Matilda Raynolds, Sarah Gigante and Nicole Frain eager for inaugural Warrnambool Women's Classic

But the former hockey player and triathlete is making up for lost time.

Now 33, she's already been the first woman home in the time-honoured 267km Powercor Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic.

Not once but twice.

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The introduction of a women-only race - a 167km battle from Colac to Warrnambool - presents itself as another challenge for the Melbourne-based competitor.

Raynolds will join 46 other athletes, including Olympian Sarah Gigante and national champion Nicole Frain, at the start line on Sunday.

The InForm TMX Make endurance specialist, who decided to focus on cycling five years ago, is pleased to be on the right side of history.

"It is an incredibly historic event and I am just looking forward to writing that next chapter," she told The Standard.

Team tactics loom as an intriguing subplot in the Lochard Energy Warrnambool Women's Classic, which will traverse the Great Ocean Road before finishing on Raglan Parade.

"Essentially it is a completely different race," Raynolds said.

"I have raced with the men the past two editions.

"In the men's race it is about surviving and trying to go as far into the race as possible and think about tactics at the very end.

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"This one will be more tactical from the get-go. In the men's race I am a part of the field whereas in the women's race I can have a lot more influence on the race.

"I will have a few more eyes on me, knowing my strengths are in the classics and the longer and harder it is, the better it is for me."

Gigante, on the comeback trail after serious injury and illness, and newly-crowned Australian road race champion Nicole Frain hold similar views.

Both have completed the men's race - Frain finishing runner-up to Raynolds last May.

Gigante, now 21 and a rising star of world cycling, "enjoyed the challenge".

"I was only 18 but I still remember the feeling of crossing the line was incredible," she told The Standard.

"I was 40 minutes off Peta Mullens, who won. My group was the second last group to finish. We were just hoping to make the time cut.

"We all celebrated with Macca's, across the road from the finish line. It was a nice memory and I had my first-ever chicken nugget."

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Melbourne-based Gigante expects the Colac to Warrnambool race to be hotly contested.

"I am super excited, the first-ever standalone edition will be a part of history," she said.

"I think everyone is going to want to put their name on the inaugural event.

"Anything can happen on the day, it's chess on wheels.

"The field is super tough and it's going to be a challenging race. There is no one clear favourite and that's something which makes it better.

"There will be so many tactics at play. All the top teams in Australia are coming to this race.

"There are plenty of fantastic sprinters who will be trying to hold on. It is a long race, we don't usually ride 160km.

"Maeve Plouffe just smashed the national individual pursuit record on the track and she won a stage at the Festival of Cycling in Adelaide and Matilda will be gunning for another title and is definitely capable."

Tasmanian Frain, 29, said it was a longer distance to what most females encountered in the National Road Series.

"You don't know what you're able to do at the end of a long distance race," she told The Standard.

"You can get out of the saddle and you want to sprint and your legs go 'no'.

"Sometimes you have to go in a little bit open-minded.

"It might not always be the favourites up at the pointy end when we're not used to riding the distance.

"You have to look after yourself on the bike - you have to eat well, drink well and not necessarily ride the front of the peloton like you might get away with in other races.

"It is good when you get full teams come along too because riders have a chance to implement team tactics and strategy and that is what makes racing really exciting."

Raynolds, who is based in Port Melbourne and plans to race in Europe this year, is expecting Gigante and Frain to be in the running.

"Cycling is an entertainment sport so hopefully we can put on a show," she said.

"Sarah's strength is in mountainous climbs but she can definitely handle herself in a bunch and is quite capable to make it to the finish.

"She loves riding and therefore does an enormous amount of training.

"The endurance side won't be an issue for her.

"Nicole is showing great strength at the moment and will come in with a strong team as well. It should be a great battle."

Success would be the pinnacle for Raynolds, Gigante and Frain. But, being part of the first edition, is special in itself.

"I am really happy I am here in Australia - normally I would be in Europe - but team Movistar are being super supportive as I ease my way back into it," Gigante said.

"I'll be heading to Europe soon but I can squeeze this race in before I go and I am really glad because everything about the event is exciting to me.

"I love that the committee is all female. It is cool to see so much progress in women's cycling.

"I hope it can even become a UCI event so my Movistar teammates can come."

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