AMY'S OTWAY CLASSIC

The sun rose to a spectacular day at Lorne in Victoria and the stage was set for the first NRS Amy's Otway Classic. The Classic is run in conjunction with the Amy's Gran Fondo, being run for the fourth year in a row. The fantastic event attracts over 5000 cyclist from all over to participate and raise money for the Amy Gillett Foundation, a wonderful cause which helps all cyclist be safer on the roads. And what was super exciting for us, was that we get to race it as a NRS event!



We arrived at our accommodation on the saturday afternoon, not sure what to expect, we found a beautiful and HUGE house behind the front door. We nearly needed walkie talkies to talk to each other in the place. Whilst lapping up the luxury of space, our team got to work, carb loading, strategising, going over tech regs and welcoming our lovely guest rider, Nikolina Orlic from QLD into the team. We were all set and pumped, and off to bed looking forward to what Sunday would bring.

Sunday was an early start. Luckily we only had to roll out of bed and 300m to the start line. Joking! We were well warmed up and raring to go. We got our brief, and we were off. We immediately started along the picturesque Great Ocean Road, and the pace was on. Bicycle Superstore, Suzuki Brumby's and Securitor seemed to be keeping the pace at a steady high for the first 10km. As soon as there was a lull in the pace, Tayla took off in an attack. She got away with only one other, and unfortunately it didn't stick. As soon as she came back, another attack went, this time a good number of riders went up the road, and seeing no BCS in it, I took off. I reached the break and we had a nice little gap, but it fizzled out. It seemed the peloton had decided we were sticking together until the climb.

We had Nikolina sitting nicely in the bunch getting ready for the climb, and Tayla recovering for the first intermediate sprint, so Von and I got to work with looking after our riders. I sat on the front and set the pace for a few kilometres, then Von took over and pushed the pace up. Coming up for the first sprint, with Tayla in tow she kicked 500m to go, reeled off and Tayla sprinted superbly, getting fourth to Rebecca Waisak from Suzuki Brumby's by a fraction. The peloton rolled along content for a while. Up to this point there were two near crashes, a couple of mechanicals, a very expensive camera dropped on the road and a motorbike down. BCS we involved in none of this thank goodness.

Next thing we know, we turned right, and Skenes Creek climb to the QOM began. 9km of 5.6 percent gradient, and the hill climbers excelled. Now, I'm from Echuca, where hills are unheard of, and spoken about in hushed cautious whispers, like an urban legend. So lets just say its not one of my strong points! Luckily though for BCS, its one of Nikola's. She took off, with Tayla as well, with the climbers. I bid them farewell and good luck, and settled into my rhythm. I wasn't alone. We formed a nice little bunch of a dozen or so riders, Von included. We rode tempo to the top, enjoyed the descents, rolled turns on the flats, and pushed the pace on the final climb. My legs were complaining at the 80km mark, but with the end in sight, we trudged on.


Meanwhile in the main front bunch mind you, Nikolina was riding superbly. Ruth Corset and Ellen Skerrit had put 3 minutes into the main bunch up the first QOM, and held their break all the way to the finish. Nikolina was with the main bunch right til the final climb, which was were it all broke apart. She climbed her heart out and came tenth overall!! A fantastic effort on an extremely tough course. We are all super proud. Tayla also rode a fantastic race, only losing contact with the front bunch towards the end, and rode to an impressive 24th. Von and I came in with our bunch of a dozen or so, crossing the line together for 35th and 36th.

(photo stolen from guest rider von make sure you check out her blog from the day as well links on our facbook page

Overall a great day for BCS. Nikolina rode fantastic, and we all learned an extra something about ourselves that race. It was such a privilege to ride in the first Amy’s Otway Classic NRS, and to show our support  to such a fantastic cause that ultimately affects and means so much to us all as cyclists. Huge thumbs up to the event organisers, it ran seamlessly and made it all the more enjoyable. Also I would like to add a huge thanks to our sponsors, who continue to show us immense support, so thanks Feelgood Fitness, Bendbal Financial Services, Symes Motors Skoda, Bendigo Cycles and Specialized AU, we are extremely grateful.

Next up for BCS is Tour of the Goldfields, bring it on!!!

