tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214180832011-04-21T17:52:39.765-07:00Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.comBlogger1091100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-57316294083006517522009-01-02T11:16:00.000-08:002009-01-02T11:36:55.940-08:00

I haven't had much of a chance to do much the last few days due to our time spent in the mountains.  The weather has been great, lots of blue sky and about -5 degrees up there which means you don't get too hot while skiing along.  We have been mainly cross-country skiing....it is great to get out and explore different parts of the forest and it has been packed on the downhill slopes, lots of lift

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-63250229285385496992008-12-28T12:31:00.000-08:002008-12-28T12:40:30.125-08:00

Yesterday we were up in Oberhof to watch the Nordic Combination World Cup which is the ski-jumping and then skiing.  I always thought that people watching winter sport were very excited (or a little drunk) because they were always dancing but after 5 hours yesterday in - 6 degrees (felt a whole lot less with some windchill thrown in)...I quickly realised that people are dancing so they can retain

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-6925007796631445152008-12-25T12:41:00.000-08:002008-12-28T12:56:58.089-08:00

Merry Christmas and Frohe Weihnachten to all.

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-83165390557254913692008-12-14T09:12:00.001-08:002008-12-14T10:03:22.488-08:00

It has been a great week here in wintery Germany.  I have been baking, swimming, bike riding, cross-country skiing and Christmas market visiting.  I have been back to the Erfurt Christmas market and then yesterday we were in Dresden, visiting good friends Angela and Stefan Henig.  I really like the feel of Dresden, it has a good feeling about....but I think many people have the same idea and the

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-90730726850018125892008-12-08T01:47:00.001-08:002008-12-08T02:04:46.519-08:00

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-10310676091514811352008-12-07T00:26:00.000-08:002008-12-08T01:47:08.995-08:00

Yesterday dawned quite rainy and cold and I found myself disappointed that it wasn't snowing....rather than accepting the weather situation and enjoying the down time, I had that niggling feeling of wanting to get out and enjoy a 'real' winter.  Instead we had a quite morning and then in the afternoon headed out and about.  We drove up to Leipzig to meet some friends of Gunnar and I had my 3rd

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1340822832291466832008-12-06T04:36:00.000-08:002008-12-08T02:07:39.073-08:00

Today is Saint Nikolaus day in Germany.  Last night before bed we had to clean a pair of shoes and put them out for St Nikolaus.  The way it goes is that if you have been good throughout the year and cleaned your shoes then St Nikolaus puts a treat in them.  I think this is a big day for the kiddies but I thought it was great as well....what fun....more presents!! I must have been good this year

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-13491543183423003872008-12-04T21:29:00.000-08:002008-12-04T21:48:04.414-08:00

Yet again I begin this blog lamenting the fact that it has been so long since my last one.  So much has happened since I last wrote and I haven't really had the chance to sit down and put pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard!I have now officially retired as a professional cyclist...my last race was the World Championships at the end of September.  Since then I have had holidays in Spain, some

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-75990196974008789552008-09-12T00:52:00.000-07:002008-09-12T00:54:52.574-07:00

(I wrote this blog awhile ago but it has taken me some time to post)The hype of the Olympics is over.....what now?? It is hard not to get caught up in it allI am now in Italy in the team apartment near Bergamo. I flew down on Friday which is always a bit of an epic...drive to the train station, wrestle my bike bag and suitcase onto the train, find somewhere I can shove the bike, wrestle

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-30123992614499491842008-08-04T02:06:00.000-07:002008-08-04T02:44:21.773-07:00

First two photos from CJ Farquarhson (www.womenscycling.net). In the TTT I am 5th in line.I am back in Germany after a really nice week in Sweden. We were blessed with great weather, good hotels, nice little town near by and close proximity to a lake for a bit of swimming. Unfortunately my health is still not 100%, but my time in Sweden did allow for some good recovery and some gentle rides. I

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-21086985313518887022008-07-28T11:42:00.000-07:002008-07-28T12:30:00.439-07:00

I am writing from the Swedish town of Alingsas, a nice little town about 50km from Gothenburg. I haven't had the last two weeks I had planned, my body hasn't bounced out of the last block of racing as well as I would have liked and I have been battling with trying to get it on track. I had to pull out of Thueringen Rundfahrt last week, the husky voice courtesy of the laryngitis I seemed to have

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-45752518823164816542008-07-17T10:18:00.000-07:002008-07-17T12:26:14.788-07:00

My resolve to post every Monday has obviously not come about but I have now found a relatively quite moment to write a post. Unfortunately the time I often have does not coincide with internet access and my computer has been less than helpful....it is hanging on to dear life by a thread.I am back in Germany after a satisfying and successful few weeks in Italy for the Giro d'Italia Feminin. We

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-14141635896671416472008-06-14T05:00:00.000-07:002008-06-14T05:20:07.686-07:00

Photos courtesy of Mitch Friedman: www.mitchophoto.comThe journey begins for me to come home at last…..I have had a full on last two months it seems and now finally from Prince Edward Island I can make my way back to Germany. It is quite an arduous task….a 17 hour bus trip, 3 separate flights, then a car drive….home is still 2 days away but I am heading in the right direction.I have had a really

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-91353239043592646882008-06-02T09:12:00.000-07:002008-06-02T09:18:00.035-07:00

I am in Montreal at the moment doing a block of racing. It has been a big month of racing so far with several weeks to go before I can head back 'home' to Germany and take a little rest. It has been a successful run and it has been great to be part of a team getting results, what do they say, "winners are grinners". The good run started off when Susanne won the very tough World Cup in Bern

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-74795755715453729492008-05-13T04:16:00.000-07:002008-05-13T04:36:29.635-07:00

Things are starting to come together for me over here, I have had a really nice couple of weeks. I am enjoying my time in Italy and last week was especially good as Gunnar joined me down here. He came down to the World Cup in Bern (not a career highlight for me but great for the team as Susanne won), and we drove back to Italy, staying two nights near Varese then heading down to Novellara.

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-909951410135487592008-04-26T00:55:00.000-07:002008-04-26T01:03:30.281-07:00

More than another month has gone by without a blog....what happened to my weekly routine?? Unfortunately things haven't been going as smoothly as I would have liked and to sit down and write about it hasn't improved the situation so I have been using the avoidance strategy.It is a sunny, 18 degree day and I am in Luxembourg with the team for a race this afternoon. It is my first time here in

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-11460285038284053362008-03-22T04:59:00.000-07:002008-03-24T12:40:14.668-07:00

Happy Easter to everyone! It is not very spring-like here in Germany, instead there is a lot of The trees adorned with Easter eggs are surrounded by snow which makes them appear very Christmas like.I have not been very well the last few days, after feeling really not like myself for over a week. I took myself off to the doctor on Wednesday and he diagnosed an ear infection and inflamed

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-72096658553051518632008-03-12T07:08:00.001-07:002008-03-12T07:13:13.868-07:00

Thank God the sun has come out to greet us and we have been able to get out on the roads for some nice training. Today was a glorious day, I went out in the thermal kit but quickly warmed up. We headed north from where I am staying and after 40mins or so turned onto a 12km climb...nice to have the hills so close. The photos are from the top, it was a lovely view. I can't wait to get to Germany

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-63136719082291267702008-03-09T23:37:00.000-07:002008-03-09T23:49:48.901-07:00

It has been under a week since I left home and I am missing things already....it didn't take long! It has been a bit of a crash course of a week since I arrived home from New Zealand last Monday morning, left for Europe on Wednesday and arrived in Milan on Thursday...it was 0 degrees but sunny and dry. Since Thursday I haven't seen a glimpse of blue sky and the last days have been a bit of a

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-17876325114310704422008-02-27T23:10:00.000-08:002008-02-27T23:21:22.620-08:00

It has been a long time since blogs (it seems this is the way that I begin most blogs these days). It has been an eventful summer that has nearly come to a close. The racing has begun for the season and we are now OS for the first week of racing. Luckily OS is only across the seas in New Zealand so we can warm ourselves into the season with the luxury of English tv and good weather. In

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-49965885234863792912008-01-04T19:57:00.001-08:002008-01-04T20:29:45.578-08:00

New Years Eve on Sydney Harbour. We had prime position looking straight across to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. It was a lovely evening, nice and warm with only some scattered clouds and the words 'Jesus saves' sky-written...mmmm....not sure who was responsible for that one. The fireworks were very pretty indeed and it was a great way to usher in the new year. All the

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-78849668644071076512007-12-23T22:35:00.000-08:002007-12-23T22:48:42.152-08:00

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, I hope everyone has friends and family to celebrate with and enjoy this holiday period.It has been a long time since my last blog but so much has been happening in the last days, weeks and months. The days have been flying by and there has seemed to be no time to put some thoughts on paper (actually on screen). The weeks have been a blur of training rides,

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-66714019779272378552007-11-15T22:35:00.000-08:002007-11-16T20:41:19.331-08:00

I have been meaning to write a blog about my last weekend in Europe all week but the time has just flown by. We had a really interesting weekend and driving down to Italy from Germany through lots of snow to be greeted by sunshine in Italy was a great way to start it. We headed down on Friday and by the time we arrived in Bellagio it was dark. We drove up the steep climb from the lake towards

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-32353485053105212422007-11-05T06:43:00.000-08:002007-11-05T06:53:55.151-08:00

My last weeks in Germany are passing quickly. I spent most of last week getting back into training and trying to finish my last uni assignment. The weather was more conducive to studying than exercising outdoors but it is scary how quickly you get used to it. This morning I woke up to sunny blue skies which was exciting and exclaimed to Gunnar, "its 5 degrees - that's warm!"...and I wasn't being

