Helene Valerie Fruhwirth

4X Start

This weekend I raced in Schladming. It was the 4th UCI World cup. I decided to race 4X too. I enjoyed it a lot. The last years I didn’t want to race both discipline on one weekend, because it is very exhausting. You have to train more, you have to push your bike up the hill, you have to repair 2 bikes (DH /4x) and the qualification and the final runs are so late in the evening (about 8 to 10). This time I had to go to the anti doping control and it took so long that I finally went to bed at 12 o’clock. Stood up at 6 and at had my first training run at 7:45. Saturday morning i was so tired I couldn’t hold my handle bar very well. So I did just 3 runs. In the evening it was better. I qualificated for the 4x (7th). The first heat ended not very well for me. I had a good start but I had the worst start position. I got thwarted by Mio Sumaso and didn’t reach the final. In the semi final I had an excellent start. Hear I have to mention Markus Sedlak (runner up BMX national champ)and say thanks. He showed me how to do gate starts. I ended up 6th. I am was so happy about my final position. My first 4x World cup since ages and I felt so good on my bike. The only thing I really have to say I am so pissed of by the commentator he didn’t even realized at the semi final run that I am also from Austria and when I passed the finish line he just talked about the other austrian rider who was last because she is more known. Anyway I am proud on my result.
I wished I could be also proud on my downhill result (19th). I felt very good in my training runs and I am sure I could race top 15 but my grip broke at the start jump. I think it was a little bit broken before and just at this last run and first 2 seconds it broke. I struggled all the way down to hold on my handle bar because the grip was twisting around. This track had so many brake bumps and roots

that everybody has problems even without a twisting grip…. Anyway I can’t change it now. To sum up I had a great weekend and I am number 12th at the moment in the UCI World cup ranking in Downhill.
Maybe Kai and I going to compete at an Austrian race just 1 1/2 hour away from my village. I will see.

This weekend I gave it up… my rear shock was repaired on monday (4th times) because it was leaking again after the world cup run in Schladming. I thought yeah now it works but no. I had a race this weekend and it was a very nice track not that long but nice built. I tried to forget my rear shock and ride it until it was completly destroyed. Honestly I didn’t care anymore I couldn’t do anything in that moment. The complete saturday was just …..:-(

On sunday I visited a friend and we went swimming, inline skating, diving board jumping and with a pedal boat. It was soo hot and enjoyed it a lot after this horrible saturday.It was the first time for me with inline skates in a half pipe. I tried a „180°“. KIND of :-). On monday I went wakeboarding with Kai. It was very busy at the lift and so we couldn’t do many runs.

Gansta car…. We don’t need a party we have our own..

Last weekend I competed at a 4 Cross race in St. Magarethen. It was such a good race. Very well organised and the track was good too. The only lack was the number of competitors. We were just 2 girls okay I didn’t expect more but there were also just 7 elite men riders. I don’t wanna say that they aren’t the best from austria but I was a little bit frustrating. Seeing such a good event and so less riders. (Thanks to the organisation!!!)But anyway it was soooooooo hot that nearly all the riders went to a lake to cool down and continued riding at 4 o’clock… Even Kai and I…We proofed our skills in board jumping and extreme drying….The final started at 6 o ‚clock. Petra got first me second. Thomas Bubla first and Markus Sedlak second.

Petra and I

Thanks to my sponsor GENERALI
On Sunday we drove to Maribor and did there good runs. I realy like the area you can ride so many different things. Roots, Gaps, Drops, freeride trails…… We met the UCI World cup 4x Track builder… I forgot his name and we had a look on the new 4x track. It isn’t finished yet but it looks cool… I sure you can see soon the pictures on the nzride.com web page.

Tomorrow we are driving to Morzine and next weekend we will compete at a IXS cup.

