Sarah Gigante loves the pace of January

Here’s the second exclusive column from Australian road cyclist Sarah Gigante in the lead-up to the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

JANUARY is a time to relax for many people, but for professional cyclists Down Under, it means the huge Australian summer cycling calendar has arrived. We started with the Bay Crits in the first week of the year. They were followed by the National Championships and Tour Down Under, and soon we will compete in Towards Zero Race Torquay on January 30, and then the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (CEGORR) on February 1-2.

In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the start of the season for a lot of cyclists, so I think some are getting back on their bikes after quite a relaxing holiday season. Here in Australia though, we have been looking forward to the January racing for a while, and all trained very hard through Christmas and New Year. I’m hoping that my hard work will carry me through the summer, including for Race Torquay and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

I studied my Bachelor of Science full-time last year, but because I’m moving overseas for cycling this year, I’ll study part-time in 2020 and keep it manageable. As of last year, I have a coach, Dylan Lindsey, so it’s been quite a different preparation leading up to this huge month of racing compared to what I did last summer. I’ve been doing a lot of hours on the bike, including a lot of hill climbing, which I love. I’m lucky that I’ve been on uni holidays since November and have been able to head out often on some of my favourite training routes, often riding to the Dandenongs and Kinglake. I’ve also done many bunch rides and races to get the intensity in, such as the Tour of Bright, Tour of Tasmania and Stan Siejka, all of which I was lucky enough to win.

I finished 18th in this year’s elite women’s national road race on January 12, which earned me silver in the Under 23 category. My life’s changed quite a lot since winning the national road race in 2019. It’s been amazing. I was able to go to the United States with my 2019 team Roxsolt Attaquer. I then raced in Belgium for a month, thanks to the Amy Gillett Cycling Scholarship. I learnt so much about what racing is like overseas, with huge fields and very strong competition at every race. I also raced the full National Road Series here in Australia last year, which is always fun.
Because I wore the green and gold stripes as national champion for a year and I’m now a pro, I do feel a bit of pressure in this big month of racing. But I like to remember I’m still young and having fun. I’ve prepared well, and I will go in to try my best – all I can wish for is that hopefully the team will go well and we will all be satisfied.

Next Wednesday, the elite women CEGORR riders will be part of the Welcome Wave event, put on by Surf Coast Shire Council and Deakin University. It’s amazing to receive such a warm welcome to the Surf Coast.

With only a week to go until Race Torquay, I encourage you to check out the course and pick a spot to cheer us on. I hear the foreshore area at the start/finish line near Price Street or Bell Street is the place to be!

For details on all the CEGORR events, head to cadelroadrace.com.