A Zwift Victory
The countdown timer for the race to start ticked over on the screen. I sat mounted on my bike, warmed up and ready to go, completely focused. I was genuinely in race mode and, after almost a month in lockdown, that was a welcome feeling. But the unfamiliarity of e-racing was making my heart beat a little faster.
I had been invited to race the Zwift Classic Trofeo Bologna but initially I was hesitant. I’ve made a big effort to embrace Zwift since lockdown but I had been watching some of the other pro races and the power stats were intimidating. I had never done an e-race before so I also wasn’t sure how to strategize or use the power-ups. Even though I had actually raced the course in real life, this really was racing in a different world, but the newly addicted Zwift athlete in me couldn’t say no.
In the comfort of my own home, I waited for the start absolutely tingling with nerves. I hadn’t been this nervous for a race in years! When the race officially began, I over-powered the start and shot right out in front. In the peloton I was like a yo-yo. As a first-time e-racer, I didn’t have a sense of the delay between pedal power and on-screen position. I would be leading the race and then almost out the back, off the front and then instantly back to 30th. Eventually, I got the balance right and as we approached the first ascent up the Madonna di San Luca, I moved to the front and set the pace. I crested with only one other rider but we were caught at the bottom of the descent by a chase group of eight riders. By then, however, I had the hang of things.
I sat in the wheels, taking my turn on the front but also saving my legs as much as I could. In the one-day Giro dell'Emilia, we race up the Madonna di San Luca so, even though I was an avatar in a computer-generated representation, I knew exactly what to do. When the gradient screamed up on a sharp hairpin around 1 kilometer to go, I attacked. In the 2016 Giro dell'Emilia, I had come up short and finished second to Elisa Longo Borghini but that wasn’t happening today. As my family stood right next to me in the grips of excitement, cheering me on, I put down the watts and claimed the victory.
My family swarmed around to congratulate me, as did the virtual community. I knew the London Dynamo Club I often rode with on Zwift were watching from England and their messages began to pour in. I had tons of messages from riders I knew in real life and riders I had only ever “met" in Watopia. A lot of people were reaching out and, maybe it’s because of lockdown and the current situation, but the response seemed bigger than some of my real-life race wins.
The race was only 41 minutes so, even though it was around 21:00, I rode on for a long time after. The house settled back to quiet but I could feel there was lift in the atmosphere, a buzz from the race. I never imagined that Zwift would be such a big part of my life and I definitely never imagined I would be the winner of an e-race! I also never imagined that physical distancing would bring the cycling community so close together or that our sport would continue on in such a new way. Change brings uncertainty, as my racing nerves reminded me, but it also brings the hope and excitement of new opportunities and that makes my heart beat a little faster too.
First Look At Our All New Bike Area
Just over 12 months ago we took the high-pressure hose to the floor in the downstairs vaults. As the concrete started to emerge so did our ideas for what those rooms could become. We wanted a visually stunning but also practical bike area where we could store and work on bikes but which also doubled as a comfortable place for guests to shower, change, and sit on the sofa with a coffee after a ride.
The end result is better than we could have imagined.
Lucky Turn
So far this season, I can’t say things have gone well. I haven’t had the race results I expected and it wasn’t for lack of form. I’ve put the work in, seen great improvements in training, and shown up to races with the legs to win; but, I’ve had bad luck race after race. Just recently, I crashed in Plouay, at the Boels Tour, and again during the African Continental Championship road race. Knowing I’ve improved, it’s been frustrating so it’s been about believing my luck will turn at exactly the right time—and I’m hoping that’s at World Champs.
Image: Anton Vos
I’m targeting the individual time trial. Coming from a smaller cycling nation where we are a few riders up against the big cycling nations of Holland, the Germany, and Italy who all have full teams of 8 riders, you need to have a lot of luck to get a result in the road race. For the individual time trial, the team aspect is taken away so I’ve put my ambitions where I think I have the best possibility for a result.
The individual time trial is 30km. It’s not often we have the opportunity to race ITTs that are so long and the course itself makes it even more unique. I’ve recently had the chance to ride the course in real life and it’s going to be really tough. The first 13km is undulating on a big, winding road and then, much to my delight, we will turn to face three climbs, each around 1 kilometre long. You will need to push hard during the first part to have a good time but no doubt the title will be decided on the climbs. While I’m still going to need luck, I’m hoping those 30km will be the moment this season where I don’t have any bad luck.
Image: Roger Van Den Bosch
Four days later, I will participate in the 149.4km road race along with my South African teammates Tiffany Keep, Maroesika Matthee, and Joanna van de Winkel. The road race is going to be very open and interesting thanks to the course. The big climb on the course comes really early, around the half way point. Whether those 7km will have a big impact or not will be the interesting part. It’s early enough that it might not drop a lot of riders and, depending on the strategy of the big teams, we will have to see who will use the climb and who will put more emphasis on the 3 laps of the rolling and technical finishing circuit. I haven’t put any pressure on myself for the road race but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try and cash in all my bad luck the season for a chance.
