On Friday Kai and I got the privilege to ride on the new freeride trails in Wagrain. The bike park hasn’t opened yet but Stefan the Marketing Co Manager drove us up to the top so that we could do some runs. We had luck with the weather. The sun was shining and we used the day to make a photo session. The bikecrew is like a big family here. Everyday they are eating together in familiar atmosphere. We were very welcomed. It has nothing to do with racing, pushing your self or looking for the best and shortest line. Here you go for a ride to spend hours with your friends, doing heaps of runs without getting tired and hanging out at the evening at one of the most beautiful parts of Austria. The bikepark has an own park patrol which is made up of about 5 people. They are doing all a very good job. All are riders who are knowing how a bike park has to look like.(Whistler style). The park has a new big wall ride. Just huge, but so build that everybody will have fun. The obstacles are for everybody even if you are beginner or pro rider. It’s a good track with big burms and it was just amazing how much forest was setting in motion to built this park and it’s still growing. Over the summer thew want to built 6 new single tracks.
Thanks for the nice day.. See you soon Lene (On the 16th of June is the Bike Opening and I will be there)

Kai on the big wall ride

Thanks to DVS for the new shoes

I/Petra/Moni

Professional mess keepers

That’s what I am loving

Boris I and Miriam hanging out in the finish area
4 Cross Training

hmm long time ago that i took part at the austrian national champs. My last ones were 2004. But this year yipi I could race . The starter field was very reduced because a lots of women injured themselves. Anita Molcik injured herself on Saturday at the 4x training another woman on Saturday and one other on Monday. I wish all the best and quick recovery. Also Angie H. When I heard about the crashes for one second I thought about how it is to be injured and that got me the creeps. So avoided to talk about that during the weekend. I was very focused on my training runs, my mental and physical condition. The track is very hard (Schladming) I mean you need a lot of power. It is also a track where you never have time to relax for a second you have to be concentrate on every section. A lot of riders made mistakes or crashed. To have a perfect run was nearly impossible. On of my best friend Boris Tetzlaff he had his perfect run.He is the new Junior national champion I was so happy about his victory. I got to know him when he was about 15th. He was so talented and I helped him as much as I could. Now he beat all the older riders. He is so cooool. In my opinion he will become one of the best riders of the world when his output curve is increasing like it does in the last years.

Back to my runs. Saturday I ended up 3rd. The race didn’t count for the national champs because we weren’t enough austrian woman. I felt not very good on the track. I don’t like the Schladming 4x course. Tracy Hanna from Australia won. Second was Petra Bernhard. In the men class Michi Staufer (Petra’s boyfriend) won. In my eyes a great performance because normally he doesn’t race 4X or downhill. He is a Motocross rider and bet all the guys who are training all over the year just 4X, with a heavy downhill bike. Just incredible 4 me.

Back to my runs. My training runs were good I know the track very well so jep it was a easy training. I didn’t make heaps of runs just few non stop runs. On Monday was the final day. About 180 competitors from all over the world were racing. Kai’s friends were also there. The two stage Team. KIWIs everywhere…..I felt good at the start I wasn’t that nervous, just a little bite. I ended up 4th in the international ranking and 2nd in the national raking. Tracy Hannah got first, Petra 2nd and Daniela Bossard 3rd (AUS/AUT/SUI).The men class won Filip Polc, 2nd Markus Pekoll, 3rd Sam Blenkkinsop (SVK/AUT/NZL). Junior class : Boris Tetzlaff/ Georg Sieder/ Matthias Stonig. Funclass: 1st Alexander Mikowitsch (Congratulation Alex)

So yes now I am soooooooo tired. Yesterday we drove to Wels where the EHS dudes were fixing my rear shock. Today I stood up at about 6 o’clock to drive to Vienna to got my car air condition repaired and no I will take a day off. Just doing nothing that’s my plan.
see you LENE

