It's freezing!

I am sitting here with a blanket and the heater and am still shivering. I think even my brain is frozen and motivation is sub zero also! My body is screaming for some good stretching, especially my neck muscles are playing up from nine hours at the desk. All day I dreamt of doing Yoga tonight. But now it's 7:30 PM already and I'm planning to ride tomorrow morning so it might be too late. Petrina organised a ride to Brookfield. I've got no idea where this is but she assured me that I'll be back in time for work ... Just got a text from her: "You better rug up. It will be cold tomorrow morning!" I bet it will.

I am still a little sore from Sunday's ride. Alberto and I ventured out at 1:30 PM and met up with Mark. The usual Riverloop with coffee stop. Nope, I'm still not getting bored with it.

It's quiet in the city on a Sunday afternoon.

AMR and Mark practicing their track stands.

Bread & Butter Pudding - the mini version only!

The great thing is that I really get my heart rate up now because my legs are so fresh from lack of training. The dreaded intervals of 10 min in E4 - no problem. I even reach E5.

Hi there,

First of all apologies for being a little slack lately with updating my blog. It's not much happening here, at least not on the cycling front. I once again did not manage to get up early in the mornings and did not have enough energy left at night to get on the windtrainer. So my hopes were high for yesterday but I woke up to a rainy Saturday sky. I prepared for a lazy day with my favourite wholemeal five grain porridge with banana and Goji berries and then proceeded with having the laziest possible day on earth.

Trouble seemed a little disappointed about the rain, too.

But we made the most of a rainy cold grey day. I displayed a little less energy and watched from a save spot on the lounge room couch.

No words needed I guess:


We watched Stage One of the Tour last night. Wondering if winning the jersey in Stage One is a good idea for Alejandro. In my eyes Cadel made a much wiser move by being there at the end to not loose any time (and stay out of trouble) but concentrating on wearing yellow at the end, not in the beginning ... Go Cadel!

BTW: This week I decided to rather save the $$$ I currently spend on the gym for a trip to the Tour de France next year. I soooo want to ride in the French Alps and $40 per week will go into the travel fund from now on. However, I don't want to loose my upper body strength and came across the Push Up Challenge over on Lisa's blog. So tomorrow will be Day 1 of Week 1. I'm excited.

Lunch time race

You might remember that I got challenged to a bike race by colleagues at work. I was very excited this morning. It was like "Bring your favourite toy to school Day".



So Ivan, Ashley and I headed out at 1 PM. We were seen off by half the office and my job brief from the CEO was to make Ashley work hard. :-) I wasn't too sure what to expect. Flat criterium circuit and I have been beaten by young strong fit guys in a sprint many times before. But I didn't embarrass myself, which is lucky as I would have had to resign (not really but the humiliation would have been unbearable). And I had a ball. I hope they had, too.

Zupps loop revisited

I was keen to do a long flat ride yesterday. Sunday morning, beautiful weather, back to base training to build up some fitness after the break and what better way than revisiting old training grounds. I hadn't done the Zupps loop in ages and I was glad that Daniel joined me. For those who don't know, the Zupps ride is one of Brisbane's most famous rides that leave Zupps - a car dealership in Aspley - every Sunday at 6:35 AM without fail. We left after 10 AM so only missed the actual Zupps ride by a few hours and it was one of those gorgeous Queensland winter days.

We met Alberto and Toby for lunch in Redcliffe and continued our ride along waterfront roads. Lots of people were out and about enjoying a leisurely Sunday.


We ended up riding 80km and I felt so happy being back on the bike.


Alberto made pizza for dinner. Mind you this pizza has a Lebanese bread base and was absolutely delicious. (Just showing Daniel what he missed out on since he was invited for dinner but declined the invitation. For 'roo ...!!!)

