Only those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly (Robert Kennedy)

Oceania Track Champs
Adelaide SuperDrome
13-15th November

My competitive, over-achiever nature means that I sometimes find it difficult to accept that even though there may not be a result, every time I set out on the bike- either on the boards or the road- it is still a step towards the greater goal. And that is precisely why it has taken a little while to get this post up, I've been trying to find some perspective.

The plan was always for this trip to Adelaide to be about getting amongst the scene, getting time on boards and really more a training exercise than racing for results. So with that in mind, this is how the week panned out.

Thursday 13th: 20km Points Race
This was the last event of the night, and due to crashes earlier in the program we didn't roll away until after 10:30pm!! That is well past bed time for most bike riders so none of us were particularly impressed! The pace was one from the get go and for the first 30 laps it was difficult to tell when the sprint laps actually started we just seemed to be going fast the whole time. About half way through Davina made a move off the front in an attempt to take a lap, initially I had thought I'd try and go with this but was stuck in the middle of the bunch and wasn't able to go. Unfortunately for D this didn't amount to the lap but she did pick up some handy points to put her in 4th at the end of the night. I went off the front with a Kiwi girl with about 15 laps to go. We got about a half lap on the field before they decided that wasn't what should be happening and reeled us back on the sprint lap. The hammer went down for the sprint lap and pretty much stayed down for the last 10 laps. About 4 to go I was spent, had to let the bunch go and call it a night. All things considered, I was pretty happy with how this panned out.

With Davina before the start of the points race

(photo from Davina)

Friday 14th: 10km Scratch Race
Second last race for today's program, but we were away a bit earlier, thankfully! The plan was to race aggressively and see what happened- which seemed to be the plan of everyone else in the race. There was a lot of attacking, chasing and counter attacking but nothing stuck. It was a bunch sprint for the line which I was 10th over. Given my lack of ability to sprint well on the track I was pretty happy with this finish.

Saturday 15th: 3km Individual Pursuit and Women's Omnium
I really should have given a lot more thought to my entries for the final day of competition, I wouldn't advise doing an IP and an omnium on the same day! But rather than think about what could have been, there were a lot of positives from the day (in hindsight :p). I now realise how vitally important a good warm up is for a good pursuit, and how much damage will be done by doing the first 2 laps way way way to fast! I can now say that I have done a flying 200m- I had never done one prior to this one in competition, but hey, you have to start somewhere! Though I never realised they were quite so technical! Reckon I could nail it with a bit of practise though!

Photo with my mum after racing had finished on Saturday night- looking a bit tired!

Despite posting a shocking time for my IP, on the whole I am not too unhappy with my omnium performance, given that I hadn't done a flying 200m or a 500m TT before! I got through it and was 10th overall. Lots of things to improve on but consequently the only way is up from here! I think my overall performance would have been helped if I had had a better scratch race but after the 3km pursuit my legs were a bit cactus and I couldn't hang on for the last 200m of the what turned out to be a 3 lap sprint!

3km IP- looks a bit a lonely out there! (photo thanks to Davina)

Lots of people contributed to this week and I'll try not to forget anyone:

• mum and dad (photo at right) for coming down from Menindee to see me and watch me race
• Tammie Ebert and the NTID program for $ support, chaffeuring and team mum
• The NTID sprint boys- Maddison, Nathan, Boxy and Coops- congrats for your medal haul and thanks for letting me hang out with you
• Hilton and Bob- thanks for your advice and mechanical expertise
• Davina- thanks mate
• Michael Hardy for calling my pursuits and general advice
• Coaches Pothole and Dean- you guys do a great job (one day I'll get it together to make you look good!!)
• Mick and the guys at Onya Belco for everything bike!
• Matt (you know what you do!)
  

Boxy, Madison and Coops lined up for their Keirin final- Maddison (2nd from top) took gold and Coops (bottom of track) got bronze.

Hey, that's me in the paper!

"Barwick's front-running display a winner"

BY CHRIS DUTTON
CYCLING

10/11/2008 1:00:00 AM

While her world-class competitors fell around her, track cyclist Bec Barwick avoided two dangerous crashes to win the 19th Tour de Femme yesterday.

A crucial breakaway 5km into the race proved the difference as Downer resident Barwick beat triathlete Jennifer Dixon in a sprint to the line to claim her first Tour title.

A record 677 competitive and social riders, aged 10-70, jostled for position in the opening stages of the 20km race.

With her more fancied opponents in a group of more than 50 riders, Barwick made a break and challenged her rivals to stay with her.

Dixon was the only one who chased Barwick and managed to stay with the eventual winner until the last 100m.

Barwick finished in 32min 10sec with Dixon two seconds adrift. Just six seconds separated the top eight riders.

''It was an early break and it went and stuck so that was pretty cool,'' Barwick said.

''We had a little... plan... to be aggressive and I went and that's pretty much it.

''The crash was well behind us so we didn't even know it had happened, that's what's nice about being out in front of the field, you stay out of trouble.''

The top four seeded riders became tangled in the chase group minutes away from the finish line at the Canberra Yacht Club.

