Redlands 2013

Redlands Classic is the first NRC (National Racing Calendar) event of the year, and it was a big one! The start list was outstanding with close to 90 riders entered and the field was top, top quality. 

We had a strong team of 8 including; Annie, Joelle, Denise, Brie, Amber, Jade, Janel and myself.  

The first stage was a Time Trial in Big Bear. With an altitude of about 7000 feet this stage really suited the riders who have just come from places like Boulder or from somewhere high up. The entire race felt like my throat was bleeding and everyone was coughing endlessly once we had finished. Imagine riding as hard as you can, through a straw, it is similar to that.. The legs and lungs definitely do not enjoy it. Anyway, the tt was hard, I went out all guns blazing and was completely done by 9kms. Unfortunately the tt was 12kms long so I fell a little short with my pacing.  

Alison Powers had a phenomenal ride finishing close to 30 seconds in front of second place and beating a large quantity of the elite men's field. Our little pocket rocket Brie had a hugely impressive ride finishing in 4th place, Janel in 7th and Denise in 10th with the rest of us close behind. Unfortunately Jade got a very unfair time penalty which put her back 50 seconds, and I came in somewhere in the 20's about 1 and a half minutes back from Alison.  

The next day was a 120km road race (thankfully back down to sea level).The race was fast, hard, and fun. The team rode awesome with Jade going for the QOM, Brie taking out the sprints and the rest of the team chasing the breaks and keeping things hard. On the final lap I got in a small break and stayed with them for a wee while, I was blown, my legs didn't have much, I hung on with gritted teeth until Joelle bridged across, then I hit the wall and came back to the bunch. On the last climb Janel was going backwards, unsure of the reason I tried to stay with her and we worked hard together in the final Km's to keep the time gap as small as possible. We later realised she had a slow leak on the front wheel which slowed her down considerably on the climb. Further up the road Brie sprinted to 3rd place, putting her up to 3rd on GC and Alison pulled out another win with fellow Kiwi rider Joe finishing 2nd. 

Day three was the Redlands Criterium, known to be one of the hardest, most technical crits on the American calendar. Fast it was! Denise got away in the final 15 minutes and stayed up the road for quite a few laps, Jade countered her but it ended up coming to a bunch sprint with Joelle coming a close 2nd, to Alison (again). Unfortunately I had some bad luck on one of the corners in the final laps with my bike coming to a holt. Once I got going again the bunch was up the road, Dang!  

Last stage, the Sunset Loop, known to be the most brutal stage of the tour, and of most races in the US. Basically the main race is in the first 15kms. It starts with a long neutral section where everyone jostles for position, then it goes to a narrow, rough, windy downhill which runs straight into the climb of the day. If you are not at or near the front when you get to the base of the climb, you're toast. 20 riders got away on the climb, including 4 Optum girls. Denise and I were in a small (ish) bunch that was caught in the middle and the rest of the field was behind. In our bunch were some GC threats so there was no need to do any work or try to get up the road in case we got chased by these riders. Some of the teams got to the front to try and catch but the chasing was too inconsistent so it ended up being more of a bunch ride as riders would give up one by one. The front of the field was getting smashed to pieces, Marra Abbott and Claudia Haussler got away (Two of the best climbers in the worlds) while Joelle faught it out in the chasing group and Brie, Jade and Janel very close behind. Mara ended up staying away, just! With Joelle getting the bunch sprint in 2nd. 

Overall it was an awesome race, the team rode extremely well together and we have some great times coming up. It is early season so we are not at our best yet, but it's not going to be long until we get there. Next up is Charlotte Criterium in the weekend after a stop off in Baltimore to catch up with John Kelly and the team from Kelly Benefit Strategies and the diabetes foundation. 

The weather is getting warmer, the tan lines are at their best and the legs are on the up, time to win some bike races =)

Courteney

Getting ready for the Time Trial at 7000 Feet.


Just starting the Time trial, with the beautiful lake next to me.





                Team Talk before stage three road race.





 Riding the front in my new awesome NZ champ jersey. Thank you so much Champion System for such a fantastic job!! http://www.champ-sys.com/





At some stage during one of the stages at Redlands.



