Feature: HelenWyman
After Louise said to me, 'I know how to peak for a race, today I peaked and you beat me fair and square. Nice work.' [It's a] really nice thing to hear from your idol.”
I guess you would never have believed it back then that it would be the first of seven on the trot?
“Ha ha, no not really. I was really good that year, I got fifth at theWorld Championships in Zeddam.”
Pulling on that national champions jersey for the first time must have been a special moment. Is that the win you cherish most - nationals wise?
“That and this year, as I was sick coming into the race and really wasn't even sure if I would race. So I had to race in a different way to normal, but it seemed to work out for me.”
I'd like to talk a bit about this season. Let's take the nationals first. You've just said that this year's is right up there with 2006 and
Photograph©HelenWyman
that you had to adapt to win. How did you do that? What did you change?
“I couldn't just go out hard and drop everyone. I wasn't healthy enough to do that although the form was definitely there. So I waited for the right chance to attack, about three quarters of a lap in, to see if it worked.
Turned out it did work. No one came with me so I just rode my own race and although the gap was only around 10 seconds for the first lap the riders behind couldn't close the gap. Then they just concentrated on their own race.”
You started this season in the USA, winning nine out nine races I believe.
“Yeah, that was fun.” A good experience?
“I loved it. I went two years before but only did three races. This time it was for much longer and we got to experience a lot more ofAmerica than last time.We stayed in host
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housing which also made it a bit more relaxed.”
How did the racing differ?
“The races over there are much better for women: in terms of prize money, we had equal prize money top three in all but one of the races; [and] in terms of publicity. They are really used to giving the women equal billing and everyone was there to watch all the races not just the elite.
I was sick coming into the
Nationals I had to
race in a different way. But
it worked out for me.
In terms of racing inAmerica they have a lot of good racers and two or three of the world's top racers. In Europe we have ten women fighting for the top spot but then not much else filling the gap between those riders and the average ones. InAmerica they could fill the gap a million times. Plus [Katerina] Nash, [Katie] Compton and [Georgia] Gould could all compete with those top ten [European] riders.”
Do you see yourself spending more time over there riding in the future?
Helen prepares to go to work with her Kona team-mates.
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