Good deed

I saw AMR and Whitey off to the ITT Club Championship this morning while I stayed at home. My plan was to wait for another hour to let the air warm up somewhat and meet them after their race for an easy roll home. One coffee later and the phone rang. "Sorry, baby. Can you jump in the car and bring my rear FSA wheel? I've got a flat." The joys of tubulars. "No worries. I'll be there in ten!" Yes, that's what a good spouse is supposed to do, isn't it? So far so good. But read on what happened next and tell me if that's not the ultimate proof of love? I jumped in the car to rescue Mr Fast - with my Corimas in the boot! Yes, he was impressed, too. No ulterior motives at all! (But I might keep it up my sleeve to pull out on suitable occasions for many years to come ... ;).

Second call and message ('cause I missed that one while getting ready): "Race postponed. The officials forgot all equipment. Riding out to Dayboro for coffee. See you there." What? Wow! How often does that happen that a race (and a Club Championship at that and not just any Saturday morning club race) gets cancelled because of that? I mean rain - yes, hail - yes, snow - yes, but forgotten equipment? That must happen even less often then snow and hail in Brisbane.

So I've been handed a second chance to train for this event (it's postponed till sometime in August!) and defend the Club Champion Jersey after all. Thanks! (whoever I need to thank for it)

I ended up riding 65 very enjoyable kilometers and even had to take my knee warmers off half way into the ride. I met up with the guys on their way back from Dayboro so I missed out on the bakery stop (that's because I'm so slow nowadays) but I used my ipod, too, and I am now searching for more suitable music. I want to create some playlists for hard training rides and some for recovery rides. Maybe even some for interval sessions. So I'm on the prowl for ideas (since I'm not that big on music).

What's playing on your ipod and what works for you on your training rides?

And the challengers are ...

Ivan - preparing for next Tuesday's training session

and

Ashley

No news here. I still haven't resumed my training regime. Serious case of bed suck. I'm no winter person. Glad we had the shortest day of the year last week and it's all uphill from now. On my way home from work tonight I saw so many cyclists, people commuting as well as people training. It made me ache to get on my bike so I'll make the most of the upcoming weekend.

Alberto is planning to race the Club ITT Championship tomorrow but I have given up on that idea. I just haven't trained enough for it and will probably just ride out to Closeburn to watch.

My friends John and Narelle have left for Europe tonight. They are going to hire a campervan and follow the Tour de France. I wish I could go, too. I wish summer was back. BIG SIGH. But at least I will be able to read what John and Narelle will be up to since they started their very own travel blog.

Challenge

I've been challenged to a bike race. AT WORK! Ivan in Fleet has just started commuting to work by bike (what great initiative - I'm feeling ashamed for not commuting by bike) and Ashley in Sales & Marketing is riding a bike since he is 12. Ashley and I spoke about going for a ride together on numerous occasions in the past. But because he lives on the Southside we just never got around. If you know Brisbane then you probably know about the great divide that is the Brisbane River. Yes, the same river that has been mentioned countless times in my posts, you guessed it: The Riverloop!

So yesterday at lunch time we were chatting in the lunch room when the idea was born to start a regular lunch time training ride. A day and time was set for the first session. But then it spread like a wildfire through the office that we were going to race and people started putting bets ... the office information system has weird channels sometimes.

Maybe this is the inspiration I need to get back on the bike? It's so cold and dark in the mornings that I have not managed to get up this week.

The lunch time race is scheduled for next Tuesday at 12:30 PM at Nundah!

And I can confirm ...

... one does loose a lot of fitness in two weeks.

It wasn't even quite two weeks but back on the bike on Saturday I signed up for the Club Handicap "just for fun" but pulled out after the second of three 17 km laps. I was rostered on Club Marshaling duties and the race was up in Elimbah, about an hours drive north of Brisbane. I got a lift with Mick, which was great, and thought I take my bike since I've got to be there anyway and I like the course and then I thought I might as well race once there ... but already in lap one I realised that it wasn't such a good idea. So I dropped off and cruised. Being a handicap race I got caught by the next group fairly soon, jumped on for a few kilometers, didn't enjoy hurting, dropped off, waited for the next group to jump on and so forth until scratch passed me and that was it. It was a quasi Interval Training session just to get the taste for it again. :-)

Sunday Riverloop with AMR and it was great. We spent more time taking photographs then actually riding:

"Daniel?" ... "Yes, we are in town." ... "Meet us at the Garage for coffee." ... "Yes, we are on our bikes, doing the Riverloop." ... "In about an hour?!"

