Karlovy Vary (our new training ground) and our trip here

After Val d’isere we headed to check out the kayak scene and catch up with Luuka and Lou. We made it in time to watch the women’s final race which was impressive this sport is down to the wire and technique is so important.

Waiariki rep!

After the finals we went out for lunch – We had to go for the unhealthy option after Jane delivered the bad news that the academy would be without its top dog and driving force with her departure at the end of the year. Jane has had so much input into our sport and none of this will be neither forgotten nor go to waste.

mmmmmmmmmmm

After our binge and major brain storming on how to survive without Jane (with no immediate conclusions) we were back to the kayaking where luuka and Lou paddled in a lighter race a bit more fun but with cash up for grabs an exciting one to watch. It was 8 gates and one paddler would go with another setting off 5 seconds behind they would have to catch the one in front. If the gap was less than 5 seconds at the end the chasing paddler would go through and if the gap was more the front paddler would go through.

pre race - in deep thought

Scoping out his competition in luukas bib

Luuka and Lou were the chasers, but made the massive mistake of sitting on the line for some valuable seconds after the beeper went! Lou made it through to the quarter finals but luuka just missed out. It was an event like the XC eliminator event in cross country pretty exciting to watch.

Lou gunning it 

Luuka putting in a powerfull stroke!

In the mens we cheered on John Hastings a Canadian who stayed at the tihi athlete flat in Rotorua last year and should make the Canadian Olympic team, We at Waiariki would like to take some credit as he spent a day on the erg in the middle of the Mokoia campus.

John Hastings in action

It was a primo day all around in the sun

We spent another night in France and then made tracks in the morning to Champery Switzerland (which was a small detour on the route to Basel) where the world championships will be held. Although you are strictly not allowed on to bike on the track we went for a run and scoped out the track. It’s mean track and was as dry as a bone so we got to scope out lines. In the dry it looks to be a hard fast track but we can predict the carnage that would occur when this track is wet. Either way it is going to be a mint challenging track.We also did some riding in Champery we road right up the mountain and decided after seeing the massive huck in the xc that we should do the coupe de monde dh trail, a few hundred meters later and we were both walking - that is one step track not made for an xc bike at all. We were latter told its one of the steepest DH tracks that is raced in the world.

Next stop was Basel in Switzerland to break up our drive, fortunately Pascal and his family put us up for the night. Pascal was off in the early hours of the morning to catch a flight to his next race we won’t see him again until possibly the Czech world cup but wish him all the best for the Swiss National championships!!!

Carls Favourite sign

In the morning we got in hard training ride and were on the road again the autobahn helped the drive go by quickly and in no time we were in Karlovy Vary, we met our friends Renata and Vasek and then their parents who Kindly are putting us up for the next 3weeks while they are enjoying a holiday in Germany.

Film festival

Film festival

We perfectly timed our arrival to Karlovy Vary with the film festival and we had a great few days with Renata lining up some films (English translation and all) and even an impressive party that we weren’t invited to and well under dressed. Of course we avoided the drinking part, with two hard training sessions in the morning, and got through the night with a chocolate crêpe instead!

Renata and Vasek's Power plate studio - tried a work out (carl suffered as usual)

Make up time

Its great here and we have a really wicked mtb circuit technical with monster hard climbs and really sweet decents that are even testing Carl, and currently Luuka is in town on her rest week after her world cups has been primo hanging out on the other side of the world.

a section of our track - techy and fun

Chilling out - as if we have not left Rotorua

a feature wall like we have never seen before