Junior club member, Millie Donald (14), has been awarded College Sport Wellington Female Cyclist of the Year following a string of successes in 2021.  Millie, who was our Club's Under 19 Rider of the Year this year, has had a sensational year across virtually all disciplines. 

Millie started her year off by winning the Tasman Junior Tour, part of the National Road Series.  Millie dominated the race winning each stage and taking the win on General Classification as well as picking up the Queen of the Mountains and Sprint Ace jerseys.

Attention quickly turned to the track, where Millie won the Wellington Junior Track Championships in an Omnium style event.

The next event on the calendar was the Central Hawkes Bay Junior Tour, the second event of the National Road Series, where Millie again won each stage, winning overall on GC and also taking QOM and Sprint Ace.

Another change of discipline saw Millie taking 2nd in the North Island Schools XC (Cross Country) championships - remarkably the top two in the U15 age group were quicker than the U16, U17 and U20 winners across the same course and distance.

Next up were the Age Group Road Nationals, where Millie took silver medals in both the Time Trial and Road Race.  The Age Group Road Nationals were also the final counting events in the National Road Series, with Millie's results getting her second overall on GC for the series, and winning the QOM and Sprint Ace competitions.

The North Island Schools Road Championships in Cambridge were up next, and a further two silver medals in the Road Race and Criterium.  The North Island Schools Track Championships followed immediately with Millie finishing in 13th place - lack of regular access to an indoor velodrome and competition on the track counting against her.

Winter brings Cyclocross (and lots of mud), and a further two silver medals followed at the North Island Schools Championships and the Age Group National Championships.

Covid intervened, with Schools Cycling events cancelled including the National Road Championships and National MTB Championships.

Millie's final target event for the year was YUNCA Junior Tour of Southland - arguably the biggest junior event on the calendar.  The event is held over six stages across three days.  After a disappointing prologue Millie won the 2nd stage Kermesse in what Cycling New Zealand described as an epic lone breakaway.  This put Millie into yellow, and she strengthened her position by winning the next two stages and picking up time bonuses on the way.  Millie never looked in danger of losing the yellow jersey, taking the win on GC and also winning the green Sprint Ace jersey while just losing out on the QOM jersey on a tie break.

Cycling is a family passion - and the club is thankful also for Mark Donald's assistance with race management and Gill Donald's service as Club Treasurer. 

The podium and road photo are courtesy of Eugene Bonthuys Media, MTB photo courtesy of Lisa Ng Photography, CX photo courtesy of Don Johnson

Article added: Sunday 14 November 2021