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-17246950606725624482007-10-26T12:08:00.000-07:002007-10-26T12:24:37.670-07:00

The weather has been decidedly wintery this last week or so in Germany. It was been as cold as -2 degrees at night with max temps climbing up to a not-so-balmy 4 degrees which has taken some getting used to. The good news is that the house is very warm and cosy, and when you go for a run in 2 degrees you don't get up too much of a sweat! Michelle, my Aussie friend was here for a few days this

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-54144971761186603102007-10-17T09:33:00.000-07:002007-10-21T06:13:05.791-07:00

The holidays are over and I am back 'home' in Germany, time to adjust back to 'normal' life (I'm not sure that I know what one of those entails!).The last days in Rome were fantastic. The days flew by in a whirl of ancient ruins, amazing museums, cappuccino's, great pasta, yummy pastries, delicious gelati, creamy cafe macchiato's, smooth red wines....this list definitely has a bias towards items

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-20972651736641026782007-10-12T08:34:00.000-07:002007-10-12T08:37:10.894-07:00

Just a short post to wish uncle Graham a very Happy Birthday for Sunday....whatever you do get up to, I hope you enjoy it :) For aunty Cheryl, we did have gelati from the place close to Trevi Fountain last night....the meringue with hazelnuts was spectacular :)Have a good weekend everybody

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-5971624456544174592007-10-11T08:53:00.000-07:002007-10-15T13:22:55.915-07:00

I have journeyed some to Rome, a crazy, fascinating and enchanting city. My Sydney friends, Sam and Heather McGovern are based here for a few months for work and it has been great to see them and see how well they have integrated themselves into the city. I think it is well and truly agreeing with them....Heather has charmed all the local old men, from doorman to butcher and Sam has nearly

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-83131795193950497672007-10-06T23:06:00.000-07:002007-10-06T23:27:12.237-07:00

It is my morning of departure from Slovenia and I am sad to be leaving. As with most places that you travel to, you think that of course you will be back again but often that is not the case...there are so many places to see and explore in the world.Since my last blog we had some more amazing days in Bled and its surroundings. Lake Bohinj is gorgeous, and the hiking around the area was

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-51462265030153782302007-10-03T00:45:00.000-07:002007-10-15T11:58:37.977-07:00

It has been a long time since my last blog and so much has happened....Tuscany for racing, Novellara for visiting, Stuttgart for spectating and now I am in Bled, Slovenia for some holiday time.My uni friend Mich and I arrived here early on Monday morning after quite a comic train trip from Stuttgart.The first day here we walked around the lake which is incredible, sussed out the town, walked up

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-75312297481359779032007-09-14T08:49:00.000-07:002007-09-14T09:02:43.536-07:00

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-29929075093573188752007-09-12T10:04:00.000-07:002007-09-12T11:00:59.956-07:00

It has been awhile since my last blog, I have made the rounds around western Europe and packed in quite a few racing days. I was meant to head to Italy for a week of training and catching up with some Italian friends, however my plans were changed as our team was down one rider due to injury and so I headed to Holland for 6 days of racing. I raced in Holland for the last two seasons with a Dutch

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-59704907574855035912007-08-24T08:17:00.000-07:002007-08-24T08:27:57.882-07:00

I managed to survive the tour in France....all in all it was a good tour. We had some long days toward the end, a double stage day on the Wednesday in the rain and then 155km stage the next day. We finished the tour in the mountains on the eastern border of France, a really beautiful place that I would love to go back to and explore. The last two days we finished and then started in a place

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-34836281315028288242007-08-13T12:47:00.000-07:002007-08-13T12:51:27.761-07:00

I am in Beauvais in France having completed the prologue and the first two stages of Route de France. We began on Saturday in a lovely coastal village called Fecamp in Normandy and we are working out way south-west to finish in the Vogesen region (much hiller than where we began). So far the racing as been pretty fast (thanks to the tailwind for much of the last 250km of racing)…it is a little

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-56358911421953449212007-08-03T00:49:00.000-07:002007-08-03T00:59:18.831-07:00

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-56238884047323978582007-07-29T11:55:00.000-07:002007-07-29T12:01:31.396-07:00

I've just gotten home after racing a tough 6 days through the eastern part of Thueringen. We did lots of climbing, suffering in the cross-winds and racing through torrential rain...I tried my luck on the first few days with some break-away attempts that were unfortunately not fruitful. I wore the white sprinters jersey for a day (very funny for everyone who is aware of my sprinting prowess) and

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-31442411970475676072007-07-24T02:50:00.000-07:002007-07-24T02:57:54.356-07:00

I have enjoyed a week of sunshine and being at home. The second semester of uni has begun and I have been trying to get on top of it early before the travel and lack of internet access begins. I also took the time to go and get a hair cut that was much overdue. This in itself is not a newsworthy piece but while sitting at the hairdresser I had some time to reflect on the various interesting

