Local cyclist wins big race

BENDIGO’S Courtney Sherwell absolutely blitzed the field in the elite women’s category of the first ever Dirty Warrny cycling race held recently, finishing almost 40 minutes ahead of her nearest rival.

The 246-kilometre event, most of which took place on unsealed roads, rolled off at 5.30am from Mount Duneed Estate near Geelong, with Sherwell reaching the finish line in Warrnambool around eight-and-a-half hours later.

In preparation for the race, she said she’d been dedicating 18 to 20 hours per week to training.

“The focus was mainly on long endurance rides up to five to six hours plus strength training,” she said.

“I’m fortunate to have my partner John as my coach and a supportive work environment at Giant Bendigo, who allow me to work around my training and race schedule.”

She said she was “quite shocked” when she found out the massive margin between herself and second-placed Kate Kellett.

“Kate is a very strong endurance athlete, competing in 24-hour racing, so I knew she would be fighting until the end,” Sherwell said.

“There were no timing updates out on course during the race and I rode the whole way to the finish line as if she was only seconds or minutes behind me.”

After initially embracing the sport seven years ago, Sherwell said she started taking things seriously when she moved to Bendigo three years later.

“I’ve always ridden a bike as a kid and later on as an adult, so it was an easy transition from a recreational rider to a racer,” she said.

“Bendigo is known for its rich cycling history. There has always been a big cycling community in Bendigo and it was one of the reasons why I chose to move here.”

Not one to rest on her laurels, Sherwell has a jam-packed schedule lined up in the coming months.

Her next event is on a mountain bike in the Cattlemen 100 on 19 November at Omeo over 175 kilometres, followed by the Tour of Bright from 2 to 3 December, then the National Road Championships in Ballarat in January.