Blogs
Sun, 11 Sep 2011
A double treble
By Sarah Storey - Horizon Fitness Racing Team
Back in 2009 in Bogogno, Italy, I won my first Road World title in the Road Time Trial and then 2 days later, after a 40km solo breakaway, came across the finish line arms aloft to win my first ever World Road Race Gold. It was an amazing feeling to do the double at the Road Worlds and not something I ever expected would go my way a second time, let alone a third!
Since winning the first double in 2009 I have worked hard to expose my limited road racing skills, put myself out of any kind of comfort zone and try to experience the highest level of racing and race tactics that is possible. Much of my racing has been done in the smaller pelotons of the UK races and whilst balancing the work needed to keep the Road Time Trial racing moving forwards, I have been dipping in and out of the pro peloton.
After spending much of the 2010 Tour of Limousin in the race convoy trying to find the skill needed to descend with the peloton, I went into the 2011 Thuringen Rundfahrt and was able to build on the skills I had gained and start to really work on the other skills needed. In a bunch where the skill is so high and the bike handling so superb, I was really able to learn not just about race tactics but also about handling my bike and making use of every part of the road. Riding for a legend in Hanka Kupfernagel and watching her superb bike handling taught me more in just one short road time trial recce than I could ever have imagined.
So back to this past week and the prospect of trying to defend both Road World titles for another time and the prospect of being able to do that elusive, double treble.
Coming into the 2011 Paracycling Road World Championships I couldn't have been better prepared physically, and unlike last year when I was suffering with a chest infection, I had a clean bill of health and of course my bronze from the British National Time Trial Championships. Securing the win in the Road Time Trial was a dream come true and of course one half of the job, the heat was on to make sure that I nailed the road race too.
Winning the Road Time Trial by 1 minute and 37 seconds, gave me the biggest gap I have had in a Time Trial and over the shortest distance we have covered at this level in a long time. I knew I would be marked for the road race, with everyone expecting me to do all the work to defend my title, but I also expected last year's silver medallist would be her usual aggressive self and want to get off the front, so that would help me a great deal too. There seemed little chance the race would stay together, but if it did I was confident I had good track speed from all the team pursuit work and would be able to sprint at the end.
Road Races have so many variables and whilst the course in Roskilde was a superb offering for a time trial, there was little in there that gave the road race any spice, other than a very short 500m technical section and a short rise plus false flat into the finish. There were no obvious places to make an attack and although the wind had been strong in the time trial, it didn't seem as significant in the Road Race as I had hoped for. If I am honest I'd been hoping for a thunderstorm to really mix it up!
With around 21 degrees, some sunshine and a predominantly negative attitude from the bunch, only 3 riders attempted to get up the road. First off, straight from the line was, as expected, Anna Harowska, she bolted into the first corner, got a reasonable gap which I bridged across to and then sat on whilst the bunch slowly drew us in. Next off was my team mate Crystal Lane, and whilst everyone looked at me, as though they expected me to chase her down, again Anna Harowska bolted to bridge the gap and I happily watched as they quickly pulled out to 30 seconds.
A little over 4km had passed by this point but still no one else was willing to chase the early breakaway, so I attacked into the technical section and bridged the gap to give Crystal a rest up front and see if we could pull out a big enough gap to get out of sight. Gradually the bunch reeled us in, largely because Harowska seemed uncommitted to go with two riders from the same team, but no sooner had the peloton come back to us, Harowska attacked again and this time I told Crystal we should let her go and give the other riders something to think about.
Negative riding ensued and Anna quickly built up a 40 second advantage which was the perfect scenario for me. With the riders in the bunch all seemingly afraid of doing too much too soon, I picked my moment and attacked them into the slight headwind up the rise in the start/finish straight and quickly bridged across to what ended up being the winning break.
I felt strong and after last year's Worlds following a similar pattern, in that Anna and I were alone in the break together, I could tell she wasn't as committed as I was to building up a gap but I knew she would need to attack me to win as I have the better sprint! For a couple of laps we shared the work up front, but the time gap only increased while I was on the front and I soon realised I would need to be prepared for a series of attacks which Anna started with just under 20km to go. Each attack I shut down without any problem and then at around 10km to go countered one of her moves which almost worked. Neither of us was prepared to take the lead and with all the messing around the gap we had to what I thought was the peloton halved in about 8km of racing!
Unfortunately we didn't get told that the peloton had been split and there were only 3 riders chasing for the bronze, so thinking our fooling around could cost the win, I picked up the pace a little to ensure we stayed away. Anna attacked me again on the rise into the start and finish drag but my legs felt fresh and the race overall hadn't been too physically taxing, especially as the last lap had been so tactical! It was a perfect scenario for a sprint finish which in the end I knew I would have to lead out.
Around 250m from the finish was a roundabout and so I stretched my legs into it and jumped out of the saddle while we were pedalling round and got a small gap which proved decisive. Although Anna wasn't done and I could see her wheel under my left arm trying to come back at me, I had some gears in reserve and clicked down to lift the speed again. Having used the Di2 groupset for the whole of the season the quick flick of the buttons to change down a gear whilst out of the saddle was barely an effort and I just kept driving for the line.
As I busy celebrating and jumping around in the road I turned back to watch the sprint for the bronze and looked just in time to realise my team mate, Crystal was coming across the line first. It was fantastic to see her win her first medal at a World Championships and get two GB flags on the medal ceremony.
Standing on the podium wearing my Road Race World Champion stripes for the 3rd successive time was so surreal. I almost can't believe that I have done it, it's the treble that alluded me in swimming but it's a double treble, I'm not sure when it will sink in to be honest! Listening to the National Anthem and thinking about the race made me feel immensely proud, there has been a lot of travelling and hard work gone into trying to maximise my chances in the road race and without the support of Barney and our families, handing up bottles in UK races, travelling the length of the UK for Deloitte Ride Across Britain as part of the major training for the road and generally looking after us, we couldn't have done so much.
Although it's me riding the races, I know I couldn't be in there without that support behind me and I am very lucky to have that in abundance and of course from the GB staff when I come back to the fold too.
This was the last major road event prior to London 2012 and with Paralympic tickets now on sale and a little over 11 months until we start racing, it will be quite likely I won't road race with most of the girls in our peloton until we get on the start line at the Games. It's hard to believe the 2011 Road Season is now over, it hardly seems five minutes since I did my first road camp at Club La Santa, after the 2010 winter track season at the end of March, but I suppose that is over 5 months ago! It has been a fantastic summer of racing, thanks to everyone who has pushed me all the way, next summer will be a combined season with the track so will need a different kind of balancing.
For now though it's time to enjoy a couple of days off the bike and once Barney and I get home we will probably allow ourselves that bottle of Moet and Chandon we have been saving in the fridge!
Cheers :)
For more information on the Horizon Fitness Racing Team, visit www.horizonfitnessrt.com.