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 May 10th, 09. Kiwi Cath Cheatley talks to RoadCycling.co.nz about her success in the Tour of the Gila New Mexico, where she finished just off the podium in fourth place.
"I love racing and I love helping my team to win" Cheatley
Cheatley, the 26 year old "born and bred and proud of it" Wanganui cyclist, is currently based out of Kutztown Pennsylvania with her professional cycling team Colavita/Sutter Home.
Tour of the Gila
Earlier this month Cheatley completed the Tour of the Gila, a five stage tour where she stood on the podium on three days and was fourth on another, finishing fourth overall. Cath recently talked to RoadCycling.co.nz about that tour and the rest of her 2009 season.
Cheatley explained she was not originally on the roster for Gila. " I was going to do the Southeast Crits with our sprinter Tina Pic. Due to some riders being called in to National team events I was asked to step into the tour."
"It was the first time I have ever ridden at altitude. I just went in with an open mind to take things as they came and to do a good job for the team. I hadn't specifically prepared for the tour so I was pretty stoked with my results, especially knocking out a solid TT against some very strong riders." Those riders included the Olympic time trial gold medallist Kristin Armstrong who broke the TT course record this year and went on to win the overall tour title.
Courtesy Colavita/Sutton Home (c)Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us
Cheatley counts the final stage of the Gila, "the Gila monster" as it is known, as her best performance since arriving in the US this season. Cath was second to Armstrong in this gruelling 115km stage that included plenty of hard climbs.
Ups and downs
Whilst the Gila tour is the best she's performed since being in the States this year, Cheatley feels her best performances of 2009 were at the Track World Cup in Beijing this January.
"I felt like I had the track form of the past when I medalled in 2007" she said in reference to her bronze medal in the Points Race at the World Track Championships in 2007.
Unfortunately, with the good sometimes comes the bad. In that event in January Cheatley fell heavily and fractured her hip bone. "I was gutted after the crash .... however, I was lucky enough to have a lot of help and support especially from Physio Mark Holllands and top surgeon Andrew Vincent. This made a big difference to my recovery, so it looks like it's all systems go for the rest of the season!"
This isn't the first year in the US National Racing Circuit (NRC) for Cheatley, she ranked fifth in the NRC for 2008 claiming numerous victories during the year. This year she has been on the podium many times, "but not quite on top just yet!".
Team Colavita/Sutter Home
Cheatley's team, Colavita/Sutter Home, is one of the longest standing and most successful womens teams in the USA. "In the past it has been mainly based around speedster Tina Pic" Cheatley explained. Tina Pic is a five time US National Criterium Champion, she won the NRC in 2008 for the fifth time.
"This year they have developed a team that can win different races from different situations, so that's where I think I play a role. The last few years I have tried to work on my weaknesses so I can be an all round better rider. I love racing and I love helping my team to win" said Cheatley.
Cheatley represented New Zealand at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, competing in the points race on the track and supporting Jo Kiesanowski in the road race. She is a former New Zealand national champion on the road and the track.
Future plans
Cheatley plans to stay racing in the US with her team until the end of August and to also include some track racing. She hopes to have good enough form to make the Road World's team in September this year.
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