Lauren Kitchen's blog

The past few weeks have been a busy few weeks for me with the first european stage race of the season as well as the final weekend of the classics. Energiewacht tour was exactly what I had expected but just even more intense. If you imagine 200 girls, winds over 40km/h, pancake flat roads no wider then 4-5 riders wide at best and five days of temperatures not above 8 or 9 degrees and you have Energiewacht tour!

I have just returned from our first team training camp with Wiggle Honda in Italy. During the 10 day camp we also competed in G.P Padova and Alfredo Binda World Cup. It was a really beautiful area where we were based for the camp, just outside of Treviso in the north east corner of Italy. The team arrived throughout the evening of March 14th to a cute Bed and Breakfast on top of a hill, over looking the Italian Alps.

I have now began the season in Europe with last week's Het Nieuwsblad marking the beginning of the Spring Classics. It was a very cold start to the European season with a maximum of 1 degree for the whole race, with some girls even suffering from 'frozen eyes' that had to be treated! For me, I was very much looking forward to the race and with the support of Wiggle Honda I wanted to start the season with a bang, but it wasnt to be and in hindsight racing with a cold isnt the best but its difficult to stay away from the Belgium classics!

The Ladies Tour of Qatar was held from the 29th of January to the 1st of Feburay and was the first official race for the Wiggle Honda cycling team. Our team consisted of Giorgia, Beatrice, Emily, Anna and Rochelle plus myself. We went in with the aim to target the sprints with Giorgia and Rochelle and to start the season on the right foot by creating a professional and fun team environment with riders and staff.

The launch of the Wiggle Honda pro cycling team took place last Friday in London! It was an exciting day, with lots of media attention, lots of photos and interviews and great company hanging out with my new team mates. It was a great opportunity to meet all the sponsors that are backing our exciting new team!

Now 2013 has definatly began, I have just arrived back to my European home of Breda, in the Netherlands to settle in before a big season really begins in Qatar on the 29th of January!

 So 2013 has now began and for me it was with my new team Wiggle Honda at the Bay Cycling Classic series in Geelong from the 1st to the 3rd of January. I was really looking forward to the event and to meet my new team mates for the 2013 season. Racing for Wiggle Honda was Rochelle Gilmore (NSW), Anna-Bianca Schnitzmeier (Germany), Emily Collins (NZ) and guess rider Jess Mundy (S.A) along with myself. The series was a great opportunity to get to know each other for the first time, get a feel for our beautiful new equiptment and Colnago bikes as well as some good hard aussie racing!

Training for 2013 has well and truely began for me now and as a bit of an insight into my build up for next season I thought I'd cover what it consists of for me being back home in Port Macquarie.

I have just come back from my off season and began training again when I travelled up to Noosa for the Women's Grand Prix, part of USM events Noosa Triathlon festival. In the race I was supported and was supporting my team mates for the day; Rochelle Gilmore, Carlee Taylor and Miffy Galloway. We raced well together and just after the sprint at the halfway point I managed to get away with the very strong Ruth Corset. Knowing I had Rochelle behind I tried to assess the situation and recover for the finish.