An iconic SE Qld race. The first time I attempted it, I was a real “rookie”. I had only recently started road racing and didn’t know how challenging the race would end up being. The beginning can be tough. It’s also a real mixed bag. Having done it a few times now, I know that it can be a relatively easy run into the KOM, or it can be a really demanding section if everyone decides to push the pace. The KOM itself is often a section of “natural selection”. You’ve either got the legs on the day to be up there with the front group or you don’t. And then the fun begins after the KOM. With half the race still to go, and you have the rolling hills and headwinds to contend with. But out of adversity comes the rewards. It’s one of those races that’s truly character building. I distinctly remember rolling turns in my first Cunningham with another 4 other C grade level riders (3 ladies and one gentleman) from the top of the KOM to the finish. We’d missed out on going with the attack on the KOM and had to settle for being one of the chasing groups on the road. Everyone did their fair share for the remaining 40km or so. It was a fulfilling feeling to cross the line together as comrades, even though we didn’t know each other at all when the race started earlier that day. People I met as a result of that first Cunningham are still friends today, and that’s of great significance to me.
If you can't do it in 2015, consider the Cunningham Classic for 2016.
