Ruth Edwards rediscovers race rhythm at Santos Tour Down Under

The first WorldTour race of the year is always a slightly daunting day on the calendar, with riders returning to a race environment for the first time after a few weeks or months away, and testing out their form with big results on the line.

For Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health), who raced the women's Santos Tour Down Under after a two-year hiatus from professional road racing, that back-to-school feeling was even greater as she returned to the peloton for the first time.

Even though the American described her mood on stage 1 as “pretty stress-free”, she explained how much physical preparation had gone into making sure her level was ready for a WorldTour race. After racing only US gravel events for the last two seasons, Edwards is trying to rediscover her road racing pace in Australia.

“It’s been a lot of getting back behind the motorbike, trying to get leg speed in,” she told GCN. “People are like ‘oh, gravel racing must have been good for your prep’ and I’m like, not really, it’s super slow pedalling and not much intensity, which is kind of the opposite of road racing to be honest. So trying to get behind a motorbike and back into group riding, plus sprinting and sprinty workouts.”

Despite the physical challenge, Edwards was mentally calm about her return to racing and seemed settled within her new Human Powered Health squad.

Read more: Ruth Edwards to return to the WorldTour with move to Human Powered Health

“I feel really good, to be honest,” she said. “I feel like this is a great team to be in. I feel really relaxed and honestly pretty stress-free going into today. It’s a nice way to start back, for sure, so hopefully it’s not too stressful.”

It’s no accident that Edwards chose the Tour Down Under as the place to make her 2024 debut. It’s a race that is traditionally more relaxed - and warmer - than the early-season races in Europe, as well as being home to happy memories for Edwards: she won the overall here in 2020.

“It’s a really nice race. I live in Colorado, and it’s fricking cold right now in January, so either way you leave to go to a training camp, and in my mind if the option is training camp or coming to Australia, why wouldn't you come to Australia? It’s a really great country and this race is really well run, and I’ve had some success here before in the past, so there’s some nice memories.

“I also have an auntie that lives in Bendigo, and she comes to cheer me on, and my mum came down this year to hang out with her and cheer me on, so, in general, it just feels like a really fun way to start the season, and a little less intimidating maybe than the European peloton at full gas.”

Though the American has been feeling relaxed at the Tour Down Under, and has big ambitions for the rest of her racing season, this first event back has just been about finding her feet, and gauging just what she might be capable of in 2024 - a process that fills her with excitement rather than nerves.

“I just want to do my best, and I think the fun part of that right now is that I don’t know what that is,” Edwards said. “So we just get to wait and see and find out.”

The return may have been low-key for Edwards - the former Trek rider was threatening the top 10 before falling to a somewhat disappointing 15th on the final stage atop Willunga Hill - but the American will just be happy to have gotten a first race under her belt.

The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race is next up for the runner-up from 2017, and offers another chance to acclimatise herself within the Human Powered Health ranks. It will soon be colder climates for Edwards and her teammates, but they will fancy their chances of returning north with another good result under their belts.