MOUNT BULLER - AMC RND 1

It's been official for a few weeks, but after our team launch on the weekend I can finally announce that for the 2013 season I will be riding for the newly named Target TREK MTB Team; an expansion and development on the 2011/12 Anytime Fitness MTB Team. With 21 riders on board it will be an amazing year of making new friends, bonding and hopefully some great results! The team is still headed by Rich Peil, managed by Peter Dowse, and with partner sponsors such as Shimano, Bontrager, Adidas, 2XU, FOX and Torq on board, it promises to be the biggest thing EVER in Australian MTB history! You can follow us on twitter and facebook...cheeky plug there!

So...over to racing. Rich is really big on the 'no pressure' stance when it comes to racing. He always says 'go out there, have a great time and just enjoy it! That's all I want from you.' But as athletes, we will always want the best from ourselves, and sometimes when we don't get that, we get emotional. It was a roller-coaster ride for me over the weekend and as much as I wanted to pretend that I didn't care, I did. On paper my XC history is poor, never a podium in-fact, so I vowed that I wouldn't quit trying until I had stood on the podium at least once in my XC career!

I did very little to make that happen during Friday's eliminator. We started with a hot-lap for seeding purposes, and despite what felt like a shocking run, I finished second behind Jaclyn Schapel. My confidence then soared sky-high, so when I missed the final completely I went and had a sook and tried to re-group before the small 5th-8th final. An early crash took out my back wheel and three spokes! I was so angry and worked up that I unprofessionally went home, cried in the shower and just let my emotions rip. It took me a good few hours to come down and realise that the pressure was starting to get to me.

I stayed up late, until 11pm in-fact, as conversation with the boys was the only thing keeping my mind off racing. When I did sleep, it was interrupted and I woke up still nervous as hell. I did a somewhat short warm-up; a few sprints into the first bit of single track and talked out my race tactics with boyfriend/coach/psychiatrist/mechanic etc in Jarrod. He had drilled me over the last 24hrs that I HAD to be first into that single-track. So the gun went, I just eased into the first 300m, then as the hill got steeper I kicked off the front and put a surprisingly big gap into the girls before we hit the dirt. 

I cruised down the descent; I had nothing to gain and I needed this time to calm my nerves and pick my line. I then led the climb back to the fire-road to find just three of us remained. Swiss rider Nathalie Schneitter and fellow Target TREK team-mate Jenni King came through and did their part as we rode through transition. Once again, my race plan was the same; first into the single track. I attacked up the hill again, led the first half of the descent before Nathalie took over and moments later Jenni punctured. She, like most of us, had opted not to carry a tube which meant her day and subsequent series was sadly over.

I followed Nathalie up the climb this lap and she was labouring, so for the third time up the climb I hit out early and didn't see a sole for the last three laps. I knew I had good form, but I'd never actually imagined what winning would be like. On lap four and five I kept losing focus, but the adrenaline would bring me back to this exhilarating and intense race where I felt absolutely amazing! The boys were on the balcony banging the pots and pans for the final time as I came in to take a 4minute victory over Nathalie, and a further 30seconds back to Tory Thomas. I was so excited to win that I was very nearly gloating! 

It was tough to re-focus after that. As elated as I was about my XC victory, the race favourite had punctured and I would have to prove myself all over again. I knew Jenni would be fresh after just two laps yesterday, so I would have to dig deep to beat her. Same race tactic; first into the single track, then a little spurt up the back climb before the fast descent down to feed. I then let Jenni past to take the reigns for a while, before we swapped roles again on the climb. We were well out of sight by this point so I resumed my cautious ways again down Stonefly before riding through transition together.

I knew the closing stages of the course would suit Jenni's style of riding so I decided I had to make a race of it on the uphill switchbacks to try and break her. I got my gap and consolidated from then on to take a 1minute victory over Jenni and a further 3minutes back to Tory Thomas. So I head into Rnd 2 at Thredbo in three weeks as a very proud series leader. I can't possibly defend the lead for the entire series as I miss Rnd 3 in Bright, but I'll try my hardest up to that point. Fellow TargetTREK riders Ben Bradley (U19 Men) and Holly Harris (U19 Womens) also claimed the series leaders jerseys. 

Thanks go to my coach Mark Fenner for what has been an amazing start to the year, and to Rich Peil, who is giving me many reasons to get excited about coming announcements in the next few weeks. So stay tuned!

