PETA Mullens’ women’s race victory in the Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic meant more to her than just another individual achievement.
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It was a victory for all of women’s cycling as a record breaking women’s field included six finishes in the grueling 262-kilometre race on Saturday.
The 30-year-old’s emotions at the finish line reflected how she felt about her compatriots completing the race with her.
“For me I was really, really excited about 160-kilometres into the ride and there was still six women in the race,” she said.
“I was like ‘oh my god we are going to have six women finish the Melbourne to Warrnambool’ and that got me more excited than the win nearly.
“I think winning the bike race is all good and well but I have won a lot of bike races and I think for me today it was about the women achieving something special and completing the distance was more important than the win.”
The 11-time Australian national champion, who edged out Taryn Heather and Rebecca Wiasak for the victory, said she was hopeful more women would jump on board and give the race a go next year.
“That’s (getting more women entered) is the aim and we have had girls do it in the past and maybe not achieved what we achieved today and it is a bit of a deterrent,” Mullens said.
“I think women inspire women to do amazing things and I think the girls who were brave enough to take to the start line today did that.”
The Bendigo resident, who was bleeding from her left finger at the finish after an incident in the peloton, was unsure if she would ever complete the race after missing out on the finish in her first race in 2016 thanks to a mechanical.
“I thought I would get here by car but I have got here by bike,” she said.
“The way the race played out for the men worked in the favour of the women. For two hours they tried to force a breakaway and it towed us around a bit.
“Then they sat up and let the race go and we were able to recover in the middle and I was waiting for them to hit it at the last 10 kilometres, but they never really did.
“The crosswind was’t completely in their favour and we managed to stay in there for the sprint.”
Mullens is hopeful she can carry the form gathered at the Classic into a series of mountain bike events.
“I take not necessarily physical form out of this but more just next level mental strategy,” she said. “Next weekend I race the Otway Odyssey, which is a 100-kilometre mountain bike race in forest, and the day after that is a gravel race in forest.
“Mentally it is nice to be able to get through the race and tick that off.”
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Sean Hardeman
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