I’m prepared for World Champs, I’m excited to represent South Africa, and—I’m just going to say it—I’m feeling lucky.
Guest Perspective: Ashleigh Girona Bike Tour
Ashleigh's Girona Tour exceeded all my great expectations. The riding routes, all expertly led by Ashleigh Moolman Pasio herself, were spectacular and challenging. On the first day, we did an epic climb past medieval castle ruins to the monastery atop the Mare de Deu d’El Mont with breathtaking 360 degree views of the entire region. Next we took a long scenic ride past volcanic ranges to the cobbled streets of Beget nestled in a remote, fairytale valley with a ranging mountain torrent roaring below stone bridges. The next day we crossed flat plains all the way to the incredible cliffside vistas of the Costa Brava and back. Finally, I had the good fortune to be paced to an excellent time all the way up the fabled "benchmark" Rocacorba climb by Ashleigh herself!
What made the tour overall such a rewarding and enriching experience was not only the challenging daily riding, but all of the amazing secondary support and activities the tour provided. Staying in a fully modernized but historical stone villa provided the perfect setting for rest, quiet, and relaxation. A lavish continental breakfast was laid out for us every morning before we awoke. Our laundry was done for us each day and returned neatly folded. Our rooms serviced and cleaned while we rode. Delicious, home cooked meals were provided, filled with great conversation, conviviality, and lots of good humour. Restaurant meals were equally exceptional and each one highlighted different regional specialties. Everything was included in the very reasonable price of the tour.
Each day's ride was fully supported as well providing extra supplies at strategic points. We had a professional photographer one day and many other great photos and videos shot by others driving sag or tagging along. Each ride included two or more guides to accommodate everyone's optimal pace and no one was pushed too hard or slowed down. My Cervelo R3 disc rental bike was a revelation. Truly a masterpiece to handle which gave me great confidence over a variety of terrain and conditions which included some gravel, some alpine style epic descents, damp and wet roads. I didn't expect to like my rental bike more than my own bike! After each ride, it was cleaned and tuned up optimally for the next day. I would definitely rent rather than bring my bike all the way from the USA.
What I found most enthralling was the opportunity to ride in close proximity day by day with a champion cyclist like Ashleigh Moolman Pasio and other ex-pro athlete guides. We were also greatly enriched on every ride and evening by a variety of luminaries from the professional cycling world who added great stories and legends from the pro women's peloton. A leading agent in women's cycling. A top Instagram cycling photographer. A prominent soigneur in the Girona cycling scene. A leading cycling journalist. The foremost commentator of English language broadcast cycling. The local manufacturers behind the Tactic clothing line we received as complimentary jerseys. Finally, we even got to meet many other professional cycling luminaries in person at the very memorable Girona Gala for Qhubeka on the final evening!
Truly an epic and memorable tour I would most highly recommend to any strong and adventurous cyclist. This region of Catalonia is a Mecca for professional cyclists for a good reason. I myself cannot wait to return for another Ashleigh Tour!
Ashleigh Girona Cycle Tour
It’s the off-season but I’ve just finished a week-long five stage tour. It included lots of coffee stops, all my favourite roads, and a bunch of new friends. It was my inaugural Girona Cycling Tour that I hosted and it really opened my eyes to a new way to push women’s cycling forward.
The Girona Cycling Tour at it’s most simple was a cycling holiday but it’s part of a bigger vision we are working to achieve at Rocacorba Cycling. When it comes to tackling the complexities of women’s cycling, it took a long time for us to manifest something actionable but, after the tour, I knew we were onto something powerful.
It seems obvious but not every sport allows people of all levels to come together. Not anyone can join the Springboks for rugby or FC Barcelona for football but pro women’s cycling is a bit different. We have the ability to not just allow, but also to welcome supportive cyclists and fans into the process. By reaching out and making real-life connections with other cyclists/fans, we can access and strengthen the support we desperately need.
As in any new endeavour, I was excited but unsure of how the week would go. Would everyone get along? How could I make sure everyone felt included? Was the weather going to hold up? As the riders arrived, I saw they also had “new experience” jitters but as soon as we hopped on our bikes, all of our concerns melted away. There was a wide range of abilities, different experience levels, and different approaches to cycling but it didn’t matter. By the end of the week we were all happily physically tired but mentally energized.
That energy stayed with me. By taking down all the barriers and allowing people in during a simple cycling tour, I felt that I had made actual change! It seems small but I know everyone left with a sense of connection that will touch their relationship with women’s cycling forever.
The future of our sport is in connecting the dots, making deeper lasting connections, and doing that in as many different ways as possible whether that’s a minimum wage policy or a coffee with a new friend during a holiday tour. The beauty of women’s cycling is that it has the opportunity to be open and welcoming to different models and practices. There are so many different ways to advance women’s cycling and, with a multitude of attack points and an open mindset, everyone (especially professionals) can contribute to the growth and sustainability of our sport.
Click here to ride with me next year from 5th-11th October, 2019.
