Bronze for Lett in gruelling 61.5km road race in Orkney

Olivia Lett won her third medal of this year’s Island Games in Orkney on Wednesday, taking bronze in the road race in a time of 1:35:45.

Fellow teammate Nicola Valarino came fifth with a time of 1:37:07.

The 61.5km course took the riders on a series of remote and scenic island roads for three laps.

The finish was nothing short of intense with the top four fastest cyclists pulling it out of the bag, practically throwing their bikes across in the finish line.

One photo finish shot showed there were mere inches between the third and fourth rider.

Throughout the race Olivia was in the leading pack with Nicola dropping back to the chasing pack after the first lap before returning and holding her position with the lead cyclists in the second lap.

However, a fall the previous day and an accumulation of hard work without let-up or assistance from other riders while in the chasing pack meant she didn’t have enough in her legs to keep up.

Speaking to the Chronicle minutes after crossing the finish line Olivia she said it was “brutal”.

The worst part was “being in the breakaway from the first time we went round the hill.”

“So it was just three of us working together until Nicola and another girl caught up.”

“But then it was two Guernsey girls, two of us [Gib team] and the stronger girl wasn't working. She won the sprint [at the end].”

She was relieved to win a medal and “just” barely managed to get bronze as it was “on the line”.

The heat of the day and lack of shade did not faze her as she is used to training in the sun. However, during the intensity of the race there was a point where she felt it wasn’t a longer course.

For Nicola there was the challenge where they initially broke away but struggled to catch the front group without assistance.

“It was really brutal. So our tactic was to break away on the first hill. So I broke and then literally at the top, had nothing left, and then couldn't catch the group,” she said.

“Then I was in a chasing the group for quite some time at the front, literally trying to work really hard to catch the front group without really any help.”

“So that was really, really tough.”

“So I was pushing. The power was almost like I was time trialling it.”

A rider from the Isle of Wight was helping a little bit but “team Guernsey was not pulling their weight.”

She did manage to catch the front group, and she stayed with them for the majority of the race.

But then she said she had nothing left on the hill on the last lap.

“I just couldn't push anymore, so I lost them. And then the last 10k it was me on my own, and I kept checking behind me that the chasing group weren't coming up,” she said.

“Basically, I did my best.”

Team manager Mark Lett congratulated his wife Olivia on her medal before he set off to compete in his own road race.

“Olivia is obviously standing as always,” he told the Chronicle.

“And we have to keep talking about the fact that she only had a baby 14 months ago.”

“So what she's done, I think, is sort of an eye opener to all mothers out there that if you put your mind to things, anything can be done.”

“She's proving it time and time again.”