As always the racer bike cup pulled the numbers and some big names with 72 in my race, and lots of national teams having there last hit out before worlds. The track was based at the local horse trotting track and was super flat, it had a 1 minute pinch climb and a 1 min decent and that was it the rest was dead flat, full speed along road paths and in and out of trees. Not an ideal race for riders my size but it was perfect not to take too much out of me before this weekend.
The start was around the trotting track we were told we were doing 2 laps of this then 7 of the actual track I thought that was straight forward, turns it wasn’t, after getting to the front coming into the opening in the track, the tape wasn’t down everyone slowed and looked then decided it must have been 2 and a half laps they meant, so we all took off for another lap, at this moment I started to get swamped because I was on the outside of the pack setting myself up to exit the track and then I slowly drifted back. Down the 1st straight of the actual track I managed to move up again but then myself and 4 or 5 other guys got on the wrong side of the tape and had to go the long way around everyone then break back through the tape so into the 1st climb I was a little flustered but mid pack and I felt strong. Every lap I was Just off the back of bunches that were being pulled by big freight trains and had to work super hard to get back on them. I ended up 32nd I thought I was doing better than that but on a course that was not suited for me it’s ok and I was only 5.40 down on Absolon.
We are now up at Champery with the NZ team in a big ski house, its just about all rest for me and Katie.
Katies race is Thursday at 5pm so that’s 3am on a Friday NZT there is no freecaster for her race but UCI live timing is just as exciting.
My Race is on Saturday at 430pm so Sunday 230am NZT and freecaster is not free for this one it cost a few euro’s so if you want to watch the action live you will have to sort it early. Otherwise live timing... otherwise just wake up in the morning and look
Thank you to the Schmutz family for having us yet again on this trip, we stayed at their house for quite big amounts of time thoughtout our trip, they are the coolest family in europe and we will miss them.
Chur
Carl
Carl and Katie - NZXC Racing
Monday, August 29, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Swiss Bike Trophy Bern - City Race
Last night we raced our first ever city race, and it was one of the coolest experiences we have had.
We lapped around the city center of bern with jumps, ramps, stairs and other obsitcals, loads of spectators even with epic thunderstorms belting the rain down and plenty of excitement all around.
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Elite womens -Katie 6.15pm
The Bern city race was aimed to be my last hit out before the Worlds falling at the end of a 3day block of intensity training. I had never done anything like a city race but it was exciting and lots of fun I had to rapidly learn new skills i.e. jumping, and riding over obstacles I was a real newbee to the city riding concept. Nathalie Schneitter of switzerland stormed through the circuit with Lea Davison from the usa right there impressively powering over all the obsticals and around the course. The technique these top elite women had is a huge eye opener as they attacked the obsticals with full speed and confidence even in the stormy conditions. I did not have this same confidence an struggled with no legs at all after the hard block of work I put in over the last few days on the champery Worlds track and in interval sessions (where I will have a claim to fame of pulling away from Carl the night before in an interval session.. where were those legs last night I ask?? I am now thinking Carl was pulling a sneaky one and saving it up for last night), I pulled out after a few laps after my legs virtually brought me to a standstill up a hill. I am hurting for a reason and the taper down now will bring full gas next Thursday in the U23 Womens World Championships. And setting up a circuit like this back home for training is now definately a MUST! Waiariki Makoia campus city race I am thinking:???
Elite mens - Carl
This was by far the coolest race I have ever done, I love technical stuff and this course was pack with it, we had massive flights of steps we had to boost down over logs over jumps the works and on the start line the 4th or 5th thunder shower of the evening was wanting to burst on us. 20 seconds after the start It was all on rain so hard you could see not a lot and we were all soaked to the bone. It made the techy course even more scetchy, but even more fun I have never raced in rain that hard it was intense, this shower didn't stop though. I had a solid race after yet another average start, but there was no way I was racing for the hole shot on roads like ice. I was riding infront of a lot of the packed out field of big names for quite a while even attacked Chirstoph Sauser and Mathias Fluckiger, never had the chance to do that before. I think I finished up 29th I wanted a top 15 so I could get some cash back and some UCI points, but when I have never beaten the top 20 guys I was pushing shit up hill after not committing to the dangerous start. I had the most fun I have had in a while though. Im doing one more race before worlds this Sunday in Muttenz, in Basel Switzerland its a racer bike cup and most of the guys im racing next weekended will be there so its all on...
