Windham World cup

First World cup a scene we both could get used to...

Katie

Bummer!!! Race morning was running smoothy until warming up to the track where I found my gears were playing up, I tried to tune them but that was a no go. Sram managed to fit me in just before the start of my race to find a badly bent hanger, they bent it back as much as they could but warned me it would most likely snap. I didnt have a spear hanger as the one we thought would fit is for the 2009 bergamont not the 2010. To make matters worse the break would not line up again after sram worked on it (but when weighing it up I would rather have a some resistance on my wheel than no gears). I tried my best to get it to not rub but It didn’t come right so that was that and I had a warm up with the time left. Not the start I had intended on especially after the bike being fine the day before in my practice lap.

For the race itself I had a pretty good start position, and I started alright although could not get into my big ring and gears didn’t all work as flush as they should have. It was when it hit the single track and step climbs where riders were getting jammed up and riding was rougher than I would have liked considering it was playing on my mind that if I was changing rough my bike would not like it, as if the aggressive first lap was not hard enough on its own. I ended up going from an alright position to basically dead last on the first lap. With my legs feeling a heck of a lot better than my over thinking head I caught about 8 riders in the next lap and was just behind nic who wasn’t having a good day either. I was lapped out in 54th place.

Lots to work on ... but for now its time to have some fun in my last week left in canada :)

Quebec Championships Mont Sainte Anne

Saturday we raced the Quebec Championships in Mont Sainte Anne. Most of the track was the same as the track to be raced at the world championships, excluding a few bits to make the laps shorter.

Katies Race

I realized my race was going to be short, with only four laps of a track which was fast and not that long. This meant a hard start to get into the single track first, although this was my intention it didn't work that way and I hooked bars and got caught up a bit, I put my head down and began to chase back to try get to the front girls. My whole first lap was pretty messy after this, I managed to follow another girl off the track as the tape had been broken down and also drop my chain through one of the rough sections. Some how I regained myself and with legs feeling the best they have the whole time in Canada worked my way closer to the front. I ended up 1minute 25 of Rowena Fry however the results are a bit off at the moment and have her down as first when Lilly Matthews from Great Brittan had actually taken the win.

Carl's Race

All of us kiwis had to start at the back of all the Frenchies. I have been having good starts lately so I was eager to get another 1, I had a pretty good one but being a long way back at the start was hard but got up in the top 10 pretty quick. I had only done a few laps of the track so I was still stuffing things up but ended up having a good race finishing 4th to Raphael Gagne 3mins back. Got 150 bucks for 4th so again i can live another week with not a lot of money. I really love that track and the extra bits we didn't do in the race I went out and did yesterday and they are hard and really cool.

We are now down in Windham New York in a really big old house that is out of a horror movie and everyone is scared shit less we will post some pictures and we will get some picks from the race.

Carl and Katie

(Anyone who read the blog yesterday that was handy work Locky and Scott, it has now been corrected)

Bromont Canada Cup Final

This race was the final race to make the worlds team.

We had been in Bromont since Monday and rode the track quite a few times, we both mastered the track fast and started to get lines sussed the track really suited me with a steep climb that could be done standing.

I was called up 9th to the start line putting me in the second row, I picked my wheel wisely getting right behind Derek Zandstra. My start was unreal and straight away I was beside Zandstra I did not want to go infront of them so hung in with them up the first climb which boosted my confidence. It felt as though they were cruising until Mikey Northcott our National champion layed down an attack, from there the race was on full blast. This race I wanted to stay with mike and was giving it everthing I had to do so. On the first lap I could still see the front of the race only maybe 15 seconds down. After this stunner start I faded a little and it became a battle between the KiwisMikey Stu Houltham and myself, all within 30 seconds of each other the whole race. Coming down to the last lap I took off from Stu to put the chase on Mikey. I finished 10 seconds down on Mikey taking 10th place and 1st under 23 by a few mins.

I was really stoke with the race with some big names there and I also got 91 bucks for 10th and every coin counts when u living from a van.

So from then I was holding my breath hoping it was enough to prove myself to the worlds selectors, everyone was really supportive saying I have done more than enough... and last night I got the email saying im in the Worlds team.

Katie did not however end up with a result she was happy with, many things did not go as planned in her race. Katie's riding is the best I have ever seen, she is going mean fast on the techy sections and really fit and strong this race didn't show it but from here she will be focusing on the World cup at Windham. Katie still has one more year U23 and in the big picture has plenty of time. It is going to be good having two different peaks Katie the world cup and myself the world champs as we will be able to support each other and make sure the events run smoothly.

Carl

Disappointments of not making the world’s team and some good results in Ontario a 7th and a 2nd.

Whilst Katie is boosting down the High ways of Ontario I thought I would update everyone. As most of you know we have not made the New Zealand team to compete in the World Champs in Mont Saint Anne, Canada at the end of the month. We have been given the word from the selectors that the door is open till the 20^th and the race they are looking at is the Canada cup this weekend. We need to be less than 12mins down on a World cup winner to meet there criteria, so it’s a big ask but we are both up to it. We are backing off the training this week to try get a good result this weekend.

The race just been was an Ontario cup race and this is the province where most of the good guys and girls are from in Canada. We were hoping Derek Zandstra and Emily Batty would turn up so we could be gauged against them, Emily was there watching her partner Adam Morka the winner of my race and her brother, where as Zandstra a no show, however the race went on. The track was about a 2 and half min climb followed by lots of very fast slick flat and false flat single tracks and a few tech rocky and rooty sections with a 30second pinch climb at the end followed by a sweeping down. About 22min lap.

Carl’s Race

I started really well by the end of the 1^st lap I was still hanging on the back of the lead group slowly I drifted of sitting around 8^th and 9^th most of the race last lap I got up to 6^th to be past by 1 other chap about 4mins from the line and I couldn’t respond to his attack, I finished 7th I was pretty gutted to miss the podium by 1 spot but still very happy with how I went, 3mins 47 down on the winner, 25 seconds to the U23 winner and only 1min something to Mikey Northcott our National Champion who was 3^rd.

Katie’s Race

My race was the opposite to Carls, pre race my legs were a bit tight and I got pushed out by the locals on the start line, so when the race started with my heavy legs and being at the back meant for a poor start. I didn’t let it phase me and just waited for the climb to open up. It was a slippery climb on the good line so it didn’t help being in the rough even more loose line to get past the other riders and work my way to the front. I enjoyed the track and the race, and as usual I have come away with things to work on for the next race which is always good news because it’s the potential to get an even better result next time. By the 3^rd lap I got into 2^nd place and this is where I finished up, pretty stoked.

This week we will be focused on getting the best result we possibly can in the Canada cup in Bromont.

Carl and Katie