Well its been 7 months since the last GP and until the invitation to go to India pretty much been that long since getting back on the track bike!!  So with approximatly 4 weeks of track training under my belt I wasnt too sure how I would go. 

When you look at the ladies field its a pretty daunting field with most of it being national Aussie or other Nations riders  and world champs!  Its this particular time I would have loved a B grade option!!

The first race was the scratch race and the pace was on.  The first 5 laps I had to battle my mental demons and try and convince myself it wasnt that fast…..that was the hardest part!  A few people popped off the back throughout and with 2 laps to go the pace increased again – I had got this far it was only 500m to go and I wasnt about to drop off… I was on the wheel of a Korean rider with 1 lap to go and the sprint kicked.  The Korean popped and all I could do was get around her and try and get back on for the last 30m…. Bec was in front of me and I think she came through 6th and I was 7th.

The second race was the handicapped race.  Bec was only 15m behind me so we decided that we would work together, I caught the person in front pretty quickly and then as she swung up it was time to target the next group of 4.  We got to this group and over took them (I think they jumped on) and were now running scared.  With it only being 6 laps it really is a sprinters race….with 2 laps to go you could hear the likes of Anna Meares coming….you could feel it through the boards and as they came through we jumped on.  The final lap bell went and it was well and truely over the sprinters just came over the top of the enduro riders…. I dont think I have ever seen such accelleration I came through about 30m behind the main group and Anna Meares took the win…. totally insane race but in a good way!!

Elimination race the last rider every 2 laps is out…4 laps gone, I was still in, my aim not to be the first on out!  The pace was high but not like the scratch race.  One thing I was told by my super coach was not to get boxed in low down on the track…….what happen, well i got boxed in low down the track!  I had to pop out the back swing up the track and then sprint round them to not be the last person…..For those of you unfamiliar with track riding, slowing down to get out the back is not good, you then loose more speed and need more effort to get up incline on the track when you are finally higher than the rest of the group your going a greater distance to get round them (shortest distance around the track is right at the bottom)…. therefore not good and after all that I just didnt have the extra speed to get round so I sat up and out I came…. Lesson learnt in that race as I was totally pee’d off to say the least 😉

Last race was 25 lap point score – wasnt looking forward to this one.  I had made the plan just to stick in, not to go for the first one and see how the pace is.  The bell went for the first sprint it kicked but not insanely, as we came out the bend I was sitting 6th wheel Bec was in front of me and we were both looking round expecting the big guns to go for it, I went to go and thought no, every time I have deviated from my game plan its gone totally wrong so I just sat behind Bec and Bec was the last one to get the points.  A few other sprints went and with 9 laps to go I found myself on the front, I swung up and had a shocker,  I stayed up the track for aaages and when I swung back down to get on the back of the train I mistimed it spectacularly and was hanging off the back, with 2 laps of trying to get back on I decided to call it a day and with 5 laps to go sat up and bowed out.

Overall it was a super awesome day at the office and I was happy with my efforts – considering last GP I think I lasted 10 laps of the scratch race and only 8 of the point score there have been some improvements in my riding so I was happy knowing that my fitness is looking ok for the India trip.

thanks to all SPR folks that came and watched and put their lungs to good use to shout for the riders going round and round 🙂

Lisa