Lauren Kitchen/Blog

Subject: At the airport. again.
Date: 2010-06-04
Time: 10:20:45

This morning, I’m sitting at Terminal two, Sydney Domestic terminal waiting to board my flight to Port Macquarie. This marks the end of the first half of my 2010 season. What an experience it has been! When I flew out of oz in March this year, I knew it would be different to what I had experience previously and I knew the learning curve would be steep but what I didn’t know was just how much I would enjoy it!

The past two and a half month has been very busy. I have had 17 race days since departing oz. I have experienced the cobbles, mud and rain of the Flanders region in Belgium. I have raced in the Drenthre region of Holland with a max temperature of 7 degrees! I have been on the start line of races in the pouring rain in Luxembourg and I have also experienced racing in over 30 degree temperatures in the hot sun in France.  I have spent over 100hrs in the car travelling between races, motels and our base in Italy.  I experienced the chaos of the unpronounceable Icelandic volcano. I have seen the season change through spring towards summer.  I have enjoyed the cultures and foods from across Western Europe and I have picked up more of the Italian language then I had before.  It has defiantly been an experience and one that I have been so lucky to spend with some of my best mates. 

In saying this, I am about to head home to Port Macquarie, NSW for the next three weeks, to refresh mentally, train hard and most importantly catch up with my family. I am really looking forward to this break at home where I know mum with look after me with her famous lasagne and her awesome Anzac biscuits, great alternative to powerbars on training rides! 

I will head back to Italy a little later this month arriving about a week before the start of the biggest race in the world... well for the women also. While the best male cyclists in the world are racing over the Alps in France we will be racing over the Alps in northern Italy! The biggest women’s race in the world begins at the same time as the Tour de France, The Giro de Italia Feminine, from July 2-11th.
I am very much looking forward to this experience; it will be the first time that I will race at altitude, with the 9th stage going from Livingo to Stelvio (2800m above sea level) including about 35km of climbing in the short, 68km race. After the Giro I will head back to the base in Varese, before racing Cento and the Tour de Limousin in the following two weeks. The end of my season is unknown currently for 2010, I hope to race up until September with the National team in Europe and to be considered for the World Championships later this year in Geelong.  
So hopefully in this three week period while I’m home the weather is kind and I’m sure that I will be boarding the flight on the 24th back to Italy mentally and physically ready to tackle the toughest women’s race in the world!

Lauren

Subject: Easter 2010
Date: 2010-04-14
Time: 03:25:22

My favourite race so far, step into my shoes:

Your bike has been prepared differently to usual... the wheels have been specially built for this block of racing, your bar tape is double thickness foam, your light carbon bidden cages have been replaced with metal ones, your seat is slightly lower and further back and your bike computer has been taped to your handlebars to make sure it stays in place. The breakfast conversation consists of the thoughts and opinions of riding cyclo-cross bikes and if the temperature with max out above 10 degrees. 

This is Ronde van Vlaaderen, or the Tour of Flanders. The Women’s course is the same as the men’s for the last 100kms. 

This is quite possibly the hardest women’s one day race in the world. It is a race like no other. To finish with a good result in Flanders takes more than the usual bike race. It is a race with a great history, it is a race of positioning on the 2 metre wide roads, a race of luck and skill to stay upright and avoid the many crashes, it is a race of bike skills over the muddy, cobbled climbs, a race of strength over the Flemish cobbles and up the steep short climbs and a race of many fans and crowds around the entire course, regardless of the weather.  

I began this race at the front on the startline, basically in full winter kit. The bunch was constantly moving around as we fought for vital positions at the front for the first 25kms approaching the first cobbled section, which we knew would splinter the 150 starters. It did. We then headed into the climbs with about 60 girls in the front group, leaving each obstacle, climb or cobbles, with less due to crashes and the attrition of the race. I made it over half way with the front group before losing them over a muddy cobbled climb and retiring from the race before the finish under coach’s instruction. For me it was a great day in the saddle, a day of many firsts.  A day of great experience for the future.

Subject: 2010
Date: 2010-03-23
Time: 15:24:32

Heya!

2010 has well and truely began! Its now March and Im currently in Varese, Italy at the AIS cycling's european base. 

