Gold Medal Spectator for Honda Honda Women's Tour

VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA – Oct 7, 2011: Commonwealth Games gold medallist and 2010 Road Cyclist of the Year, Rochelle Gilmore, won’t be defending her stage wins in the 2011 Honda Hybrid Women’s Tour but will attend the Tour as Honda Australia’s Ambassador.

Honda-sponsored Gilmore was involved in two heavy crashes in Europe in recent months, resulting in injuries that have prevented her from competing in the Honda Hybrid Women’s Tour this year. She is currently taking time to recover and prepare for her London Olympic campaign next year.

“I am disappointed not to be able to race the Honda Hybrid Women’s Tour next week, but my long-term health must remain my number one priority,” Gilmore said. “While I won’t be riding, I will enjoy supporting Australia’s best female cyclists as they compete in what is sure to be a fiercely contested Tour.”

Always a passionate promoter of women’s cycling in Australia and internationally, Gilmore is delighted to see the Tour return in 2011.

“The Honda Hybrid Women’s Tour is a great opportunity for female cyclists to compete at the highest level and pit themselves against some of the best in the world, including the women’s national team from Russia who have proven strong competitors in the past.”

“With five stages, the 2011 Tour will be more demanding than the three-stage Tour of 2009. I think the toughest stage for the competitors will be the Arthurs Seat stage, because it’s the penultimate stage finishing on a challenging hill top,” Gilmore said.

Never one to rest for long, Rochelle plans to race in the Noosa Grand Prix series at the end of October to test her health and fitness leading into the rest of the Australian 2011/2012 season.

The Honda Hybrid Women’s Tour runs alongside the UCI-sanctioned Jayco Herald Sun Tour and commences on Wednesday 12 October in Ballarat, Victoria.