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Sister act: Commonwealth cyclist passes up shot as Etape Loch Ness fastest finisher to support sister’s return to the sport

April 19, 2019

As one of Scotland’s top cyclists, former professional mountain biker Lee Craigie is used to making short work of the 66-mile Etape Loch Ness course. Always found at the front of the lead peloton, she’s twice been the fastest female around the course.

But the elite cyclists who expect to have Lee in their sights at this year’s sportive will be disappointed. The recently appointed Active Nation Commissioner for Scotland plans to be much further down the field riding with her sister, Kim, who is making a return to cycling after a six-year absence.

While Inverness-based Lee (40) has travelled the world representing Scotland, Kim (43) has also made her mark on sport. As well as being a Scottish women’s rugby international, she’s also competed in mountain biking, clocking impressive results at national championship level.

But that all changed for the older Craigie sibling when her son, Moss, came along and she decided to focus on her family.

Kim had mentioned that she missed her active lifestyle and wanted to return to fitness with a goal to aim for – so Lee took the initiative and entered her sister into Etape Loch Ness without her knowledge.

Lee has previously clocked a sub-three hour time on the course, but has no plans to put the hammer down when she returns with Kim on April 28. She said: “I’ve been saying to Kim for a few years that she should try a sportive and Etape Loch Ness stood out as the one.

“It is an iconic course and it is an incredible privilege to be able to ride it on closed roads. For me, this is not about getting to the front and getting around it as fast as I can: it’s about riding this with Kim and enjoying a unique and special experience with her.”

Kim, who lives in Glasgow, was incredibly sporty growing up and she insisted that becoming a mum would not detract her passion for sport after Moss was born. But just as she had focused on her sports with an all or nothing attitude, she completely threw herself into motherhood and cycling took a back seat.

“There just never seemed to be enough time and, as I’m sure most mums find, I always felt I had to make a choice between doing something for me and doing something for my family,” explained Kim, who is PE teacher and outdoor educator.

“Over time, I just lost confidence. I still did the odd little ride now and again, but I found it so hard to drop my ego. I kept comparing myself to how I had been able to ride before: I couldn’t just go out for a nice little ride and enjoy it.

“I kept saying to Lee that I needed to refocus and that I wanted to set a goal. The next thing I knew, Lee had decided to enter us into Etape Loch Ness. I’m grateful to her for doing it as I would never have entered myself – I definitely needed a kick up the bum.”

The sisters will be among 5,600 riders who will be taking part in Etape Loch Ness – a 66-mile closed-road sportive which circles the world-famous loch. It starts and finishes in the Highland capital of Inverness, passing through some stunning scenery along the way.

One of the course highlights is the King of the Mountain stage – sponsored by The Singleton of Glen Ord – which is a 4.8-mile climb that gains 380m in height. The only timed stage on the course, Lee has claimed the coveted Queen of the Mountain jersey both times she has taken part.

Kim added: “When Lee said she wanted to ride this with me, my heart sank because I knew that if she rode it on her own, she would do really well. I can’t believe that she is giving up on the glory of a home crowd because she will be waiting on me.

“There’s part of me that still has that competitive streak and that wants to absolutely break my body trying to ride this as fast as I can. But the other part of me knows that I am not as fit as I used to be, so the aim should be to just enjoy being out there riding with Lee.”

Lee, who will be presenting her award-winning film, Divided, about completing the epic 2,745-mile Tour Divide mountain bike race at event hub Eden Court as part of the big day build-up, said she can’t wait to experience another Etape Loch Ness.

“There’s such a nice, sociable scene about it,” said Lee. “I’ve always been out with the first wave and the idea that this time around I’m going to be in a different part of the ride, chatting to people around me is really exciting.

“I live in Inverness so this is my local ride, but riding it with a big group of people gives it a completely different experience. You get such a buzz and your whole body tingles when you see other people looking around and taking in this amazing place.

“I think this year, Etape Loch Ness will be a learning curve for both Kim and I. This isn’t about going as fast as I can and absolutely smashing it. There will be other times to get to the front: I want to ride this one for Kim.”

As co-founder of The Adventure Syndicate, Lee’s next challenge will be a little longer than Etape Loch Ness. Along with round-the-world record breaking cyclist Jenny Graham she will be taking part in a 1,000-mile off-road cycle from Durness to Brighton.

Cyclists of all abilities and based all over the country will be able to virtually complete the event along with them by signing up to the Match the Miles Challenge on www.theadventuresyndicate.com

Entries for the 2020 Etape Loch Ness will open later this year. Traditionally, all general entries sell out within hours of going on sale, and anyone who wants to make sure of a place in the sportive is encouraged to register their interest for the 2020 event at www.etapelochness.com

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