"Beautiful afternoon, hey?"

"Can we stop quickly at Indooroopilly Bridge?" ... "Got to put my arm and knee warmers on." ... "Yes, it's getting cold quickly once the sun has set."

"Hey, Daniel." ... "Sorry, for being late" ... "Garage is closed so let's pop around the corner. I heard about this great place that sells furniture and coffee." ... "???" ... "No empty tables? Bummer." ... "Poppy's might still be open." ... "Coffee?" ... "OK, hot chocolate then ... "

Sex and the city

The girls are planning to see the chick flick of the year this coming week. My friends and I never missed a show back in Berlin - that was the dob German version. But that's not what I want to write about today. I just thought it would bore some of my male readers so I can discuss a few female training subjects.

However, if you are male and still with me at this point, you might as well read on. And if you happen to coach a female athlete or you are the spouse, husband, brother, friend or training buddy of a female athlete then please do read on as it really can't hurt to know about a few women specific aspects of training.

The past five years I observed a few things that always puzzled me. Days, when I just could not stand riding in a pack, even when it wasn't a problem the day before. Other days, where I just couldn't crank up the speed despite feeling otherwise strong and fresh. Days, when I can't clip in when taking off on traffic lights and my rather limited bike handling skills are even worse (if that's possible). Days when I didn't need to bother going to the gym even though I felt motivated. And days were I just did not want to see my bike at all and forced myself to train through it because I thought that's what it takes to become a better/faster/stronger rider. Sounds familiar?

Well, I also made the observation that certain things seemed to happen around the same time each month. Ever noticed the same, girls?



Then Frank sent me this book called "Hormones and female athletic performance" by Judy Daly and Wendy Ey. It's the result of research done in Australia about the impact of hormones on sports performance. It's unfortunately a few years old now and I've tried to find the book but came to the conclusion that it is out of print (unfortunately). Some of the research results might be outdated or more research might have been done since, but boy, what an eye opener it was for me to read it.

It confirmed most of my observations but the main lesson I took away from it is how important it is as a women to plan your training around your menstrual cycle. No point having your highest intensity week right in the late luteal phase of your cycle when oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels are lowest because the result of low levels of those hormones are: changes in mood resulting in increased stress, accident proneness, poor reaction times and perception of exertion as well as immune suppression. Yes right. Not a good time to push yourself to the limit.

Then again during ovulation the testosterone levels are highest, which makes for most effective strength training during this time. Schedule gym sessions for most impact! In the early luteal phase progesterone levels are rising, which results also in increased glycogen stores in muscle tissues - you guessed it: long endurance rides as well as high intensity training is most effective and best done in this phase.

There is a whole summary of the phases of the female menstrual cycle and how training is best planned around it. It's not cycling specific but would apply to most endurance sports such as running, swimming, rowing, triathlon etc.

I'm planning to type up the summary so please email me if you are interested in a copy.

30th August 2008: Here is the summary of the book's findings (please click on image to enlarge).

P.S. Just to tie up the loose ends: I don't think I'll be spending $$$ on seeing above mentioned movie. My interest in shoes nowadays is limited to those with carbon soles and I truely believe that Sidi, not Manolo, designs the most beautiful shoes ... ;-)

The death of Marco Pantani - A Biography by Matt Rendell

What a read! Brace yourself! You will be in awe, you will feel depressed, you'll be shocked and you'll be sad. I certainly went through the whole range of emotions and many more while reading about this man's life. What a roller coaster. You will be disappointed, too. Not with Rendell's account of events but with the man himself - the man that was Marco Pantani. Not the cyclist Marco Pantani.

I found the part about Marco's childhood interesting, also because the author gives insightful information on the times and political landscape of the Italy of the 1970ies. When you finally read your way through Marco's winning years you just want to get on the bike and hit the mountains. It's extremely inspiring and you can sense why he was the hero he was.

