Helene Valerie Fruhwirth

It was a tough year for me. It started with the massiv crash on my head and a broken hand…thanks to my guardian angel who is obvious always around me… had a hard time to get over the crash ….my mind was playing games with me… go fast- dont risk too much..what is if you crash again on your head… all this things were in my head.. then I found slowly my way back…race schedule…get told from the national coach i am not good enough for the worlds…didn’t give up…raced great in Poland…got a place in the national team to start at the worlds in 4x…crashed in my qualification run….took time off in work to find myself again. Ihaven’t found myself yet but I am getting there.. I wish everyone out there a merry X mas and great start in 2013. Bye Bye Lene  

Hello everyone.Sorry for my late news…
I just wanted to give you a quick resume what happened the last weeks. I was competing at the downhill national champs in Schladming. I have to be honest the conditions where horrible for me and I had struggle to hold on, physical and mentally. It was very very muddy at race day and I was just trying to go not over the bar, which worked great for me but I was not happy about my time but I was okay with my 4th placement. I knew since my crash early this year I haven’t gotten my self-confidence back yet and I could feel it especially at this race very much. The pressure was on and I think first time in my race career I hated to race.
I knew if my performance wasn’t well I wouldn’t compete at the DH world champs in September. The national team manager wanted to decide after the race and he did. It was very embarrassing for me to get told in front of all the other riders that your performance was crap. I was very sad – sad about my racing- sad about the decision and sad about the fact that I won’t compete at the home country world champion ships in Leogang- …. The biggest thing for an athlete I guess.

I went home – got settled and thought no don’t give up; ask for a start place in 4x. I mean I am the number 8th of the world at this moment so reason enough to start I thought. But hmm not really I got another challenge to manage. I had to get top 8th at the European Champs in Poland. So my mission was – get ready and perfectly prepared. I got time of in my work, thanks for this to Michi – CICLOPIA the best boss ever. I asked my best friend Markus (on of the best BMX riders in Austria- for me the best☺ ) for coaching and I trained very hard- two times per day and I pushed myself to get my self-confidence back.

So after 3 ½ weeks rocky training I competed at the European Champs and I can say I haven’t never been so proud on myself than at this race. You have to understand most of the girls they have a “check list“ when they practice. We are not like the boys who always go easy over the big jumps in the first run. It’s like -okay first this jump then the other and the goal is to tick off all the points…I did that and it felt great. I got over my fear did the big jumps, fought and at the end I won the semi finals and placed 5th. And the happy end of this story is I GO TO THE WORLDS. YEAH mission completed.

Results women:

1st Katy Curd
2nd Anita Molcik
3rd Lucia Oetjen
4th Romana Labounkova
5th ME

People I want to say thank you: Christian from Hayes group who supported my in Schladming, Elias V. who let me stay in his camping Van in Schladming, to Mihai B. who trained with me in Schladming. Markus who trained me the last month, Rudi who pushed me over the biggest jump in Poland, the nice couple in Poland and Caroline B. who told me the right words in the right moment.
And of course all my sponsors who help me all the time.

you can see me on this video about minute 3

Sorry for the late news with facebook i sometimes forget to update my page in time. So for everyone you can follow my news also on facebook – missdownhill or „Helene Fruhwirth“I raced the IXS cup in Leogang, the World cup in Italy , the 4x Pro Tour race in Val di Sole, the IXS cup in Steinach, the 4 Pro Tour Final in Willingen and the Wheels of Speed race in Willingen. So a very tight schedule. To Sum it up I am on the way back, but I would need more luck sometimes…

My new DH bike: frame Moro Mbob in Large / Telemagenta colour
Fork: Manitou Dorado / Rear Shox: Manitou Revox Pro / Brakes: Hayes Prime / Rims: Sun Ringle ADD / Hubs: Sun Ringle / Handlebar: Answer Pro Taper / Stem: Answer DH / Seatpost: Acros / Headset: Acros / Saddle: San Marco / Outfit: Qloom

