Adelaide - Alicante

 Well what a week it has been, I have just returned from Oceania's where I leant heaps. I then stayed a few days in Christchurch and have now arrived in Alicante, Spain for a few weeks.

Thanks for checking my blog out. Sorry there's a bit of writing but lots of pictures at the end, I hope you enjoy! :)

500m Time Trial Podium - Katie, Kaarle and I

I arrived in Adelaide on the 25th November at 1130am along with Cathy and Bradley, we were ready to set up camp at the airport because the rest of our awesome Southland team mates didn't arrive until 730pm! As bad as it sounds the 8 hours at the airport wasn't actually that bad after a few too many coffees haha. Crazy Cathy went for a run during the hottest point of the day, whilst Bradley and I just kept ourselves entertained inside. Cathy was already sunburnt after her 24 hour adventure race the day before in Southland! 

We meet up with the rest of the team and headed off to our accommodation....the Palvos Motel. Once we arrived we got settled in and prepared ourselves for a early wake up call for the most important journey - the food run! We were later warned about the snakes that have been hanging around the track, not just any snake but the brown snakes. One of the most venomous snakes in the world - If you were bitten you had 15mins to live!!

Racing was kicked of with the men and women's team sprint and followed by my first event in session 2 - the 500m time trial. I recorded a 35.562 just inside my current PB and placed me third. I hadn't done a 500 in a while it just reminded me why I don't do them often!

Keirin Round 1 

The following day I had the Keirins (riders are paced by a Motobike/derny then race for 2 1/2 laps). I was very keen to do some racing, my first round went very well I had Kaarle NSW, Katie NZ, Victoria NZ & Tian WA. The top 2 go straight through to the semifinal later that evening. If you don't make it through the riders go through the repercharge to get a second chance of getting into the semifinal. I was lucky enough to make it straight through to the semi's along with Katie, that meant we were both able to go back to our motel to relax and recovery for the evening session.

Keirin Semi-final

My semi final managed to have all the Steph's! Steph Morton SA, Stefanie Fernandez-Preiska NSW & myself also Henrietta NZ, Tian WA & Taylor QLD. The first 3 people go to the 1-6 final and the rest to the 7-12 final. I was just able squeeze in front of Stefanie NSW to get into the top 3 and go through to the 1-6 final along with Taylor and Steph Morton.

The final was in about 90mins so enough time to relax but not enough time to go back to the hotel. The other 3 that joined us in the 1-6 final were Katie NZ, Cassandra NSW and Kaarle NSW - this was sure to be a good race!

I drew 1 so had to take the bike if no one else's wanted it - I had to keep and eye on what was going on behind me, Kaarle came over the top of me with 2 laps to go i then stayed behind her. I was then 'boxed in' I had to be patient until coming into the finishing straight and managed to maneuver around and get 3rd! With Steph Morton taking the win from Kaarle.

Keirin Round 1

Keirin Final, Podium - Kaarle, Steph and I

Keirin final result

Medal winners for the last bit of the session - I'm the lonely New Zealander!

Nick's crash!

The following day was a rest day - I went for a wee coffee ride and that was the highlight I my day. Rest day means feet up and stay off my legs so that's what I did, oh I also did a wee food shop - pretty exciting!

One of my fellow Southland team mates were unlucky and crashed in the U19 Men keirin heats. But Nick Kergozou made it a very spectacular one indeed, unfortunately he came out worse for wear with a clean break in his collarbone - OUCH! It was his first broken bone so being a boy he was pretty stoked, but not so stoked when he was only given panadol to ease the pain! Hope he heals up quick it seems to be he season of broken collarbones after Racquel Sheath's unfortunate crash and then Hayden McCormick the night before. Hope everyone has a speedy recovery!! :)

200m qualifying for sprint rounds

Qualifying and sprint rounds followed my rest day - this was going to be a very, very long day! I recorded a 11.574 not a PB for me but it has been my fastest time for just under 2 years, always got to see the positives! This qualified me 4th just behind Natasha Hansen NZ. Only the top eight go through to the 1/4 finals which is a best of 3. First I was up against my own team mate Katie Schofield NZ - both races were different but I was able to win 2-0.

I meet Kaarle in the semi-finals, I've been very lucky enough to race her a couple of time over the past year and a half and I'm still learning! Kaarle bet me 2-0 but I left everything out on the track, both being close races. I would now ride off for 3rd & 4th against Taylor Jennings QLD.

1/4 final against Katie best of 3

Katie and I - Round 2 

Semi-Final against Kaarle, Round 1

Semi-Final against Kaarle, Round 2

Taylor has been very successful throughout her Junior years becoming double junior world Omnium champ and also other junior world titles to her name. She has now chosen to move back to sprinting, she's a very classy rider. That showed with both of us winning a ride each and having to go to a 3rd and final decider. I ran out of legs in the last race but did what I was told and learnt a lot, Taylor won 2-1 to win the bronze and I settled with a 4th.

3rd & 4th Final, Taylor and 1

Sprint rounds - Stu taking me up to the line

Overall I had a great week on the track coming away with 2 bronze medals and a 4th, I learn't heaps! The support crew we had were wonderful and very talented tire pumpers hahaha. Thank you so much to Dale and Cathy for sticking up with the heat, pumping our tires  running around for us and being super awesome! And also to Stuart my coach thanks for helping and being my coach haha it was a good wee week!

Thanks again for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you have enjoyed reading it and have caught up with what I've been up to.

Catch you soon!

P.S. Photo credit to Mr. Richard Morton (Steph's dad) for most of the images - some awesome pictures!

Steph :)