laps through rural Timaru. With 96 starters from 15 teams, including 12 females and plenty of top-notch riders returning from over-seas, the race promised to be full of excitement.

And exciting it was—right from the start. As per usual with Benchmark races, the pace was fast from the drop of the flag, with lots of teams keen to establish riders in a break. Luck was not on my side and I punctured less than 30 km into the race. I pulled off the road for a wheel change and Garry and Kieran were at my side in an instant, ready with a new rear wheel in hand. Unfortunately, while we completed the swap, the bunch disappeared in the distance, blasting away from us at over 60 kph, carrying momentum from the biggest descent of the course. Not good timing. With no chance of regaining the leaders, I was lucky to rejoin a small group of eight, including fellow Tasman rider and current series leader Karen Fulton (Team Orbea). With a badly synched gears and over 80 km left to go, company was much appreciated!

Brian descending

Bike NZ rider Lauren Ellis (Warmup Pushbikes), carrying excellent form from several months of racing in the States, held on to the front group of guys to take the win, while Corrinne Smit (Cycling Otago) put in an impressive ride for second. Karen and I finished together, duking it out in a sprint for third. Both being from Tasman, Karen and I race together regularly and she normally kicks my butt in a sprint. This time, with Karen just back on the road after a bit of a break, the roles were switched. I grabbed third with Karen finishing fourth, enough to maintain her series lead.

So, while the race didn’t quite go as well as hoped, a puncture is definitely an upgrade from a crash any day. Most importantly, mission accomplished. After three and a half years, I finally finished the race. The team put in an awesome effort with Daniel Ellison finishing 6^th, Chris Nicholson 9^th, and Warrick Spence hanging on to the Masters Leader’s Jersey.