An Emirates Airline bungle has forced two-time national champion Gracie Elvin to return to her roots and train on a mountain bike, hindering her preparation for next week's national road championships as her road bike goes on a tour of the Middle East.
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Elvin spent Christmas in New Zealand with her husband Stuart Shaw's family, but when they returned to Canberra on Tuesday their bikes had been sent to Dubai instead.
It's meant she's had to switch to a mountain bike to train on, leaving her "frustrated" as she prepares for the nationals in Ballarat, which start on Wednesday.
The bungle has also meant she's missed out on spending time with her family down on the coast this week.
She'll ride in the women's criterium on Wednesday and then the women's road race on Sunday week.
Elvin has won the latter twice, in 2013-14, and while a big 2016 meant she wasn't specifically trying to win back the Australian road title, she said it was always an important race for her to perform well in.
The 28-year-old started out as a mountain bike rider, winning the Aussie under-23 title, before switching to the road in 2011.
Luckily for the Orica Scott rider, team sponsor Scott gave her a mountain bike to ride for the summer.
"They couldn't locate [the bikes] for about 24 hours so that was a bit frustrating and also a bit nerve-wracking because my bike is obviously worth a lot and my husband's a very good bike too," Elvin said.
"You're always worried about losing them and also we can't train now and we've got a lot of racing coming up - not the ideal preparation.
"It's definitely going to impact my racing ... [but] I think I'll be okay, I don't have a lot of pressure on me going into nationals."
Sad my #RoadNats prep has been hindered by not having bike for what will be three days at best as @emirates @dnataSupport left them in NZ...??? Gracie Elvin (@gracieelvin) December 29, 2016
Elvin's main focus in 2017 will be on the European spring classics in Holland and Belgium.
Her main aim is the Tour of Flanders, which will be one of a number of races where the men and women both have events.
The Amstel Gold - a target of fellow Canberran Michael Matthews - and the Liege Bastogne Liege will also become dual events in 2017.
Elvin was excited at the prospect as the UCI continues its push to bolster women's cycling.
"My favourite one that I'm really aiming for is the Tour of Flanders in Belgium, that's my biggest goal of the next few months," she said.
"And then we've also got ... two new races for the women this season, which align with the men.
"We've got the Amstel Gold and the Liege Bastogne Liege, so that's going to be awesome to do that on the same day as the men - a big deal for us."
Still waiting day 4! Communication, process & delivery doesn't seem to be very customer focused. #ShouldHaveFlownSingapore @EmiratesSupport https://t.co/YrxULiJ4tA??? Stu Shaw (@shawstu) December 30, 2016
She said making the Olympic Games team for Brazil was the highlight of the year and was "very surreal".
Elvin also picked up her third professional win when she defended her Gooik-Geraardsbergen-Gooik title and she finished second in the Ronde van Drenthe.
While her short-term goals lie in Europe's spring, she has a longer gaze focused on the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
She's heard rumours about what the course might be like and combined with her knowledge of the terrain, Elvin thinks it might be a course that suits her - a few small climbs and the potential for a sprint finish.
"I'm really looking forward to the Commonwealth Games in Australia in 2018, that's another big goal that I'm working towards," she said.
"I think Australia can really field a strong team, so I want to make that team and I also want to win the race."