My new 4x bike: frame Moro Go  / Lightgreen colour
Fork: Manitou Minute Pro 100mm / Brakes: Hayes Stroker / Rims: Sun Ringle Charger Pro / Hubs: Sun Ringle / Handlebar: Answer Pro Taper Carbon 720mm / Stem: Answer Dj / Seatpost: Acros / Headset: Acros / Saddle: San Marco / Outfit: Qloom

My training for the season went great. The winter didn’t really find its way to my area so it was dry and warm, so would I have wanted more? hmm maybe no crashing would have been perfect…I spent many hours on my new DH bike the mmBOB and the 4x Hardtail GO both from Moro. Apart from that I left the Team for doing my own thing again I had some sponsor changings so I am riding with Qloom clothes, Manitou forks and rear shock, Hayes brakes, Sun Ringle wheels, Answer handlbars and stems. The other sponsor stayed same, Michelin tires, San Marco saddles, Acros headsets and new now seatposts, Urbantool bags, Spy sunglasses and goggles, Iriedaily casual clothes, go pro helmet cams and Ciclopia the bike shop which supports me a lot.  I felt great and fit like never before (thanks to the fitness center Galaxy). Yes so super motivated and fit was keen do go wild…okay not super wild but anyway I felt good on my bike. But all ended quick in Kalnica a bike park in Slovakia. I can just remember to wave to Martin and the next thing which a I can remember is to wake up in the hospital on monday morning. I got told I crashed directly on my forehead, no arms stop the impact. The result was I had a little bruise in my head, memory loss, big headache, a broken metacarpal bone and a broken helmet and goggles. I had to stay 8 days in hospital just to make sure the blood spot is getting smaller in my brain. And so it did. Luckily I was allowed to leave and didn’t have to operate my hand. Back home now I can’t await to ride again.But I will not get bored I have always to do many things…. and i hope i will be ready for the nigh sprint at the Gadasee festival in Italy.. i will see. Fingers cross.

The only bear I met 🙁

The last weeks were one of nicest of my race season so far. After the win at the 4x Pro Tour race in Jablonec and the win of overall 4x Pro Tour I travelled straight to Canada – Vancouver- WHISTLER. But this time I rode with my big bike. The Alutech Sennes. At the same time CRANKWORX was on. Crankworx is THE MTB EVENT you have to see one day in your life, if you like MTB. The event program is amazing. Go Pro Diaries/ Deep Summer/ Enduro World cup/ Slopestyle – Joyride/ Dual Air and Style/ Garbonzo DH/ Canadian Open DH / Pumptrack /Dual /Whip off Championships and ALINE Air race.

I took part at the ALINE race. I had so much fun racing there even my placement wasn’t the best. I had two amazing weeks in one of the best MTB Park in the world so I can’t complain. We were riding everyday. I caught up with my friend Caroline Buchanan and her boyfriend. I celebrated my birthday with my boyfriend.
I don’t know how many times we rode the Freight train- Dirt Merchant- A-LINE track (my favourite tracks) The over 100 jumps are perfectly shaped and you can jump so high and far without even realizing it. My big goal for this trip was to learn a whip and I have to be honest I have to keep learning, but I am getting there. I wished we would have something similar in Europe or even better near my hometown.

No I am back in Austria and very busy already. The time when an athlete can just ride and train is a thing of the past. Sometimes I miss the times without social media and smart phones.
On the one side it is good to have Facebook/ Instagram /youtube/ vimeo /twitter etc. it helps to represent yourself better and you can be creative and show that you have also other skills then racing fast and you can show who you are. But on the other side it means you have to swap your bike with your MAC too often. So the last days I sit in front of my MAC, designing, emailing and planning everything for the presentation for the movie project Voodoo Ride on different social media partners and the eurobike.

Thanks to my sponsors and Aumayer Druck Verlag who made this trip possible