The race day….

- weather was perfect
- bike was o.k. nearly k.o. because me fork was still leaking my back rims was bended and my rear shock was leaking too.
- I had 2 excellent training runs the day before
- I had a good training run in the morning
- BUT I got a puncture in my qualification run

So I wasn’t sure about my final run. The track was long and you have to economize with your power. In my final run I got the lines perfect but I think I should have pedaling more… Hmmm but I am very satisfied with my final postion. 13th that’s my best result ever at a world cup race. I am stoked.
Sam HIll won/ greg minar 2nd steve peat 3rd matti L 4th
Sabrina 1st Tracy Mosley 2nd Emmeli Ragot 3rd and Tracy Hannah 4th

So what happened apart from racing.

- I met nice belgian people

-I jumped from a water fall. (the water was soooo cold) But it was such a great feeling. I don’t know how high it finally was but I could try some moves.

- I saw the loveliest place ever

- I danced until the sunrise at the After Party. I had so much fun with the other Kiwis (Amy

and Jenna)
- I nearly freaked out cause the Team who should give me a lift to the montreal aiport had a delay. I couldn’t reach them and thought they had forgotten me. But it wasn’t and I got to aiport by time.
- I cheered for the XC rider Filip and the two austrian xc rider beside the XC track on Saturday
- I bought earrings for 1,99 CANDollar which I have already lost no picture available cos I lost them before……

It was such a challenge to come here. I thought I could travel from the Montreal airport to Mount Sainte Anne with the dolphin team but few days before my flight I got the email from the dolphin team manager that they have no space for me. Hmm I knew that could happen but I didn’t expect it. So yeah I needed a new plan as soon as possible cause I’m to young to rent a car by myself. I emailed to riders,to team managers and phoned people who maybe could have helped me but nobody could at the end. Apart from the FusionTeam. Jenna Makgill a kiwi girl, is riding for the team and they had place for me in their chalet. I had no other choice to fly over and see what happen. I wasn’t that worry cause normally I always find a way. So did I this time too. At the London airport Heathrow I met a cross country rider with his crew and I asked him if they had space for me. The rider was world champion 2005 Filip Meirhaeghe is his name. They had space and I also could sleep the night in their accomondation. We arrived very late about 1 o’clock in the night I was soooooo happy that someone other was driving the car and that I had a bed to sleep.

The next day I met Jenna at the registration center so after I moved to her house with all my stuff. I hope she is allright sharing with me her room cause I am a “night speaker” sometimes in english sometimes in french and original of course in german. Jenna’s team is cool and I feel good hanging around with them. Yesterday was a good training day, the track is like last year very fast long and good fun. I like it and enjoy it. I just hope that I don’t destroy my rims because Sun Rims isn’t here and I don’t have spare ones with me.  I have to get ready and go training…
See you LENE

The weekend is over… I am soooo happy: the track was just a night mare - everywhere steep and the catch nets were just 50 cm high. So if you crashed you didn’t even touch them. You just flew over it.. Incredible that this was allowed. I struggled all the weekend with myself if I should compete or not. There were two section which I didn’t do well. But at the end I raced and ended up 20. I am all right with that place. I am very proud that I compete at the end a lot of women didn’t because of different reasons. I heard that the race organiser choosed exactly that weekend because it hasn’t rained on that weekend for ten years.. Hmm but not 2007 it rained every afternoon cats and dogs…. Everytime when the 4x training started or the race the track became a river. The 4X was so exicting to watch because you never knew who was going to make the turns without slidding away. Jill Kintner won Seyoux Rachel 2nd and Fionn Griffiths came 3rd. In the men class won Brian Lopes, Michal Prokop 2nd and Filip Polc 3rd.
On Saturday evening it didn’t stop to rain. I was thinking about the next day and about the race track. How should I make it uiuiuiuiui. But it dried very quickly and the girls and most of the guys had the luck to race on a pretty dry track. Just the last who made a very good qualification time had though luck.
Matti Lehikoinen won , Steve Peat came 2nd and Sam Hill 3rd. BUt SAM H. was the last rider and had the worst conditions of all riders. Sam was stealing Matti the show with the impressing fact that he was just 1,5 second behind him in the poor of rain. Congratulations to Marielle Saner(SUI) 2nd Emmeline Ragot and Sabrina Jonnier came 3rd.
My next stop is Wagrain the bike park opening. And after that I am flying to Canada for the 3rd World cup.

See you soon LENE

It’s very pretty here. BUT the track isn’t fun… until now. I hope I going to enjoy it much more 2 morrow. There are two sections I am really afraid of and I will see if i can made them the next days. Hmm but no stress.  YEAH hear you tomorrow

see you LENE

The no racing weekend…I decided to stay at home this time because my next weeks are going to be very busy. Okay completly without bike it can’t work. So Kai and I were riding on a nearby mountain. We had the weather on our side. It was just very muddy so that I have to bleach my pants after the day to get ridden of the mud spots and we have also to clean the bikes. But apart from that I was great.
In the evening I spend time with my friends and had dinner at my friends restaurant/Pub schlosserei. The owner, Ali, was my best childhood friend and it is amazing how she manages ther restaurant all by herself. Perfect location, perfect food and nice staff. Whenever I find time I am there.
The Sunday was the big family day. We (my oncle, my aunt, my neighbours, my brother, my 2^nd aunt and Kai) celebrated my father’s birthday. I count my neighbours to my family because the couple (Schimon) are for my brother and me our grand parents. We didn’t know our real grand parents and since I can think they took part at every important family celebration (Christmas/ Birthdays/ Easter/ graduation…)
The weather hold on until the dessert and after that it rained cats and dogs. I love the family parties but after the 5^th times critzising my hear colour “why did you colour your hair black” (For everybody to understand I have normally blond hair) I had enough and took the chance to watch TV at my parents place. I think everybody knows how it is when the family is running out of talk topics and starting to critize you.

Back on the road…..
At the moment I am sitting in the car but this time as a passanger. Kai is driving. Very relaxing for me. We are playing the tractor game and I am leading at the moment. YES!

Okay on that picture he is leading but in the end I won.

We are on the way to my oncle and to the 2^nd World cup in Champery. Franz lives in Zürich so we will stay over night there and go on in the morning. My cousin has birthday and I bought him a Skater T-shirt and a cap. I hope he will like it because I can remeber when I was a teenager it was hard to take my fancy.
More news are coming
See you LENE