Today was scheduled as the final race for the Women's Grand Prix criterium series in Cambeltown, Melbourne. However due to Victoria's lovely summer/autumn weather the races were called off as it was raining. Our car had been all packed up and we were on our way, we got to the Castlemaine turn off when we heard the sad news, one of our riders sooo keen she was already in Melbourne awaiting a start.
So instead in female style we went shoe shopping instead, with an ergo planned for the afternoon of course.
We were actually quite dissapointed about this as we had gone so well in all 3 previous races.
In round 3, our home ground race in February, Cait Fraser had achieved her best criterium result ever, after continuing to tell us all she couldn't ride a criterium to finish second by 200ths of a second in Division 1, and in Division 2 Nicole had demoralised the whole field by showing her strength and increasing the average speed of the pace by 5km/hr and Shantelle took out 2nd in the sprint to finish off with some good team work.
Round 2 was in Casey Fields, Kate Finegan and Shantelle made the long road trip in heat of 40+ degrees to race. Shantelle forgot she was racing road and went onto the gravel in her prologue, and Kate was leading until the final riders pulled out some fast times. Pre-race discussions Kate and Shantelle agreed they needed to come out of the final corner first or second to have any chance of the win, yet Shantelle's sprinting prowess showed when she came from 6th back to come 2nd in division 2. Kate then took on division 1 and made the essential break of the day, and pulled out a win, she did come out of the corner first and however nearly made the fatal mistake of raising her arms too early but it doesn't matter how much you win by, as long as you cross that line first.
Round 1 was at Melton and both Kate and Shantelle attended a course that was a specific criterium corners with some nice sweeping corners. Shantelle sprinted to an awesome win in Division 2, after being worried weather or not she would finish prior to racing. Kate was pipped to second both in the intermediate and final sprint by Nicole Whitburn, this meant game on.
We are a bit disappointed as the final round 4 we will now most likely be unable to attend as we will be participating in a womens specialised ride day in Bendigo. But these things happen.
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