See you LENE

At the moment I am sitting in a nice living room from a nice hotel in France… What I am doing here. Of course riding my bike. After about a whole day spending our time with the tractor game, passing 2 countries we ended up in Morzine. A very touristy village right in the heart of Portes du Soleil bike area.
I am at one of the nicest places in Europe to ride your bike. About 24 lifts are running the whole day, about 650km signposted routes are to spotted. Many downhill tracks many single trails and some jump parks. The first day was not the exciting because we just ride on tracks where every wekend rider is riding. And there were a not ending brake bumps story. For everyone who can’t image what brake bumps are. They are little bumps which results of 100 of bouncing back wheels.
But today we went on extreme great tracks. One was a french national race track (Avoriaz – Montriond ) and other very amazing tracks. I am not very used to ride tracks fast I don’t know but the last days a learned a lot about improving the reaction skills and how to cope with different situations. When you race everything is well thought-out and you know your line. But here you done just one run on the trail and heading to next one.

To my Mum: Sorry that I was not at home on your birthday… I love you.

See you LENE

It’s very pretty here. BUT the track isn’t fun… until now. I hope I going to enjoy it much more 2 morrow. There are two sections I am really afraid of and I will see if i can made them the next days. Hmm but no stress.  YEAH hear you tomorrow

see you LENE

The no racing weekend…I decided to stay at home this time because my next weeks are going to be very busy. Okay completly without bike it can’t work. So Kai and I were riding on a nearby mountain. We had the weather on our side. It was just very muddy so that I have to bleach my pants after the day to get ridden of the mud spots and we have also to clean the bikes. But apart from that I was great.
In the evening I spend time with my friends and had dinner at my friends restaurant/Pub schlosserei. The owner, Ali, was my best childhood friend and it is amazing how she manages ther restaurant all by herself. Perfect location, perfect food and nice staff. Whenever I find time I am there.
The Sunday was the big family day. We (my oncle, my aunt, my neighbours, my brother, my 2^nd aunt and Kai) celebrated my father’s birthday. I count my neighbours to my family because the couple (Schimon) are for my brother and me our grand parents. We didn’t know our real grand parents and since I can think they took part at every important family celebration (Christmas/ Birthdays/ Easter/ graduation…)
The weather hold on until the dessert and after that it rained cats and dogs. I love the family parties but after the 5^th times critzising my hear colour “why did you colour your hair black” (For everybody to understand I have normally blond hair) I had enough and took the chance to watch TV at my parents place. I think everybody knows how it is when the family is running out of talk topics and starting to critize you.

Back on the road…..
At the moment I am sitting in the car but this time as a passanger. Kai is driving. Very relaxing for me. We are playing the tractor game and I am leading at the moment. YES!

Okay on that picture he is leading but in the end I won.

We are on the way to my oncle and to the 2^nd World cup in Champery. Franz lives in Zürich so we will stay over night there and go on in the morning. My cousin has birthday and I bought him a Skater T-shirt and a cap. I hope he will like it because I can remeber when I was a teenager it was hard to take my fancy.
More news are coming
See you LENE

Last weekend i travelled again to Leogang because the IXS cup and the European 4x cup was going on. It was all the same apart from that I was this time by myself and i had to switch the car, my one had a break defect. My uncle lent me his own. Friday the Dh track was in a good shape and the sun was out. I really enjoyed riding it. The 4x track was fast. I had good practice runs and had really fun. It was a great preparation for the World champs there next year. The qualification run went well too. I was 2,7 seconds first. Ahead from Diana Maggraff from Equador and Neza Knez from Slovenia.
Saturday I felt very tired I could feel the races from the weeks before and was empty. It was quite hectic and exhausting to switch between 4x and downhill. And my batteries were finished. At the end the weather conditions turned into a storm and the 4X final race and the elite dh qualification got cancelled. I kept my first place from quali, which was great and I was okay with that because the race would have been on Sunday morning, where i had downhill practice.
Sunday was raceday in downhill and I felt allright but not 100 percent motivated to be honest I wanted to go home to relax for a bite. So was my race run. The track looked not anymore like a downhill track more than a battle field, so deep brake holes and mud lines that you could slice with your brake disc the mud. I found my way down but the time was really crap. I finished 12th. But I didn’t think about it much it was not feeling for racing and so it was fine for me, I can not be always top. (okay in four cross I won, so I can not be top everyday….)
This weekend I stayed at home did some nice XC laps and 4x trainings, RELAXING that it was I needed. Bye bye Lene