And that was the season that was

As always my season starts in the summer months racing criteriums. This year I had plans for a different format to my season. My involvement with the Cycle Sport Victoria Women's Commission meant I had planned not to race at club level as much as I had in previous years with the aim of concentrating on mentoring. With the success of the CoffeeCrits series I feel pleased with the efforts of all concerned. It's feels worthwhile when someone comes up at a race meeting, says hi and tells me how much they enjoyed the introduction to racing through the series.

As usual the first race meeting for the season is the state masters championships and I always feel not quite ready to race, having just come back after a break from the previous season. I have a very vivid memory of the TT. We couldn't find the start point and when we finally found it I had no time for a warm up or time to put the race wheels on the borrowed TT bike. I got changed in the passenger seat of the car and lined up. As luck would have it we only had to race over 11km and I finished the weekend with both the RR and TT titles.

Then I moved on to the JAYCO Herald Sun Tour support criteriums. The first was in Bendigo where I was to learn the very valuable lesson of always keeping you options open in racing. I was forced out wide on the last corner leading onto the finish straight and found myself moving up on most of the field on the outside. Approaching the bell lap I used the same line giving myself a gap on the last lap and finished second outright. I had a target on my back for the next race in Melbourne, which was not helped by the course commentator reminding everyone, a bigger field and a great circuit.

I have always wanted to do the Great Doherty Tour and the Tour of Bright. I also know that it was a big ask to do both in the same year! Both races are quite tough as they are a three race series and within two weeks of each other.

In the Great Doherty Tour I placed third in stage one, the uphill TT and on the same day fourth in stage two, the road race at the appropriately named 'Death Valley' circuit. I also placed fifth in stage three in a very wet criterium giving me a total of fourth overall.

The Tour of Bright finished with a slightly different format RR on the Saturday morning. Stage one started from Ovens and travelled over Rosewhite Gap then Towonga Gap and finish almost back in Bright. The afternoon stage two TT out through the wonderfully named Wandiligong Valley, then a turn around at Martins Bridge and back to Bright. Sunday saw stage three with the Mount Hotham climb. My placings were stage one 17, stage two 22 and stage three 12 with overall placing of 14.

I've raced in the Jayco Bay Classic Criteriums for the last three years competing in the two Geelong rounds. They are always good fun with great racing and this year it was very hot (the temperature as well as the racing). As both circuits are quite tight organisers withdraw entrants who were about to be lapped. It is not always fair or a required practice. It is always nice to ride to a race in your hometown and in front of friends and family.

For the first time the Victorian Masters Criterium Championship was being held in conjunction with the Phil Anderson Classic in Phil's hometown of Apollo Bay. The masters raced with the elite and junior women. It was great racing with a wide age range on a testing circuit, basically a hot dog type circuit with a bit of a detour at one end. I received lots of airtime from the course announcer especially when I finished third outright and finally won the title.

Had a funny experience at the UCI Women's World Cup in Geelong. I had been at my club as an instructor for one of the CSV CoffeeCrits and as the UCI girls were racing in Geelong we followed the course and had a look at the race. We were riding around in full kit and as we were heading back to town and stopped at an intersection waiting for the race to pass one of the marshals said to us you two might as well go. So we did through closed intersections and even had a motorcycle escort spectators waving and photographers taking photos. As we got closer to town we decided we'd better hide in the crowd especially after the motorcycle escort gave us a cranky look after he figured out we weren't part of the race.

Just for something different, on my birthday I headed to Bendigo for the Bendigo International Criterium where I finished midfield. Contestants includedKatherine Bates (Team High Road), Jessica Berry (Bendigo CC) and Jenny MacPherson (CCCC) and I was more that pleased, and thanks to my friend Genevieve for lending me her car.

Then we headed to Sydney for the 2008 Australian Masters Road Racing Championships, I won't go into the details again but I guess that one of the reasons that I took up cycling as apposed to triathlons or the like is that I'm not to good at swimming! It must been four years since I've seen so much rain in such a short time. I was very impressed with the effort of all the girls for not only competing but also competing in such atrocious conditions. Three gold medals and the champion's jersey made it all worthwhile.

I am also very appreciative of the support that I receive from SheSpoke Cycle Wear this season I can't count the times when other competitors and spectators have come up and said 'Hey Pip, what a great looking kit', to which I promptly hand them a card. Having just spent the weekend in Melbourne completing a Level 1 Cycle Coaching Course I have a better appreciation for the efforts of 'Madam Lash'. I'm really not sure if I'm cut out to be a coach but you never say never. Who knows where it my take me. I've also learnt that we all need support not only from coaches but family, friends and other competitors. You may be trying to out perform them on the track but after the race it's really great to just sit and chat.

And also along the way I won the Victorian Masters Aggregate, was awarded the SKCC (my club) Club Person of the Year award, and even had my picture in the local paper, which is surprising because the paper's content usually focuses on football! The CSV women's commission seems to be attracting lots of women to our come and try type days so I'm starting to feel like we are making headway and hoping for female competitors at all levels.

A very busy and pleasing year, now if I can only solve the pain in my right leg I can get started on training for next season.

Cya!

Pip