New Brunswick woman finds success in team cycling

EllenWattersis finding success in the world of team cycling. The 28-year-oldApohaquiwomanis a member of the Ottawa based team, The Cyclery-Opusand they recently got first place in the Tour of Somerville that took place in New Jersey.

Watters said she got into cycling about three years ago, after being involved in other sports.

Shift - NB8:34NB cyclist going far

28 year old Ellen Watters of Apohaqui rides with The Cyclery-Opus Team, and she's having a great season! She recently won the Tour of Sommerville.

"I had been doing some triathlons and duathlons locally, probably about five years ago, and after I had done one race I decided that I really just loved to race my bike," said Watters.

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Watters is happy with her cycling this year.

"It's been a very successful season so far. Not just for me but, also for my teammates as well," said Watters.

Watters' season started with a team camp in North Carolina, then moving to races in California, Arkansas, New York and Delaware.

"I've actually been to four new states this year so far, which is great," said Watters.

TheCyclery-Opus helps young women cyclists take their game to the next level, helping them move from local races to international ones. Watters said team racing can providemore support on the track, but planning is still necessary.

"We always go into a race with a team plan, we also talk about individual athlete plans as well," said Watters.

Like any team sport there are positions in team cycling. Some racers speciality is speed, while others may have more resiliency. Waters is an all-rounder, but she does have preferences.

"I do enjoy hills, for what it's worth," said Watters.

The end is near for this racing season, but Watters is hoping for big things on the horizon.

"I would really love to get a couple years of professional level racing in. I'm not quite sure what the future holds but I mean I'm certainly striving to get the results that I need to be able to show a team that I'm able to race at a professional level," said Watters.