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-41349398709584822872007-07-16T12:51:00.000-07:002007-07-16T13:10:35.150-07:00

Its good having people to chase in a TTNot looking happy at the prospect of the next stage :)I am back home after being away for a week and the temperature is 24 degrees warmer than when I left....crazy! The Germans have taken this spurt of summer with good humour and in the Sunday paper there was 48 tips for a 48 hour summer....its likely that that is how long this good weather will last....So

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-43700983962197319992007-07-09T03:14:00.001-07:002007-07-09T03:49:46.181-07:00

After some weeks in not so summery German weather, dodging rain clouds and getting blown around from the crazy winds, I was ready to race again and escape training by myself. We had two days of racing in Braunschweig, 200km north of where I live in Germany and we were graced with good weather and some blue skies. Saturday was a 40km crit in the evening and after several weeks with no racing the

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-87291238982191798652007-07-06T07:19:00.000-07:002007-07-09T03:13:53.585-07:00

Indy has tagged me and I'm normally not into these things but I have been very impressed with how her and Ken are going in the "Guamazing Race" that I figure I should be a sport about it. So.... 1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-90358056327519870532007-06-24T08:33:00.000-07:002007-06-24T08:57:36.332-07:00

It doesn't matter which language you use, Prague is truly a beautiful city with a great atmosphere. In order to make the most of my time off the bike, Gunnar and I decided to head to Prague for a brief visit. We were only there for one night which meant a lot of walking in the two days to see the sights. We made it back feeling very satisfied with our trip, but with aching legs and feet....its

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-60042863546628915692007-06-19T09:11:00.000-07:002007-06-19T09:19:50.443-07:00

After many hours of travel in many forms I have eventually made it back 'home'. We had one last morning in Montreal before our flight, it was a beautiful day and I am glad that we got to see the city in a good light before leaving. We went to the 'Le Monde du Corps' at the Montreal Science Museum which was an amazing exhibition of human bodies in many forms, with some dissections that I would

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-81308112964209932812007-06-13T11:05:00.000-07:002007-06-16T10:22:17.071-07:00

It seems like quite a lot has happened since my last blog...the highlights of which haven't been on the bike! I thought Summerside where we first started was pretty but it doesn't really compare to the green, hilly interior and north coast of the island. Our first stage of the tour was harder than expected on a relatively flat circuit around Summerside. The sun was shining but the wind was

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-7041211461421374982007-06-09T15:37:00.000-07:002007-06-09T15:51:04.868-07:00

After a not super enjoyable week in Montreal that concluded with we catching a stomach bug that knocked me about and meant that I didn't finish the tour....we have moved to greener pastures quite literally. Yesterday morning we boarded our coaches, and reminiscent of a school bus trip, only slightly longer....16 hrs later we arrived in Prince Edward Island. We couldn't really appreciate the

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-88022329437793556862007-06-07T09:19:00.000-07:002007-06-07T09:47:39.505-07:00

Photos courtesy of Andrea Brewer, CJ Farquarhson and Si Truc Phan.This week in Montreal has been a bit of rollercoaster ride...as is often our lives, being full-time athletes. We have raced in thunderstorms, torrential rain, on extremely dangerous circuits and in the cold....my motivation has been up and down and there have been quite a few moments where I have been questioning what I am doing in

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-16145300890089195652007-06-03T14:46:00.001-07:002007-06-03T14:56:35.053-07:00

Yesterday I raced my first ever race in Canada - the World Cup in Montreal. It was a really tough race, exacerbated by a pretty hefty dose of jet-lag and some very humid conditions. I had alternating good and bad laps yesterday and at the end of the 11 laps the result wasn't too terrible...I finished in the 2nd main group behind a highly fragmented first 20 riders.Today is our 'day off' before

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-65543848805533471542007-05-31T09:12:00.000-07:002007-05-31T09:26:23.309-07:00

Last Sunday after spending the afternoon inside watching live coverage of the Giro d'Italia and watching all those men suffer in the hills we decided to get out and get some fresh air ourselves. The area in which I live is home to the "Drei Gleichen"....three castles dotted on hilltops that form a triangle. Only one of the 3 castles is still standing, the other two are ruins and we decided to

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-82290716215116380512007-05-26T05:19:00.000-07:002007-05-26T08:25:54.875-07:00

Those cobbles are nasty in heels!Gunnar had his uni graduation ceremony and ball yesterday after completing his degree in 'Wirtschaftwissenschaften'....what a word! That means Economic Science for the rest of us who enjoy a language where the words are a little bit shorter and easier to pronounce!It was a good excuse to put on a pretty dress, wear some high heels and attempt to understand what

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-51644452575971534932007-05-21T01:38:00.000-07:002007-05-21T02:00:46.944-07:00

I am lucky enough to be on ‘training camp’ for a brief 4 day trip to Majorca. This island off the east coast of Spain is a favourite training place for German cyclists in particular. All the other girls in my team have been here between 10 and 20 times each and find it unbelievable that I have never ventured to Majorca to train….but I don’t have a winter to escape, and I have to say Sydney offers

