Well, I’ve healed enough to get back to competition. This might have seemed obvious to anyone who has followed some of my climbing lately, which has been for an approaching goal. But the crash in December didn’t just hurt me, it spooked me. Descending, and even just cornering has caused flutters of anxiety in the past couple of months. But I decided that if I’m going to get anywhere near my goals for this year it was time to take my healed body and confront my lingering damage.

The result wasn’t particularly impressive! Perhaps on past form, I was put in a faster handicap group than I’d raced with before, only three minutes off scratch, and I couldn’t hold on to them. If this was my first race I’d be upset, but I know what I can do and the day was a stronger hit-out than I’ve done in training for a while, so all-good.

Racing around South Gisborne was eerie with the fields and trees scarred from fires there in early February. This was balanced with cuteness – a farmer drove his tractor to the edge of the road with a tray load of small daughters! ‘Go cyclists!’, they shouted to us.

I also got my first shot at one of cycling’s superstitious rituals:

Lucky 13!  (photo: Katrina)

Good to be back racing.