I Won the Coolamon Classic

Short Version: Congratulations to Deciana who finished super strong as third woman overall, and awesome work to Haylee in her first road race (they can be pretty intimidating) and Pat Rooke who was an awesome team player.

My favourite part of the race was hanging out as a team.

.............................

Ok, so let me clarify my headline a bit - technically speaking, compared to all the other riders in the race, I came dead last, but I feel as if I won.

We got a great start driving to Coolamon (it's near Wagga) except perhaps for Dees who only had about 4 hours sleep.

After a moments indecision when the road to Coolamon went in a different direction to a sign that pointed to a Chocolate and Licorice Factory - we arrived in Coolamon to register at the pub and all the Valkyries were handicapped in the limit category.

For those who've never been in a handicap race, basically you can think of it as being a 'head start' race. People are grouped according to ability and the first group out gets the biggest head start, with subsequent groups leaving with different amounts of time in between.

We were feeling a little apprehensive but had gone through a bit of a race plan, which seemed to make a big difference. Our strategy was to try and stay together with our group (the first ones off the line which is called Limit) and then remember to communicate in case we were dropping off.

Haylee, recovering from being ill had some trouble breathing and dropped off the bunch, shortly after so did I. Haylee ended up a DNF, but still put in a solid effort, experienced her first handicap road race start and rode all the way to the end of the first leg, including practicing jumping on some bunches. Solid effort Haylee!

A thought too I'd like to share on DNF (did not finish). I came into cycling with some kind of idea that a DNF would be something shameful, like attempting a participation style event and 'not even' completing it. But what I have learned recently is that cyclists DNF all the time, depending on injury, illness, preparation for other events, fit with current program, mechanical issues, tyres etc and it turns out the only person looking down on you for a DNF is yourself.

I DNF'd in the Crace Nocturne Criterium race the night before and felt pretty lousy and ashamed of myself, I mean - who captains a racing squad and doesn't even finish the race?

But I think thats something we all need to practice. Remembering that DNF happens all the time, because sometimes you're in it and sometimes you're not, but the bottom line is there is pretty much always another race next week.

I could see the bunch ahead of me for a while, and after a litle bit I saw that MACT rider Pat had dropped off too and seemed to be holding an easy pace so I could catch up to her, which I did after some efforts. We rode together around the first corner and were feeling pretty strong when the next bunch came up behind us.

This was what I had been waiting for.

The Coolamon Classic is a stage of the Tour de Riverina, a series of races held by some of the country cycling clubs, and Coolamon is hosted by Tolland Cycling Club. Being handicap races the strategy, as explained by V-Mobile is to pay attention (especially if dropped) to any bunches coming up behind you, and jump on them if you can.

So when the first bunch came up behind us, we increased our pace a little, headchecked to work out when the last rider was coming through and then slotted on to the back.

Unsure if I could stay on for long, I made sure I let Pat know that if she could hang on she should rather than feeling like she should wait for me.

And sure enough I couldn't stay on long because we were travelling at a pretty good pace but up some small hills which are usually my undoing.

I was pretty pleased at that point that I had managed to jump on a fast bunch though so I was already feeling the race to be a success.

Nevertheless, I kept my headchecks up because I knew that sometime soon, a bunch would come through with V-Mobile Vikings riders in it - Brad, Jeremy and Andrew.

Soon enough I heard them coming.

I really wanted another chance to practice jumping onto the back of a bunch. This is a really great skill to practice, especially for women racing road, because its rare you will get to ride a whole race in a team and often the best way to get to the end involves jumping on a bunch and drafting for a while, but gatekeeping at the back and calling out "your wheel" which signals to the bunch that you aren't participating in the paceline.

*A note - as you get stronger, and stay on a bunch longer this will start to piss people off if you arent rotating through the front, but as a novice this is ok as long as you don't muck up the paceline - but its a bit tricky which is why it takes practice.

Annnyway I heard them coming, I was in a good position (heading downhill - its almost impossible to jump on a fast bunch if its climbing faster than you can) and Lo and Behold, I jumped on.

It was The Most Exciting Bit of Cycling I have done!!!

Truly, it was one of the fastest paces I've ridden (excluding big descents) and the fastest bunch I've ever ridden in (=behind).

We were flying along and I have to admit, my chest pretty much swelled up with pride when the V-Mobile boys rotated through the back and saw me there!!!!!!!!!

I hung on for quite a few rotations through and only dropped off when the bunch hit a hill and maintained pace.

Other new things I learned from that included being careful to take really small bites of energy bars - unfortunately just as the bunch caught me i had taken a massive mouthful of a Cadel bar, which was pretty difficult to swallow while hanging on the bunch. Also, dont forget to keep drinking along the ride, trying to get a really good drink whilst not losing the bunch is *hard*!!

From there on a few more bunches came through, one on a hill that I couldnt follow, and finally the second half of the 'Scratch' bunch (Scratch is the fastest group in a Handicap race) and I was really ready to try and jump on again, but all of a sudden my gears stuck

Afraid that I'd lose my chain while trying to jump on, I didnt go for it, and with that the last bunch was gone.

Once this happens in a Handicap you're basically on your own unless you happen to come upon some dropped riders, and in today's case the bunches basically stuck together.

I stopped to play with the gears on the second corner, and stopped again at the third to ask the marshals to radio back to the start and make sure my teammate Haylee was somewhere safe, as I had seen the marshals at corner two pack up and overtake me.

It was shortly after this corner that i realised after looking at my Garmin that I had a chance to get to 60km in under two hours. I only had about 8 minutes left and a few kms to make up, but the weather was fantastic (sunny, no wing, perfect temp) and there wasnt another soul around for miles.

I gunned it, staying in the drops as much as a i could, maintaining speeds ranging between 35 and 45 km/hr.

The last km when I knew I was going to get there (to my goal) was such a mind game, my legs were complaining, my head was telling me I wasnt going to make it but I pushed on, and rolled over the imaginary 60km line at 1:57:39 or thereabouts.

Thrilled, I eased off to enjoy the sunshine and the complaining legs, until shortly over two hills (last four kms of a 64km race) I saw my team of Vikings and Valkyries riding back out to meet me (since even the marshals had packed up and left the finishing line).

I finished the race dead last. but even though for a lot of the race i was on my own, i set about setting some challenges for myself including jumping on fast bunches and working hard to stay on longer than my head told me i could, maintaining a high cadence, spending lots of time in the drops to build those muscles, and of course getting to 60km in under 2hrs.

Sometimes you have to make your own race, and today is what I call a win.