Photos thanks to; Danny Munson, Cyclingillustrated.com

San Dimas 2013

Update time! I am back in the US of A and loving it. Once arriving in LA I was picked up by my team mate Amber Gaffney and her partner Jacob and was spoilt rotten! Not only had she come all the way out to LA to pick me up, she had gone via my favourite super market (Trader Joes) and picked me up my favourite American treat for the car trip. Once arriving at her house she made me an incredibly delicious sandwich and then went for her second ride of the day so she could show me where I could ride.. That is what I call one pretty awesome team mate! I then spent the next week training with Amber and getting to know the area.

First race for the season was the San Dimas Stage race which consists of a 4 mile uphill time trial, a 50 mile road race and then finishes off with a 60 minute Criterium around the streets of San Dimas. We had a small team of 5 rider, Leah, Brie, Amber, Lauren and myself as well as Michael, Rachel and Jeremy (Mechanic, Director/organiser/planner/do everything-er and the swanee).

Leah and I stayed with Susie and Dennis, a lovely couple who looked after us incredibly well during the few days of racing. They were both very accomplished sports people so we had some good conversations. The morning of the time trial Leah and I got up leisurely to have breakfast. By the time we left for the race Susie had gone for a run, walked the dog and was about to head out the door for a ride to watch us race. Once returning from her ride she then went for another walk.. an incredibly fit lady!! I felt so lazy after just doing a little time trial then riding home.

The weekend was a great success for the team. There were close to 80 strong starters in the race, so we certainly had our work cut out for us! Brie rode to a very impressive 4^th place in the time trial with Lauren, Leah and Amber not far behind. I finished somewhere in the 20’s. I was pretty disappointed with my result as I felt great and had a great lead-up but not to fear I will be there soon, just need to get some racing under my belt to wake the legs up again!

The Road Race was pretty action-packed with a nasty crash happening near the start and the race leader Mara Abbott came down. So for the next lap we neutralised the race until she rejoined us and then the race was on! My job was to go for the Queen of the Mountains, I won the first one, got 2^nd in the 2^nd and then 3^rd in the final time.. Unfortunately that put me in 1^st equal with Lex Albrecht and in the UCI rules the winner is determined by whoever is sitting highest on GC, which in this case was Lex… Dammit!! So I didn’t get the polka dot jersey for this one.. Next time =)

Amber and I attempted a couple of lead-outs for Leah and Lauren for the mid-race sprints, and they both did awesome, Leah got the first and then Brie (who also did the leading out) got another one. Kathryn Donavon from NOW got away solo on the 5^th lap and rode strongly up the road for about 3 laps, with 1 lap to go Amber and I went to the front and set the pace as no-one else seemed very interested in catching Katy. Once we had about 5kms to go Amber drilled it on the front while I totally blew up! Going up the last climb (so with around 5 kms to go) Brie set the pace, ,and then kept setting it, and just kept going.. then won the sprint!!! She is like a pocket rocket that just keeps going!!! So we finished the stage with a stage victory, the sprint jersey (Brie), a place up in the GC standings (now sitting in 3^rd) and a first equal for QOM (Dang). Successful day all round!!

The final day was a Criterium, and boy was it on from the start. We averaged about 42kmh for an hour.. it was hard! And I was hurting! Long story short Brie finished 2^nd in the stage thanks to a great lead-out from Amber, Lauren and Leah.

San Dimas was a great first race of the season. I personally am not at where I want to be but know it is the first race of the season and speed will come fast! I have the strength and endurance, now I just need that speed. I am so stoked to be riding with such a great team again this year, we all gel so well and get along.. its going to be a great season =)

Me going for the QOM points at SDSR.

                          One happy team after Bries win in the Road Race. Very well deserved!!

                          Both photos copyright of Danny Munson, Cyclingillustrated.com

Now I am off to San Diego with one of my closest friends Emma Grant. I have not seen her since August last year and cannot wait to spend the week hanging out and riding my bike. Then I am headed to Redlands for a 4 stage race. Fun times ahead, will keep you all posted.

Thanks for reading =)

Courteney

Critical Cargo Care

I am really excited to announce a new personal sponsor who has so generously decided to help me (along with Craigs Investment Partners) to get through my 2013  racing year.

Russell and Sharon Jackman, along with their son Daniel Jackman run a fascinating business called Critical Cargo Care. Sharon and Russell wanted to help  financially support a young Athlete who had set their heart on the Olympics as a goal,  and thanks to Greg and Richard from Tauranga Cycling Club, I was the one they chose to help support.

