It's a sunny afternoon and I'm relaxing on the grass at Xanadu winery in the Margaret River. Far from escaping the circus of bike racing, I'm in the thick of it. Around me are 1400
of Australia's keenest mountain bike riders, their families, and a throng of inquisitive locals.

There aren’t too many surprises with the announcement of the Australia team for the UCI Road World Championships, but on the women’s side, there are some glaring exceptions.

There is a certain art behind maintaining form and motivation through a season, and even with the best of intentions, come September, there are many counting the days until they can switch their alarm clocks off and unplug their power meters. Kate Bates recalls her time as an athlete and the delicate balance of keeping the fires stoked late into the year.

As the 2013 season draws to a close, there remains one final test to be faced. A drama that will unfold on the hilly Tuscan roads of Firenze, a cycling heartland that sits among the world's best. In the bid for rainbow stripes, and a national first, the weight of a nation will fall on the shoulders of eight Australian women. Kate Bates takes a look at who should be lining up for the elite women's road race and time trial in Florence.

Every Tour de France is special in its own way - and for each onlooker, the standout moments are different.

Small steps before giant leaps. With the women's professional circuit in a state where but a handful of the top riders can even make a living, Kate Bates writes from Bourg d'Oisans that recent calls for a women's Tour de France are admirable in their ambition, but still need to be realistic.

A unique and beautiful island start to the TDF has delivered all the beauty and drama that you’d expect for a 100th edition, but nothing has been predicatable about the stage winners or yellow jerseys wearers writes Kate Bates.

On the eve of the 100th edition of the Tour de France, it is not hard to see the undeniable power that cycling has to inspire, and to bring our community together.