Alex and Annette Edmondson riding in the 100th anniversary of the Port Noarlunga Handicap
TWO of the state’s greatest cycling exports, siblings Alex and Annette Emondson, have added glamour to the 100th anniversary of the Port Noarlunga Handicap race.
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TWO of the state’s greatest cycling exports, siblings Alex and Annette Emondson, have added glamour to the 100th anniversary of the Port Noarlunga Handicap race.
Registrations for the event close Tuesday with Saturday’s historic race starting from The Range.
Michelton-Scott’s UCI WorldTour gun Alex, Australia’s reigning national road race champion and a world champion and Olympic silver medallist on the track, is bound to be the hunted in a race which his big sister Annette wants to really enjoy.
Norwood Cycling Club’s Port Noarlunga Classic Handicap is the only race with an official UCI category attached to it that has lasted a consecutive century, says long-serving official Barry Skinner.
“I’ve had five and a half weeks off,’’ said Alex after a gruelling WorldTour season which started at the Tour Down Under.
“I did three runs in that time, I needed to refresh more mentally after I finished the Vuelta (a Espana) in Madrid.
“I needed to give my body a good break, I’ve done 26,205km on the bike this year and that’s 929 hours on the bike.
“I’m doing the Tour Down Under, the nationals and the Cadel’s (Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race) but the UCI hasn’t yet released the full program for next year.”
With Alex and Annette catching up in Girona, Spain, for recovery rides, Alex said it was great to be back home with the family during the “off season.”
"We’ve been super lucky, we’ve also had great support from our parents (Steve and Cathy),’’ he said.
“It's a big reason why we are, where we are, because of them.”
With Alex hoping to stay out of trouble and riding from scratch the race is looming to be the first time for Annette who is on her way back to full fitness after a nasty track accident in France caused a frightening concussion.
The world champion, Commonwealth and Olympic medallist was racing with her national track endurance teammates when she crashed heavily in June.
“I think I’m fully recovered but there’s still question marks like forgetfulness and not knowing if it is from the concussion,’’ said Annette.
“If I’m doing a hard session and if I get a really big headache, it makes me think “is that linked.”
“I can’t remember six hours of that day and apparently I kept repeating myself for six hours.”
Annette isn’t sure is she is returning to next year’s women’s Tour Down Under but she is now without a team after Wiggle High 5 founder and owner Rochelle Gilmore decided not to register for the 2019 season.
Annette finished second in the sprint jersey at her home women’s Tour Down Under tour this year after claiming stage 1.
“I’m concentrating more on the track and there’s going to be less times to do the road,’’ Annette said.
“I’ll have to get a team that’s happy for me to do say January and maybe three months in the middle of the year, then I’m keen but at this stage no, the focus is for the Olympic Games.
“The team pursuit is the main priority for Australia and then in the past it’s been the omnium but now we’ve also got the madison (for the first time).
“My goal is to do two events at the Olympics.”
Originally published as Alex and Annette Edmondson riding in the 100th anniversary of the Port Noarlunga Handicap
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