Chur check out some of the action below. No videos of Katie as I cant use my own camera
Champery - 3 day Training block
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| primo backpacker and owner Catherine |
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| The world champs Spirit in Champery |
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| riding to the track for training |
the drop
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Val Di Sole, Italy - final world cup
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| Valley of the sun - Sure was every day!!! Perfect |
U23 women’s (Katie’s report)
We arrived in Val Di Sole on Monday night to primo mountains and weather which lasted the week. We made our way to the track on Tuesday and it was a tough one but it seamed to be one which I felt suited my strengths. It had a great deal of climbing with some pinch climbs which required more concentration and strength to get up and some fast descents, I really liked it but knew it would be a hard race demanding a lot from the body.
The U23 women had 40 starters the strongest field yet on a demanding climbing track, I was seeded towards the back end of the large field which made for a hard start. Off the line the legs did not go and I came through in 24th after the start loop. In the second lap I managed to move up 8 places to 16th and I was feeling as though I could only get stronger however when taking my feed I bounced my bottle back at my poor feeder and ended up without one for the lap, I then took on a gel regardless of not having water thinking I should at least keep the energy going in, big mistake. The gel was impossible to take down and stomach with no water on a hot day and it made for some shaking riding resulting in a time consuming crash with a minor mechanical. I dropped a few places and then seamed to yoyo around for a bit not feeling flash at all. I finished the 4 lap race in 15th pretty disappointed and a little out of it to say the least at the finish where I decided I would crash just riding along the grass no holes in the ground or anything.
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Carl - Elite men
Ill keep it short. It was over 40 degrees I usually go mint in the heat but today I didn’t. We had been at a bit of altitude for the perfect amount of time for it to work against you, and had done it a bit wrong with our training up here maybe. I honestly don’t know what went wrong and altitude is the only thing that could have made me feel like a slug. I had a really good start as some of you may have seen on free caster, people said I was seen and mentioned on having a really good start… I had done all of that feeling like arse and maxed out all day, my data shows I was in a small little box of pain the whole race but going no where. It was probably the worst race I have ever had and it just happened to be a world cup so I’m gutted
After the race we were able to watch four Cross racing, the downhill with and Anton Coppers 2nd cross country jnr world cup win. From here it is all focus on training in the build up to the world championships in with the U23 women’s race in12 days. We will head to the track in the morning and it will be all on!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Nove Mesto na Morave World cup
The event was off the scale we had been here for 2 weeks to limit our traveling, and we watched the event take shape the track change daily.
So our race day rolled around Katie was up 1st at 10.02am starting 2 mins behind the elite women she got down to business early and moved up well, however it turned a bit pear shaped for a lap or 2 losing huge amounts of time to the riders in front, in making some time consuming mistakes (her lap times tell the story). After running around for the first half I watched the end of the race from big screen from here I could rest my legs while watching the racing unfold. I got my lunch and I look up to see Katie had pulled it back together, and pulled back over a min on the group of girls in front of her, her laps only got faster on the last lap pulling the 5th fastest lap time and stomping home for 9th, she had moved up to 8th on the last lap but cramp on the last climb thought 9th place was better. So im stoked for her but she wanted better. :) And I reckon better is what will come with the winner of the race today was only 40 seconds in front of her in the race we ballsed completely up 2 weeks ago in Ostrava....
Katie rolls the inside line moving up in the start lap
On to my hurt fest... 2pm, called up 77th with like 10 rows in front of me and 4 behind I was dreading the start loop it was perfect for the fully grown man to pound me. It was a wide and fast road with 2 power climbs in it, and lots of space for me to move up and back as it was, I was moving up lots but it kinda stayed even with the other chaps rolling around me, the laps were short and we were out to do 7 plus the start lap. After a few mins it went into the 1st single track from the start loop, and it bunched up hard we were barely moving as frustrated as I was there was nothing I could do about it on an 8 min start lap I lost 2 and a half mins, Not Ideal... I was in 100th place. As soon as the track cleared a bit I was on a mission every group I caught I didn't wait a second, I just kept on rolling past and attacking the off my wheel.
Every lap I moved up spots but the damage had been well done by now. My lap times were faster than my position every lap so it is very frustrating to see. I moved up to 77th in the end back to where I started. I had given every thing and got a hole lot of nothing I race with my Garmin and I defanitly was in the red the whole race with an average heart rate of 183 that is my threshold so that was mint to see. So all in all good race not happy with the place though at all. Its a world cup though and its all about the start it always has been so...
Sorry cant sort Videos and pic's now way to tired, and have a splitting head ache I will try do some at some stage just come back and check it out latter in the week.