I was given the opportunity to visit their business a few days ago and see what happens and how it all works. I have come home absolutely astounded by what I have seen, and how little I take into account what goes on behind the scene at the Port of Tauranga.

After meeting with Russell I got taken into the office and introduced to some of the awesome team at CCC. Some young, down to earth men who were extremely interested in what I do. I was then shown what they do, and my job seemed A LOT easier.

What Critical Cargo Care does is they take care of all the Ports refrigerated cargo. From food products such as meat or fruit, to plants - it’s a lot of containers, and a lot of pressure to get it right! Some of the containers have up to 1 million dollars of product in just the one container!!

The shipper provides CCC with information on what temperature the container must be at. Once the container arrives they are connected and set up to the shippers’ requirements and are then constantly monitored throughout the stay at the Port. Once it is time to go CCC will know when the containers are able to be unplugged before heading onto a ship, train or truck for the next stop.

I was given the opportunity to go in one of the massive forklifts/moving thing on wheels (no idea what it was called, but it was huge! And I had to climb a big ladder to get to the top). Then I went along with one of CCC’s normal days of work where we picked up containers, then dropped them onto the back of a truck, or picked it up from the truck. I could not believe how someone in this tiny box on the side of this MASSIVE crane was able to drop the container right between the lines or into the perfect spot on the truck. It was very impressive and a pretty cool experience!

I am so excited about the new relationship with CCC and cannot thank them enough for their support. I also now have a new found respect for how much it takes to get things like apples or international fruits like mangos onto the supermarket shelf. It doesn’t just appear, it involves a huge process and hard work to get there.

 Above are some photos of my trip, on the top are the crazy cool cranes on wheels that I sat on (yup, I climbed all the way up there, on a ladder!), then on the right is the tiny little glass-type box that the driver and I sat in. In the middle is taking a container off the truck and at the bottom is our awesome work, a loaded truck!

Thanks Russell, Sharon, Daniel and the awesome staff from CCC, you are helping make my 2013 year a successful one and keep me on my road to Rio =)

Home Time.. For a Short Time..

Since training camp I have been hanging out at home, in the beautiful sunshine getting some even more beautiful tan-lines and making the most of this hot weather. I have also been working hard with my chiropractor from England, Ali McMaster. This lady is amazing, I really do not know what I would do without her knowledge and the work she has put into me. Last year while I was suffering from what I call the year long one legged effort, Ali would skype me weekly and she is the reason I was able to keep riding at the level I was with all the other issues going on. Sometimes I would make my room-mate and good friend Emma Grant do manipulations to me, Ali, over Skype, would explain to Emma where and how she could hit me as hard as she could on some part of my legs (she says she didn’t like hitting me, I don’t believe her for a second). I would also use rolls and rolls and rolls of Spider Tech tape (http://www.spidertech.com/) to keep me going forward.

An example of a bit of taping effort after skyping Ali... got to cover all the options..right!?

Anyway, Ali has been around here almost ever second day (while she is on holiday in NZ), making me absolutely perfect and sorting out all my ‘issues’. She is not only the World’s best Chiropractor but she sort of just knows everything. She has an answer for everything and is just.. well.. AMAZING.

When I am not with Ali, and not on my bike, I am enjoying a bit of CrossFit here and there with Mount (and the new Tauranga) CrossFit (http://mountcrossfit.com/). I have been doing this since Surgery as I get really bored in the gym and because as a cyclist I do not get any impact what-so-ever, which is terrible for my bone density. Therefore by doing cross-fit I am not only working the muscles I would in the gym, things like box jumps, skipping and running are also incorporated, helping the impact side of things and also keeping things competitive (which in-turn keeps me happy).

The past few weeks I have also been meeting some really cool up and coming triathletes and cyclists from all over Tauranga.

Last week I was given the opportunity to join in on Lyndy Wickham’s ride with the junior tri kids that she takes out for rides and bike handling skills each week. I could not get over the enthusiasm and talent these juniors had, it is really exciting for the future of the sport. One of the older girls, Amelia, has just been selected for the Nationals in Christchurch because she had an outstanding cycle split time in the selection race. I tried to turn her to the better side (cyclist) on the ride, I think she will become a roady in no-time with that kind of talent. 

Me with some of the awesome up and coming riders, great group of Kids. 