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-71897115129770236902007-05-07T02:47:00.000-07:002007-05-07T03:16:36.481-07:00

I am home again after a 4 day tour in Czech Republic and Poland....with 425km of racing under my belt, 1800km or so of driving and 7 new stamps in my passport :) What a week! I am really happy with how the week turned out, despite the 10 degrees and rain that we raced in yesterday! There was a good field, some tough racing, pretty countryside in the mountains of eastern Czech Republic and some

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-48149536112583389132007-05-01T08:15:00.000-07:002007-05-01T08:24:29.055-07:00

I am a little behind with my blog news after some travel time and not much computer time. The weekend before last I raced my first Bundesliga (German National Series) race, because I am a foreigner I can't gain points in the series and was kind of racing as an individual, hence a national team jersey. It was a pretty tough little race, with some good climbs and nasty bits of road. From Karbach in

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1415743539086909542007-04-27T01:34:00.000-07:002007-05-01T08:13:47.324-07:00

An example of a lazy piece of blogging....throught I could just post a photo and everyone would be happy :) This was a photo the evening after Gunnar's last uni exam ever...we'd just cracked open a bottle of Moet and were getting snap happy :)

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-65769386038980092982007-04-19T13:30:00.000-07:002007-04-19T13:34:45.453-07:00

Any excuse for a party!

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-27587558329726311412007-04-16T11:14:00.000-07:002007-04-16T11:32:37.778-07:00

Since my last blog summer really has come to Germany...I did the swift transition from thermal knicks and jacket on the bike to just knicks and a jersey. Last week I was doing the happy dance when it got to 15 degrees and this week the happy dance has become frenetic as the mercury hit 28 degrees. We have had 3 days of 'not a cloud in the sky' weather, great for riding and bbq's.Apart from the

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-47718279341256417882007-04-09T13:38:00.000-07:002007-04-09T14:03:12.923-07:00

Happy Easter to everyone...I hope everyone had a good weekend with friends and family. I have had a full weekend (and that's not just my belly!). On Saturday morning I drove to Belgium for the notorious spring classic...Tour of Flanders. It is hard to describe this race to people who don't know of it or haven't seen it before. It is an absolute minefield of potential disasters...crashes,

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-38679305404829415342007-04-02T01:55:00.000-07:002007-04-03T01:01:58.461-07:00

On the weekend, team Getraenke-Hoffmann headed to the north of Germany for two days of racing. It was a good opportunity to have some low-key racing with the girls before Flanders next weekend. We had two solid days of racing, under sunny (but still chilly) skies. The team dominated the racing, Theresa won on the Saturday and I was 2nd, with Claudia Hecht 3rd. Yesterday we started attacking early

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-88129393488682793742007-04-02T01:47:00.000-07:002007-04-02T01:54:55.429-07:00

Sending out a big hearty Congratulations to my champion little sister who yesterday won the points score at the World Track Championships in Palma, Mallorca!! A very exciting day for all....I was driving home from the north of Germany when the news came through and was jumping up and down on the back seat with no real celebration possible! I wish I was there but luckily Richie and Gary were there

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-4946774060035144772007-03-22T10:01:00.000-07:002007-03-22T10:19:41.877-07:00

Another day of playing in the snow.....a sad looking snow man and a broken little wooden sled....after a good life of 20 years, today we managed to break the poor thing with a crash down one of the hills....whoops!We finished the afternoon off with JagerTee in a warm, very cosy bar in Oberhof.

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-64678932747119060112007-03-22T01:03:00.000-07:002007-03-22T01:16:56.964-07:00

It all started on Tuesday when we went riding and were snowed on....we got home and then the snow really started, a bit of a treat for this little Aussie who hasn't seen much snow falling in her years so it was a little bit of a thrill. The snow continued through the night and we awoke to more big snowflakes falling so we decided to drive up to the closest ski-resort town of Oberhof which is

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-22786289407872955812007-03-19T00:57:00.000-07:002007-03-19T01:03:37.379-07:00

I have been here a week now, and although still dropping off at 8:30pm I am rather settled. After a first few days of glorious sunshine the weather got a little bit colder and the thermal pants, jacket, hat, gloves and booties were all pulled out. On Friday we went riding in the mountains...the second picture is me riding up to Oberhof next to the big ski-jumping...'jump'....it is amazing how

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-23662377831939055342007-03-13T06:51:00.000-07:002007-03-13T07:04:47.458-07:00

I was both sad and excited to get on the plane to come to Germany last Saturday. It was sad to leave behind friends and family after such an enjoyable summer in Sydney, and such a good life that I have at home. I am excited about my upcoming year, joining a new team and being based in Germany but I was a little worried about leaving beautiful weather in Sydney to go into the European spring.I

