Tour of Southern Grampians 2009 Women’s Road Race
A matter of seconds…
Ginger Kidd won the 2009 edition of the women’s Tour of Southern Grampians by only 3 seconds in front of Kathy Watt following the completion of final stage.
The Tour of Coleraine, as it is also known, organised by the Coburg Cycling Club with the strong support of the local community always attract a good number of quality riders and always shines through its great organisation under the control of tour director Paul Logan.
The weekend of racing promised to be of some excitement with the presence of Olympic gold and silver medallist Kathy Watt (Kathy Watt Cycling), the newly established R.A.C.E Team run by Kim Howard containing young gun Kendelle Hodges and the super strong Chloe McConville as well as the Prime Estate Cycling Team comprised of Ginger Kidd and Beth Canny. The numbers were rounded up with the presence of some strong elite riders in Rebecca Domange (CBD/Degani), Carma Watson (TFM), Radele Berriman (CCCC) and Felicity Wilson (RACE).
The first 72km stage was going to be a difficult one as the women were facing two short but very sharp climbs in close succession, which promised to be the theatre of some great racing moves.
The action started from the town of Coleraine under a beautiful sunshine but remained under control for the first 2kms until the group had reached the Glenelg Highway. From then only limited attempts of break aways took place but Felicity Wilson (RACE) and Bec Domange (CBD/Degani) made the early successful move however their effort did not pay, as they were caught 10kms before the first climb.
The Douglas Road climb was the scene for the first significant attack launched by Ginger Kidd (Prime Estate Cycling team) followed closely by Carma Watson (TFM), Kathy Watt (Kathy Watt Cycling) and Kendelle Hodges (RACE). Chloe McConville (RACE), found herself sandwiched between the 4 leaders and the remaining riders. Kidd (Prime Estate Cycling team) took the points and time bonus on offer at the top of the KOM and was rejoined by Watt, Watson and Hodges before the assault on the second climb. Already some substantial gaps had formed and the overall race winner was going to come from one of these four women.
If the first ascent was of some difficulties then the infamous Zig Zag gradient for the second KOM was definitely worse. The leading four showed some great strength though to overcome the last difficulty of the day and accentuated their advance on the rest of the other contenders. Once again the American born Kidd was first to collect the points and time bonus at the top. Following the two demanding efforts required to escalate the climbs; Kathy Watt showed her time trialling skills and managed to escape her companions of the day by launching herself into a solo ride to the finishing line.
Watt (Kathy Watt Cycling) took a very convincing win completing the stage in 2:52:58 though Kendelle Hodges (RACE) limited the damage by finishing only 9 seconds behind as well as Ginger Kidd (Prime Estate Cycling team) who worked hard to stop the clock 25 seconds after the day’s winner.
At the end of stage one Watt (Kathy Watt Cycling), Hodges (RACE) and Kidd (Prime Estate Cycling team) were holding each other within 25 seconds. Both Carma Watson (TFM) and Chloe McConville (RACE) who battled really hard to stay in the game appeared to have lost their chances of winning the overall tour being respectively 2 and 5 minutes behind on GC with a criterium and a stage left to go.
The Criterium took place in the township of Coleraine the same day in the late afternoon and included three intermediate sprints with valuable time bonuses on offer for the most pro-active riders.
Considering the standings at the time Hodges (RACE) and Kidd (Prime Estate Cycling team) were looking to make up ground on Watt (Blackburn CC). The 15-lap race was dominated by a little game of cat and mouse between the three leaders, Watt (Kathy Watt Cycling), Hodges (RACE) and Kidd (Prime Estate Cycling team) who managed to cancel each others bonuses gained during the race as most of the field remained spectator maybe recovering after the tough morning stage.
The rhythm intensified towards the end and the win looked available for any of the women. As they appeared around the last corner, most did not expect the strong and very experienced Watt (Kathy Watt Cycling) to launch a great effort from 7th wheel, but she did and it saw her grabbing the honours for the second time on the day in front of Hodges (RACE), Kidd (Prime Estate Cycling team) and Bec Domange (CBD/Degani).
After 2 stage wins, Kathy Watt (Kathy Watt Cycling) looked set to take the overall title with one easier road stage to complete but with the added pressure of holding off a young and determined Hodges (RACE) still at 9 seconds and the recently converted Triathlete Kidd (Prime Estate Cycling team) at 25 seconds.
The next morning the pack set off for 64km into a very strong head wind and some rain to decide who would take home the top prize. The first half of the race was uneventful, taking the riders through beautiful sceneries and easy rolling hills still battered by the elements only disturbed by some jostling in positions at the front of the bunch, when the yellow jersey Watt (Kathy Watt Cycling) was forced to the front by both the RACE and Prime Estate Cycling teams.
With around 30 kms to go as the bunch approached a descent before the town of Merino the weather worsened with heavy rain and gusty winds rending the visibility very average. Most of the field took great care in the short drop however, Chloe McConville (RACE) just decided to roll in front and soon found herself with a gap. She went on with a great solo effort to extend her advantage to nearly 4 minutes and looked set to not only win the stage but potentially win the overall tour as she was trailing by 5 minutes overall on GC.
The only KOM of the day was sitting at 10 kms from the end followed by a downhill finish to the line and McConville (RACE) took full advantage of her lead to set up a great stage win.
Though it was to be expected that the leader Watt (Kathy Watt Cycling) would react pretty soon and she did under the influence of Ginger Kidd (Prime Estate Cycling team) who took matter in her own hands followed by Kendelle Hodges (RACE).
The trio was engaged in a great battle up the only climb of the day and the Masters 2 Kidd (Prime Estate Cycling team) powered to the top creating a gap and gaining a few bonus seconds on Kathy Watt (Kathy Watt Cycling) with Kendelle Hodges (RACE) fighting really hard to stay in contention. It was then a final push down the hill and a bit of risk taking which saw Ginger Kidd (Prime Estate Cycling team) taking a superb second place and big enough time gap on Kathy Watt (Kathy Watt Cycling) who crossed the line in third followed by Kendelle Hodges (RACE) in fourth.
In the end the 35-year-old Kidd (Prime Estate Cycling team) won the Tour of Southern Grampians by the smallest of margins, 3 seconds in front of Kathy Watt (Kathy Watt Cycling) with a very deserving Kendelle Hodges (RACE) finishing third. Carma Watson (TFM) ended up fourth and Chloe McConville (RACE) rounded up the top five.
Kidd declared: “ The Tour of the Southern Grampians is my 2nd cycling tour and I’m both shocked and happy to have won KOM and GC!”
Words (copyright) by
Arnaud Domange
Pictures at:
http://www.arnauddomange.com.au/2009%20Women’s%20Tour%20of%20Southern%20Grampians.html