The disappointment sets in when Matt Rendell confronts you with all the medical data. What I like about the book and Rendell's way of describing the events is that he keeps the emotional distance, refrains from blaming or accusing and manages to stick with the mere facts. It makes the book a little bit dry at times but leaves the reader to form own opinions.

Whether you admired one of the greatest climbers in cycling history or whether you didn't even know about him, this biography is worth the read and a great insight into the world of competitive cycling and the life and death of Marco Pantani.

Overreach or burnout?

I have delayed the start of my training a little bit more. Initially I had planned taking two weeks off after the Sunny Coast Tour but when I looked at the racing calendar I realised that the Club Individual Time Trial Championship is already later this month and that there wouldn't be enough time for a two week break. So I decided that one week's rest would do. But my body and mind are telling me otherwise and reading up on consequences of overtraining I think I'd better stick to my initial two weeks. My racing season is still going to be long with the Tour of Bright in December. One of the disadvantages of living in such awesome climate is that one is never forced off the bike and to rest the body and mind for a few months. Just as Racin Rick said in his comment on my previous post: "a three day winter season. you must be really rested! :)" NOT!

How do I know that I'm not ready, yet? I'm feeling tired, my motivation and desire to get back on the bike and train is still zero and I'm feeling mentally and physically drained.

The Cyclist's Training Bible lists the following warning signs of overtraining: On the behavioral side it records apathy, lethargy, depression, poor concentration, sleep pattern change, irritability, decreased libido, clumsiness, increased thirst, sluggishness and craving for sugar. On the physical side Joe Friel lists reduced performance, weight change, morning heart rate, muscle soreness, swollen lymph glands, diarrhea, injury, infection, amenorrhea, decreased exercise heart rate and slow-healing cuts.

I recognise at least three to four signs on each list. Not a very pleasant state to be in but nothing what a couple of weeks time-out, plenty of sleep, plenty of water and healthy nutritious food won't fix.

Friel describes three stages of overtraining, which are overload, overreach and overtraining and there is also burnout.

Overload is the normal effect of training. When training load continues or even increases (in length or intensity or both) without recovery then you can enter the state of overreach, which has the above mentioned symptoms of overtraining but 48 to 96 hours of rest can still fix it at this stage. If you don't rest and keep pushing the boundaries at this stage and fall over the edge to overtraining it can take months and in some cases years to recover.

Burnout happens usually after 6-8 months of training and racing and has not the above mentioned physical symptoms of overtraining but the behavioral symptoms of feeling mentally fried (unmotivated to train or race despite good form). Burnout can usually be fixed with ten days to two weeks off the bike.

I have been training continuously since our return from Europe and Brazil last October and clocked up close to 10,000 km since, so it doesn't really come as a surprise that I'm a bit of a state of overreach and burnout. With increased awareness and experience I can now feel when I dip over the edge. I felt it before the Tour but really wanted to race so here we go. Loosing some fitness by taking two weeks off now is better than ending up overtrained and burnt out ...

I'll keep you posted in the meantime on what's happening off the bike and it will also give me the opportunity to write about a couple of other things I'm wanting to discuss, like the Marco Pantani biography, which I finally finished reading, some special female training subjects and the weather ... ah ... the cat ... ah ... food ... :-)

Winter

Daniel invited me along to an easy riverloop yesterday and first I didn't feel ready to get back on the bike at all (almost piked). But once out I felt great. My legs felt fresh and I felt like attacking the whole time ... :-) Shane, Scott, Daniel and Suz were very understanding and let me get it out of the system. The ride also involved an extended coffee shop stop of course.

It's now before 8 AM and only 11 degrees Celsius in the house. 16 outside on the terrace in the sun. I was contemplating doing the Zupps ride this morning but decided to stay in bed. Alberto got up and left at 5 AM this morning to race the Jon Brooks Classic in Toowoomba (about 2 hours drive inland from Brisbane). I'm sure he'll do well.