TOUR OF KING VALLEY WRAP UP

Stage 1 ITT

There were some nerves amongst the riders as the first stage loomed ahead. It was a 20km Individual Time Trial which was 10km slightly uphill, turnaround and 10km downhill. The riders had nothing to worry about though, all posting impressive times throughout the stage. Minda Murray, the last of BCS to head out, got the fastest time in 33.28 minutes landing her in 22nd place and +4.04 minutes down on the leader Rebecca Waisak who rode a blistering time of 29.24 minutes. BCS guest rider Veronica Micich also rode an impressive time trial of 33.45 minutes. Next was Tayla Evans in 34.16 minutes, Georgia Vessy in 34.23 minutes and Emma Pane in 35.43 minutes. There were all smiles a the end of the stage, apart from Emma who had damaged an electronic gear cable and had to rush off to somewhere to get it replaced before stage 2.

tayla taking off in the tt

Stage 2 Criterium Wangaratta Aerodrome

Stage two was set to be hectic. With 81 riders and the difficult course and surface, the girls rode exceptionally well. The wide circuit made it difficult to get a good position near the front, when the front was a wall of ten or more riders. Despite this, the team was continually in the front half of the bunch, always moving forward and proactive. The team also bonded really well during this stage, and riders worked to protect the team and at some points controlled the race. Tayla Evans rode off  the front in an impressive display, and stayed away solo for 6km. It was the only break for the day. Coming into the final sprint the circuit made it extremely difficult to move up, but all BCS riders finished in the front half of the field, all getting bunch time. Minda crossed the line in 29th, Tayla 32nd, Georgia 40th, Von 44th and Emma 59th. We were also super excited to see Heather Hanson (Lauretta’s mum) after the race

minda and von

Stage 3 Strada Nero

With a start time of 1pm today, it was the perfect chilled out morning, allowing us to settle and drink coffee before worrying about getting ready. A few nerves were showing amongst the girls thinking about the sprints and QOM’s in todays race, including the dreaded 6km dirt climb. The race started well with the girls all sitting in and Tayla taking 3rd in the first intermediate sprint. Nothing too exciting happened until the first QOM where a break was formed with most teams featuring including our very own Minda Murray. The break quickly splintered up the climb with Min coming back to the bunch and only a handful of girls held the break. The break stayed out in front, but always in view, right over the 2nd QOM and well into the dirt climb, where as the main bunch splintered so did the breakaway. It was great to see Georgia right up the front and climbing with some of the well known climbers, getting herself into the front bunch. Tayla finished the climb in ‘no mans land’, but was soon collected by a decent size bunch that started the chase. Minda finished the climb in bunch 3 with Von and Emma closely following, where they found themselves in chase group 3. With the front bunch sitting up, it didn't take long for all the groups to come back together and for the sprint preparation to begin. The BCS girls worked amazingly together to protect Tayla and keep her legs fresh for the fast finish where she managed to get through for her first NRS top ten in 7th, followed closely by Emma in 20th, Georgia in 32nd, Minda 49th and Von 50th. So proud of how the girls worked as a team today, things are definitely looking up for us!!

Stage 4 Road Race

Clouds loomed as the team set up for the Moyhu, Myrrhee Road Race, which was 85km through the picturesque hills of the King Valley. Luckily the rain held off, and the girls raced dry in what turned out to be another spectacular day of racing. The race started much the same as the day before, and there were no attacks until the first sprint. Tayla sprinted superbly for a second place against Bicycle Superstore’s Kristy Glover. Von and Minda covered any counter attacks afterwards, and nothing got too far. With Emma looking after our super climber Georgia, who was saving her legs for the second QOM, Tayla, Minda and Von looked after the front of the bunch. Everything stayed together over the first QOM and through the second sprint. Next came the second QOM, where NRS leader Ruth Corset attacked. Georgia performed spectacularly, and proved her class, finishing in the front bunch behind the attack. Unfortunately a break went on the descent of the climb, and our team couldn't respond quick enough. The wall of riders at the front made it hard to move up, and the break of three riders continued to extend their lead. BCS responded aggressively as soon as they could, trying and trying to initiate a chase, but the other teams, content with the GC as it currently stood, didn't seem interested in the chase. The break got up, and all our team mates finished in the main bunch.

