Lack of women at the start line inspires new Victorian cycle race

Frustrated by the lack of women on the start line of her local races, Victoria’s Erin Tully decided to stop waiting for things to change and create a racing opportunity of her own.

The result is the inaugural Queen of the Cobboboonee Women’s Cycling Race, taking place in regional Victoria next month.

The event will be held at Gorae West, near Portland, on Saturday 14 November, featuring a 54km women’s handicap race, a 27km social ride and junior racing.

Originally from Melbourne, Tully discovered her passion for racing after moving to Portland, about 350km west of the city, and joining the local cycling club.

But while she loved the sport, she was often frustrated by the lack of women on the start line.

“Most weeks I would be the only woman racing and I would feel disappointed that there wasn’t more women enjoying the same sport that gave me so much joy,” she said.

Initially, she says she tried encouraging more women to enter existing races, but soon realised a different approach was needed.

“I needed to take a step back and think about how to best foster women’s riding confidence. A women’s-only race was the perfect solution and the Portland Cycling Club readily supported the initiative.”

Tully believes cycling can be an intimidating sport for newcomers, with its speed, specialised equipment, expense and male-dominated culture creating barriers to participation.

“Many women who cycle say they don’t see themselves as ‘cyclists’ and think they can’t race or participate in events for fear of being too slow or inexperienced,” she said.

“The cycling industry is traditionally geared towards men as the default demographic and women are sent a subtle message that this sport isn’t designed for them.”

Those barriers can be even more pronounced when it comes to competitive racing, particularly in regional communities where opportunities are limited.

For Tully, the answer is not simply encouraging women to reach the same starting point as men, but creating environments where they can develop their confidence and ability on their own terms.

“Women don’t achieve in cycling when we reach the same athletic ability as men, instead we achieve when there is space and opportunity for us to achieve our own potential and that’s exactly what our event is facilitating,” she said.

The initiative has attracted support from Portland Cycling Club, major sponsor Pacific Blue Portland Wind Farm, Muze Women and other local and cycling industry supporters.

Muze Women founder Nicole Stanners said supporting Tully’s initiative was an easy decision.

“When Erin first approached me with the idea, I immediately wanted Muze to get behind it,” Stanners said.

“She’d experienced first-hand what it’s like to turn up to races and be one of the only women on the start line, and she wanted to do something about it.

The response has already exceeded Tully’s expectations, with 50 riders signed up ahead of the inaugural event.

“Even though it’s a ‘race’, I believe we have created an environment where every rider wants one another to achieve and have a great time,” she said.

“We are racing with each other, not against, and that sense of community within a race is unique and special.”

By combining a competitive handicap with a social ride and junior racing, the Queen of the Cobboboonee aims to cater for different abilities and experience levels, providing an accessible entry point to competition while bringing the local cycling community together.

The Queen of the Cobboboonee Women’s Cycling Race will take place on Saturday 14 November at Gorae West, near Portland, Victoria.

You can find out more here.