Let’s freeride. Yeah, yeah, yeah?Because of my whole in my pockets, I am not at the world cup in America. So I had two weekends of since I race at the IXS cup and European 4 Cup in Leogang. Where I won by the way the 4X and in the Downhill I placed 12th.(Sorry for not informing you) After these 6 weeks of travelling and racing in the row I was empty and I took time to charge my batteries. Working and racing on a high level don’t fit together… So in this two weeks I had some nice hours on my xc fully and replaced many parts on my downhill bike, which was after the rainy races also finished… the bearings didn’t move any more..This weekend I felt for racing again so much that I travelled to Saalbach to the Dakine Freeride Festival, one of the biggest MTB events I have ever been in Austria. The people just get crazy here. Fancy bikes, fancy clothes and motivated spectators, pro riders, riders and distributors were everswhere. I competed in the Maxxis Dual Eliminator and the Scott Gang Battle. The Dual was going on Friday evening. I trained very well, felt good on the track and looked forward to ride it home. The race modus was not really fair. In Dual you have to tracks and normally every couple ride both lines and the one with the bigger time difference wins. But at this event we didn’t have a qualification. So the riders were picked by luck and the first said number could chose the line…… that wasn’t really satisfied for the athletes so neither was it for me. At the end we had to play Schnick schnack schnuck (stone, scissors, paper). I was dominating every run until the final, where I had the bad luck and got the left course, which was slower than the right course. I gave my best was jumping all the jumps pedalled hard at the end but didn’t make it. I place 2nd behind Steffi Marth from Germany. I was quite disappointed but hmm what should I do we are both fast and she had the fortune on here side. But the champagne shower was so much fun….At the boys my team mate Hannes Slavik won in front of Guido Schugg (GER) and Johannes Fischbach (GER).
Next day, was Saturday and a new game was on, the Scott Gang Battle race. I have to say I am racing so long now but this race was the hardest race I have ever ever done. The track was about 12-15 min long, not difficult but the distance made it so hard. In my qualification went bad. I had no experience and chose a very stupid start place, my fault, so apart from this, I missed the start signal by 1-2 seconds and I got involved in a start disaster, in one crash, a many dusty clouds, risky passing manoeuvres, and got stuck behind a slower rider. I ended up 5th from 29th.Next day, race day I wanted to make it better. I choose the lefties place I could and it paid of well. This time I tried to concentrate on the start peep signal so much and on the first left turns. I told my self you have to be first at the turn. I was leading for a while got passed by another girl when we enter in the first turns. I stayed on the second position until the 1km pedal section. There my race was over. I stood up and pedalled but the others passed me one by one. I think because this is my weakness anyway, and they had this adjustable seat posts and could pedal way better than me. So I rode a solid run down and gave everything what I could. I finished with a time of 13min and 19 seconds. I placed 4th. Even if I didn’t make it to the podium I am so proud on myself that I was leading at the top and gave my best.
Next day, was Saturday and a new game was on, the Scott Gang Battle race. I have to say I am racing so long now but this race was the hardest race I have ever ever done. The track was about 12-15 min long, not difficult but the distance made it so hard. In my qualification went bad. I had no experience and chose a very stupid start place, my fault, so apart from this, I missed the start signal by 1-2 seconds and I got involved in a start disaster, in one crash, a many dusty clouds, risky passing manoeuvres, and got stuck behind a slower rider. I ended up 5th from 29th.Next day, race day I wanted to make it better. I choose the lefties place I could and it paid of well. This time I tried to concentrate on the start peep signal so much and on the first left turns. I told my self you have to be first at the turn. I was leading for a while got passed by another girl when we enter in the first turns. I stayed on the second position until the 1km pedal section. There my race was over. I stood up and pedalled but the others passed me one by one. I think because this is my weakness anyway, and they had this adjustable seat posts and could pedal way better than me. So I rode a solid run down and gave everything what I could. I finished with a time of 13min and 19 seconds. I placed 4th. Even if I didn’t make it to the podium I am so proud on myself that I was leading at the top and gave my best.
First place was Ines Thoma, second Antje Krammer (GER) and 3rd Elke Rabeneder (AUT).
At the boys Mathias Stonig won with an incredible time of 11 minutes 09 seconds. Beeli Arminio (2nd) and Anrig Lukas (3rd)
results (click here)
Bye bye Lene
