DBR Tour Final Stage - 30 min Criterium

V is for Valkyrie Vikings

The apparent temp was minus 2 or something, and it was beginning to rain as we set out on the last stage of the DBR Tour.

Exhausted, the Valkyries lost the main bunch on the first lap, and there was some serious confusion between the pre-race briefing which had said we would get pulled off if we were lapped by other riders so once I got lapped by the main bunch I basically stopped pedalling thinking it was all over. The other two B graders I was riding with continued on and it took me about five more laps to work out that they weren't pulling B grade out and were expecting us to finish.

I'm afraid the confusion and frustration of not knowing what was going on proved really challenging for me, so i had some pretty dirty looks on my face coming past the line - apologies to our team mates, supporters and coach who were standing there, it really was awesome to have you guys cheering us on.

At any rate, we actually finished the whole thing so im pretty proud of myself for completing the whole tour, and of my teammates for their awesome work.

I'd like to thank (in no particular order):

Our coach Simon Dwyer, for getting us here
Deciana for leading me out for 40.1km in the road race earlier today (i owe you many beers)
Anna for her inspirational finish despite a serious bonk that lasted her for about 20kms yesterday
Verity - if you hadn't entered, I wouldn't have had the guts
Andrew for helping me after the 80km RR when I completely lost my shit
Our sponsors; DBR & team fitness
Steven for keeping the bikes slick
Angie & Rosemary for all the efforts in the RR this morning
Cheska for the enthusiasm (and quality sledging - I'm pretty sure you won)
ALL the VIKINGS who were hollering from the course and waving from the lead and spares cars while marshalling - im pretty sure the out of towners knew we were famous
All the V-Mobile and VCC blokes who have supported us and mentored us through our training over the last 8 weeks
All the volunteers and marshalls everywhere and especially Cherrie for making it happen
Nige Huckstep for making us famous over the PA
Ross and Milto for the loan of TT helmets
Lee Sheather for your messages of support
Brad Drew for the loan of awesome Europro shoe socky things and knee warmers
Ian Downing for fixing my headset and putting my bike together so it just rides like a dream...
Simon's dog Watson
Mum, Ramsey, Alexandra & Kieran for coming out to watch
Jane and Sue Powell for the encouragement (and directions when i realised i had messed the course up)
the people who made the Bolognese for the OM NOM NOMs
anyone at all who has helped us over the last few months that i may have inadvertently forgotten in post race fog
the marshall at Coppins Crossing who gave me all his water when i was about to keel over
Bec Doolan for her support
All the Valkyries for cheering us on
Ben Long, for letting me join V-Mobile when id never climbed a hill before
the Vikings Cycling Club, for being Rad

And I'd like to give a very a special extra mention to Chris K for tirelessly turning up to the Valkyrie Skills group for the last 8 weeks so i could concentrate on hills, I really wanted the squad to keep going but I couldn't have trained properly without a trusted mentor to work with the SKillez girls.

And my last very big giant thanks goes to Brad Drew - lets just say we couldn't have done it without you, your enthusiasm, your mentoring, your encouragement and your sprints on the hills are what helped us survive through the tour.

We did it.

DBR Tour Teammates- Epic Win

Thanks everyone for your support, teammates are awesome - I really dont think i could train or race without the support of the Valkyries, Vmobilers or the Vikings Cycling Club.

The bike is now seriously performance tuned, im a bit tired but you know what? I'm actually just really excited for a good long ride today so im not that worried about the race, im just looking forward to riding my bike.

yay for bike riding.

there was a funny moment yesterday when i was standing near the NZ womens team and there was that usual 'roadie-no-talking-slightly-suspicious-nobody-say-anything' type feeling. I was in a pretty foul mood, but then she looked up and i remembered most of these girls are just kids and for the moments during the ITT when i wasn't swearing like a sailor it was actually just PRETTY FRIGGIN ACE to see so many women on  bikes.

So I said hey you chicks looked friggin awesome out there, well done. She looked shocked, but also pretty pleased and broke into a big smile.

So lets do that for the rest of the tour - just be really FREAKIN excited that there are SO MANY WOMEN ON BIKES THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DBR Tour Stage 1 - Epic Fail

-staying up til midnight with friends helping to put bike together, lack of sleep and an untested bike was a stupid idea. But I could have told me that... Failing to prepare is preparing to fail etc, and I knew it wasn't smart but that's trying to race bikes and also having a career.

-borrowing lOvely white Rapha knee warmers makes you realize what great friends you have, but then getting grease on one of them then adds the stress of spending pre race time handwashing rather than getting to the race to warm up, so not ideal.

-borrowing someones TT Bars and having them put on your bike only to have them confiscated as illegal also not ideal and the time spent removing them really cuts unto a warm up, but live an learn etc.

-lack of proper warm up was just asking for the asthma attack from the beginning of the TT

-shake all that off and TRY to race only to drop the chain on the second hill was probably the last straw though.

-fortunately, managed to book in with the bike whisperer tonight who has also diagnosed faulty brakes, loose headset and incompatible shifters. FFS.