We have been based up in the ''valley of the sun'' for 3 weeks now and the trip has finally ended with this race as we head home Monday, the weather here is always great and was the perfect base in Italy to train and race.
This track has always been a very steep climbing course this year there has been some changes they had taken away a long grass climb to add a new steep gravel climb followed by a very cool on the edge decent. The course has three major climbs and three descents the only flat is the flat to the start finish line and the start loop which is a bunch ride around the paddock. Today the heat was turned on with all the racing temperatures well into the 30's.
Katie's Race
Today for me was a massive improvement, with a glimpse
of what is to come but nevertheless heartbreaking at the time. A huge portion of the first lap saw me off the bike running due to congestion many riders around me were in the same boat. My body however was just not up to the impact of running and I paid the
price struggling a great deal on the second lap barely turning my pedals and loosing places and time as I
tried to recover. By the end of the second lap I had recovered enough from the running
race and I was able to hit the third lap full gas, I produced a lap
time over a minute faster than my one prior and within the top 40. The next lap
I was able to go again and pick off 5 riders ahead getting to 44th right
behind team mate Kate, except unfortunately not close enough and the
5-10seconds back saw me miss out on cut off. My last lap based on the time I
left and the time Kate crossed the start finish plus the 10 seconds back I was would
have been a sub 18minute lap and around 28th fastest. Beyond disappointed to
miss out when I was making such rapid gains and feeling strong enough to continue.
Regardless of the initial disappointmrnt of falling
short of the top 40 result I had been aiming for I am stoked with my campaign
over here. For me to have made it here to World cups and progress over the 5
races I have competed in is pretty damn cool. Cliché but it would not have been
possible without those around me, I really would not have booked tickets and
got a plane without the great support.
The list is endless but I’ll give it a
go… major thanks to my Physio Corey at the Physio Therapy Clinic who put me in
the hands of an awesome Surgeon and helped with rehab (only a couple of my goals
ended up unrealistic *Nationals *Oceania’s didn’t quite make them ones J) Sam Thompson NZXC manager and
physical conditioner it is amazing how much he has put in to travel with us and
he is a pretty good head chef too, My Coach Evan McRae for adapting my program
daily as I gradually built back up, Sarah Mchardy for my weekly massage and zen
have sure missed that over here in Europe, Waiariki (I tested more than any
other year as we made decisions on what would be realistic
for me to do, and areas to focus on), my friends and family especially my mum,
and Carl who has made damn sure even from my first race back that I am on that
start line even if I am scared out of my boots, and the Multi-Day adventures
and MBR crew. All and all not a shabby support network, group of friends and
family, definitely looking forward to getting home and hanging out even if it
is winter:-/, planning to make the most of it, a few snow missions maybe?? and
thinking I need to give cyclocross a go, at least one race, from what I hear it
might help me with these world cups starts!!!
Rookie photos from Carl mainly parked under a tree before his race
Carl's race
I had quite a solid start with a massive crash right in front of me 200 meters off the start I got on the brakes and climbed over people and sprinted off getting up to the 50's after the little start loop, but really had a rough patch through a few of the 1st laps going back into the 60's and really struggling away, it was a real battle. I then started to pace myself on all the climbs and started to pass people. From lap 4 something changed for me and I was a different person, my heart was back under control and I started to pass and leave people on all the climbs, descend well and move up the field. On the lap I got lapped out on I moved up 6 places and was really flying, and was so gutted the lap here was so short and Nino and Julian boosted the 1st lap to make the lap out 80% under 10 minutes only 44 people made the final lap and these 2 guys were 2 minutes clear of the rest. I finished 54th my best ever world cup result yet again but yet again not the top 50 I was after here.
Thanks to everyone that has supported me to this point mainly Sam for investing a lot of his own money into the NZXC team and my Family and Katie's mum Pam for the massive loans I have had to take out and all our NZXC sponsors I hope we have done our job for you. I have made some massive progress since I was last here in 2011 results wise and owe most of this to the support I'm getting. I'm look forward to the next trip, planning is already underway to keep improving and achieving our goals.
We are on the plane late Monday night new Zealand bound where I have lots of catching up to do with the Family, I have a brother with a baby, a brother that's been in Canada for 6 months and now has a broken to smithereens hand and 40% of a liver and a cousin that with the other 60% of my brothers liver live's to fight another day.
Cheers Carl
Pro photos from Katie
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