Media: Watch the XC highlights here at Cycling Central TV 

Enduro: Team Launch article

SBS: Team Launch article

Flow MTB: Team Launch article

Results: All Mountain Cup Rnd 1, Mount Buller 

Suunto: Peta Mullens XC, Peta Mullens XCP (ignore incorrect dates)

Photos: Courtesy of Rod Lindblade and Russell Baker XCO/XCP

TOUR DE TIMOR

East Timor is among the poorest countries in East Asia, with poverty to its literal meaning affecting two in five people. Half of the population is under the age of 14, and their life expectancy is just 57years. In 1975 this struggling country went their own way and claimed independence, a proud time that lasted mere months before being invaded by the Indonesians. They attacked roads and infrastructure, knocking down 99% of schools and poisoning water supplies. This invasion eventually claimed the lives of over 180,000, but the precise number may never be known as dismembered bodies were washed out to sea and many left to die of starvation. For 25 years they succumbed to murder, assault and rape, before fighting back to claim their independence once again in 2002.

Ten years on and I see an amazing country. I see children in schools with uniforms and books, 700 of them on bikes for the ‘Ride for Peace’, cheering everyday as they lined the roads with cow-bells, laughing at the sight of a female with her jersey unzipped. The people are inspiring and humbling and in every way beautiful, and they had invited us to share this momentous occasion with them, 10 years of independence.

It was my second time at the Tour De Timor, my biggest race for the year as it boasts not only an International field but a massive prize pool of over $100,000US. The tour stretches over 6 days, 600kms, with varying terrain that can only be completed on a MTB and is always done so in over 40deg temperatures, with chill time in a tent. If you think you like camping, Timor may change your mind!

Imagine camping on rocks, with a jumper as your pillow, next to an animal farm, kept awake from groaning generators and blinding campsite lights, oh and the stench from the nearby overflowing long drops and ‘shower with a bucket’ amenities. When you awake, you cue in line for an hour to eat recycled cold noodles from last nights dinner, and then wash it down with instant coffee if you’re in to that sort of thing. You do all of this, throw in a few hours of bike riding and then imagine…this is luxury living compared to the local Timorese peering over the fence at you.

In terms of the race, there is some massive media hype surrounding it. My jaw went sore on the start line from posing for photos before kicking off Stage 1 with my last minute assembled team. Partner Jarrod Moroni, Phil ‘the further I ride the quicker I get’ Orr and Ash ‘possibly the unluckiest man in the world’ Hyatt made up the mixed team as J&P in Orr (clearly Ash joined after we had named the team). We had no real race plan, which was a good thing as our team curse would mould the happenings of the tour for us. Last year I had three crashes, a skin reaction to one of the bush's I crashed into, two punctures, many a chain problem, and visited the medical tent EVERY day, so fingers crossed that this year would be different!

Day 1: Dili to Mota'ain: I had a slow leak pre-race, but shot a canister into it on the start line and it held up well. Ash lost his crank and as a result 29minutes, then Phil punctured with 5kms to go. Jarrod finished fourth and I was first female home, donning the pink jersey which fit a little too perfect to want to take it off!

Off the bike: Our bags nearly missed the morning truck which would have meant no luggage for the tour! I hand-washed for two as Jarrod isn't fond of the task, and then made him set the tent up in sweltering heat while I waited in the 35degree shaded...so cool hmm

Day 2: Mota'ain to Makassar: Jarrod punctured early so we had Ash wait with him. When he punctured a second time he let Ash go, and the third time Jarrod nearly gave up on life! In the meantime Phil babysat me to the finish to take my second stage win, while ‘sprinter’ Phil came out to play and run second.

Off the bike: Before crossing the border into Indonesia, we waited on the start line for one hour in 40 degree heat so as the required 'suits' could make their speeches. But the Timorese were happy to wait (in track-suit pants!), some of them tortured and assaulted by the Indonesians years ago were patient in their roll off on the front line, proud to be on their way to make peace with their neighbours.

Day 3: Oecusse Loop: Dry, dusty, steep and HOT! The first hill climb day saw me in a bit of trouble from the pace with the boys the two days prior. I had a puncture that sealed early on, lost my only drink bottle, and also ended up losing the stage in a tough sprint to Lisa Jacobs. Meanwhile ahead of me, Ash was in a leading two-man break and looking to win the stage before having a local walk onto the road infront of him resulting in a nasty head-on crash! Phil and Jarrod were lucky enough to be untouched by our team curse for a day.

Off the bike: Despite being on the coast for most of the tour, there was only one location crocodile free that we could swim, and today was it! The water was apparently cold to the local children who had gathered to watch us swim, as they would all run from the water to roll in the hot sand and warm their bodies back up. I would have taken a photo to post but most of them were naked...and jail isn't nice in any country. We heard on the grapevine about some local accommodation and quickly jumped on a room. The toilet didn't flush, we didn't have power until 6pm, and we had no air-con at all, but we had beds..well Ash only had a mattress on the floor to soothe his wounds, but this was still better than a tent!

