A Latino adventure beckons

VIVA LA RAZA: Wanganui cyclist Hayley Giddens, seen here leading a pack, will be spending her North American off-season touring and competing across South America. PHOTO/SUPPLIED 140913WCSP GIDDENS1

Wanganui professional cyclist Hayley Giddens does not like seeing blank pages on her passport.

The 24-year-old was home briefly from the end of her American racing season for her ISCorp Intelligentsia team but will soon be off again to join them for the two big South American cycling races in October and November.

Giddens, who spent a month in South America competing in February, will race at the 'XIII Vuelta Femenina a Guatemala' in Guatemala City from October 11-13, then the 'La Vuelta Femenina a Colombia', November 6-10 in the Colombian city of Boyaca.

Her professional team of fellow young riders is taking a bit of confidence into the big International UCI races.

Now, normally those events would be enough of an exotic experience for the Kiwi girl, who would then come home for the New Zealand summer and keep her hand in by competing in some of the domestic tours.

However, this November when her teammates returns to their Wisconsin base in the snowy American midwest, Giddens will be bidding them farewell at the airport.

"I'm staying in Latin America for seven months. Training and racing, living an adventure."

Hooking up with friends she made on her last visit, Giddens intends to work hard in the hot climate to condition herself for the next North American season, as they will travel around Colombia, Costa Rica and Guatemala, while also taking some time out in neighbouring Mexico.

However, you only live once, and its a great chance to test her New Zealand-made EMC bike overseas, she said.

"The Latino culture, they're just the friendliest people. My Spanish was pretty good after a month, so I should be fluent by seven months."

Giddens returns stateside in late March or early April.