100 pros, 10000 spectators 1000000 fans….Okay okay it wasn’t like that. Buuuuuuut it was a great weekend. The sun was shining and the track was great. I got really bad sun burned on friday afternoon or was it saturday I am not sure- whatever. I didn’t think that it can be that bad because i nearly wore all the time my helmet. Kai the Kiwi guy was with me he got sunburned too.But apart from that his jetlag is getting better and I think he enjoys Austria a lot. I have a new bike rack for my car now it’s so easy to transport the bikes. I should have bought this thing much earlier……I can transport so much more stuff in my car and I don’t have to be a logistician to squash everything. So yeah the race- the weekend. I did some good training runs on friday an sunday. No crashing just some problems with my fork and my rear shock. Both were /are leaking. I will get it fixed 2 morrow … Hopefully.

It was my first austrian cup since I don’t know. I was long time away- Last year I was injured at the end and during the year I competed at the World cups and in Canada. A lot of things has changed in my opinion. Lots of new faces, good bikes, expensive parts, well styled and dressed, lots of fast riders and motivated young people. I think a good new freshening wind in the austrian downhill society. The only thing i missed was the legendary rider party… It supposed to be a karaoke night but nobody was motivated to embarrasse themselves. Probably because it was the night before the race. Anyway my qualification run and first run was okay and my final run was great. Not brilliant cos I made 2 mistakes. But I ended up 3rd. Behind Anita Molcik and Petra Bernhard. Kai ended up 21st and was happy his goal was finish the first race in europe with being not last and no injured. So yeah well done mister Crow…

Next stop is Wagrain and then Schladming. National Champs.

see you LENE

SUN/RAIN/SUN/WIND/HAIL/SUN/RAIN hmm and than SUN/WIND….. wired weather…

On wednesday I arrived at Santiago de Compostella with 2 other Austrian riders. I checked my luggage through and so it’s always exciting “Will I get it? Or is it lost?”. Standing at the conveyor starring at the black whole…. This time I got all my stuff in one piece.YIPI (I flew with Iberia, maybe it is important for someone).
Thursday we walked down the track. My mechanic, Chris fixed my bike perfectly. It was kind of strange to have somebody with you, who does everything for you. I’m absolutly not used to it. In a way I was irritated and stressed. All the years I did everything by myself and suddendly there is one who makes all. I should have been relaxed but it wasn’t easy to left my bike to someone else. On friday, I felt good on my bike. I didn’t make every jump but it was all right. All the years I missed it to compete in Vigo, because I was injured. This time I made it and i was happy to see a lot of riders again. I would not say that I have heaps of friends in the dh circus but with some persons I can talk more than just “hi how are you, how was your winter” - For example- Jenna Makgill a Kiwi lady. We had a lot of fun when I was in New Zealand and so the fun continued in Europe.

At the final day I was soo nervous I can’t explain. I rode so bad. I didn’t find my rythm I didn’t hit the right lines and i made two big mistakes.. I ended up 17th. The position isn’t that bad but my time. wohhh. 44 seconds behind the first lady Sabrina Jonnier. It was nobody’s weekend apart from Mario S.. Boris T., Georg S., Tom W. and Mathias S. crashed in the qualification run and Anita and I in the final run. I was very gutted. But yeah that’s racing and I have to learn to cope with the situtation. AAAAAAAAAAnd i am not injured.
On Sunday we went out. We are: Anita, Tom, Chris, Niki and Dominik (two swiss riders) and I. We went bowling. I haven’t tried it before and it was sooo funny. I mean bowling in generally isn’t that funny but we had so much fun. We At the beginning sometimes we made strikes but the more alcohol was ordered and later it got the more pins kept standing straight. I didn’t drink anything, everybody who knows me knows that. So at the end I looked after the group and drove them home to the hotel. After the two bowling rounds we went to the riders party. Honestly apart from dancing it was borring. Everybody was standing there and ordered one bear after one. Yeah that was the weekend in Spain.

Today I will pick up Kai Crow from the airport. A Kiwi (NZ) rider. I travelled with his cousin, Hadley around New Zealand and so I know him. He will stay in Europe until September and we will compete some races together. So I think you will hear a lots of funny stories and see funny pictures in the next months.

See you Lene