Q6. Do you enjoy the amount of hard work you have to put in to get results? I like the challenge of the sport. Certainly the physical aspect of cycling can be fairly gruelling, but I also really enjoy the mental games we have to play in racing. Patience is one aspect that I have found a hard lesson. In the last couple of years I have earned a reputation in my team for sprinting too early.. Q7. How much training do you put in? Usually I would ride between 500 and 700km a week, plus 3 sessions in the gym. In the off-season I do a little bit of running also. Any other sporty activities (rockclimbing/surfing) I consider fun and not training. Q8. How do you feel about the rewards you get as a professional female cyclist compared to your male counterparts? Often I wish it was more equal across the sport, particularly for those riding for smaller professional teams who have to work outside of the sport to support themselves. This can make it really tough for those riders to compete. But I really can’t complain, after all, I ride my bike for a living.
Q9. Do you think the public perception of professional cycling as suffered quite badly at the hands of the media over various drug scandals involving your male counterparts? Definitely. The doping scandals tarnish the sport as a whole and this is really disappointing because cycling is such an exciting sport. Doping in cycling need to be addressed and I think the steps being taken now by teams like T-Mobile to introduce very clear ‘no-tolerance’ policies will go a long way in improving the image of the sport. | Q10. Has this affected your outlook on the sport? No. I love cycling, it has all the components – physical challenge combined with strategy. I am confident that the UCI can develop methods to catch the cheats and deal out the appropriate punishments. I realise that this is a difficult process, but there are a lot of people who are committed to creating a fair sport. Q11. You’re currently based in Germany, when racing. How often do you get to return to Australia? We travel a lot so I don’t get much time at home. I usually head back to Australia between November and Febuary. For the 2007 season I will base myself out of Spain. Q12. What do you do for relaxation? When I have time I read, but during holidays I really love adventure sport. Canyoning is probably my favourite holiday activity. Q13. What type of training do you do in the winter? How does it differ from your race training? I don’t have a winter – for me it is perpetual summer and spring. I prefer it that way, I am not a great fan of cold weather. Q14. 2006 wasn’t such a good year on the World Cup scene for you, compared to previous years, was that to do with peaking early for the Commonwealth Games or the effects of that devastating crash that claimed the life of Aussie team mate Amy Gillett?
It was a much harder year in terms of motivation to race. I took a long time to really feel comfortable on the bike after Amy died. It really made me feel quite vulnerable. It was not really until I raced the giro d’Italia that I started to really want to race.
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Q15. Were you pleased with your results at the Commonwealth games?
Of course. I think the Aussie women’s team exceeded our own expectations. I was particularly happy with how well we rode as a team in the road race. Q16. Were you pleased with your 3rd in the World RR Champs? My 3rd place in Madrid was great – it made me pretty determined to keep aiming for the world championship. I know if I can come that close I can win. My 6th place in Salzburg I wasn’t as happy with, because I know that from a strategic point of view I rode really well, but my fitness let me down in the finish. Q17. What frustrates you most when racing? If you finish a race and you realise that you made a mistake or didn’t ride to your full potential. I think the idea that you are only as good as your last performance is really true in cycling and a bad race always makes me want to improve.
Q18. What do you miss when you’re in Germany? The clear blue sky that is so typical in Canberra. I am yet to find a place in Europe where the sky and air is as clear as at home. Q19. What do you miss when you’re in Australia? Being on the move, different languages, really good gelato. Q20. Who do you consider your main rivals? From the 2006 season the emerging rival teams would definitely be Buitenpoort and Univega. But I think T-Mobile is up to the challenge… Q21. Who do you admire most? As a rider I think Petra Rossner was great. She has an amazing ability to come up with winning tactics and create the confidence in the team to carry it out. Q22. What race do you most look forward to out of your comprehensive calendar? I really enjoy racing the giro. There is a definite character about racing in Italy. Q23. What sort of music inspires you when training? Actually, Metallica. I probably don’t really look like the typical metal fan, but there you go. Q24. You do a lot of travelling do you enjoy that part of your role as a pro cyclist? I doubt I could be a cyclist if I didn’t. I have perfected the art of living out of a suitcase. The downside is not being able to cook your own meals or choose what you will eat. The upside is, you never have to do the dishes. Q25. What do you do to alleviate the boredom when waiting at airports? I fill in my time with reading and internet, but I still find it pretty boring. Q26. You’re now a qualified electrician do you get to put your training into practise? I have a degree in electronic engineering, but so far my practical experience is somewhat lacking. During the off-season I have worked with an electrician to gain some practical experience. That was quite a novelty and a lot of fun. Sometime in the future I am planning to use my degree and work as an engineer. Perhaps not for a while yet though.. Q27. What would you consider as your career highlights so far? Successive World Cup wins, Commonwealth Games, Worlds medal Q28. What are your aims for 2007? Worlds Championships is the main goal for the year but I also would really like to have a consistently strong season. Q29. What does the future hold, where would you like to see yourself in 4 years time? At the moment the focus is the Beijing Olympics. After that I will reassess my options. Interview By Joolze Dymond - www.joolzedymond.com
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