Overall a very rewarding tour in terms of goals achieved for both the team and each rider’s personal goals within that. The time trial in stage one pretty much decided the final GC. The classifications for BCS stood as follows: Minda Murray 21st, Veronica Micich 25th, Tayla Evans 32nd, Georgia Vessey 34th and Emma Pane 51st. The team out of 12 teams to compete, BCS got 8th overall in the teams aggregate. A sign that the team is very consistent across the stages. The team gelled very well throughout the weekend, and rode strong. Very exciting times to come!

Von,Minda,Tayla,Georgia,Emma 

Preston Mountain Classic

So the weather forecast wasn’t great, it was wet, windy and freezing cold. Well I guess it was perfect winter conditions. The actual race itself I was excited about, as I enjoyed this race last time I did it. There were only two hills, I told myself. Which there were only two big hills, but lots of littler rollers too. I was in the scratch bunch, which I wasn’t entirely thrilled about as the last time I raced I was in the limit bunch. We lined up ready to go, and all of a sudden I looked down and I realised that I’d forgotten to put my transponder on my bike, oh well, no time left now!!

We were off and straight into rolling turns, it was hard and fast. 20km in and I could hear many of the girls puffing as we passed each other, I was pretty stuffed too. We climbed Break of Day and the bunch started to fall apart. Suddenly we were all single file with gaps opening up everywhere!!

I grouped together with three other girls and we continued to roll hard turns for the next little while. Before we rode back into Strath Creek one of the masters bunches caught us and we were able to have some shelter from the wind for a short time. With some encouraging words to the men, they left us behind on the final climb up Murchison’s Gap. I rode up and had a chat with the girls around me as the limit bunch was already finished so there was no need to race up.

Luckily my dad had driven to the top of the climb so I didn’t have to descend in the wet conditions. I think it took me about 3 hours to thaw out!! I really enjoyed the race and will definitely  be back next year!! Hopefully I can convince the rest of my team to do it too!! Although I’d prefer no rain or hail next year 

Phillip Island Spectacular

This year the Phillip Island Spectacular was focused solely on teams racing, the format consisted of a team time trial followed by a 15 lap race around the grand prix circuit. On the Friday night before the race, as tactics were discussed, I jokingly suggested it would be a more exciting race if it poured rain. Needless to say on the Saturday morning, when it was pouring rain, the girls were not impressed, and told me to eat breakfast outside.

I was both nervous and excited for my first team time trial with BCS, we had worked out a plan and I felt that we actually managed quite well considering we had not ridden together before. I was stoked when we came in with the third fastest time, a big improvement from my last tt, where I finished second last!

All of a sudden we had 30 minutes to get organized for the road race. Everyone was running around frantically and becoming stressed as we did not expect to have such little time between the tt and the road race. The plan was simple, we needed as many QOM and sprint points as we could get. Unfortunately Nic was out with a sinus infection, but the other girls certainly made up for her not being there! Lauretta and Tayla stayed right up the front, taking the majority of the sprint points and the KOM bonuses. Minda was continually attempting breakaways and chasing down anything that went off the front. For entire race the weather was fairly pour, it rained, whether you had your glasses on or off you still couldn’t see, and everyone did there best not to slide around the corners. The race came down to a bunch sprint, we has three girls in the top 10, with Tayla 4^th, Lauretta 5^th and myself 7^th. Nic came running over wrapped in a blanket, yelling that we had taken the overall win for the teams classification.

We were happy, excited, relieved and very glad to have finished the race upright. Despite the fact the we had some amazing ‘dirt tans’ and were sopping wet and freezing cold, we were running around taking photos and having a great time with some of our other competitors.

I could not be happier to be part of this amazing team of girls, and absolutely stoked to come away with a win for the team in a VRS race. Overall the day was definitely a highlight for me and I’m looking forward to our next race as a team!

National Road Series Adelaide round 1

April saw the start of the 2014 National Road Series with the girls heading to Adelaide for the first round. Three BCS women were on the start list: Lauretta Hanson, Tayla Evans and myself. Everybody was in high spirits after the teams meeting upon arrival, and looking forward to the coming days. 