Two-time winner Chloe Hosking, Australian elite squad member Vicki Whitelaw, third seed Myfanwy Galloway and junior star Rebecca Henderson fell before they could mount a challenge for the lead.

Whitelaw failed to finish while the other three managed to cross the line in the top 20.

''It's unfortunate but there may have been some riders a little inexperienced about riding in packs,'' Hosking said.

''That's cycling, it's the way it goes sometimes.''

It was a change in luck for 28-year-old Barwick who finished 16th in 2006 after being caught in a similar crash.

She normally races on the track in individual pursuit and will compete at the Oceania Track Championships in Adelaide on Wednesday.

Tandem riders Kerry Knowler and Brandie O'Connor were the first to cross the line in 31.53.

They were bewildered when they finished almost two seconds ahead of Paralympian Lindy Hou.

''I don't know what happened,'' Knowler said. ''I think we went so fast because we were scared and didn't want anyone to pass us.''

O'Connor, who is visually impaired, collected her third Tour de Femme but her first with Knowler as the pilot.

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllAT A GLANCE19th Tour de Femme: Tandem: 1 Knowler/O'Connor 31min 53sec, 2 Hodges/Hou 33:47; Individual overall: 1 Bec Barwick 32:10, 2 Jennifer Dixon 32:12, 3 Gracie Elvin 32:16

Suck it up, Princess

Reality Check (RC): Bec, I think we need to have a little chat.
Bec: Oh, yeah, what's up?
RC: I think you are taking this pursuit business a bit too lightly.
Bec: What do you mean, lightly? I have been training pretty hard and doing everything I am meant to be doing. It's all been going pretty well, don't you think?
RC: Yes, but a little too well. I get the feeling that you are forgetting how tough this race is meant to be. You seem to be getting through your training a bit too comfortably for my liking.
Bec: What do you mean? I've been in the box since Wednesday's crit.
RC: Doesn't count. What you do with your pursuit, that is what counts.
Bec: Oh, what are you going to do about it?
RC: Here, catch this?
Bec: What the...? What's this?
RC: That is a shocking time for your trial pursuit.
Bec: That was a bit harsh. Did you have to devo me that much?
RC: You deserved it.
Bec: Oh, are you sure?
RC: Yep.
Bec: Geesh, alright, if you say so.
RC: Actually, it looks like you are getting over that kick in the pants. Take this.
Bec: Man, what'd you knock me off my bike for?
RC: Reinforce my previous message.
Bec: What?!
RC: You can't take this sport for granted.
Bec: Reality, you suck.
RC: I know, aren't I grand?!
Bec: No, I hate you.
RC: You say that now, but you know you need me.
Bec: You know what Reality, I am so going to prove you wrong. I am going to ride the target time whether you like it or not, and I am going to keep loving this pursuit. You can go to hell. I am so much better than you think.
...
...
...
RC: Told you you needed me. ;)

Wagga Wagga Golden Wheel

Saturday & Sunday 1-2 November
Details and results here: Wagga Cycling Club

Track carnivals are loads of fun- generally lots of racing, racing with the boys and some dollars to win as well. It is a pretty laid back atmosphere with everyone out to have a good time and hopefully take home a bit of coin. The 2007 Wagga Wagga Golden Wheel was my first ever track carnival, so it was nice to head back this year, and thankfully the weather was much kinder. Last year Saturday's program had to be cancelled due to wet weather and Sunday's was drastically reduced to fit in some racing for everyone. This year it was all blue skies, despite the BOM forecasting thunderstorms, and then a bit of wind towards the end of Sunday- good times!

My race line up went something like this:
Saturday: 10 lap moto race, 4 lap handicap, 2 lap handicap, 5 lap Golden Wheel heat, 5 lap Golden Wheel final, 15 lap scratch race
Sunday: 8 lap scratch race, 2 lap handicap, 5 lap Rules Club heat, 5 lap Rules Club final, 10 lap scratch race.
NB: a lap around Wagga is ~420m, it is also a flat track.

Results wise- frustratingly I was often 4th or 5th and just out of the dollars for the smaller races, hmm too much pursuit training and not enough sprinting!! Highlights for Saturday: making it into the final of the Golden Wheel for the second year (one of 2 girls in the final, Megan Dunn was the other) and then finishing just behind the boys that won; placing 3rd in the scratch race (I thought I was second but Carly McCoombe was on the bottom of the track and they gave it to her). Highlights for Sunday: making the final of the Rules Club Wheel race and hanging on for 4th place after the train went through! Hence the podium photo! (More photos in the photo album link on the right.)

All up, it was a fun weekend. Made some finals, rode well, won some dollars and had a good time! Looking back at the number of rides I had, no wonder I was a tired bike rider on Sunday night!

Now the focus has shifted somewhat- Oceania Track Championships are next week! And whilst this is not an even that we have targeted specifically for riding target times in the pursuit, it will give me a good opportunity to see where I am at after all this training. Special thanks to Davina for giving me the nudge to go, hope that she is recovering from her broken wrist and is able to ride in Adelaide. I am starting to get a little excited about it!