In around eight weeks time, I’ll be taking on the 110km UCI Tour de Brisbane. This will be the second UCI sanctioned race in my totally illustrious bike racing career. The Tour de Brisbane is a road event, one of only two Australian Qualifiers for the 2024 Gran Fondo World Championships.

My goal for this event isn’t to qualify though. I’ll be on Domestique duties for Bec. Her target is to put in a respectable time and if all goes well, secure a qualification spot. My job on the day will be to keep her out of the wind, out of trouble, and in contention.

On paper, this should be “easier” than the similar-length UCI Gravelista qualifier that I raced survived last year. Although it’s a similar distance, there’s far less climbing and it’s all sealed (and fully closed roads). There is only one major climb, Mount Coot-tha, positioned towards the end of the race. If all goes to plan, I’ll have gassed myself by the time we hit the base of the climb, so that Bec arrives relatively fresh. It’ll be where many of the attacks and splits will be made. Apart from Coot-tha, the majority of the course is smooth, fast, and undulating.

All of my training has been laid out in TrainingPeaks. I’ve been following a program packed with VO2 intervals (a weakness of mine), climbing drills, and plenty of Zone 2 endurance. While I don’t feel any different or any fitter, my numbers seem to be heading in the right direction. Hopefully over the following eight weeks I can squeeze out a few more gains!