Day 4: Pante Makassar to Mota'ain: A flat ride back across the border but an eventuful day on the mens GC. Jarrod went up the road to finish fifth, and I took my third stage win. Fellow Australian Peter Ketschera took over the yellow jersey from the leading Malaysian Shahrin Amir with a ballsy break-away into the penultimate stage. Our flat days were done and it was time to bring on the climbing legs.

Off the bike: We had crossed the border for the third and final time, returning to our camp in Mota'ain. The long drops weren't so long anymore and two day old faeces still remained on the seats. It's about this time that 1 in 5 people have had or get some type of food poisoning and I could feel my own stomach reacting. I kept to my staple dry rice and one piece of chicken in the hope it would re-fuel me enough to suffer through the toughest day on tour.

Stage 5: Mota'ain to Gleno: The penultimate stage was here and after a hard four days I held a 40minute lead over Apollo rider Lisa Jacobs. I could have had an easier day, but after losing out on stage three I was out to prove that I could win this tour on a climb! An early 8km hill split the field for what I thought would be a very long day, but an in-humane descent and then chase from Jarrod saw me re-join the lead bunch of guys not long after.

I used ever bit of my worth to survive the rough terrain and intense dry heat as the Apollo Team drove to catch the break-away that was threatening Pete's yellow jersey. I became delirious to the point where I couldn't even force down gels or water. When I hit the final climb it was a relief! Jarrod and I sat up and tackled the steep first 4kms in 40minutes! Jarrod zig-zagged from one patch of shade to the next while we talked about the cannibal land we were riding through and complained about the 30km climb ahead of us.. I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else or with anyone else :)

Day 6: Gleno to Dili: I rode the entire final stage on my own once leaving the boys just 4kms in. It was my favourite stage as we climbed through the local villages; I was stealing beverages from the feed stations to give to the children as I passed. And then on my decent my jaw once again became sore from smiling. As I turned back along the coast for the final stretch on my own I could hear the grinding of dirt and oil on my chain (not washed for a week), combined with the sound of the waves crashing on the beach and it was so serene. I felt strong, resilient and fearless. Maybe the traits of the Timorese rub off on you during the tour, or maybe such a journey simply changes you. You'll have to experience it to find out..

In the end I finished 10th overall and won the female category by 1hr30min over Masziyaton Mohd Radzi from Malaysia. Lisa Jacobs was sitting in second after four stages, but was forced to withdraw from the tour after a tough Day 5 saw her suffer severe heat exhaustion.

Thanks go firstly to my sponsors Anytime Fitness, TREK, Adidas Eyewear, 4Shaw and Moronis Bikes. Thank you to the Timorese people for their hospitality, Mark Barends as race organiser, and of course the unwavering dedication of the many volunteers. I need to make it clear that these experiences are only as good as the people you share them with, and often they are people you meet along the way so thanks to my 'sugar daddy' Craig and his best mate Rich! And of course my team-mates Phil and Ash, and most importantly my partner Jarrod, without whom I would never have discovered the magical sport of MTB'ing.

Results: Tour De Timor
Garmin: Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6
Photos: Courtesy of Zoe Morley Photography, Urban Safari and Russ Baker

SAM MIRANDA HANDICAP

I thought that I would struggle to back up following Saturdays Road Race. A three-up 100km breakaway followed by an 85km handicap was surely not the return to racing my body had asked for. But being slightly off the pace meant there was no pressure to perform, and so I went into the race just wanting to get a good session out of the day, and head home to start the final block for Timor. 

As per usual, I really struggled through the first few kilometres, but before too long I was rolling through with our 17-strong bunch. We had 5 minutes to the chase, and a total of 9 minutes back to ‘block’ that consisted of my pre-race favourite, partner Jarrod Moroni, who was really enjoying himself pictured below...waving (shakes head). However when both bunches caught us just 40kms into the race, I conceded immediately that scratch wouldn’t be too far behind.

As the day was in aid of training, I continued to swap turns with the swelling bunch of nearly 50 riders in the crosswinds, and although as the day progressed so did the pain, it was made bearable knowing that Timor was looming in the near future. I fell back through the field over the climb and took my time getting to the roll-over. By now all four girls, Miranda, Flick, Kristy Glover and I were now helping with the pace-making and thoughts of todays victory became a little more realistic. Eventually the time gaps back to scratch plateaued and the wind began to gust. Within the final 10kms, when I thought my next turn would be my last, I eased to the back of the bunch for a rest only to find the bunch had dwindled to 18 and I was the sole female remaining! Flick would finish second and Miranda in third.

