SUVelo is known for supporting women’s racing as well as the development of all riders.
The club runs separate women’s grades at club races and Come’N’Try racing for new racers. Women contributed significant points over the four years in a row we won the NSW Club Premiership and the last two years winning Battle of the Bridge and Judgement Day. We have links with NRS teams Sydney Uni – Staminade and Nero KOM Racing, and club riders racing almost every weekend.
The club will build on these initiatives through a women’s racing team coordinated by Lisa Antill (pictured second from left above) who is an ex-NRS rider, Canberra Women’s Tour Winner and 2 times Australian Masters Champion. The team will race a calendar of local and state races, with each rider having individual and team goals for maximum improvement and growth. We will collaborate with other Sydney clubs to target similar races, aiming to grow women’s bunches and therefore experience higher quality racing. Our unique link with Sydney Uni – Staminade allows us to set up a mentor program, buddying club racers with Staminade riders to learn from their experience and skills. We will use Turbo Studio Thursday morning sessions to work on race craft and skills. There are likely to be other benefits which are not yet finalised.
Our Women’s Racing Team will be a program available to women within racing@SUVelo and share the same uniform as other male and female racers in the club. However because the issues that inhibit women from racing are different to men, the club believes that we need a specific program of initiatives within a nurturing environment to get women racing more often.
The women’s racing team is available to female club members of any level.
We will have an informal get together on Wednesday 12 December to provide more info, discuss next year’s calendar, goals and answer any questions. If you know women thinking about racing, please give them a nudge and encourage them to sign up or come to the info night. For newcomers to racing, there is a Come’N’Try morning this Sunday 25 November, run by Emlyn Simpson.