Chur
Carl
Monday, August 8, 2011
Graeme Murray Photo Shoot
Graeme Murray Photo Shoot
This is a bit of actions we got up to before we left NZ,
Thanks heaps Graeme
More shots to come
ITS MONDAY!!
Ok its getting close to exciting times, Monday the week of our first World cup race, time is flying by which works perfectly for us as we can’t wait to race in what will be our second ever World cup race.
After Ostrava we have been based in Svetnov, a small village about 20km from Nove Mesto Na Morave where the World cup will be held. We have had good accommodation at Czech cottages and it has been great to be in a little village with well nothing, time to chill and train!
Training has still been smashing us so this week coming into the world cup will be a much appreciated drop in the millage, but I’m sure the increased intensity will make it hurt none the less.
We have had a 3 training sessions on the track since being shown around by the Merida Czech team, who had it dialled – with their manager being involved with the track and event. We also became famous New Zealanders on the Nove Mesto Na Morave World cup website from this pre ride.
Our claim to fame
The track primo, it is around 4km with 4 steep climbing sections and 4 rooty descents broken up by a few scattered rock gardens. The track was not ridden in last week but once all the riders arrive it will definitely get a lot faster and smoother too.
Link to world cup web page – there is a video which shows a few fun parts in the track
our amature videos of our first play on the track - thought it may be exciting for the blog - few trees in the way, glare form the sun, and a bit of a yarn.. translation "a bit stiff at the bottom" as I went off a rock in the wrong direction:)
We will head out to the track Tuesday/Wednesday when the track is marked out and perfecto for the race, our last ride they were out working hard, some more rocks went in to a few sections making what was the “rock and roll” feel a little less rock and rolly – which turned out great for Carl as the rocks it was missing early in the week were causing him a few male discomforts when his bike geed out.
Todays plan is a bit of R&R and hopefully some of the NZ Kayakers are rolling through the area and we will get to catch up.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
OSTRAVA CHACHAR - race reports
Average race after a average weekend is how it was really.
We were not sure if the racing here would be the same high level as the Swiss Racer bike cups, but it definitely was. The race doubled as the final of the Central European cup and a UCI Cat 1 race, and some teams made their way over here, as the world cup is 2 weeks away. We stood at the start this morning watch loads of Pro teams and National teams from all over Europe, warm up and get their bikes cleaned and looked after, this is a dream for us that if we keep working hard we too can have aspiring amateur athletes looking up to us. The track was drying but no way near as fast enough for us, we still had dry tires on, and I was not risking running tubes again after my last two tubed races, so we sucked it up and raced.
Carl
It was a hard day to say the least in warm up I was boosting and was really thinking I was going to go good, I started well up but soon as we got to single track I was skating, there was a really cool peace of track though were I honestly don't know what the euros were doing but it was a sweet hot line, on the 1st lap I past 5 guys on one 40 meter peace of track I was stoked, that was as good as it got every lap. All I was gagging for was a climb but the track was really flat with only a few tech pinches but we had to run up them anyway, the mud was stuffing everyone's bikes up but I found the time to stop and clean my bike up cause it was really pissing me off. I finished up 20th where I should have been in the top 10 had I been a pro racer for the weekend like I have been for the other races.
Just so everyone doesn't get worried this race was a race a last minute one which we were going to wing, so wing it we did. The next 3 are down to the T every thing is PRO from now.
Katie
I think Carls very straight up summaries of our weekend of winging it provide insight into our frustration. It is hard to go with the flow when we know that to preform at this level we need every advantage we can get. I am a routine girl when it comes to racing, from dinner the night before to pre race nutrition... it has been so long since I have tested why but after today I will return to the routine. I am also a firm believer that when a race is muddy "I had the wrong tires" is a bad reason to race poorly as mountain biking is not just having skill, not just having power, and not just the equipment you need all these. So we suffered the consequences of our poor preparation for this one (but again it was what it was, a last minute add in which was directed at finishing off our hard training block and starting off our racing - so mission accomplished in this sense).
The field was strong and consequently I was ranked further down than in some of the other races, the start was through a flat paddock which we twisted our way up making for a slow but congested start. The first two laps I really struggled with the muddy sections, loved the technical rooty steep sections (with carls hotline) and loved how my legs and form were from the hard training. I had a lot of ground to make up and was far back in the field but determined to do so and with the track tacking up nicely in the last 2 laps I was able to ride my way back through the field up into 9th place in the elite women's which I am pretty stoked with.
A relief that the weekend of winging it is now over :) and tomorrow we are heading to our next accommodation which is going to be great perfect for what we need, great tracks and great people oh and a kitchen, so Carl has no reason for McD's :)
Katie and Carl
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