Kategorie: 2011

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 12^th.(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 2^nd 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 5^th from 29^th.

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 4^th. 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

Black or white, lose or win, make it or crash, give everything or lose everything. I have to admit that’s the best way to explain the word racing and my life as a competitor. I live through this all the time and a smile is so much closer to a tear than you think. I nearly know anybody who is always on a winning streak, so neither I am.My World cup story begins in Scotland. Everything was planned in detail. I got on the plane by time, I got picked up by Pete Scullion, I had a place to stay in Edinburgh, got a cheap rental car, had the best travel mate, got my bike in one piece, I had a great accommodation in Fort Williams, the weather was great and stayed great, the 4x track suited me, training went perfect but yes now it comes the word BUT and the turning point in this story I messed up me first heat. I had horrible gate, I cased the first jump- the step down- the double- the other double, I was fighting all the time to catch up to her but in the stone field I nearly crashed and she was gone again. At the last straight I sprinted but I couldn’t make it. So yes I came all the way to get out in the first round how shattering is that? I looked the replay and couldn’t believe how bad my performance was. Finally I placed 10th. Melisa Buhl hugged me later seeing how sad I was and told me give yourself 24 hours and you will see you will feel better by then. It worked, I slept over it, I spent another day in Edinburgh, did some sight seeing and ate the best Indian food ever.

I came home on Tuesday, washed my stuff, had a long talk to my mental coach and get on the road again by Thursday morning. This time I had a big support with me, my mechanic Martin from Suspension Clinics and I felt confident for the upcoming races in Leogang, Austria. I decided to take part in both events downhill and 4X. I liked the track and I like Leogang but like always in Austria it was pouring down and I was the whole weekend just soaked and muddy. I take me hat off for those people who are out there the whole day to help the athletes, standing in the mud, carrying heavy back bags, spare wheels, pumps, trainers, gloves, goggles, tubes, giving the rider the umbrella and standing in the rain. Like Martin did for me, for free, just because he wanted to help me. This is for me having the heart on the right place. It was so good to not care about anything just your hands on the bar and ride. So did I. I trained a lot and had a tight schedule. But I found the right balance and had always enough power, when I needed it. Saturday I had downhill qualification run. I made a big mistake at the top section and missed the top 20th mark. I got 28th. I was disappointed but I had to get it out of my head to get ready for the 4 cross in the afternoon. And this afternoon was my time. I fought and raced I had never done before. It just went for it. Crash or win. Black or white and it paid off. I got 6th and was so happy. I couldn’t believe it. I made some good moves in the small final and nearly made in the first turn to lead the field. Next year there are the World champs in Leogang and after this performance I am confident for next year…. Yeah I like the white side can get used to it.

Here you find an interview sorry its german:

see my runs in freecaster.tv replay

minute 55
minute 69
minute 79

Thanks to all my sponsors Lene

This weekend the main event in the austrians‘ downhill scene was running and the fast women and men came together to get the gold medal around the neck.
The track (Semmering downhill track) was in a very good shape until it started to rain and it got really tricky and slippery. I knew the lines very well from my training before, but at the race weekend I had to think about a plan B at some sections because they changed so much. But still, the whole training paid off well and I felt confident and strong, and I ended up second, behind my team mate Petra Bernhard. Elke Rabeneder got third in the nationals and overall Jana Bartova from Czech got third. My first run on Sunday morning wasn’t that good because I had to pass an other rider. For the second run, the race run, I asked for changing the start order because I didn’t want to pass her again so, the fastet started first. I had not the perfect run, I was tired during my race run. I hit some sections just perfect and then others I was more a passenger on my bike than the rider. But to sum it up I am satisfied about my placement. Straight after the race I prepared myself to fly to Edinburgh, where I am at the moment and waiting for Steffi Marth, an other 4 X rider to head up to Fort Williams tomorrow. I am very excited to race 4 Cross again, which haven’t done this year yet. Just training. So yes I will keep you up to date how it goes here in lovely Scotland.

 

Last weekend I competed in Czech Republic, just across the Slovakia border.  This race counted again to this Slovakian- Czech downhill race series. The track + weather was nice, the organisation as well and the best was, I won. I was about 6 seconds faster than in my first run and so I won by 1,3 seconds in front of the Czech republic rider, Jana Bartova. (Totally we were about 10 girls) It was quite weird because the commentator didn’t speak English and my run wasn’t perfect, so I thought I didn’t win but I did…. I realized just after a while that I was first and so I missed this moment when you cross the finish line and listen to the results….and to be extremely happy when you hear you won – in my case it was more like “ah I won hmmm?”.  The whole weekend I felt all right just the finish jump you can see on the picture makes me at the beginning some problems but for the race day I was well prepared.  My next race will be the national champs at Semmering ( so come and watch if you are near)

Some of you think hmm why is she not in South Africa. yes the times getting tough and I could not afford me to travel there. I have to save my money for the europe races and for living. So this weekend I travelled to neighbor country Slovakia and it was totally worth it in a village called Kalnica. Nice track, nice jumps and nice weather, nice company and race atmosphere. Cheap accomodation, cheap entry fees but also less price money. I had good training runs how you can see in my first GO PRO video  (Thanks to Axel from Motionssports to supply me one HD Go Pro camera) my qualification run was good as well, I placed second behind a Czech girl 2,97 seconds behind. I was going for the win in my second run but she as well and he made it. I finished second (from 8 girls) with 2 seconds behind her and was still very happy about my race run, because it felt great. I didn’t make mistakes and I did all jumps, which I wanted.

Check it out – the new Iriedaily Collection Spring 2011

I just say I can identify myself well with it. The work Blue colour is a real eye catcher…..
Some impressions…..go and get it.