It is so impressive to see the time and work that people like Lyndy put in to motivate young people to get out on their bikes. Iris Thomas is another example of someone who puts their entire life into helping kids as young as Primary School level to get introduced to the sport and use cycling as an alternate form of transport. Iris also teaches the students road rules so that when they get their drivers licenses they will appreciate cyclists and give them some space. Iris has started up a Bright Sparks program which helps to encourage Intermediate students who had learnt cycle safety earlier on to find safe and fun routes to ride to school. I was lucky enough to come in to my old school Tauranga Intermediate and see what it was all about as well as meeting some children who were part of the program. The students had a really impressive understanding of how to check their brakes were working, the tyres were pumped up and the helmet was on properly, we then took some photos with Jamie Troughton (who is also part of the program with Iris) and the two of them took the kids for a ride on the road teaching them road etiquette and showing them how fun it is to ride a bike!

Kurt Pickard and I with some Tauranga Intermediate students on the 'Bright Sparks' program. Picture Credit; Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Journalism.

Now I have just under a week left before I head back to the States to start the racing season. I am pretty excited to get it kicked off and to see all the team again!

I also just want to say a huge Thank You to Richard Bates, Greg Taylor and members of the Tauranga Cycling Club for your incredibly generous support in helping me get overseas this year. I am overwhelmed by the kindness of some people who are so passionate about cycling and the support of a young rider trying to live her dream.

I have been riding with Tauranga Cycling Club since I first started and being able to share my stories and progress with the people who have been there from the start is all worth it! Even if they still like to torture me on Tuesday night Worlds…

Thanks for reading!

Courteney

2013 So Far.

Ok so, I am very slack. So much has happened since my last post and it is about time I started to keep everyone up to date in what’s been happening in my life.

January the 12^th 2013 I lined up to start the Elite Road Nationals in Christchurch. With no expectations I went in feeling pretty good. Andy and I had worked hard together since surgery and I went into the race after some pretty solid training. The race was hard; Dyers Pass has not got any flatter nor easier. After some pretty hard laps a group of 8 of us got away including Linda V, Kate C, Jaimie N, Joe K, Reta T, Emma C and Georgia W. Reta rode really strong up the climbs but with riders like Linda it was almost impossible to gain enough time on the climb and stay away on the flat, especially with the new flat lap added into the race. After many break-away attempts it became clear it was going to be a sprint finish. Usually this would daunt me, with the likes of Joe, Kate and Linda I knew it was going to be a hard sprint, but I still felt confident as I have been doing a lot of sprinting with Andy and I wanted it so much that I knew I had a pretty good chance. Fast forward to the last 100 metres and I found a gear that I didn’t know I had ,it was a head wind so I left the sprint as late as I could, I almost left it a little too late as it was pretty damn close at the end. But I got it! The biggest and best race of my life so far, and the best part was that both my parents were there to watch it all unfold.

                                                   Abit too close for compfort!!

                                       I wasnt last to open the champagne this year!! yuuus

There are so many people to thank for supporting me over the past few months and who have believed and stuck with me through everything that has happened. There are too many to mention but here are a few that I really do not know how to thank enough;

- My coach Andy Reid, for being the best coach I could ever ask for!

- Richard Bates, my mentor, my mechanic, my go-to person whenever I have any cycling issues.

- Optum P/B KBS for sticking with me and being so incredibly supportive (and being the best team… ever!). In particular my director Rachel Heal. 

- Koops Cycles for being there from day one!

- Craigs Investment Partners for your amazing support.

- Tauranga Cycling Club, you guys are all awesome!

- Matt for always being there and putting up with my biking obsessions.

- And last but definitely not least, my Mum and Dad, you are the reason I am where I am today. Thank you!

Now for the next chapter, I have recently arrived in Oxnard, California for the Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies training camp. It’s cold, 10 degrees, but the weather has been pretty beautiful with blue sky almost every day. This year we have 11 in the team with 4 new riders; Brianna Walle, Lauren Hall, Grace Alexander and Amber Gafney. We also have a new mechanic Mike Gavagan who is a lovely guy and really good at what he does. He even made us afternoon tea when we got back from a bike ride the other day! How cool is that!?

It’s going to be a really good year, Rachel has once again picked a team who already get along so well together, and with her incredible knowledge I am sure we will have another really successful season. I cannot wait!

The most important part of the year is giving thanks to the people who allow this team to run, and allow me to live my dream. The sponsers! The majority of the sponsers are the same this year as last with the exception of a few. Thanks to the following people for your incredible support!  

