SWR 2021

Guess who's back.

By Black Sheep Cycling

Australia's longest-running domestic women's team.

Specialized and Black Sheep will once again join forces in support of Specialized Women's Racing for 2021. Specialized Bicycle Components has backed SWR since its inception nine years ago. A feat that makes the team, founded by Liz Phillipou in 2012, the longest-running domestic women's team. This year will also be Black Sheep's fourth season supporting SWR – a commitment that continues to grow year on year.

The best bit about SWR – they’re just like us. Only they’re more inspiring. Like you.

While 2020 was a challenging year for racing, or lack thereof, on and off the bike this team represents a significant part of our WMN Initiative. You’ve seen ‘em take it to bigger teams on an international stage, you’ve heard their dulcet tones on our WMN Podcast and you’ve probably ridden with one of ‘em on a local bunchie. But that’s the best bit about SWR – they’re just like us. Only they’re more inspiring. Like you.

As SWR move into 2021 hungry to get amongst it again, their vision, winning spirit and companionship remains stronger than ever, particularly they welcome four new recruits to the fold – Bree Hargrave (37 years old track superstar that is defying the clock and has never peddled faster), Danielle De Francesco (an Aussie talent training on the Gold Coast, Danielle has just come off the back of a successful career in World triathlon before moving across to cycling), and Laura Luxford (with a wealth of experience in racing, Laura grew up in the QAS on scholarship for triathlon before moving to cycling in her later years where she has found a strong passion for the bike).

Some of our key riders.

SWR is a team that combines youth, experience and multi-disciplinary riders that will change the shape of the domestic women's peloton. We introduce the existing team and look forward to profiling the team's newest recruits.

Ashlee Jones.

Initially inspired by her brother and sister, Ashlee came to cycling through triathlon. She arrived at her senses young – aged only 12 when she swapped three sports for one. Her competitive journey to cycling began at the Dunc Grey Velodrome in Sydney where she rose up through the junior ranks with much success. But the biggest influence on her has been her current coach, Glenn O’Shae, who she credits with developing her both on and off the bike. Ashlee has aspirations to become a part of the Australian National Track Cycling Team and the women’s pro peloton, wants to travel the world ticking off international cuisines as she goes and is also about to embark on a Science degree at uni. Audacious ambitions indeed but don’t bet against her making all happen – this one determined young lady.

Ella Bloor.

Now in her fourth year with SWR, Ella is the brains of the team. We think she might even be a Doctor. Not one that visits you when you're sick, but the type that has read a lot. Ella is extremely learned about buildings and design. She is also a hoot, infectious to be around and a bloody hard worker on the bike. Her love for two wheels came when, influenced by her father, she swapped horse trails for single trails. She went on to win the Australian National MTB Series in 2010. And, almost a decade on, is giving the women's peloton a run for their money on skinny tyres and Tarmac.

Holly Harris.

Unlike many of her peers, Holly was never magnetically drawn to riding a bike as a youngster. But grew up on a farm just outside Guyra, New South Wales playing every sport under the sun. When she crocked her knee as a teenager and had to take a break from cross country running, her father suggested she join him for a mountain bike ride. Shortly after her 12km debut, he upped the ante and put forward the idea of her competing at an XC race. She won. Left with $50 and has since represented Australia on her mountain bike at XC and Marathon, and is the current Australian XC Marathon Champion. She is also part owner of a bike shop in Armidale and one of the softest spoken and most humble riders in the female peloton. She has a charm that belies her success. We're stoked she's back on the team for 2020 and thank her Dad for introducing her to two wheels.

Jaime Gunning.

Growing up as a kid, Jaime (no, we haven't spelt it wrong) took on practically every sport known to women, "exclusive of ballet" (is that really considered a sport, Jaime?). As a keen swimmer and runner, her competitive career began in triathlon. To improve her lack lustre bike leg, Jaime joined a local Brisbane cycling club's junior development program. It wasn't long before her potential on the bike came to the fore and she had forgotten all about swimming and running. Swapping three sports for travelling up and down the country and across the world reached its pinnacle when she represented Australia in the Junior World Championships in Doha. That high lasted a while, but her studies took priority and though she was still racing the National Road Series, by her own admission, she was just getting by. That was until last year, when she joined SWR. In her first race for the team she won the esteemed Shimano SuperCrit with a cheeky last lap breakaway and then quickly followed that with a top 10 in the Australian National Road Race and by winning the Young Riders Jersey at Tour Down Under. As successful as she's been, Jaime still has more nicknames than she does race wins. We've lost track of the latest one, but believe it might be ‘Astro Boy’ kindly bequeathed by Matilda Reynolds.

Lizzie Stannard.

Lizzie was born to be a cyclist. Literally. Her parents met while away racing in the Nineties equivalent of the National Road Series. That's not to say that Lizzie hasn't tried her hand (arms and legs) at a number of other sports, including running, equestrian, swimming, skateboarding, canoe polo, football, netball and triathlon. It was in the latter that she found the most success, representing the Kiwis in the ITU World Cup and on the French pro circuit. But according to Lizzie, "three sports is two too many!" And with that in mind, and nagging running injury, she decided to give road cycling a crack. Half a season in Europe later and a year into surviving by herself in Melbourne - rife with injury, crashes and a particularly hard dose of reality - she is still ambitious and very ready to start a new season with a new team and new opportunities to learn.

Matilda Raynolds.

Matilda vividly remembers purchasing her first bicycle – a hard earned $50 BMX bike. "I can’t remember if it had any performance benefit, but it was blue and moved forward when I pedalled and that was enough. Or it was until my brother flicked me into a barbed wire fence". A sport enthusiast 'Tils', like many of the women in the team, has tried her hand at lots of sports. She played NRL at representative level until she was no longer legally allowed to bring her milkshake to the yard and competed in top level softball, hockey, cricket and athletics. Her issue was she could just never pick one sport. Until she did. Triathlon! At which she quickly rose through the ranks until she turned professional. Pro life was quickly followed by a burned out life, so she swapped her googles and visor for her dream job in Melbourne with Specialized Bicycle Components. It was there aged 29, that she was "absorbed into an amazing cycling community, which was led by some pretty fierce female racers, and threw myself off a ledge to gain some experience. Joining SWR has taken my skill and confidence level leaps and bounds, but more importantly it’s making me a better person and is giving me experiences, which will stay with me for a lifetime".

Providing a pathway through cycling for female athletes.

Be it safety, accessibility, or product, women’s cycling is, and always has been, a second thought. We, at Black Sheep, are trying to change that with the WMN Initiative – of which Specialized Women's Racing is a major beneficiary. The WMN Initiative is a program that focuses on providing a pathway through cycling – both aiming to increase female participation in the sport and provide elite, domestic female cyclists with the opportunity to gain experience across a wealth of disciplines and races.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WMN INITIATIVE.

SWR 2021 – RACE CALENDAR.

As well as competing in the 2021 National Road Series, Specialized Women's Racing will attend the following races throughout the Australian Summer of Cycling.