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-7927716933448798522007-03-05T00:17:00.000-08:002007-03-05T01:40:13.448-08:00

We had one last day in Sydney before Gela left to go back home to Germany and we wanted to make the most of it. With a busy schedule of training in the weeks before, we'd managed to only do a few touristy things....Bronte and Freshwater Beach, a ferry ride under the Harbour Bridge and drinks at the Opera Bar were all we had managed. We awoke to a hot, muggy but cloudy Sydney day, we headed down

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-32573792741282567492007-03-05T00:01:00.000-08:002007-03-05T00:52:49.611-08:00

Last Monday Angela (my little German team-mate) and I headed down to Geelong to begin our first days of international racing. Unfortunately our team didn't come out and so I raced with the NSWIS team and she raced with the German National team. As it was pouring rain in Sydney, the sun shone down south and we had a week of sunshine (most of the time) and some good racing. This is the first

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-5487438488306898132007-02-19T18:39:00.000-08:002007-02-19T18:40:12.898-08:00

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-79653340302962391622007-02-14T02:37:00.000-08:002007-02-14T02:55:51.086-08:00

I have been trying all week to post some photos of Lisa and Andy's gorgeous day but it is not working for me. I can't show you how beautiful Lise looked so I will just have to write a little...under cloudy (but lucky not rainy) skies Lise and Andy tied the knot at Freshwater View Reserve. As the name suggests, this was a little park with a great view over Freshwater beach. The ceremony was

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-40878146977643384412007-01-26T04:10:00.000-08:002007-01-27T01:15:12.406-08:00

For those who come across the sea, you may not be aware of the great day that is Australia Day :) The 26th of January is the magic day and it is on this date that on 1788 Captain Phillip took formal possession of the colony of New South Wales and became its first Governor.Officially, "Australia Day is a time to reflect upon what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation -

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-28083142898288981032007-01-14T23:24:00.000-08:002007-01-14T23:29:44.945-08:00

The season has well and truly kicked off with our first full road race of the year. Sixty girls lined up for the National Road Race last Saturday in Buninyong, near Ballarat. It was a tough course, and was always going to produce a worthy winner. As you can see in the picture the Qld team definitely had the numbers to define the race and this played a big role in how our race panned out.

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-63084613692403745022007-01-07T15:29:00.000-08:002007-01-09T01:32:34.385-08:00

2007 has begun with a bang...our team for the Bay Crits 'Pitcher Partners' had a very successful week, winning 4 out of 5 stages and the overall classification. It was a testing week, with conditions ranging from 38 degrees in the shade, to pouring rain and driving winds. Each day consisted of a 45 minute criterium, these are much harder than they sound, the pace being on from the start. There

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-74195875156310586922007-01-04T16:38:00.000-08:002007-01-04T17:03:13.599-08:00

I hope everyone had a Happy New Year. I hope that all my friends and family, scattered all over the world have a great 2007. I ushered in the new year in a very quite fashion indeed…falling asleep well before the midnight countdown….I was awoken in time to be aware of the first seconds of the new year.Before we are well and truly into this year I would like to take this opportunity to thank

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-19891709143671428242006-12-25T03:18:00.000-08:002006-12-26T00:29:31.929-08:00

Wishing all my friends and family in every corner of the world a very Merry Christmas. We had a lovely day celebrating with close family in our house....a day full of food and laughter.

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-57055950155248081352006-11-29T22:06:00.000-08:002006-11-29T22:28:05.822-08:00

A busy weekend saw us travelling down to Melbourne for a fly-by 25hr trip encompassing the Cycling Australia Awards dinner and a very brief catch-up with Lucy...way too brief :) The night was a lot of fun...Matt White and I hosted the night and after some early nerves I got the hang of it...with only a few minor blunders!The next day we headed down to Tassie for the wedding of the year, Mark

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-71817258613361528942006-11-21T17:51:00.000-08:002006-11-21T17:59:13.882-08:00

There has been such a long time since my last blog, and although I think I should do it I haven't managed to find the time! Hard to believe but there always seems to be something to do. I'm not sure how the rest of the world manages to fit a full time job into their lives :)There has been lots on....a trip to Port Macquarie for the weekend which was lovely (but very rainy), a surfing lesson,

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-37672574822754127532006-10-29T23:10:00.000-08:002006-10-29T23:59:58.837-08:00

Long time no blog but much has happened, from team presentation in Berlin to back ‘home’ in Sydney…My last week in Germany was great, the weather was trying to impress me after the yucky spring weather and it was good to have so much blue sky and sunshine. I did some running, a little study and a lot of procrastinating and had a chance for many a long sleep in…very nice. We traveled up to Berlin

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1160844915715762692006-10-14T09:47:00.000-07:002006-10-15T14:12:17.757-07:00

Autumn has arrived here...the leaves have gradually turned from green, to yellow and now a deep red. It is a pretty time, and with the weather still relatively mild...its nice to be here. I haven't had a real autumn in years, my life consisting of the spring-summer combination back to back.It has been a relatively quite time, which I can't complain about at all. I have some study I need to get