When talking to Frank (my coach) during the Tour de Tablelands in Cairns over a month ago he mentioned that he had a lot on his plate (teenage son, coaching the juniors in Cairns, full time job etc) and felt that he wasn't providing me with the coaching as he would have liked to. While I was always really happy with the training programs and advise I received I also understood and respected his wish to either doing it properly or not doing it at all. So we arranged that he would still give me a training program leading up to the Sunshine Coast Tour and then I would make different arrangements. I enjoyed being coached by Frank and really appreciate all the help and encouragement over the past seven months.

I have been negotiating with a new coach of my choice and I got his commitment to tackle the difficult and challenging task of coaching me. I had to promise to do as I told and not to talk back. :-)

Since it's only two weeks to the Club ITT Championship Alberto suggested putting my time trial bars on my bike today. I might go for an easy spin around midday (when the sun is at her highest point). Then again I might not!

Test week this coming week. So I guess I am back in training ... as of Tuesday.

Tour de Sunshine Coast 2008, Part III

Before I launch into the description of the last stage of this year's Tour de Sunshine Coast let me start with: I really enjoyed the last three days off the bike. Not having to get up at 4:30 AM, not having to be in bed by 8:30 PM - I even had a glass of wine on Tuesday night! - I'm feelig like a "normal" person. Life is good and I'm almost ready to resume training. But then again seeing Alberto on the wind trainer right now doesn't trigger the usual feelings of envy. Maybe I'll give it another few days ...

Stage 5: Eumundi - 40 km

After I had finished Stage Four Mick and Mark, who I had gotten a lift with due to starting times, decided to hang around for a bit and watch the following races. Therefore I finally managed to study the results in detail. Don't get me wrong, the organisation of the event was exceptional and the results were available almost immediately. I was just not focused enough to go and have a look. There was always something else to do: unpack the car, check the bike, prepare, warm up, cool down, pack the car etc ...

So after Stage Four I was in 6th position about 45 seconds behind 5th place. 3rd, 4th and 5th were only separated by seconds. 2nd place was another 45 seconds behind first so I needed to make up less than two minutes if I wanted to win the race.

It was a late start for Alberto and I for the last stage at 10 AM. I had finally gotten some decent sleep that night and felt refreshed. When we arrived in Eumundi it started pouring down rain. Not the best racing conditions, especially with some steep 10% gradient climbs and descents, but hey - same conditions for everybody.

My plan was to get away in a break, preferably with another girl or two, in a "nothing to loose" spirit. Weird to think that I had never planned to break away before and as far as I remember I have never been in a break away. I'm more the conservative rider. I take turns on the front and I'm prepared to work hard but I am always glad to be still there at the end. I never think of myself as an aggressive rider who attacks and goes on break-aways.

Belinda attacked right from the word "GO". Good girl. She had the same idea as I had and it could have worked if we both had gotten away. Problem was that she hadn't listened to the briefing and that there was a neutral zone we had left the township. The commissaires were a bit mean and let her go hard for about 5 km before they told her to return back to the bunch. By then she had burnt her candles and I don't think she even finished the race.

One of the MB girls Sarah attacked at the start of lap two, which I thought was a very good time to attack. Early enough to not be taken seriously and sure enough some girls were calling out "Let her go!" knowing that she wasn't strong enough to stay away. The moment we caught her I made my move. When I looked back the bunch was way behind. From reading cycling magazines and listening to Phil Liggett's commentary I knew that once you've got the gap you shouldn't look back and put everything into it. I settled in my time trial position and went as hard as I could without blowing up. I knew I had about 20 km to go. Next time I allowed myself a quick glance back I had the commissaire's car behind me. That meant that the gap was big enough that they had decided to move the cars forward. What an awesome feeling!

But before you get too excited now I unfortunately have to tell you that I did get caught. Afterwards someone said that the gap had increased to 20 seconds at some point and that was when the MB girls decided to chase.

Kate attacked immediately when I got caught and I had a few anxious moments as I tried to hang on. It came down to a tight bunch sprint and I finished 8th, retaining my 6th place overall and full of endorphins and adrenalin. Let's do this again sometime in the future.

