Wow. What a day.

It was so interesting to be at an event and watch such a high quality “collection” of cyclists “do their thing”.

The day started early, it was already warm, and I got down to the school where the event was based from at about 8:25am. Enough time to park, to get to the start line, and take a pic before the count-down was on and I was snapping photos as the women went by.

It was interesting to “feel” the energy. It was a strange combination of excitement and apprehension. They were eyeing each other up whilst smiling and almost seemed that many were thinking “I must not be dropped… I have to stay with the pack as long as possible…” When the men lined up later in the day at 12:30, you could almost feel the testosterone in the air. Their were few smiles and it seemed they were thinking – “how quickly can I drop everyone?”

It was interesting to watch the two races transpire and evolve in quite different ways.

In the women’s race, Marina Duvnjak began with a blast of raw power. While the above report says she broke away on the first climb, the marshall on the corner before the first climb described to me how she had actually begun her break earlier, and coming up the false flat into the stiff westerly, she had already made two minutes on the peloton.

When I first saw her, I began to wonder if the peloton had had some dreadful crash. We were at the apex of the climbs and the vantage point offers the view of nearly a kilometre of climbing. She got to the top… still no sign of anyone behind her… and around the corner and she was away… and then the peloton arrived… mooching along. They seemed to be in no rush and by the time they reached where I was watching, the split I took showed her to have a 3minute, 10 second lead! It was downhill and flat from here to the start of the next lap – surely she would keep her lead???!

Now, just to explain this course a little. When I raced it in the club race on Saturday, by the time I got to the top of this climb I was 2:45minutes behind the rider in front. I dropped my chain twice while chasing him, but still managed to close the gap and he was only 12seconds ahead of me across the finish line. So once the main climbing is over, it is very quick if you are confident downhill and have good power in your legs.

Obviously Marina was… on the second lap she was unbelievably still out in front and had even increased her lead by 2 seconds! I began to hope she might keep the lead. But only half of the race had gone – there was still a lot of time for the peloton to do something.

As she went by for the third time, Marina was losing time, and the peloton was only 25 seconds behind her. I felt sad. She had been brave and reached for glory and for me, despite her being swallowed up in the chasing bunch, and not receiving a top ten placing, hers was the gutsiest ride of the day – I was well impressed.

The women disn’t seem to race the same way as the men. They all seemed to be watching each other to cover any attacks… but no-one seemed to do much in the way of attacking. And that was a shame, because this course offers a bit of everything and lots of opportunities to wear down the competition.

We were very proud of our two local girls, Bridget and Steph, who both managed to stay with the main peloton – despite being dropped on the first lap, they made their way back and finished well. The daughter of Ramblers, Sonia, was also in the front bunch and we were all thrilled for her. She is just making the transition from mountain bike racing to road racing. An awesome effort.

Well done Marina. Although Melissa Holt won the title, and although others rode a more cautious, conservative and perhaps “sensible” race… your ride inspired me and while all the other women will blur into a homogenous group – your ride will always stand out for me.