This morning I heard the very exciting and surprising news that my finish time in yesterday’s Tour of Cambridgeshire was fast enough to qualify for the UCI World Championship Amateur Road Race.
I don’t hold a race license so I’m not insured for a mass start event like the ToC. Riders like myself, without a license were held back in a 2nd pen and started in slower waves, it meant we started with a time penalty, the timer went with the gun so when I crossed the start line the clock had already accumulated 20 minutes and the peloton was a long way up the road.
Qualifying riders had to finish in the top 25% of their category, I was racing in the females aged 40-44, I placed 24th overall in this category.
In September I have the opportunity to travel to Denmark and represent my country, in a world sporting event, I can ride my bike, in the discipline that I’m best suited to, road racing. The course distance is 164.8km with 1330m of climbing, the route profile looks fairly similar to a ride I would complete locally, it looks like the type of terrain I’m used too. I’m excited about the opportunity, going to represent my country, wearing a Team GB kit would be a huge achievement in my life especially now, at this time in my life.
The people of Cambridgeshire were out in force on Sunday, lining the route and their support definitely propelled me along the way. The course was mostly flat but those flat lands are nobodies fool, the headwind that accompanies them more than compensates for the lack of up. I averaged 20mph over the 128km course distance, this was me riding at my maximum, I left nothing behind.
Denmark, see you in September 🙂
Only Girl In The Club 
Congratulations Nicole