***

End of story

Tour de Sunshine Coast 2008, Part II

Stage 2: Montville hill climb 7 km

Photo taken by Kevin Coppalotti

Another early start and this time even earlier. We had to be in Montville by 6 AM latest for a 6:30 AM mass roll down from the top to the bottom. Donna had the great idea of chaining our wind trainers to the fence in the start area because it was cold and the roll down would not provide any opportunity to warm up. But you'd better be warm to hit the climb properly. This was the stage were the tour could be won or lost.

I'm not a climber but I have improved my climbing quite a bit in the past six months so I was really excited about this stage to test how far I had come.

My legs felt surprisingly good after the previous day's assault. I felt comfortable climbing and the speed was steady, which suited me perfectly. A few girls dropped of early and seven of us settled in a comfortable rhythm. I had no problems and wasn't feeling like I was "just hanging on". Last year I was one of the girls who got dropped as soon as the road turned up.

My goal was to try and gain another spot or two in GC but I didn't have the time to study the results and overall standings before the start. So I did not know how much time I needed to gain.
Just before the hairpin turn one of the girls called out to a supporter on the side of the road "How far?" and the reply was "Only about a kilometer".

That was quick. Wow! I heard Corissa, the girl in 6th place on the GC breathing behind me. Then I turned around and saw her a few meters off the back. I relaxed.

And all of the sudden: BANG! The speed increased and I was in trouble. I decided to stick to my steady speed and lost the wheel in front of me.

I crossed the line in 6th place, about 50 seconds behind the winner. But the gap was enough to move me into 6th position in General Classification - by eight seconds!

Fazit: Right in that moment when I got dropped I was hurting and felt like I couldn't go any harder. Now I think it might have just been my head and I would have been able to dig deeper and go harder. I wonder if I just have to harden up?

Stage 3: North Arm - Yandina 30 km Road Race

Only about five hours between the two Sunday stages and not much time to recover. Quick dip in the cold pool to aid recovery, hot shower and back into compression thighs. Because I hadn't cooled down after the climb I put the wind trainer up on the terrace for an easy spin before lunch. Donna and Mark joined me, which was a great opportunity to wind down, have a chat and recap on the morning's climb. Donna and I both agreed that more climbing training needs to be done and that we will hit Mt Mee more often in the next few months.

I felt great for the afternoon Yandina stage. Legs were fresh and I was excited. Three 10 km laps with only a few easy rolling hills. This was the "flat" stage. In the start area the MB girls were sticking their heads together and talking tactics. Kate, the girl in 2nd place in GC, was standing next to me and we were chatting. Then Brielle came over and Belinda and we started joking that we should stick our heads together, too. I guess we all felt a little intimidated - Team Outcasts. I said to Kate that I'm happy to try something and work for her if she wanted. She was interested so a quick break away plan was made before we were off.

We were just watching the speed in the first lap and I noticed a head wind on one of the straights. A few attacks went but were covered immediately. Nobody got away.

Lap two and I was sitting in second wheel when we turned into the headwind again. Next thing I found myself off the front with a 50 meter gap. I hadn't meant to attack but since I had a gap I thought I might as well keep going. Slight uphill, downshift onto little chain ring and ... crap! Chain jumped off and wouldn't go back on by shifting back. So I had to stop, fiddle the chain back on and get going again.

So from "off the front" to "off the back" in 30 seconds. But the speed was very slow and I got back on without too much trouble. Third lap and it was time to try an attack. Kate and went at the same time and we did get a gap but the MB girls were on guard and chased immediately. There was no getting away and it came down to a bunch sprint.

8th place and 6th in GC - that was the result after stage 4 with only one last stage left to race.

***

The report for Stage 5 will follow tomorrow. Ah - suspense!

Got to spend some time with Alberto tonight. You now "Blog - Life - Balance". :-)

Tour de Sunshine Coast 2008

It was a great Tour. It was intense. It was stressful. But I could line up again right now and do it all over again.

Friday: Prologue

The prologue was a 2.5 km out and back Individual Tim Trial course with a couple of turns in the first kilometer contested after sunset on a "street lights lit" course in Maroochydore. Very different to any time trial I had done before.

