It all started while perched on a gutter drinking coffee in Spain. The group was discussing the Australian summer of racing ahead, and Brodie Chapman asked Luke Plapp, one national time trial champion to another, what he thought was the best way to get ready for the January targets.
The answer from the Bright local, who isn't shy about singing the virtues of his home race, was perhaps a predictable one: "He said, crits and Tour of Bright", recounted Chapman, who didn't hesitate for a second to throw herself into the race organised by the Alpine Cycling Club.
"I know he's right, because the Australian crit scene is really fun. It's not necessarily my strength on paper, but it's just so enjoyable and good for the skills – opens up the lungs," the UAE Team ADQ rider told Cyclingnews straight after she'd done just that at the crowd-pleasing pre-Tour of Bright criterium in the centre of town on Friday evening.
The criterium, which definitely had her working hard in the hot evening weather as she chased down the breakaway and then mixed it up in the finishing sprint, was just the beginning of the appeal for the rider who finished her season in early October.
The location, the chance to catch up with people and see the domestic talent first hand all added to the appeal, as did mixing up her training pattern with something a little different.
"I've had a few weeks of kind of low intensity, just getting the kilometres in, doing some fun rides but now that's what I'm here for, doing some intensity," said the rider who will start her summer of racing with a defence of her time trial title at the Australian Road Championships on Thursday, January 8.
Intensity is something she'll get plenty of at the Tour of Bright, between the two stages that end on surrounding climbs – Tawonga Gap and Mount Buffalo – and the time trial in the middle.
"We have so few time trials throughout the year that any opportunity to have a closed road and have a dig, even if it's real early in the season, is fun," said Chapman.
Chapman initially didn't expect to have her time trial bike on hand but after a change of plans to remain in Australia and prepare for January goals rather than head back for the team training camp, she was re-acquainted with the bike that she rode to fourth in the individual time trial at the Road World Championships and also a rainbow jersey as part of the winning Mixed Relay Team Time Trial squad.
Having her time trial bike for the 17.4km race against the clock on Saturday afternoon will elevate Chapman's position among the favourites, as she takes on last year's winner, Alli Anderson and Tour de l'Avenir podium placer Talia Appleton, who last year came second overall at the Tour of Bright and won the Tawonga gap opening stage.
The Tour of Bright is familiar territory, but the last time Chapman was on the line, it was in her very early days of road racing in 2016, when she was one of the domestic riders looking up to Annemiek van Vleuten, who was the top-tier name in the field. The Dutch cyclist, who rode the time trial on her road bike just as Chapman had originally planned, finished fourth, with the then-rising domestic talent of Lucy Kennedy taking the top spot.
"I feel like Annemiek van Vleuten might have been in the same position as me, knowing it was going to be hard against all the hot Australian talent," said Chapman.
That was proven at the pre-event criterium this week: Chapman came fourth as the final breakaway of six settled the podium with a sprint claimed by Keely Bennett. Regardless of the outcome, the UAE Team ADQ rider set the tone for what's to come, giving her all.
"I'm here to try as hard as I can," said Chapman. "Obviously, you go into every race with the intention to try and win, but at the same time, just have fun. I think the Tour of Bright has got a really strong emphasis on the enjoyable side of road racing and the community.
"I want to enjoy it as well as try and win. I'll have to do a full gas effort up Buffalo," she said of Sunday's deciding stage. "And this is the training race – it is a training block that I came to do – but it doesn't mean that I'm not going to go all out."
