Mullens joins as ProVelo Super League Ambassador

When we asked Peta about the significance of the ProVelo Super League to her, she explained, “All the hard work and preparation over the holidays culminates, for most, in just one race at the National Championships. Now, our athletes will have the opportunity to experience a plethora of race days in peak form, while the eyes of the world are still on Australian cycling.”

From Road, MTB, Gravel, Enduro, Cyclocross – Peta Mullens has accomplished it!

With 14 individual National tiles next to her name, we are proud to welcome Peta as a ProVelo Super League Ambassador.

Peta lives life to the fullest – spending many of her days travelling the world, racing her bike and making new memories. 

Unlike many cyclists, Peta’s journey didn’t begin on two wheels. At just 9 years old, after misplacing her helmet Santa had gifted her on Boxing Day, she didn’t hop back onto a bike until she toed the line in a duathlon at the age of 12.

Peta was heavily into mountain running at the time, but it was cycling that caught my curiosity when she turned 15. Her initial passion was for track racing, earning herself a bronze medal at the Junior World Track Championships for the Individual Pursuit. 

As time went on, Peta found her way into the Melbourne criterium scene. “The art of tactics and teamwork were so intriguing to me, and the social aspect of it was irresistible. We didn’t have any female racing at that time, just mixed criteriums and handicaps, but I didn’t know any different so had no qualms with it.” The National Road Series and the structured team style of racing had not yet been formed at this time.

“As juniors, we would chase the Worlds qualification races around the country and hope that some local Elite Women would show up to race to see how we compared. I have some great memories on the road, indulging in a few years of racing in Europe with the AIS. When I first went overseas, I didn’t have a mobile phone, or a head unit for maps out training. I would just ride the same route every day until head coach ‘Wazza’ would take us motor pacing to new places, and we would take a translator dictionary to the store to buy our groceries.”

During her early cycling days, Peta attended Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) camps in Bright, where she was one of only two female riders. Her mother accompanied them, acting as a chaperone for the ladies and preparing lasagne for the entire squad.

What a mum!

Suddenly, for Peta, returning home to the occasional National Road Series races felt underwhelming.

“All I’d ever known was racing men, and then racing in Europe, and the NRS just felt like an odd collection of individual races with no continuity. I eventually turned to MTB’ing in 2009 where there was good prize money, great competition, and a unique level of support for elite riders, which I needed at the time as I was working full-time paying off a home loan.”

Mountain biking quickly became Peta’s passion, drawn to nature and adventure from her background as a mountain runner.

“My first National level event was the Otway Odyssey in 2010; it was the hardest thing I’d ever done but I loved every moment of it.”

“It’s still my favourite race in the country because it highlights everything that I’m proud to be as a bike rider; fit, strong, gritty, powerful, technical, tactical… and I need to be at the top of my game as it’s a 5hr slog with 3000m of climbing!”

Peta quickly shot into the senior ranks, and soon after, she aimed to qualify for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. To achieve this, she had to extend her stay in Europe to compete in World Cup events.

“I hit up my good friend Rochelle Gilmore in 2014, who signed me to her World Tour team and supported me on that journey. I went on to win the 2015 Australian National Road Championships, and eventually compete in a record breaking 20 National Road Championships (all at Buninyong).”

“Throughout my career it was obvious that there was a void for Australian Elite female racers wanting to take that next step in cycling, and eventually I came across a like-minded Kelvin Rundle who encouraged me to be part of his women’s team, and help him run a program that would open up doors for riders who wanted to compete overseas after the collapse of the AIS road program.”

Fast forward ten years Peta is proud of the work accomplished with Roxsolt.

In 2020 Roxsolt Attaquer registered as a UCI team and In 2021 to team changed their name to Roxsolt Liv SRAM and expanded to become a multi-discipline team, focussing on road, dirt and gravel.

“We’ve seen numerous riders graduate to the World Tour, and I’ve personally spent my last seven winters abroad, where I’ve won nearly every premiere US criterium race on the calendar.”

In 2023, Brazilian Butterfly joined the team and allowed Peta and her team to spread their wings, supporting to two junior scholarship holders.

“This year my attention turns and I’m competing in the World’s premier off-road series based out of the US; the Lifetime Grand Prix. My hope is that the ProVelo Super League is able to provide a professional platform for aspiring athletes to perform on.”

“To give them a consistent, high-level of racing throughout the Australian summer to either prepare them for Europe, to give them courage to pursue something overseas, or just to enjoy an awesome race series with teammates. And of course, for the World to be able to watch it all unfold and follow their stories.”

Learn more and Follow Peta via her channels below

Strava | Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin