Pippa
Handley - 1st Woman in the Trossachs
Monday 2nd October, 2006
by Ed Hood
Congratulation, Pippa, on being Best Woman
in the Tour de Trossachs. How was it? "Thanks. I was
quite happy with my time. I’m not really into hills so on a
hilly course like that I was rather pleased with the result. I got
1:20:….44, I think it was and the closest female was around
1:26 so I was pleased with the margin."
How many women took part? "There
were….Hang on I’ve got the start sheet here…There
were 10."
Can you describe how your race went?
"Well, basically I was a bit concerned about the hills –
the Duke's Pass – I was a bit worried about that because I don’t
do hills very well so I just hit it slowly and kept a good tempo uphill
because I knew once you get to the top it’s actually quite a
false top and it does continue to rise for about another …half
mile, I think so it’s important to keep it going, to keep a
good rhythm going and not to panic when you’re getting tired
and your legs are starting to hurt.
"Once I came down off the Duke's Pass and
was on the descent, I’m quite good at descending so I got down
fairly quickly and started to catch a few folk which kept the momentum
going quite well. It was very slippery so I took it easy on the bends.
Then when I was back on the main road, I gave it all I had left. I
was very pleased with the result. It was a good day for me."
How did you get into the sport?
"I started cycling when I was quite young. I had problems with
my knees and a physio told me that cycling would help. After that
I kept it up for transport reasons mainly. Then when I came to Edinburgh
to do my nurse’s training a member of the Edinburgh Road Club
passed me, suggested I join and that was it really."
You’ve been cycling since you were
a wee lassie then? "Yeah. Since I was about seven or
eight, but I started serious cycling only about two and half –
three years ago."
Which discipline do you like best, road,
track or time trial? "I think at the moment I prefer
time trial but that’s only because I’m doing quite well
at it. Once I get my road sorted out I think I’ll like that
better. The thought of getting over the line first rather than waiting
for times to come up will be more of a thrill."
What kind of equipment do you have?
"I just recently bought a Kyota which is time trial specific and
is absolutely beautiful and last year’s time trial bike is now
my road bike so I’ve got two absolutely beautiful bikes and another
older one for track." They’re expensive, of course. Do you
get any help? "My club, Edinburgh Road Club is very supportive
and the bicycleworks are helping me out with good deals, etc. They sponsor
the club."
How much training do you do? "At
the moment about 17 to 20 hours a week. Also it goes up during the
winter."
Which performances have given you the most
satisfaction? "I came seventh in the British time trials
which I didn’t expect – it came as a bit of a shock more
than anything else. Then there was the team win at the Scottish 25
Mile TT Champs and 9th in the British 10 Mile TT Champs, and then
most recently 'Best Woman in the Tour de Trossachs'."
So you’re happy with 2006, then?
"Extremely! Absolutely! I can’t quite believe it actually."
Do you think that women’s cycling
gets a fair crack of the whip in Scotland? "In time
trialling, yes, because you’re going against the clock anyway
but in road racing you have to go to Britain to experience road racing
properly because there are only four of us who properly road race
in Scotland so it’s disappeared virtually. I think road racing
in Scotland for women at the moment is dire, to be honest."
Do you get much help from the ERC?
"A huge amount. They are so supportive; from coaching –
my coach is a guy at the ERC – to all kinds of help. Even those
who don’t race are always there to shout for me and give me
support and all sorts of things, accommodation…it’s amazing.
Then there’s the social life and the spirit among the other
members – it’s a good club, a very good club."
Do you have any goals for the future –
the Commonwealth Games, for example? "I‘d love
to but I don’t know whether that’s realistic or not. I’d
love to get into that team. But my real goal is to keep on cycling.
As long as I’m enjoying it I’ll keep on doing it. Next
year I’ll probably be going down to England a lot more –
full time trials, the women’s series road races, stuff like
that."
Thanks, Pippa and good luck.
VeloResults will be right behind you.
