Fairytale return for young rider
A TEARFUL Courteney Lowe admitted she had contemplated life without cycling as she attempted to come to terms with a blocked artery in her left leg last year.
Six months later, the 21-year-old from Tauranga is the national women’s road champion after an incredible win in Christchurch yesterday, in her first major race since surgery on that leg last September.
‘‘It’s pretty huge, I didn’t even know I was going to be doing [the nationals] so I’m pretty excited,’’ Lowe said as she choked back the tears following victory in the 120.5km race, having outsprinted the likes of time trial star Linda Villumsen and seasoned professional Jo Kiesanowski down the final stretch.
‘‘I didn’t know if I could carry on riding. I had surgery in September and it was pretty emotional. I had two months off but Andy Reid, my coach, supported me and stayed with me and he got me through it. It’s thanks to Andy and my mum and dad for supporting me.’’
Lowe’s parents, Rick Lowe and Anne Butcher, were on hand to witness the emotional victory, achieved when Lowe prevailed in a thrilling sprint finish involving eight riders and after six gruelling climbs of Dyers Pass Rd in Cashmere.
Auckland teenager Georgia Williams, a former world junior track medallist, was second with threetime Olympian Kiesanowski, the 2003 champion, third.
I had surgery in September and it was pretty emotional ... I didn’t even know I was going to be doing [the nationals] so I’m pretty excited. Courteney Lowe
Villumsen, the four-time world championship time-trial medallist, led the group around the final bend but couldn’t hold off the challengers and finished eighth.
‘‘I was pretty nervous, my legs were like jelly,’’ said Lowe, who atoned for her runner-up finish to triathlete Nicky Samuels last year.
‘‘There was so much bumping and near-crashes coming up to the finish but I knew if I just stayed calm and stayed near Jo and Linda, that I would be OK. I probably left it quite late, but obviously it worked. My last race was in August in Aspen, which I didn’t finish, so I’m pretty overwhelmed. I didn’t know I could do it.’’
The Tauranga product who started cycling seven years ago rode for United States professional team Optum last year before the blocked artery, something which had made her ‘‘think about what it would be like without riding’’.
‘‘I had the option to not do surgery, because I could’ve carried on life without it, but people like (NZ cyclists) Cath Cheatley and Josh Atkins had had it and I talked to them about it and there was no way I couldn’t ride my bike. There was no option.’’
She described yesterday’s race as one of the hardest she had ever done, because of the ‘‘ brutal’’ climbs up Dyers Pass Rd and the searing Canterbury heat.
The last of eight laps did not include the climb, a change from past editions, which meant more riders could cling to the leaders and helped produce the most exciting finish the suburban Chistchurch course had seen.