Giddens triumphs in Mexico

Hayley Giddens (centre) won her first race of the year in the popular eastern Mexico city of Playa del Carmen alongside the Caribbean on January 19. Photo/Supplied

Wanganui professional cyclist Hayley Giddens won her first race for 2014 beside the Caribbean Sea this month after claiming the women's title at the Grand Prix Carreras Ciclistas in the city of Playa del Carmen.

Spending the Southern Hemisphere summer on a training and competing in Latin America for seven months, Giddens won the women's race by attacking off the start line and riding solo to victory by three minutes.

The 24-year-old has now won races in four countries and made the podium in three others.

"It was my first race in three months, so I'm stoked. Great start to my 2014 campaign," Giddens said.

Playa del Carmen is known as a very popular tourist destination in eastern Mexico.

Giddens has been basing herself on the nearby Cozumel Island in the Caribbean Sea, training on the island's Ironman bike course. "You're either riding right next to the ocean or the jungle.

"There are heaps of cyclists and athletes from other sports here, it's perfect."

After winning the women's race, Giddens also entered men's event for training purposes to pit herself against riders from Mexico, Spain, Venezuela and Belize.

The men's winner was from Belize, which is on the northeastern coast of Central America and where Giddens made a 700km cycling round trip to in December.

"It was an adventure.

"It took 16 hours straight in the saddle, so I combined some really good endurance training with sightseeing, visiting a new country, and just seeing if I could do it or not."

Her next race is an international tour in Costa Rica next month. Giddens victory can be found on Youtube by searching for '1a. Carrera Ciclista de Playa del Carmen'.