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