Racing reflection and celebrating Success!!

Friday 12 September saw me add to the pursuit gold I'd won 2 days previously and I clocked the fastest time in the women's Road Time Trial to claim my 2^nd gold of the Games. It was a brilliant feeling riding in a truly beautiful and quite breathtaking location and whilst I'd had little time to take in the experience during the pursuit, I was determined to enjoy the 25 kilometres of the Road Time Trial and really appreciate what it was I was doing!!.

The time I clocked placed me ahead of many of the male riders in the event and I was 2 minutes and 10 seconds ahead of the next rider on actual time and once the handicap system had adjusted the time I won by almost 1 minute and 3O seconds from the same American who I beat in the 3,000m. It was a much less dramatic win and I was sat on my bike turning my legs to warm down after the race when I was told I had been confirmed as the gold medallist.

It had been an amazing day, 34 degrees in the shade and quite a challenge not to overheat prior to getting on the start ramp. Throughout the ride I was followed by GB's team car with my coach, Gary, talking to me via race radio. The car contained my spare bike and several spare wheels and Gary was quite literally talking me round the course and adding advice about cadence and racing line where needed. It was brilliant to have that support behind me and gave me such confidence. Since I hadn't competed at last year's World Championships Road Time Trial [due to my broken collar bone], I was seeded to go off as 1^st rider and this meant I didn't see any of the girls I was racing until the medal ceremony! In stead of having people in my own race to catch [we are set off at 1 minute intervals] I had men and women in other classes to chase down and it doesn't matter who it is you are passing, it gives an added confidence boost to be able to coast past another competitor!

Barney had finished racing by the time I got to this event and so he was able to stand at the technical finish area and take time checks on each of the girls who were chasing me on the course. As I crossed the line and stopped pedalling I could suddenly feel just how hot it was that day and I was quickly escorted to the cooling chairs and ice vests available in the GB tent. I threw a bottle of water over my head and was feeling pretty shocking as the soigneurs of the team peeled my shoes from me and placed my feet in cold water. Back in the UK prior to the Games, we had used a heat chamber to prepare for competing in the heat and after each session had developed a cooling strategy so we all knew how best to cool me down quickly and effectively.

I was quite unaware of the other girls in my race coming into the finish and as I started to feel well enough to sit on my bike and turn my legs to remove the efforts of the ride from my system, I realised almost all of them should have crossed the line. It seemed to take an eternity for the staff to be able to confirm I was the winner and I will never forget being sat on my turbo trainer, with the beautiful setting of the lake and pagoda behind me as one by one every member of the team came to get a very soggy hug!!

After a whistle stop tour to the dope control centre, I was released for the medal ceremony and there is little doubt this is the most beautiful place I have ever listened to the National Anthem. Listening to the anthem for the second time that week with a gold medal hung round my neck was truly amazing and I was still having trouble believing it was for me again!

With all the racing over, I was able to spend some time with my parents, brother, sister and Barney's parents and re-live the action from both sides. It had been a dream come true for the Bailey-Storey clan and without doubt a real family affair since everyone had made a contribution to helping us get to the top of the podium.

Our first evening post racing was spent treating ourselves to pizza and chips in the Paralympic Village Food Hall!! It's an unwritten rule that you don't go out and celebrate until all your team mates have finished. The following day was the final day of racing for the cycling team and so Barney and I hired a taxi for the day and were taken to the Great Wall for a morning of exploration, before heading back to the road race course to cheer on the final races for GB. After that we jumped back in the cab and were whisked off to the Water Cube for our first experience of the swimming venue. It was brilliant to see my former colleagues from both GB and abroad battling it out in the pool and I was also relieved to be watching and not racing as my heart is now very much on the bike!

Flying back to the UK [with our first glass of celebratory champagne on board a jumbo jet!] has been a surreal experience and the attention in the local and national press has been unprecedented. Barney and I came home early so we could race for our club at the British National Track Championships in Manchester and as we walked between planes at Heathrow and then came out of the terminal to our taxi at Manchester, lots of people were saying congratulations and telling us how they had seen us on the television! It was truly amazing and although it was straight back into racing for the both of us, there has been some time to take a step back and realise what it is we have done and to be honest we are both still pinching ourselves!!





Sarah Storey MBE
Scottish Widows Ambassador for the London 2012 Games