Carlee: I wanted to be an ambassador for Gear Up Girl SA because of what the event is trying to encourage; women getting on their bike and enjoying it. I love cycling, and the Gear Up Girl SA ride will be a fun day, where I am sure many more women will realise they love cycling too! The ride is also helping to raise money for Breast Cancer. Needless to say, I am very proud to say that I am an ambassador for this years Gear Up Girl SA ride.
Bike SA: Tell us a little bit about yourself and how your “love affair” with cycling first began?
Carlee: I started competing in the sports of cycling and
triathlon when I was 14 years old, through my dad, as he was a cyclist. I
competed in both sports for a couple of years and won 2x National Triathlon
Championships during this time. However, it got to the point where I had to
choose a sport. I really enjoyed triathlons, but my passion was cycling and I
have never looked back.
Since making that decision I have developed a lot as a
cyclist. In 2008, I won my first National Championship in cycling in the U23
Women's Road Race, and was awarded the Amy Gillett Scholarship which allowed me
to race overseas in Europe for the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) for 6-8
weeks. In 2009-2010, I became a full scholarship holder in the AIS and competed
in Europe for 3-4 months per year. I signed my first professional contract with
an American based team in 2011 with Team TIBCO and won the U23 Womens National
Road Race Championship for the second time. However, my biggest progress has
been in the last two years. In 2012, I spent my first full season racing in
Europe (8 months), and got 3rd in the General Classification of the women's
equivalent of the Tour De France (known as the Route De France), along with
winning my first race in Europe. This year I was a part of Lotto-Belisol
Ladies, where I helped the team leader in a lot of races, and was picked to
represent Australia in the Elite Womens Road Race World Championships. For
2014, I have joined the GreenEDGE family, and have signed with ORICA-AIS. Being
an Australian and riding for an Australian team is something very special and I
am very excited about the year ahead!
Bike SA: 8 out of 10 cyclists in Adelaide are male. What do you think stops more women from getting on bikes?
Carlee: I think the general persona of cycling is that it is a
male orientated sport. Female cycling is getting a lot bigger, both on a
National and Global level, but to the general public this may be hard to see
due to the lack of media. There are a lot more female professional cyclists,
and maybe if the public knew this there might be more women wanting to get on
their bikes. However, I also think a factor that stops women from getting out
on their bikes is their self-confidence. The thought of wearing lycra out in
public and riding up hills, is scary and daunting, but the truth is, it doesn't
matter how far you go or how fast you go, and if you where lycra or not. The
fact that you are getting out there, and enjoying it is the main thing.
Bike SA: Do you have any funny / interesting / ridiculous cycling stories or memories?
Carlee: I've been lucky enough that cycling has taken me to
numerous places over the years, and I've experienced many funny, interesting
and ridiculous moments a long the way. One that comes to mind was when I was
competing in the female Giro D'Italia in 2009. The female Giro D'Italia is not
a small race by any means, but probably the biggest tour on the women's
calendar. Yet, some how, we ended up the wrong way and raced into a dead end
road, which was the entrance to a retirement village! Everyone was pretty
confused, including the lead motorbikes, riders, and all the directors in cars
following the race, but I guess on the positive side of things we all able to
refuel from the team cars and get fresh water when we had to turn around!
Carlee: Try to organise a ride with a friend, and start with a
nice ride along the coast or along one of the nice bike tracks that are in
Adelaide.
Bike SA:Which ride will you do on the day?
Bike SA:Which ride will you do on the day?
Carlee: The hill ride
Bicycle SA is running the Gear Up Girl SA event on Sunday. With 15, 40 and 50 kilometre routes to choose from, this ride gives women from all kinds of cycling backgrounds a great excuse to get the girls together and enjoy a great day out on their bikes.
Read more about the event at bikesa.asn.au/gearupgirl
Bicycle SA is running the Gear Up Girl SA event on Sunday. With 15, 40 and 50 kilometre routes to choose from, this ride gives women from all kinds of cycling backgrounds a great excuse to get the girls together and enjoy a great day out on their bikes.
Read more about the event at bikesa.asn.au/gearupgirl
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