My excitement turned to Jarrod when I realised that this would most certainly end in a sprint, and I was confident that he would smash it, not-biased at all! We hit the final straight and I sat up to watch the finish unfold. When Jarrod kicked, he gapped the field with ease, and a quick look over his shoulder told him that he had 20metres on the bunch. Unfortunately there is such a thing as a blind spot, and a rookie mistake of ‘freewheel to the finish’ saw him pipped on the line to finish second. I was devastated for him, even hollow in the stomach, but words needn’t be said as he was hard enough on himself about losing out in that way.

But looking ahead to bigger things, and I can now say that in two weeks time I will be standing on the start line at the Tour De Timor. It has been an up and down five weeks since returning from America, but it’s obvious to me that the form is still there, all-be-it hidden behind the residue of sickness. I hope the next two weeks fly by because the preparation is starting to consume me!

Results: San Miranda Hanicap

Garmin: Peta Mullens Handicap

Photos: Courtesy of Jo Upton Photography

SAM MIRANDA ROAD RACE

The day after the Rob Vernon I thought to myself... 'Maybe my form isn't that bad after all'
The second day... 'Scrap that, the form is GOOD and I am M.O.T.I.V.A.T.E.D'
The third day god wiped that cocky smile off my face and gave me a bad bout of food poisoning that saw me drop 5kgs over a long nine days without meals. I won't describe the intricate details, but bread and icy-poles became my staple diet, and showering my daily exercise. When I got back on the bike for a 1-hour cruise with best friend Ev, I wanted to cry for my 26km/hr average on a HR of 153, but I didn't have the energy for it. I suffered through two more 1-hour rides and wondered if my life will ever be without drama...probably not...who's life is?

I had seen the start list and to be honest, I had no idea who anybody was! No disrespect intended, it's just that I haven't raced on the road scene for three years and am not one to look up results that I don't spot on Twitter or Facebook. Luckily women's racing is very to the book. E.g Bicycle Superstore and Holden Racing Team send a girl each up the road. I bridge across because I know their girls comprise the majority of the bunch and won't chase. The bunch chase me because they deem me a threat, and the same two teams then counter-attack. Pre-empting the move, I jump on for the ride. So I found myself in a 3-up break-away with the only two girls in the race I actually knew...initiator Felicity 'Flick' Wardlaw and the in-form Miranda Griffiths. Really Peta? You don't eat for nine days and then you want to do a 90km time trial?

I knew Flick would pull strong turns all day because she is a hard b***h. Miranda on the other hand was content to sit on for the first 15 minutes before contributing to the breakaway. There was hesitance in her decision even after the time gap neared the minute mark, which said maybe the teams plan had been spoilt thank's to Flick's crazy break-away scheme, or that she was holding out and not fully committing to the break. We held steady at 1 minute to the intermediate sprint at the 37k mark where I put in an effort and took the sprint jersey ahead of Flick and Miranda. I felt amazing at this point but was suspect that it wouldn't last.

The chase bunch of Stephanie Ives, Lucy Coldwell and Lisa Barry had by no means given up and I feared for their pursuit of us up the climb. As I had predicted, the first KOM is where it all un-ravelled for me. Not surprisingly, Miranda rode to line honours and I really had to max out to get over Flick for second. In quick succession I suffered over the final KOM; a 6k dirt road section that doesn't even remotely resemble MTB'ing, finishing third this time behind Miranda and Flick. After freezing to death following Flick down the final descent, I went from bad to worse. I have no doubt the girls thought I was foxing. My turns went from 50seconds to 20 and I'm not sure if I was actually pedalling for 10 of those! I missed a few turns, and as the Bicycle Superstore guys in the follow car would know, I certainly wasn't playing coy...I was spent.

With 20k to go I wasn't sure if I would finish. I turned myself inside out to stay in contact as Flick continued to attack on the run into town. Despite the gap now a substantial 5 minutes, she was pulling massive turns into the headwind, while Miranda still seemed to be holding reserves. Eventually the race became negative so I led the final 2kms at a leisurely pace, conceding to third. The girls had no problems coming around me, with Miranda taking a somewhat easy victory over Flick. After being away from the road racing scene I must say that I was somewhat impressed with the girls racing, a comment you won't often hear from me! I was exhausted, satisfied and hungry...finally!

Results: Sam Miranda Road Race
Garmin: Peta Mullens Road Race
Photos: Courtesy of Jo Upton Photogrpahy and Darren Francis Casey