Acura  http://www.acura.com

Arundel http://www.arundelbike.com/index.html

Bicycling Magazine http://www.bicycling.com/

Challenge http://www.challengetech.it/products/en

Chamois Butt'r http://www.pacelineproducts.com/

Champion System http://champ-sys.com/

Cliff Bar http://www.clifbar.com/

Compex http://www.compex.info

Hed http://www.hedcycling.com/true_speed.asp

K-Edge http://www.acecosportgroup.com

Kelly Benefit Strategies http://www.kellybenefitstrategies.com/

Large Format Graphics http://www.largeformatgraphics.biz/

Lazer http://www.lazersport.com/

Lemond Trainers http://www.lemondfitness.com/

Look http://www.lookcycle.com/

Mavic http://www.mavic.com/en

Motorex http://www.motorexusa.com/musa/

MPC 

Optum www.optum.com

Orbea http://www.orbea.com/us-en/

Park Tool http://www.parktool.com/

Schick http://www.schick.com/

Selle Italia http://www.selleitalia.com/

SRAM http://www.sram.com/

Street Factory Media http://www.streetfactorymedia.com

Thule Http://www.thule.com

World Bicycle Relief http://www.worldbicyclerelief.org/

SpiderTech http://www.spidertech.com

 (Photos below courtesy of Sam Wiebe).

                                       Our awesome wet bags that Rachel made for us!

                      Bike, bikes, and more bikes. The team trailer equipped with training and racing bikes. 

Bring on 2013! Its going to be a good one =)

Thanks for reading!

Courteney

New Year, New legs, New beginning!

So its 2013 all ready! I cannot believe how fast 2012 went, and how incredible it was. But I have so much more to come for 2013, and I cannot wait!

It is close to 3 months since my surgery and everything is getting back to normal, the regular training routine, and now my first race since America and since surgery. Rather than coming back slowly, I thought I would jump straight into it and do one of my biggest races of the season; Elite Nationals. I think I’m nuts… I probably am. But the starting list was the best I have seen in a long time with the likes of Linda Villumsen, Rushlee Buchanan and Jo Kiesanowski. To be able to race with NZ’s best and see where I am at after my recovery there is no better race then Elites. So I am entered, and leave for Christchurch next Thursday with the race being on the 12^th of January. I may do great, I may also do terribly.. but I will never know unless I try. So I am excited/nervous to see what happens.

I also have some very exciting news. I have been invited back to my dream team; Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies for 2013 (http://www.optumprocycling.com/). The fact that they have stuck with me and given me another chance after my very on and off year is overwhelming and I am not sure how to thank Rachel and the team enough. With some help from Craigs Investment Partners I leave at the start of February for training camp in LA. It’s going to be another awesome year, only this time I can race with two legs, no excuses, just a whole lot of pain!! It’s going to be epic.  

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and New Year, ate lots, had some time off and relaxed. Now to start a new year.. it’s going to be a good one! 

Happy New Year!

Courteney

Back on Track

Today is exactly 6 weeks after surgery, and I am feeling FANTASTIC!

It has been a very long month, I have felt lazy, bored, grumpy and have driven my family crazy. But that has (almost) come to an end; me and my bike have FINALLY been reunited.

The past month I have been working with Mark Hollands, he has been incredible and has given me little exercises to build my strength back up and get back out on the road. Every day I have felt stronger and more excited. Now 6 weeks on I feel like I am back to normal, the scars are healing and the leg is feeling good. It has been a slow process, and as irritating as it has been to be forced to sit down and recover I have understood the importance of letting the body heal. The surgery couldn’t have come at a better time, I was urged to have a month off even if surgery wasn’t on the cards and I know if I was able to ride, that would not have happened. So this forced rest was perfect! The amount of recovery time for this was short too, compared to something like breaking a bone. So positives all round!

I have been riding every second day for the past 2 weeks; it started off with 15 minutes on the rollers and is now up to 90 minutes on the road. I am feeling great, and cannot wait to start racing Dad again! (He has been doing a lot of secret training during my time off, so I have a bit of catching up to do).

Ever since the surgery I have been getting emails from people all over the world with this same issue, asking for advice and reassurance.  The surgeons say it is an extremely rare case, but around the cycling circle it seems very common. 

Will stay in touch =)

Courteney