Start area of the prologue

I did a 2.5 km test time trial about three weeks ago and posted a 4:09 minute time. So my goal was to beat the 4 minute mark. After a good warm up on the windtrainer I lined up, calm and collected. The course was fun, I went through the corners as fast as I could and gave it my all on the straight. Turn around and sprint to the finish. My heart rate was a flat out 176 bpm, I had a blood taste in my throat when I finished and could have not gone any harder. The clock stopped at 3:41 minutes. I was extremely happy with that time but it still only put me in 11th place, 19 seconds behind the winner.

Fazit: I think I lost the seconds in the corners. Kevin Coppalotti was taking photographs in the first corner and asked me afterwards if I didn't know the course since I went through the corner slower than the other girls. It's true that I didn't know the course all that well (I managed to ride it twice before they closed the road but not at speed) but it's also true that cornering and bike handling is one of my limiters I have to improve.

Saturday Stage 1: Kenilworth 65 km

Whoever designed this course must have planned to separate the boys from the men (or girls from the tough women) early in the race. One lap was just over 30 km and included steep little hills, rolling hills, smooth road, rough rattling road, potholes, a 2 km climb at about 10% gradient... you get the picture. We did the loop twice and the second time around the climb felt even steeper. We were catching some of the Masters Men who were walking up that hill. Our speed dropped to about 11 km/h.

Our 13 girls bunch was made up of five girls from MB Coaching and eight girls all from different clubs with no team affiliation. The MB girls had the yellow jersey and sent one team mate up the road very early in the race. Nobody reacted and she was allowed to get a good 100 m on us. I went to the front to keep the pace up but did not chase flat out. All I wanted to do was keep her in sight. So we slowly railed her in but every time I moved over to let another girl come through and take a turn, everybody moved over with me. People looked at each other. Nobody was willing to do some work on the front. It was frustrating and annoyed me a lot. I just don't like negative racing but at the end I just sat up, took my water bottle out and guess what? We slowed down to 17 km/h before another girl finally came around me!

We even got caught by the Masters Women who started three minutes behind us! But at least that brought some life into the bunch and some more attacks from the MB team and Kate who was 2nd on GC. I felt comfortable on the uphills but lost the wheels on the descents so always had to chase back on when the road flattened out. The road was a bit wet and slippery and I couldn't bring myself to go through the corners leaning as far as the others did. So I slowed up but still hit 73 km/h at some stage according to my computer.

By lap two the bunch had shrunk to eight girls. The sprint was a bit messy as there was a car stuck in the middle of the road and people warming up and and walking (some commissaire must have missed to close he road for our sprint) but I finished 6th, which moved me up into 7th place in General Classification after stage 2.

Fazit: ???

***

I think I won't manage to write about all stages in one go as I have to get some things organised today (glad I took the extra day off work). I've got to wash my bike, have a massage booked in for 1 PM and want to stop by the bike shop to get my wheels serviced etc. The house needs some TLC, too. You will have to wait for the report of stage 3, 4 and 5 a little bit. Just a couple of side notes now to give you an idea of the organisational dramas of this tour that added to the stress of competing:

Click here for enlarged view!

Because the stages were all spread across the Sunshine Coast (and hinterland) there was a lot of driving to the stages involved. Ten of us stayed in a house at Noosa's Sunrise Beach that Suz had organised. It was a beautiful place with four bedrooms, heaps of space and ocean views.

Because the prologue was scheduled for 6:30 PM and they also ran late by half an hour we arrived in the house after 9 PM on Friday night, still had to have dinner and get organised for the next morning. The Kenilworth stage start was about an hour's drive away from Noosa and start time was scheduled for 8 AM, which meant: getting up at 5 AM, leaving the house just before 6 AM for a 7 AM arrival at start to allow enough time to prepare the bike, sign in and warm up. I got to bed at 11:30 PM and couldn't sleep. I was still so hyped up from the ITT and already nervous for the next morning. Thousands of things were going through my mind. ... I think I managed two hours sleep that night!

Stay tuned. There is heaps more to come ...