Lawson Homes
Honda Hybrid Women's Tour 2009
The Honda Hybrid Women’s Tour was held in conjunction with the 2009 Herald Sun Tour in Victoria. With almost 80 women registered in 14 teams, Lawson Homes riders Belinda and Emma entered as individuals to be put into composite teams.
The Tour was a first for both girls who have not ridden in a field that size and in particular for Belinda who was one of only ten U19 women entered.
The Tour was to start in Anglesea for stage one, then on to Geelong for stage 2, with the final stage being held in Melbourne. We based ourselves out of Torquay as this was the most central point for us.
Stage 1 Anglesea to Anglesea 55km Thursday 15th October
Day one of the Tour and the weather was looking grim. We arrived in Anglesea where it showered on and off. Our 55km road race commenced at 8:20am in cold and wet conditions but that didn’t bother us as we are used to that coming from Tassie.
The first kilometre of the race was under control with everyone jostling for position before the start of the only climb of the day, a category 4, 2.9km climb. Although the hill was only small the pace was on which saw the field split early. The race included 2 intermediate sprints where Emma contested one and came over the line 6th. In the final 15km many breaks were attempted but none succeeded therefore making the 40 strong peloton keep together for the final 3 km descent. With the wet conditions the descent was dangerous and coming into the last 200 metres an off camber roundabout made things even more difficult. With the sprint to the line Emma finished in 10th place and a solid ride from Belinda had her come in 7th in the u19 category. We were happy with this performance and had the rest of the day to recover and rest up for stage 2 in Geelong.
Stage 2 Geelong Time Trial 10km Friday 16th October
Day 2 of the Tour again started with miserable conditions which wasn’t going to be ideal for the 10km time trial. While the time trial was only short it was a technical course making it even more difficult in wet conditions. The time trial started off a ramp which was a new experience for the girls. Two kilometres into Belinda’s time trial it poured with rain making it almost impossible to see more than 2 meters in front. By the time Emma was on the rain had stopped but the roads were still wet and slippery. Both girls rode strongly and despite many falls from other riders they both managed to keep upright. Belinda finished 40th overall and 5th in the u19 category and Emma finished 13th overall.
Stage 3 Criterium 45min + 3 laps Melbourne Saturday 17th October
Day 3 was going to be tough; a 45 minute + 3 lap criterium racing around the streets of Melbourne including Lygon Street. The atmosphere was amazing. Racing had been taking place since 7am but our race wasn’t until 3:30 to be followed by the Herald Sun Tour at 5:30. Thousands lined the streets to watch the racing. Nerves and adrenaline were running high but we were excited to be racing a criterium in such a place as Lygon Street. The first lap was under control but as soon as the flag dropped the girls put the foot down. Once again the field was split early but several bunches quickly formed. The pace was on throughout the entire race with the five corners making it even more demanding on the body. It was vital to stay up the front but our lack of criterium racing experience showed. Emma was in the front bunch of 30 riders with 3 laps to go and once again it was going to come down to a bunch sprint. Coming out of the last corner it was essential to be up the front. Emma finished 15th in the criterium and 13th overall in general classification, Belinda finished 7th in u19 category and 52nd overall.
In general we both learnt a lot from the Tour and considering the lack of numbers and racing opportunities against other female riders in Tasmania, it was good to test ourselves against other more experienced riders from around the country.
We both came home happy with our performances and rode consistently throughout the whole tour. We learned a lot and it was a great way to end the road season.