The race started with a prologue - a timed Individual Time Trial (ITT) of the 2.2km long circuit. Being my first ever ITT, I was really excited. I was one of the first women to be called to the start line - this meant I didn't have enough time to warm up, or have anyone else's time to try to beat. Oh well, I just had to give it my best shot! Up at the start line, I had someone to hold onto my bike so I could start with both my feet clipped in. "This is real cool!!" As the timer started counting down the start time from 30s, I could feel my heartbeat racing in excitement - all I could do was to try and take deeper breaths.
3,2,1 - go! I quickly rev up my cadence - and click, click, click - I found my right gear. As, I reached the first corner of the course: a tight right hand one - something which I was not used to - I found myself jamming on the brakes as I had built up way too much speed. Oh crap, I thought - I had just lost precious seconds there! No time to think Gracie, just spin those legs! I found myself going really quick again and for about 0.5ks I was flying. As I hit the back of the course, there was a slight incline and a head wind. And I bonked. I watched in horror as my speedometer quickly dropped from 45kmh to 33 kmh - uh oh. Click, click to an easier gear - spin, spin, spin - get that lactic acid out. I was soon back on track, but the course had run out. Ah well, it was really good experience, and in time I'll have to learn the art of time trialling while holding a steady pace.
Next up - crit! Playing my first team game on a crit was pretty exciting. With 6 of us, we were to attack 2 at a time over the course of the crit. My job - attack in the first 15mins with one my team mates, Nadine. First lap was neutral lap. As we got onto the 2nd lap, Nadine and I quickly moved up to front of the bunch. I did mini surge to push up the pace - it was game on.
I signalled Nadine to make a move, and she attacked. Being on the front of the whole peloton, I wasn't going to bridge the gap. I tried best to restrain myself from jumping- this was a team game. Somehow the riders sitting on my wheel weren't prepared to counter-attack - was everyone just trying to save energy? Well, our strategy worked. Nadine quickly gained lengths, and was pretty soon off on her own solo break.
A few riders soon realised and tried to bring Nadine back. My job for the next part - just counter every attempted attack. Someone would try to bridge, and I would immediately counter and sit on their wheel. I would always be on the 2nd or 3rd wheel. If the front rider slowed down, I just played the game. I just sat behind their wheel - it was my team mate on the break, I was going to chase. Someone behind would try to accelerate and jump up the front - I would just swing out and take their wheel. Each attack was slowly sapping at my energy stores, and at the same time knowing that contesting the win at this crit was game over for me, I was thoroughly enjoying this game of cat and mouse.
15 mins later, my team leader Jenny yelled "good job" and I quickly pulled behind and sat at the back of the peloton. It was at this time that I realised that 1/3 of the field had dropped off taking along 2 of my other team mates. The next 10 or so minutes I just kept spinning out whatever lactic acid that had built up - at times falling a bike length from the person in front of me, but determined to not get dropped.
2 of my other team mates kept the attacking spree going. As the peloton tired, team leader Jenny jumped and eventually managed to bridge the gap across to Nadine. A few laps later, another team mate Bec managed to break away from the peloton too.
Feeling a little stronger again, I decided to give the break a shot too. I managed to hold the break out for 2 or so minutes, but as I hit the slope and headwind, I started doubting whether I was going to be able to hold on solo. With no sight of my team mates that had broken away, I looked back twice to see if the peloton were going to respond. Being a little tired and not thinking straight - I knew I had made a mistake. I had half commited to the break, I was in doubt, and every turn of the head had slowed me down. The peloton soon caught up and I was left hanging on to the back again.
I looked down at my comp - there was about 7 or so minutes left before the sign for 3 laps. Tired as I was, I hung on to the back, knowing that I still had that bit left in me for a final sprint. Although it was a contest for 4th place, I was always up for a sprint - knowing that adrenaline will somehow take charge.
As I was getting ready to move up to the front, and feeling strong enough again to attempt another attack, the bunch started sprinting. I had never seen a mid-race peloton attack that way before. Something surely was up - was someone trying some sort of new breakaway with 3 laps to go??? I immediately chased. I got from right behind on the 10th wheel to the 4th wheel. I had come this far. No way was I going be dropped now.
And everyone in front of me slowed right down and started chatting. "That was a tough race," someone said. The front few had thought it was the last lap. "What...that was the last lap??!??" "Where was the final bell?" "I didn't even see the 3 laps to go sign!" I was absolutely pissed off!! Half angry at myself for not paying attention, half angry at the organisers for not ringing the bell louder. Having worked so hard, and not contesting a sprint well, I was really angry at everything. Oh well, it was race over - and I just had to make sure I cooled down well. Being in a 'don't talk to me mood', I quickly dropped behind the rest of the field to do my own spin.
As I reach the start line, I saw one of my team mates who had earlier dropped off. I pulled out of the course. "Why did you pull out?" she asked. "Well, the race is over!" I said. "Who said it's over?" the race director standing nearby said. "The bunch!" I said, half angry at him for not ringing the bell louder. Well, it turned out that the race wasn't over!! At this time I was about ready to throw my bike on the ground. "Would you like to finish the race? Here I'll give you a bell lap." Cussing under my breath, and being the sort that never gives up, I went off on my own solo lap to think things through.
At this point there really wasn't much I could do. I was in a state of anger and confusion. The bunch had mistakenly thought it was the last lap as the front few riders had saw a 2 lap to go sign for another grade. I should have trusted my own watch. But yet again, if the whole bunch said it was over, I might have made a mistake. At that point, I wasn't a happy camper. Yes, I knew it was only a contest for 4th place. But yet again, it was still to be a bunch sprint. And I would always contest a sprint.
Well, the anger quickly
eased off, and with my team mates taking a clean sweep of the podium, I couldn't really stay disappointed all that long. I had played a good team's race. And I was happy that my team mates had won. The technical course with narrow roads and tight corners was truly a great learning experience. Racing as a team was cool - and I am thankful for the opportunity and 1-day experience. I'm sure Amy would have been really proud of all of us too!The AGF chicks..
Read more about the foundation here:
http://www.amygillett.org.au/
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