Tour Ta Malta
Here was my second year at Tour Ta Malta, what another great experience bar the whole mess up with the results! Transponders defiantly needed for next year… I departured for the Tour on Monday 30th April, the day after Dave Peck Memorial Race. I was in Malta for a week, whilst racing started on Thursday until Sunday. The few days before give me and the team i was guesting for, Squadra Donne, time to loosen our legs off and get ready for racing! Throughout the start of the week, more and more teams started to arrive. Surprisingly enough, most of the teams were British riders who competed with the odd Italian, Maltese and any other area off Europe. The first 3 days for me, i was more excited about getting my whole cycling tan lines back with the first day off us arriving being 26 degrees. It was just lush! Wish it was like that in England… Felt great riding with no leg or thermals on, trying to keep warm or feeling down as you have to go out in the pouring rain. Just got to ride out in the bright sunshine! After we arrived, we went on a ride round the island for a bit, exploring and getting our bearings back from the previous year whilst loosening our legs off from the plane. The first few days before the racing started, was early training days and just releasing making the most out off the weather we could.
Thursday morning crept up on us very quickly, which meant Stage 1 was taken away! After breakfast, we were finally ready with our bikes and kit ready for the roll out to the start off the race. Basically, before the start off every stage all the riders ride out to the courses together. You are escorted via police, marshall motorbikes and sponsors/service cars. Its a whole big thing, whilst people in the streets stare at you riding past probably thinking your like a Laura Trott or Bradley Wiggins! But as we all know and i certainly do, Malta is not flat!!! So every stage, is not flat at all or getting to either off the stages. so, to roll out to Stage 1 you had to go up a good twisty, steep 2 miler killer climb before the race even stared! It felt like i was climbing Alpe d'huez. But it was a pretty view to look at when i was crawling up it! Stage 1 was a TT, it came to around 13miles which doesn't sound far… But with a block head wind on the down hill and a slight cross wind on the up hill, it changes the whole aspect off it. My strategy with this TT on this course, taking the wind into account meant that i should try to power my way through the head wind on the down hill and try to maintain it on the uphill. But i was just absolutely gone! The time what i did for this first Stage was 37 minutes and 57 seconds, what put me into 27th position going into the second Stage out off 46 women. However, i loved riding back from the Stage as it was downhill all the way back to the hotel!! Happy Days!!
Stag 2 came around, for my favourite stage off the week! The most hilliest one… FUN! The sun was shinning, once again for Stage 2 of Tour Ta Malta. Today, i was going take it as it goes and i kept saying to one of my team mates, "Im attacking, down the hill"… I sure did keep to my word! However, didn't realise what a block head wind i came into. I knew i had no chance up this killa few miles of a hill, so i thought YOLO and go for it on the first lap. I got dropped at the bottom of the climb however, we had another 5 laps to go up it and i really did not want to blow myself on the first lap. But on that lap, coming down the down hill after the finish line i hit a mass off pothole which took some impact on my cassette. Don't know what happened? But my gears were not functioning correctly, so i copied with them until i got back up to the top of the finish line and went to my team manager, Jon Miles, with the spare wheels. I said what was wrong, trying to rush, i need a back wheel… However, it took about 10minutes out of my race as there was a mechanic on hand who wanted to sort my gears but he just couldn't, then they eventually put a back wheel in and i sprinted back off up the hill!! Couple off laps later, i caught up a lot of people putting all my effort into getting my time back and going past the riders who came past when i had this mechanical. But, this race showed it just wasn't my luck this race as on the second to last lap i had a rear puncture. I thought, 'GREAT!' I waited for the leading service car come, that was about 7minutes but they just drove straight past me and didn't even stop!! So, i still waited for a next car however, it was bare time down the road for the next car. Finally, a jeep came shoved a back wheel in for me, off on the road i was again. I wasn't just annoyed about this, but its racing and got some good hard training reps up that hill!!
It was time for Stage 3 to come about with it including a VERY, VERY early start! Due to a couple of my room mates not very good with early, early starts this consisted off me jumping on Sian to wake her up and Saskia ringing her alarm in Jess's ear. With about 20minutes later, they finally get up and get ready when then that takes them another 30minutes… However, me and Saskia kept them in check and told them get a hurry on or else we are leaving without them. As it was basically a 5am get up, with the bus picking us up at 6.15am to get off to the ferry port to go over to Gozo for Stage 3.
Eventually, all us riders were over in Gozo which meant that we had to ride from the ferry port to the race as a big group. Luckily, the lead cars went slow enough for us all to get our legs back in and to just have a easy ride to the start. When we arrived at the course, straight away i went round it and was thinking to myself (whilst going round) "Oh my god!" Another stage with a big hill and a block head wind down the hill… However, i was really proud of my self throughout this race as i stayed with the bunch for at least 2 laps, but then when someone attacked on the hill the second time my legs just seriously, could not keep up. However, before this no end of women were dropped off the back of the bunch with leaving about 12 riders in the front group. As the race went on, i paired up with a dutch girl working together. As she was about 6ft tall and me about 5ft, whenever we went downhill i couldn't cover her from the blockhead wind so she took me down, i took her along the straights and up the hill. Team effort! The race was 8 laps long, lasted about 1hour 45minutes on a very tough circuit. I enjoyed it though, ready for the last and final stage…
Sunday just came too quick! Which meant, it was time for Stage 4, the final stage. This stage seemed quite nice, as it looked pretty flat with a tale wind down the straight you start in then a head wind on the way back. However, it was basically a downhill one side and back up the other side. It was lovely starting, it was fast and i was spinning out! Wanted bigger gears on… But then coming up the other side was just time, it felt like forever! I felt like i was pedalling fresh air and wasn't going any where, due to the wind. But i suffered through it and eventually, got to the finish line!
Overall, what another great experience off Tour Ta Malta, even though the results were all messed up i really enjoyed it. Its such a great start of the year and gets you going up those hills!
I want to say a massive shout out to Squadra Donne and Jon Miles, who looked after me and was kind enough to let me come along with them!! I am honoured, i have had a great time with you and you lot made my week!!!