What does a Panda, a loris and a whale have in common?

How would I describe my last 4X Pro Tour weekend in Fort William with 5 words?

1) couchsurfing
2) rain
3) first
4) battle
5) second

My trip started quite unusually, because I decided very late to take part at the race in Fort William. So everything was fully booked out and I tried it at couchsurfing.com. And voila it worked well an Austrian called Julian who studied in Fort William let us stay. Thanks again if you read this Julian.

The training started on Thursday afternoon and I had very big problems to find my motivation in this cold and wet conditions. I pedaled like a slow loris, jumped like stranded whale and had reaction time of a panda during lunch break.
So to sum it up in the first 45 minutes I was not myself and was asking myself “Seriously Helene for this you travelled here? “ Then suddenly from one second to the other like someone pushed my reset button I found myself sprinting and jumping the first straight and from this point I was on fire all weekend long.
I raced down best time in qualification on Friday and was also the only women who jumped the double on the second straight. I felt good on the track and was ready to give everything.
The Saturday came – and I found myself in the finals on line one. But I have to say my gate wasn’t the best and my first straight as well.  So the young fast BMX British rider Natasha Bradley was leading at the first straight – after the first turned I jumped the double and nearly caught her – then I nearly slammed after the next roller because I over jump it and so she entered in the rock section first – at the table I was close again and also at the last turn. It’s hard to tell but I think at the finish sprint she won maybe by just half a meter. It was a very exciting race for me and even if I didn’t win this time I am happy about my second place and that the women level is getting higher and higher.

Results

1. Nathasha Bradley
2. Me
3. Julia Lackas
4. Rebecca Baraona

Media Links:
Pink Bike Media Report – Interview with me
Pictures from the event took by Florian Gärtner 

Pink Bike Full Report 🙂 LOVE IT

My next stop is Schladming the IXS European DH Cup. So that means for me to hop on my big bike again the Alutech Sennes and get some training runs in before the race. I am looking forward to this because I still love DH very much.

Thanks to Julian, my sponsors and my boyfriend.

Bye Helene