Thursday was a glorious day in Angaston for Stage 1 of the tour, an 85km road race. Lauretta didn’t think so though, waking up with the flu. Nevertheless, she stood on the start line ready and waiting. Tough as. The gun went off, and so did the neutral car. It was all pretty tame until the second pinchy climb, where Lauretta put the flu aside and attacked, dropped the peloton and soloed for the next 35km. A huge effort! Specialized Securitor and Holden got organised and started to roll turns to reel her back in, but Tayla and I ensured that the pace didn't get too high. In the end the peloton caught her approximately 7km from the infamous corkscrew. Here I was, dagging at the back while the peloton descended at high speed down the Gorge Road, I mean, the scenery! Spectacular! In all seriousness though, they had the pedal to the floor down that road until we turned left and onto the corkscrew. I had never been over the corkscrew. I have only ever been past the turnoff. I would eye it with caution and continue on my painless merry way and leave it lurking there in a back corner of my conscience. This day I had to face it. Cadell did it in the big ring, how hard could it be right? Wrong. It was like a slap in the face. The first few hairpins almost stop you dead in your tracks. Tayla did a fantastic job, disappearing up the road with the best hill climbers. Lauretta and I paced away, tap tap tap until the top. I took off on the downhill to catch Nic Whitburn, and crossed the line about mid way through the peloton. Results: Tayla 18th, Lauretta 40th and myself 34th. A fantastic ride by Talya, and Lauretta’s reward of the ‘Most Aggressive Rider’ Jersey was well deserved. 

Cycling Aus video re cap of stage 1 http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bUOvrygj0YM&feature=em-upload_owner …

Day two stage 2 was another road race this time at Woodside. Two laps of a 51km circuit which would include four sections of dirt. Alas, it is cobblestone season! The start/finish at Bird in Hand Winery was spectacular. No time for taste testing though, we had a job to do. Lauretta unfortunately was far too ill to continue the tour, so it was up to Tayla and I. The race was relatively tame, even up the first KOM. The race didn’t break apart until the end of the first lap, at the dirt sections. We were riding along nicely, when suddenly we veered left, and straight onto dirt. The first section was ridden at approximately 45-50km/hr downhill, and flat tires were rife. I got caught behind riders who were flatting, and fell behind. Tayla was right on their heels though. I dropped off approximately 800m by the end of the dirt, and set my mind to catch up. No sooner had I caught them that they were gearing up for the intermediate sprint. I searched for Tayla, sat on the front, and drove it. Everybody else was rather impatient though, and they took off around me. Tayla took off in a valiant effort, but it was a long way out. That left me there thinking, oh crap, I’ve got to sprint! I stuck to Nic Whitburn’s wheel like glue, and ended up coming fourth. They attacked soon after the sprint, and Tayla got in a largish breakaway. Shame it didn't stick. By the 85km mark Flick Wardlaw was off the front to take the stage win. Results: Tayla 11th and me 26th. Happy with that!

cycling aus video re cap stage 2 

 http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3g_ESmdY9-o …

Stage 3 was a criterium in Adelaide around UniSA North Terrace. It was raced so early we nearly had to have lights. The light was the least of my concerns; I was more panicking about the bloody steep hill someone had decided to install along one side of the course. For those who don't know me, I climb like an elephant. Tough course. The gun went off, the heart rate went up and I fought to the front. Usually, get to the climb first, then by the time your up it your at the back, not off the back. Theory: wrong. We hit the hill and I went backwards. Lap 2, I fought to the front, got to the hill, went to the back. Fight, hill, and repeat. Tayla was spectacular and was climbing like a mountain goat, perfectly positioning herself the whole race. Time to change tactics. I began to give myself room at the back, hit the corner before the climb so damn quick I was running up the rear of the leaders by halfway up the hill. Meanwhile riders were getting dropped left right and centre, and I will mention the spectacular crash by a Holden rider who went headfirst at 40km/hr into a tree. That stage hurt like hell. I stuck in there till the end and finished with the main bunch. Results: Tayla 14th and me 32nd. 

 cycling aus re cap http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG-79JhTBKc&feature=share&list=UUyUuqITEVxFGkCU-ro2A4Ow …

Day four and the final stage was a Kermesse at Newton. Tayla and I began by riding the course. Lots of road furniture, a bit technical at times. We thought it was going to be tough. Nik and Lauretta had warned that it was a circuit, which made it hard to move up. They were right. The field sorted itself out within the first few laps. Apparently nobody was getting away. Lets just say, that was probably the best fun I have ever had in a race. Legs felt amazing, technical suits me, and I had a ball. Tayla again rode well, and we were both in the main bunch for a sprint at the end. Results: Tayla 11th and me 18th. 

