High5 for Australian Women’s Cycling

A New Program & Pathway for Australia’s Talent. 

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Just one day ahead of the Australian National Road race championship, we are delighted and excited to announce the creation of a new professional women’s NRS cycling team, the High5 Dream Team.

The High5 Dream Team was born at the end of 2014 when Rochelle Gilmore realized that there were many talented Australian female cyclists in need of professional support, guidance and direction.

During the 2014 World Championships in Spain, Gilmore sought advice from Cycling Australia’s High Performance Manager, Kevin Tabotta regarding this initiative to create a professional environment, and pathway to Europe, for Australia’s most talented and promising athletes.

“I had a burning desire to provide for more Australian athletes than my UCI pro team could officially sign”. Gilmore said.

Gilmore owns a women’s international UCI pro team which is British registered and for this reason, the number of Australian athletes who that team can cater for, is limited to three.

Eight athletes have been selected through Cycling Australia’s State Institute network programs to form the High5 Dream Team. These eight talented athletes have been identified as having potential to represent their nation at Commonwealth, World or Olympic level during the next few years.

The High5 Dream Team will participate in the 10 televised NRS races located across the nation throughout 2015. Cycling Australia’s new broadcast deal with FOXSPORTS and GEM will result in more hours of women’s cycling than ever before reaching TV screens in Australia.

An expanded NRS season in 2015 will see two new events in January coincide with two of Australia’s most famous international races – the World Tour Santos Tour Down Under (TDU) and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

It’s almost a given that the new powerful High5 Dream Team will have the potential on paper to dominate the NRS season, however, the team’s main focus will be on racing as a ‘team’ and preparing both physically and mentally for the step into European professional cycling.

The team’s very clear ambitions are to offer guidance on:

  •  How to race as a team.
  •  How to train as a professional.
  •  How to conduct themselves in a professional environment.
  •  How to make a career out of cycling.
  •  How to promote themselves, their sponsors and their team.
  •  What to expect when they make the next step into a European based professional cycling team.

This new NRS team will offer the selected athletes unparalleled coaching assistance through the support of Australia’s State Institutes of Sport whilst Rochelle Gilmore herself will educate these athletes on how to make a career out of cycling – off or alongside the bike.

Gilmore commented, “As a result of our ambitions we hope to raise the profile of women’s cycling in Australia. I will personally educate our athletes on how to promote themselves, their sponsors and their sport…. I’m really looking forward to working with our enthusiastic & motivated athletes!”

Whist Gilmore is very focused on raising the profile of women’s cycling and Australia’s female cyclists, the High5 Dream Team will be managed and directed by Cycling Australia’s most experienced female coach, Donna Rae-Szalinski, of the Victorian Institute of Sport.

“Running this professional NRS team is like a dream come true, I’ll be working in a very professional environment with a group of seriously talented individuals! I’m thriving on the challenge of delivering these athletes to European based pro teams, ready and prepared.”

The team’s partners have committed to 3 year deals in order to demonstrate their commitment to women’s cycling and development of our sport. All partners of the High5 Dream Team will provide top of the line equipment to ensure their athletes are given the maximum opportunity to achieve their sporting goals.

Each athlete will receive the use of three bikes per season; a race bike, time trial bike & a training bike. The race bikes supplied by Wilier & Campagnolo will be their lightest option; the Zero.7 frame equipped with super record electronic EPS components. The TT bikes will be Wilier’s top of the range Twin Blade, also equipped with SR EPS.

Without doubt, this new NRS cycling team will operate at the highest level of professionalism in Australia.

“High5 was the perfect title sponsor choice for this team, the brand represents performance and healthy lifestyles which is very much in-line with our team’s purpose. Our athletes will be wonderful ambassadors of the High5 Nutrition brand.” Gilmore added that High5’s commitment and support has been overwhelming.

The team founder Rochelle Gilmore continued, “The team is also proud to be aligned with the Amy Gillett Foundation. Our cyclists will help raise awareness for safer bike riding for the millions of people who enjoy getting out on their bikes. The Foundation’s national safety campaign a metre matters will sit across the back of our team’s cycling kit as a moving billboard.”

Towards the end of the 2015 NRS season, Gilmore will meet with Cycling Australia’s High Performance Management and the State Institute of Sport coaches to discuss the next step for each of the High5 Dream Team athletes.

“It’s our ambition to assist these athletes in gaining elite national team selections and also, when ready, placing them into European based UCI professional cycling teams” Gilmore added.

To compliment this initiative, Gilmore has also announced that she will provide 5-6 Australian based athletes the opportunity to be selected and sent to Europe for 6 weeks of international UCI racing experience in a professional team environment during August 2015.

Gilmore concludes, “Cycling Australia have offered me invaluable advice & guidance during the past months in order to establish this pathway & environment for 8 very motivated athletes. CA has helped me connect the project into the state institute network pathway. We also acknowledge the invaluable support from the Victorian Institute of Sport in providing access to Donna Rae Szalinski, to lead our new team”

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ATHLETES:

  • KIMBERLEY WELLS | ACTAS Australian Criterium Champion
  • GEORGIA BAKER | TIS 3 x Junior World Champion
  • JESS MUNDY | SASI Australian Madison Champion
  • TESSA FABRY | VIS NRS Battle of the Boarder Winner
  • KENDELLE HODGES | VIS NRS Tour of the Murray Winner
  • ELLEN SKERRITT | QAS NRS Amy’s Race Winner
  • SAM DE RITER | VIS Australian Development Team
  • REBECCA WIASAK | ACTAS World Cup IP Series Winner
  • LAUREN PERRY | TIS Junior World Champion (Associate Athlete)

PROGRAM:

  • Tour Down Under | 17-20 January
  • Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race | 31 January
  • Adelaide Tour | 9-12 April
  • Mersey Valley Tour | 1-3 May
  • Battle on the Border | 22-24 May
  • Tour of the Murray River | 31 July-2 August
  • King Valley Tour | 21-23 August
  • Amy’s Otway Classic | 13 September
  • National Capital Tour | 18-20 September
  • Tour of the Goldfields | 16-18 October

PARTNERS:

  • High5 Sports Nutrition
  • GoExPro
  • Wilier
  • Campagnolo
  • Kask
  • Champion System
  • Oakley
  • State Institutes
  • AGF

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