IXS EUROPEAN CUP #1 - Leogang, Austria

This past weekend was the first round of the IXS European Downhill Cup series which is the premier series in Europe. The field was stacked as many top world cup riders were there to get in some practise for the world cup there later this year. I knew it would be a big test for me as my shoulder is still not great when the track gets rough and Leogang is NOT smooth J

Never the less I was excited and keen to get on track. Friday practice was awesome, the weather was perfect and the track was so fast and loose! I squeezed in 5 runs on the Friday and the goal was to get comfortable on the track so that I could get up to speed on Saturday. I did just that and was ready for Saturday seeding runs.

Saturday rolled around and I got in 4 runs in the morning on a dry and rough track. I was ready for seeding but as this is Europe it decided to pour with rain for seeding which meant no idea what to expect in the run. I got the mud tyres on and headed up to the top. I wanted to just have a smooth run and not make any big mistakes as this is the first race of the season. I had a solid run and came down with a time of 3:48 in 78^th spot which was no was nowhere near where I wanted to be but I was not too worried as it was only seeding. However I knew I had some work to do on the Sunday morning in practise.

Race day was upon us with better weather,  I smashed out 4 runs early and was feeling great, I found some new lines and picked up the intensity over the whole track. I was confident that I would go a lot faster in the race run but at the same time I didn’t want to push over my limit and crash in the first round.

Anyway it was not long before race runs started and I was soon in the start gate ready to go! I heard the beeps and I was off! I pedalled hard and had a decent run while not getting out of control. I came down with a 3:32 which was good enough for 51^st spot 16 seconds off the winner. I was disappointed with the result as I knew I had more in me but at the same time it’s a solid start with that field of riders. The goal was to have a solid start, keep the shoulder improving each week and not go all out at the first few races. I am satisfied with that.

However I assure you I will be back on top very soon! J

Thanks so much to all the great people and sponsors who make this happen!

Thanks to INVESTEC, morewood, seattle coffee co, virgin active, my trainer John Wakefield @ science 2 sport, Red Bull SA, Cycles Africa ( Manitou, odi, hayes, sun ringle ), Spank, Csixx, Leatt protectives, Bell helmets, Adidas eyewear and Faithwear.

 

Until next time…

Willingen Wheels of Speed 2013

So it’s Tuesday evening and I am sitting here in Schladming right after my first event of the international season.

I arrived in Europe last week Monday and I was super excited but at the same time a little unsure of how I would feel as my shoulder is still not up to full strength. I had made the decision to head to Willingen, Germany for the UCI Cat 1 Wheels of Speed Downhill Challenge. I thought the track would suit me quite well with it being really fast with loads of big jumps! The event has been won by top riders in the last few years including Aaron Gwin and Mick Hannah.

I headed to Willingen on Thursday with my friend Arie Schindler for practise on Friday. I started off with a crash on the first run J but I soon got into it and did loads of runs. I started feeling really good by the end of the day and was looking forward to the weekend! Saturday rolled around and I was excited to get back out there to smash some whips! Seeding was really late on Saturday and started at 17:00 which meant loads of waiting around. I was soon on track and pushing to have a good time while still keeping it safe and not over doing it. I came down with a smooth mistake free run and was sitting in 12^th spot only 7 sec off the leader which I was very pleased with as I knew I had much more in the tank for Sunday!

Sunday was race day and I was excited to get the first one under my belt as it had been a while since my last race. I got in 3 practise runs in the morning and I felt great, unfortunately my buddy Arie had a huge crash and was not feeling too great. He would end up racing but he was not able to go the speed he wanted to which was a pitty as he was looking quick.

Anyway it was soon time for finals and before I knew it I was on track and on a mission! I had changed a few lines and was pushing a bit harder all the way down the course. It was such a cool feeling to hear the crazy German fans all the way down the course, it forces you to push even harder J

I flew into the finish area with a time of 2:05:49 which had me sitting in 3^rd spot at the time and I was not convinced that it would hold. However it was better than I thought as only 2 more riders got ahead of me. I ended in 5^th place only 1.2 sec off the win which was amazing, after all the struggles last year it was a great feeling to get another top 5 in Europe with the level of competition over here. My shoulder held up quite well and did not bother me too much so hopefully it will just keep improving each week.

I am just so excited to back racing and I am looking forward to Leogang European cup this coming weekend, BRAAAAP! Thanks to everyone who has helped me thus far, without you all I would not be here. Also thanks to my amazing sponsors, INVESTEC, morewood, seattle coffee co, Red Bull SA, Virgin Active, Science 2 Sport, my trainer John Wakefield, Cycles Africa ( Manitou, Hayes, Sun Ringle, ODI ), Spank, Csixx, Leatt Protectives, Adidas eyewear and Bell helmets. You all make it happen J

PS. Thanks to the Schindler family for putting me up for last week!

Until next time….