girls waiting to start stage 4 

What a fantastic tour! We had a ball. Tayla finished 14th on GC and I finished 20th. A very special mention goes to Nik for her managerial skills, Marc the wonder mechanic and chief Prado driver, Heather the accommodation manager and support staff member, and Lauretta for not dying of the flu even though we know she wanted too. I learned so much about my team and myself at the tour. I am forever gaining confidence, which I attribute to my new coach and this fantastic team and its members! We are now looking forward to Tour of South West. Bring it!

TOUR OF EAST GIPPSLAND

Valentines day was super romantic this year, a 6 hour car trip with my le’mond on the front seat and my bike in the back. Lets just say, it was a pretty quiet and late night date, arriving in Metung just before 1am! The best thing about the late night was defiantly the thought of an 8am time trial the following morning…..

Surprisingly I felt pretty good the next morning, well as good as it gets when preparing for the dreaded time trial! It was a super humid morning and warming up on the trainer was like sitting in a pool of sweat! Thankfully the TT was only 8km, which suited me better compared to a longer one.  On the start line I was super nervous but as quickly as it had started, I found myself on the downhill run to the finish line. I guess looking back now I can say it wasn’t as horrible as I imagined it would be, finishing in 8^th position. The star of the day however was Lauretta, taking out the stage and leading the tour going into the road stage.

With BCS holding the yellow jersey coming into the road race, for Minda and myself it was about protecting Lauretta! Normally this would be a pretty straight forward, but Lauretta hates sitting in and loves finding her way to the front!! Multiple times I had to tell her to get off the front and stop working! Heading out of town we new we had 2 loops of a course and then we were to head back in on the same road. As we descended down a fairly steep and curvy hill, all I could think about was how hard that was going to be to climb back up it! At the first more difficult rise, a rider Alexandria Nicholls attacked, about 4 riders quickly closed this quickly but it split the field into three groups, however not long after everything was back together.  Riding out in the countryside in Metung, we had a little surprise along the way, with a group of Kangaroos jumping along the road and in front of the bunch!! I think they surprised a few of the girls and lifted everyone’s heart rates quickly! Following this another solo attack was sent and got away with no reaction. With the km’s ticking over and as the rider out solo could no longer be seen, we really needed to start bringing her back. As we weren’t the only team to think this, both BCS and Hampton cycles worked together on the front to try and bring her back. Well into our second lap the bunch had caught the solo break and the bunch was back together and we were on our way back into Metung, yes towards the climb! Just as we had expected Alexandria launched up the climb again and split the field to pieces! With less then 10km to go, Alexandria was off the front, a chase bunch of 5 followed including Lauretta and a second chase bunch of roughly 7 included Minda and Myself. I was happy to take our little bunch sprint to take 7^th, Lauretta finished in 4^th and Minda just behind myself in 12^th.

Day 2 of racing staged the final race of the tour, with a criterium in lakes entrance. A technical course with multiple corners made me feel a little nervous before the event. With Alexandria away, Lauretta wore the yellow jersey, which meant we had to fight for her to keep it. We also knew we were just behind Holden on teams, so needed to get those big time bonus’ in the intermediate sprints. It was fast racing for a smaller bunch, and with so many sprints the bunch was soon split. I managed to stay in the main group, but after a tough road race the day before I was really feeling the pain. We had a solo breakaway off the front and 2 chase groups; all three of us girls were sitting in the first chase bunch. Minda worked really well to try and bring back the solo break but Simone Pierce from Park Trent was strong enough to hold it for the win. In the bunch it came down to a sprint for second with Lisa Hanley holding off Lauretta for second, and getting third with me coming through in 5^th and Minda right behind me in 6^th.  After results came through we were delighted to find Lauretta had done enough to take GC and we had all brought back enough time to take overall teams!

I had the best weekend being able to work well with the girls and to take home a great result was just a bonus! The only negative part was having to drive home from Lakes entrance on my own, with my only entertainment singing along to my radio haha! A big thanks to the team as well as Danielle, a special big thanks to Heather for all the organisation and everyone we stayed with for a fun weekend! Can’t wait for the next team tour!!!

Stories since returning from afar

Lauretta gives us her insider thoughts on her recent trip to North America and Canada

A little over three months ago I left Australia bound for the US. Then I wasn't really sure if I was doing the right thing. I'm only 18, travelling to the other side of the world on my own to race my bike I was taking a leap of faith. I had planned my entire year around it and now that it was finally happening, doubt started to set in. Did I train enough? What if my host families don’t like me? What if I can't get to my races? In hind sight this worry was excessive but it motivated me to race harder just so that I could prove to myself I had taken the right step.

My first tour was Tour of America's Dairylands, an 11 day tour made up of 9 criteriums and 2 road races. Most of the stages were within an hour’s drive of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and that is where I was based for the 2 weeks. After nearly 20 hours of travel, I finally arrived in Milwaukee. Fortunately my host family were lovely which made it easier being away from my own family. After a week of being a tourist I had my first race, a 1 hour crit in Shorewood. On the start line I was so nervous, it was actually happening, no turning back now.

Over the next 11 days I faced varying conditions and circuits which obviously returned varying results. The first four days were part of the NCC (National Criterium Calendar) and enticed some of America’s best female cyclists. The racing was hard and fast but once I found my feet and was comfortable in the bunch I started to get some results. My best being a 7^th place at Sheboygan but my favourite race for this tour was the Giro d’ Grafton. I don’t know what it was about it, but I felt really comfortable in the bunch and loved every minute of it.

Stage 1 Shorewood criterium cycling classic- 29th
Stage 2 East troy cycling classic- 41st
Stage 3 Giro d'grafton- 8th
Stage 4 Waukesha Carl Zach cycling classic- 37th
Stage 5 Sheboygan criterium- 7th
Stage 6 Schlitz park criterium- withdrawn after 25 minutes
Stage 7 Fond du Lac road race- 10th
Stage 8 Elkhart lake road race at road America- 15th
Stage 9 Fond du Lac commonwealth classic- 15th
Stage 10 IScorp Downer classic- 12th
Stage 11 East Tosa Grand Prix- 9^th

Overall I was really happy with the way I raced and I surpassed all my expectations. I finished all bar one race, picked up a few primes (intermediate sprints) and raced consistently enough to finish 10^th in the General Classification.

From Milwaukee I travelled to Vancouver, Canada. After 5 days of recovery, BC Superweek started. It was a 10 day tour made up of 6 criteriums, 2 road races and a hill climb. I was a little worried coming into the tour that I would be too fatigued or I would just get smashed due to there being more big name teams racing. Once again, the first couple of days were tough, but after a little while I became comfortable and competitive in the bunch. I achieved some great results at BC Superweek, picking up two 6^th places, and my best result, a 2^nd place at UBC grand prix. I was hoping for a podium but definitely wasn't expecting it and was very excited. At the beginning of the race I was uncertain I would even finish as I had been struggling to hang on. As more riders got dropped and I continued to hang on I found myself feeling much more confident. The last lap was exciting as a rider, who was off the front, crashed in one of the last corners. Fortunately I avoided it and was sitting about 5^th wheel. As we rounded the last corner the sprint opened up, as did a gap up the middle of the road. I kicked and passed 3 riders but couldn't quite past Leah Kirchmann, Canadian Criterium Champion, who beat me by half a wheel. Honestly I didn't care, I raced hard and well and it had all paid off and I had finally got on the podium.

Stage 1 North Delta criterium- 30^th

Stage 2 Brenco criterium- 35th

Stage 3 White Spot road race- 6th

Stage 4 UBC grand prix- 2nd

Stage 5 Gastown grand prix- 6th

Stage 6 Giro Di Burnaby- 14th

Stage 7 White Rock hill climb- 14th

Stage 8 White Rock criterium- 7th

Stage 9 White Rock road race- 11th

I really enjoyed the racing in Canada. The community really supported it, creating a great atmosphere; it was well organised and great fun. Once again, my host family was awesome and I had a great time.

Although it was a risk, travelling to North America to race, it is one of the best things I’ve ever done. I’m a better racer for it as it improved my bunch riding skills, my tactical skills, my confidence and it opened up more opportunities for me. Hopefully I’ll get to go back next year.