My year began with what has become the usual first race of the year being the Bay Crits. This fast and furious criterium series is simply that, fast and furious and a great way to begin the season. This year I was racing with my team of the AIS. We had an eventful series with two top five finishers from Kirsty. We then headed straight to Ballarat for the road nationals.

The road race began at 1:30pm with temperatures about 45 degrees up the climb. With a top quality field and some tough conditions the team found it challenging. However Spratty finished 6th, very well done being her first road race back from injury!. 

From Ballarat we headed home for a short period before finding ourselves on the startline for the TDU women's criterium in Adelaide. This race was good fun and great for us. We come away with Spratty 2nd and Kirsty 6th overall! Pretty exciting considering the prize money on offer! We then headed to Canberra for a week long training camp before departing for Qatar. 

The Lady's tour of Qatar is a tour like no other I have ever raced. The hotel is the most upmarket I have ever seen. The wind is the main force to determine how the race pans out and there's not much to see in the stages besides the odd camel, just ask our mechanic Nico about that! Overall Qatar was a great experience and a big confidence booster before heading to Europe. 

It was then off the NZ in late Feburay for the Women's Tour of NZ. There the team rode really well for Tiff and Spratty with them both finishing in the top ten! Staright from NZ to training camp in Canberra for 2 and half weeks, this camp was plauged with sickness with nearly every team member sick for some or all of the camp! It was a great opportunity to catch up on uni work and with my local mates. It was also Rach Neylan's Birthday during the camp which was celebrated with a good old two for one pizza night at Debacle! a blast! 

It was then time to head back to Port Macquarie basically to pack my bags once more to head to Italy! Now in Italia I am adjusting to the time difference and well as the dramatic temperature difference brrrrrr! The first race is on Sunday, being the first world cup of the season! Exciting stuff! stay posted for more adventures to come!

Ciao Loz

Subject: Camps and the Tour of Bright
Date: 2009-12-18
Time: 13:35:37

Sooo.

I have finished uni for 2009, it feels good to have started something in this area and Im keen to keep it going strong.

I have recently been away on a series of camps, firstly being a 3 week altitude camp held in Canberra at the AIS, as a selection for the 2010 AIS womens team. This camp was fantastic, in so many ways.... but mainly some good solid base kms and some good catch up time with the girls. I was lucky enough to have my birthday on camp which I really enjoyed thanks to the girls! The camp ended with the announcement of the squad for 2010, being: Amanda Spratt, a fellow NSWIS member back from injury, Carly Light, a south aussie, Shara Gillow from the Sunny Coast, Kirsty Broun from Brisy, Carlee Taylor from Radelaide and myself. 

We are so excited for next year as we know our team are capable of taking it to the next step on the bike and we will have a great time doing it together!

From Canberra I headed back to Sydney for a overnight stay before travelling back up to Port Macquariefor a couple of days at home before heading to the second training camp of Bright.

We arrived in Bright or Porepunkah, where we were staying, on the 3rd of Decemberwith a day to freshen up before the Tour of Bright began. 

The Saturday began with a tough 80km road race with two major climbs, with the second, Tawonga gap-10km, blowing the field apart. I was feeling really good and found myself 5th over the climb to finish 5th in the first stage, the stage was won by Vicki Whitelaw to Bron Ryan and Lisa Jacabs being 2nd and 3rd. The afternoon offered no time for rest with the 2nd stage of the tour being held. Stage two was an ITT held over 15km on an out and back circuit. I found the course challenging with the wind but fought my way through to finish the stage mid field, the ITT was won by Vicki Whitelaw.

Stage three was the Mt Hotham ascent, only a 55km road race but consisting of a 30km climb from Harrietville to the top of mt Hotham. This was the third and final stage for the tour. This race was challenging both physically and mentally, with the one climb taking close to 1hr 30minutes to climb! I finished the stage 6th to finish the Tour 6th overall, Vicki won the tour from Bron and Lisa again 2nd and 3rd. Fellow AIS member Carlee Taylor, finished 5th overall. 

The following week was one of the toughest this year with 3 major training days with VIS boys on camp in Bright. We went on to climb some of the other mountains of the area during this time. 
Bright was a great camp, being both challenging and enjoyable, Bright will definatly be on my Summer training regime for the next few years!