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1160419232455799062006-10-09T11:07:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:38.190-07:00

On Saturday four of us piled into Senffi's car to drive 6 hrs and meet some of our team-mates for some drinks and dancing in Amsterdam. It was the longest way I've ever driven for a night out on the town but was worth it.We made it into Amsterdam (despite the highway being shut and us having no map)...met the girls and had a good night pulling our dance moves. For those who don't know me so

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1159877659185734272006-10-03T05:09:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:38.131-07:00

I am back in Amsterdam after a fabulous holiday last week with Jude. We got to see a lot but also had plenty of time relaxing in the sun, swimming in the Adriatic, eating great local food and drinking good local wine and beer....what more could you want in a holiday!?! It feels as though Salzburg was about 2 months ago so it was definitely a very relaxing week.I really enjoyed our time on the

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1159303466380273022006-09-26T13:33:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:38.005-07:00

Yesterday Jude and I travelled by train to Bratislava. After recieving a bit of a culture shock at the train station, the city was really beautiful and Jude and I had a great time. The place is exceptionally cheap so the shopping was great and there are lots of really good bars and restaurants in the lovely streets between the old buildings. We were pleasantly surprised to have dinner and 4 beers

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1159176210376102782006-09-25T02:10:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:37.943-07:00

I am at the Hauptbanhof (main train station) in Salzburg, about to get on a train to take mumsie and I to Bratislava and from there we are flying to Croatia tomorrow.I have been in Salzburg for just under a week...it is a beautiful city and we have been graced with gorgeous weather which is supposed to change tomorrow. The Aussies had a whole hotel to ourselves in Eugendorf, 10km north of the

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1158513027128796882006-09-17T09:53:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:37.882-07:00

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1158335051755900432006-09-15T08:40:00.001-07:002006-10-14T09:54:37.741-07:00

It has been awhile since I have posted a blog…I have been on the road for a couple of weeks with no internet access…so I’m not sure where to start…Last week we had a four day tour that had two stages in Holland, one in Germany and one in Belgium. I was feeling like I finally had some good form and after a strong time trial and good climbing legs the next day I had some confidence that I had

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1157361302131314102006-09-04T01:50:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:37.599-07:00

I have just come to the end of my last proper week in Holland....and a joyous one it was.....rain, wind, grey sky...and did I mention rain! All this grey sky gets me down but at least I know I have a summer to come home to. I feel a little sorry for all the locals...this is probably as good as it is going to get for a good 9 months or so...yucky! I am craving some good Aussie sunshine and some

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1156665916365438722006-08-27T00:49:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:37.534-07:00

I have just returned from France...its great to be back after a week of crapy accomodation, bad food and no internet access. The racing was good...tough and a bit of a shock to the system initially. It is now a count-down to the World Championships in a months time and so everyone is getting into form. Yesterday we had a World Cup race in Plouay in France, they have increased the length of the

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1156664860006690822006-08-27T00:41:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:37.471-07:00

The day before we went to France, Josie and I went for a mini day trip to Den Haag. I thought I could buy Katie an outfit for the post worlds party. Do you think she'd like it??Whilst browsing in a big department store, we found this little cabinet of goodies...only in Holland :)

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1155742561695579872006-08-16T08:18:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:37.409-07:00

I had many intentions to post a proper blog last week but all that came out were some photos from sushi making....but that pretty much summed up the week! The weather was crapy in Germany (just for something different)...and so in between getting in some long days on the bike and doing some study nothing too 'blog-worthy' occured.I raced on Sunday in Bochum in the west of Germany. We had a short

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1155207180526918722006-08-10T03:48:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:37.342-07:00

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1154948971090587152006-08-07T03:51:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:37.282-07:00

I have enjoyed a week of relaxation in Holland...the weather was terrible all week which was a good excuse to stay inside, hang out with the little sister, do some uni work and get plenty of sleep. Last Monday we went down to Gent to see Gary Sutton, his wife Deb and the Australian Junior World Track Team. Kate lived there in 2003 and so she know's the city and surrounds well...its nice to be in

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1154337328488959762006-07-31T02:08:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:37.223-07:00

I have returned from a weekend up in Sweden and Denmark....lots of travelling, some good racing and a little bit of seeing the sights. It is definitely an area I would like to spend more time in.On Thursday we flew up to Goteburg on Sweden's west coast for a World Cup the next day in Vargarda. The weather was as hot as everywhere else in Europe and without bikes we had some time to kill drinking

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1153905192300819692006-07-26T01:59:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:37.164-07:00

Returning to Holland we were greeted with temperatures just as high as in Germany...a couple of days rest were on the agenda which is always a good thing. On Monday we went for a little pedal with team-mate Suzanne, stopping at our favourite lunch spot in Leiden on the water. Very nice ;) In the evening I went to pick up my house mate Miesi from where she was staying 1 hr from here with her

