Finding my way back to blogging and my fan girl moment at the Tour Down Under

I’ve been a lapsed blogger for the last few months. I lost my enthusiasm, or mojo if you will and I’m still struggling to get it back. One of the reasons I think I lost my way is that I’ve focused too much on educating others, and less on sharing my opinions. So, you’ll have to indulge me while I find my way back to blogging and read about my thoughts rather than information that may help you become a better cyclist.

Last year was a tough one for me. I lost my wonderful father who succumbed to heart disease at the age of 85. I’m sure a lot of people think that’s a great age and it most certainly is, but it doesn’t stop the pain and the feeling that a yawning gulf has opened in my life and those of my close family. Dad was one of my biggest fans and often told me that he’d read my latest post.

However, I think I had started to lose my way before that happened. Dad’s death just pushed me over the edge and gave me a ‘better’ excuse for halting my regular blogging. Up until November 2022, I wrote weekly blog posts, that’s 11 years of weekly missives, with a total of around 550 posts! I rehashed many of the same topics over and over and I’m done with that approach.

My plan is not to return to that volume or commitment. After all, it’s meant to be fun, not a chore, so I’m going to write blog posts when the moment takes me, like now.

You’ll be pleased to know that after many years of writing business copy for a living, I’m not good at waffling on and on, so I’ll share something useful as well, in between the self-indulgence.

I had the pleasure of attending the Tour Down Under women’s race in Adelaide a couple of weeks ago and it renewed my enthusiasm for watching women’s professional cycling. So, my higher message in this post is to encourage you to learn more about these amazing women, follow them on social media, and watch races on TV when you can.

This weekend I’m looking forward to watching the same women’s peloton race the Cadel Evan’s Road Race.

Other races I’m looking forward to this year are:

• Strade Bianchi Women – in Siena Italy on 2 March
• Paris-Roubaix Femmes – 6 April
• Tour de France Femmes – 12 to 18 August
• Paris Olympic Games road race – 27 July
• World Championships road race – in Zurich, Switzerland in late September

I won’t be attending all those races in person, but I will be watching on TV, and I encourage you to do the same. Although, I do plan to attend the Paris-Roubaix Femmes and the Tour de France Femmes in the next few years.

But back to my enjoyment of the Tour Down Under (TDU) women’s race. For the past few years (except for the Covid cancellations) I’ve attended the TDU women’s race and loved it. But this year had an extra dimension which made it even more fun than before. My friend’s daughter Keira Will made her debut in the peloton, and I loved following along with Keira’s dad Stu.

Keira is 18 years old and joined a team called ARA Skip Capital at the end of last year. She got the call-up to race the TDU just 10 days before the event and did an amazing job over the three hectic and challenging days. I’ve known Keira since she was three years old and ridden alongside her for years, watching her mature into an amazing young person. She’s dedicated herself to cycling and sacrificed a lot of teenage shenanigans to follow her dream. Watching her race in Adelaide was the culmination of so much effort and I know Stu enjoyed it so much too. He’s spent so many hours driving her to events all around Sydney, around NSW and interstate and I know he’s so proud of Keira. And it’s just the beginning of her cycling career. But if Keira gave it all away tomorrow, I’d be proud of her for what she’s done already.

One of my objectives when I started this blog in 2011 was to promote women’s professional cycling and I like to think I’ve done my bit so far. But I’m not done yet and will continue to write about the fabulous women of the pro peloton.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic, and any other topic you’d like to share. Head over to my Facebook page at Women Who Cycle or join my Facebook group Women Who Cycle Community to share your thoughts more privately.