Subject: Glen Innes to Inverell
Date: 2009-09-14
Time: 15:32:40

Hey!!

I travelled up to Port Mac from Sydney earlier in the week to spend a few days with my mum and brother before heading west to Inverell with other NSW rider Jess Griffith. 

Arriving in Inverell we found our cabin accomadation at the local friendly caravan park only a few kilometres from the finish line of the race. Our bikes had been on the roof for the trip...so after arriving we wiped all the bugs off them and headed out for a ride. We spun our legs over and checked out the finish for the following mornings race. During the ride we collected our race registration packs thanks to the great assistance of Julianne and Kylie for organising this. 

The following morning we were woken to the alarm and the extremely cold Inverell morning. Leaving early we triple-checked the important parts of the course on our drive to Glen Innes across the North west plains of NSW. Jess and I joined the peleton at 9:00 to ride around the streets of Glen Innes before lining up on the startline behind Port Macquarie's own  Commasaire: Joe Jones. 

The race began at 9:30 with the Mayor of the area firing the start gun. The peleton rode laziliy to the first KOM where the race really began. With a tough climb allowing myself and two other girls to escape the bunch over the top. This break lasted for approximatly 5km before being pulled back to the bunch.  The group then worked well with most girls rolling strong turns until the next KOM up Wire Gully. 

This is where the bike race went. Six of us escaped up the road and we continued to work well together for the following 45km to the finish. 

Coming into the finish, I was positioned second wheel and kicked first toward the Maccas banner. I held the girls off for the win, with a very tight battle just behind for second, a dead heat was awarded for second!. 

Jess was unlucky to puncture early in the race while the spares car was following the first breckaway. This left her with no spare wheel and out of the race. Unlucky, but thats bike racing.

I really enjoyed this race, held over a great course and really look forward to racing it again in the future.

Until next time
Lauren

Subject: More recently
Date: 2009-08-20
Time: 06:26:54

Hi Guys! 
I hope you liking my new website, much thanks goes to my brother for designing it and getting it all up and going! Thanks Nick!!! 

Since I have returned to Aus last month I have returned to Sydney to complete semester two university full time. I had a couple of weeks off just coming down from the european racing in order to freshen up to prepare for the 2010 season! I am now racing weekly at Oatley park with the St George Cycle club and training with the Sydney bunches which is great fun!

I am racing in the Ride for Life this weekend, which should be a great event put together to raise money. I will keep you posted on how it all goes!