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1153841006511142162006-07-25T08:06:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:37.108-07:00

Theresa fighting up the climbThuringen is over for another year and on reflection it is a great tour, one that I really enjoy. This year the weather was crazy, so very hot and racing in the middle of the day added an extra element to the already hard stages. The last day saw only 47 people finish and to be honest I am amazed there were that many.Already the days have merged into each other

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1153388774572473362006-07-20T02:42:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:37.048-07:00

On Tuesday we began racing the Thuringen Rundfahrt….after the emotion of the morning it seemed a little strange to pull on the knicks but that is what we are here for…this is part of us all getting on with our lives as best as we can. It was a glorious sunny day and we had a 3.8km prologue course around Zeulenroda to contend with. It all went rather smoothly, and Kate and I broke our curse of

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1153388494953910562006-07-20T02:38:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:36.989-07:00

On Tuesday 18th July we gathered in Zeulenroda to remember Amy…it was a glorious sunny day…a stark contrast to the rain that was falling one year before. It was a beautiful memorial…some laughter, many tears, lots of pink flowers…I think Am’s would have found it fitting :) A year has passed since we last got to see Amy’s beautiful smile, hear her joyous laugh and see the sparkle in her eyes.

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1152870102323454602006-07-14T02:33:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:36.929-07:00

Theresa is keen on fruit ;)I am have now had 5 days of recovery after the Giro and I feel terrible! It is funny how your body works like that. After doing very little for 3 days yesterday I ventured out on the bike for 2 hrs and I felt like I had never ridden a bike before...I was definitely worse than day 10 of the Giro! Today it has been raining this morning but I will head out this

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1152551532724712902006-07-10T09:59:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:36.869-07:00

Well...another Giro finished...that makes my 4th so far. This one was the best I have done all things considered, good weather, good food, good organisation, some beautiful towns for race starts and finishes and a nice short stage to wrap it all up! We finished the last day after 71km of racing on the top of a 9km climb next to a church called the Madonna della Ghissalo (I think!), a very

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1152045015012786962006-07-04T13:17:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:36.804-07:00

I am sitting here in the luxurious surroundings of my Sheraton hotel room…very grateful for coverage of the World Cup and access to the internet.We have now completed 5 days of the Giro…only 5 to go! In many ways it has gone very quickly already. After the time trial we had a couple of flat, fast stages to kick it off and now we have headed into the hills. I had an unfortunate little bingle with

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1151736173618754262006-06-30T23:38:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:36.745-07:00

Unfortunately I have only a few seconds to write, and no time to try and attach photos..I am down near Rome at a place called Isola Faranese for the Giro dell'Italia Donne...the 10 day women's version of the Giro. My team has chosen not to do the Giro and so I am down here with the Australian National Team. It is a little different as you really get into the swing of how your team does things..

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1151414612587055852006-06-27T06:11:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:36.688-07:00

So….my first Italian wedding and I was to be a bridesmaid to the groom, a very different concept to how we do it in Australia but then I am beginning to realize that we often do things differently. In Europe it seems that the whole idea of an engagement ring is not nearly as important as at home. Sometimes one is given, but not often and there is no standard protocol as in there must be a

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1151405144048109132006-06-27T03:34:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:36.626-07:00

I have been meaning to write a blog for nearly every day that I have been here in Italy but unfortunately my internet access has been quite shabby.....so where to start? I arrived here last Sunday and on Monday attempted to catch the train down to Novellara with my bike and big bag in tow...the train system here can be either not too bad, or a complete nightmare and unfortunately I had a trip

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1150645061663100782006-06-18T08:16:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:36.568-07:00

After the sudden week of summer that hit us in Holland, we had a few cool days to really confuse the body and make us realise that you do have to pack for every occasion. After a steady few days recovering from our athlete day we began a 3 day tour in Zeeland, about one hour south-west of where I live in Holland. The tour was called Ster Zeeuswche Eilanden, a UCI race and important for the Top

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1150135506035063662006-06-12T10:46:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:36.506-07:00

Today 7 of us from AA Cycling Team attended an AA Athlete's Day at a mini-athletic venue near Utrecht. We weren't sure exactly what the day was going to entail but were told to pack clothes that we could run around in....this couldn't be good! Cyclists are typically very unathletic at anything not regarding their chosen sport....we have puny, weak upper bodies which pretty much eliminates us from

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21418083.post-1150134100425666862006-06-12T10:24:00.000-07:002006-10-14T09:54:36.447-07:00

After my brief 'holiday' period I returned to Holland to get back into the swing of it with some Dutch racing which is a good chance to gain some confidence in the bunch and get some strength and power into the legs racing on the flat. The first race back was on Wednesday, the 145.3km Parel van Veluwe - a long race in women's racing terms. The day was sunny and still, no wind to break the peleton

Natalie Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680829359629633477noreply@blogger.com0