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Peta Mullens

Peta Mullens is a rider with the Victorian Institute of Sport. In August 2006,she hopes to be representing Australia at the Junior Track Worlds in Gent, Belgium. A track rider with ambition to switch to the road, Peta has ridden local road events such as the Jayco Bay Series as well as track events. In March 2006, Peta Mullens and  another local rider, Tess Downing, rode in 2 exhibition races on the programme at the Commonwealth Games Track events. The events were a scratch race and an elimination (Devil Takes the Hindmost) race, which were included on different nights and which were mixed - under 19 men and women raced together. Mullens and Downing raced well, making huge efforts to escape off the front of the scratch race and remaining in the elimination event until the final 1/3 of the field. 

WomensCycling.net chatted to Peta at the conclusion of the track events of the Commonwealth Games Melbourne in late March. Here is what she had to say  >> 

WCN - Has it been a special thing for you to be riding at this event (the exhibition races in the Commonwealth Games)?

PM - “Yes, it is special. We only got told just after track nationals that we were doing this. We were, all unsure as to what form we would come into this event so early in the season. It is just so amazing to see Australians win so many medals and for us to be a part of this event.”

WCN - How, has your life changed in the last 12 months since your inclusion in the VIS (Victorian Institute of Sport)?

PM - “It is an amazing set up, with the gym, physios and the support from the coaches and other athletes. When we travel away it’s an amazing feeling and the training has been really good for me. I have good form at the moment going into the road season, I hope to make the road team along with Tess (Downing) and we hope that we both make the track team too for the Worlds.”

WCN - Comparing both yourself and Tess how do you see the future of Australian cycling?

PM - “We both have great skills and when you get the two of us together we struggle to be beaten. In the future we are going to go through all of the challenges together and hopefully competing overseas together.”

WCN - Do you know at this stage whether you want to concentrate on the track or road?

PM -  “In the future I would like to turn to the road, I am not sure how much of a future I have on the track. I intend to stay on the track for the next couple of years and combine it with some road. I am only a second and a half off the junior world pursuit record and I believe that this year I can get there, to take the World Record. I am hoping to win the world title and who knows after that.”

WCN - How do you mentally prepare for the challenge of taking a world record, you are still so young?

PM - “At first I did not think it was possible to break the world record but my training times have been coming down further. The thought of being a world champion is not quite there yet but I believe that I can do it. As I get closer to the day I break the record the more I can comprehend what I am able to achieve.”

WCN - Do you get the opportunity to talk to Katie Mactier and Kate Bates to learn from their experiences? [Mactier and Bates are both Commonwealth Games track Champions, Mactier is the 2005 World Pursuit Champion and Bates, the 2005 silver medallist]

PM - “I am really lucky that Katie (Mactier) is a member of the VIS so we race a lot together, like at the Jayco Bay series. Both Kates, are really nice and approachable, they have given us some great tips on how to approach big races like the nationals. It is really inspiring to see how they have performed at these events and I am looking forward to watching them on the road on next Sunday.”

Thanks to Peta Mullens for her time. Key an eye out for updates from Peta during the season.

Peta in action during the exhibition event in Melbourne

After finishing second in the Jayco Dandenong Criterium in December 2005