Until next time,
Lauren

Subject: Giro
Date: 2009-08-20
Time: 06:20:58

Giro 2009
We left the AIS base at Varese Italy on the morning of the prologue. We arrived at the hotel of the next three nights around lunch time where we got organised and fired up for the beginning of the 2009 Giro Donne (the female version of the Giro de Italia). We left in convey for the prologue excited to see and experience what would be, for most, our first European grand tour. The team for the Giro this year was; Tiffany Cromwell, Carlee Taylor, Belinda Goss, Shara Gillow, Myfanwy Galloway, Chloe Hosking, Amber Halliday and myself.  Arriving at the start we found that the startlist had the team spread from the beginning to the end with myself the last Aussie, sure to be riding in the dark. It was great to experience our first team presentation together in Europe and inspiring to see the top riders in the world here for the event including Amber Neben, current world time trial champion and Kristen Armstrong, Olympic time trial champion. After the event we travelled back to the hotel to prepare for our first road stage the following day. 
The first stage of the Giro included a tough 6km climb midway through the stage as well as a steep 3km climb to the finish. The team worked well together for our first race, for some learning the basics of the European peloton. Stage two followed the next day with a 15km ITT; this was an important day for the girls going for G.C and an important day of recovery for the rest of the team. 
Stage three, a stage I will remember. This was the toughest stage of the tour in terms of terrain with a category one climb of 10km and a mountain top finish up another categorized climb of 10km. Within the first 15km I was unlucky to experience a crash and thanks to the support of the team I was back in the peloton on a new bike with enough time to position myself for the climbs in order to assist our climbers. Unfortunately Miff also became a bit unlucky on the decent and came down, but its all part of bike racing.  This was a tough day at the office but a good experience to have had as I move into more elite racing. 
Stage four was held around a circuit with a climb but not quite to the extent we have experienced already. Today was to be the day for Belinda and Chloe as it was expected to finish in bunch sprint but it wasn’t to be when Chloe crashed on the decent with 10km remaining.  Stage five was a tough stage. It basically climbed from sea level to 1200m in one drag that lasted 95km before a decent then a 16% climb up cobbled roads to finish. After feeling a bit sad and sorry after the past few days with crashes, Marv fired us up to get involved in the race and give it our best shot in the last half of the race. Stage six proved to be defining stage of the tour; we tried to place Tiff as fresh as we could into a front group as she was chasing the G.C for the white jersey. This was a tough day also but now with only three stages remaining we were keen to make a mark on the race. 
Stage seven we were all about attacking as we tried to get involved in the race with the top girls in the world, unfortunately we missed the key break away today but knew what exactly what to do for tomorrow. The eighth stage was to be the last defining stage for the overall race honours as stage nine was deemed to be a sprinters race. We managed to place Amber into the break which went very early in the hilly race. We finished this stage fired up that we had in fact been involved with the top teams with the breakaway. 
The final stage was around a 13km circuit in Naples. This course was deemed too dangerous by some teams and after a bad crash on the second lap the race was neutralised by the riders for the following 3-4laps before getting organised for a sprint in the final 2 laps.
Overall the Giro has been a fantastic experience and opportunity that I am very grateful to have had. I learnt so much about the dynamics of a European peloton and very much look forward to more racing in Europe in the future. I have now travelled back to the cold of Aus where I will begin semester two at Uni in the coming weeks. I’d really like to thank Martin Barras and the AIS for giving me this experience, I have gained so much from it and I am now very much looking forward to the future.

Subject: USA 2009
Date: 2009-07-27
Time: 10:35:13

USA, Canada and a bit of Europe
I flew to the USA on the 13th of May with the Australian Women’s Cycling team.  This year’s team consists of Bridie O’Donnell(VIC) , Carlee Taylor(SA), Belinda Goss(TAS), Davina Summers(WA), Amber Halliday(SA) and myself.  After a few too many airports, a couple of days, a lot of excess baggage charges and a major time difference we arrived along with all the bikes at our home to be for the next 10 days, located at Ephrata in Pensylvania, USA. With a couple of days to freshen up and get organised we prepared for our first race of the tour; The Bank of America Grand Prix at Wilmington. 
This first race at Wilmington turned into a fast race with many major teams atempting to control the race and play their tactics. Coming into the final laps there were only 13 girls in the front group that were left in contention. Team mate, Belinda Goss, who had crashed earlier in the race managed to sprint home for 2nd place and I followed her in in 6th, great results in our first race together on tour. The next day we again packed the van up and headed to Baltimore for the famous; Kelly cup/Bike Jam race. With a different circuit and different conditions our tactics changed, so just after beginning the race Bridie attacked and rode solo until the end of the race, showing her great time trial ability, with the rest of us neutralizing any chases that threatened to form in the bunch. I finished 4th in the overall in this race. It was great for the team to get a win also building on yesterday’s results.
We then had a week of training in the local area of Ephrata, home to my Armish people, a very different way of life and very interesting to see. After a few tough days in the saddle training we again prepared for a weekend of racing with the first race being in Washington D.C with $12000 US on offer for prize money. We headed to this race without our sprinter, Belinda as it was confirmed that in the crash that she was involved in at Wilmington she broke her wrist and is returing to Australia for further treatment.  This race, ‘The City Bikes RFK criterium’ was again a tough fast race but with no tight corners or hills the bunch stayed together until the finish where i managed to finish 3rd. This was a good result for the team without our spinter, Belinda. The following day we headed to our last race in the US, being the Tour of Somerville criterium located in New Jersey. This was a fast race with the biggest field yet, with over 100 starters. Coming into the final bends in the race I was located in a great position for the finish sprint but it wasn’t to be as I was knocked of my bike as girls fought for positions. Although I came down at 50km/h I luckily only lost skin. Carlee, my team mate ran into me and luckily only lost skin also. So unfortunatly we didnt finish on the podium but had a good race up until this point. 
We then packed the bikes and traveled to the airport once more, this time Newark international airport bound for Montreal, Canada. Once arriving in Montreal we found our way to the accomadation, being university colleges. We had a few days  once more to freshen the legs prior to our biggest race yet; the Montreal World cup. This race was held on the Saturday after our arrival. On a typical Montreal morning we headed out from our hotel to start the World cup. This race held over a very tough circuit turned the hardest race the team had faced. Being 11laps over a 10km circuit with a tough 2km climb each lap. The race started with 140 starters dwindling only to 33 finishers with our team leader, Ruth Corset (guest rider in the Aussie team for this world cup) finishing 4th!!! Great result for Ruth and the team in such a world class field. 
We then had one day of recovery before jumping back into racing, this time the Grand Tour of Montreal, a four day tour consisting of three relativly flat road race stages, a short time trial and a criterium. The tour turned into a series of fast races mainly finishing as bunch sprints with the World’s number one ranked team, Cervelo, controling the bunch in every stage.  Our team had a great tour with a few top ten finihers but most importantly gained a huge amount of experience mixing it with the top riders of the women’s road cycling world.
We then embarked on a 15hr road transfer across Canada to an Island of the east coast known as Prince Edward Island (PEI) famous for its Lobsters and seafood. This would be the spot for the Tour de PEI. This was a five day, five stage tour traveling around the island. Our team for this tour was again a little different to before being; Bridie O’Donnell, Amber Halliday, Carlee Taylor, Jessie Mclean, Davina Summers and myself. 
We began the tour confinent for a strong final general classification result with the strength of our time trialist, Bridie. The first stage was fast and furious with many attacks and breaks forming throughout the stage only to come back together in the final part of the race. In the finish the Italian sprinter Bronzini won the stage with Australian, Rochelle Gilmore, riding for her professional team finished third. The next stage was teh Individual time trial, the race we were to play our card. This time trial was held over the confederation bridge, running from the mainland of Canada, at New Brunswick, to the Island. The bridge is 12.9km in length with the total time trial being 14km. This windy course proved challenging but Bridie managed to finish 2nd overall by 1 second, moving to 2nd overall in the G.C for the tour. Jessie finished 4th and Amber 7th, great results form the whole team. 
The next stage was a 120km road race over rolling terrain. We went out there to finish the stage in yellow and we did. We managed to place Bridie in a decisive move that went up the road just prior to a ‘sprint for points’. With sprint points also comes time bonuses towards overall G.C, so Bridie picking up 2nd in a ‘Sprint’ moved her into 1st overall, one second ahead of Canadian Tara Whitten. The break did get pulled back to the peleton, then we controlled the race until the finish, I finished 7th in the stage. We were very happy to be starting in Yellow for the 4th stage.
The last road stage was very similar terrain to yesterday. Unfortunatly we lost the Yellow jersy to Tara Whitten as she took decisive points and time in the sprint classification. So starting the last stage, three seconds down on Whitten the team had decided that we had nothing to loose, only to gain and we started attacking to put pressure on Whitten. She is a very strong rider and raced really well to hold onto the jersey. I managed to get into a break away in the final stages of the race and finished 2nd in the sprint, earning my first UCI points for 2009! It was great to finish on the podium and it was a great for the team to have a strong result overall for the tour with Bridie finishing 2nd in the G.C. We also finished first in the teams classification. A great tour and a great experience.
We then road triped it back to Montreal before flying out to Italia! We have been in Italy for about 2 weeks now, just focusing on recovering from the races, training hard for the Giro de Italia (our next and my last race), a bit of study and a couple of uni exams and basically living the life of a cyclist! The Giro starts on the 3rd of July and goes until the 12th of July. I then fly back to Australia on the 13th. The team is a bit different for the Giro being, Belinda Goss(fully recovered from her injury), Amber Halliday, Carlee Taylor, Chloe Hosking, Myfanwy Galloway, Tiffany Cromwell, Shara Gillow and myself. We are very excited to get into the european racing.
Ciao Lauren