This weekend the main event in the austrians’ downhill scene was running and the fast women and men came together to get the gold medal around the neck.
The track (Semmering downhill track) was in a very good shape until it started to rain and it got really tricky and slippery. I knew the lines very well from my training before, but at the race weekend I had to think about a plan B at some sections because they changed so much. But still, the whole training paid off well and I felt confident and strong, and I ended up second, behind my team mate Petra Bernhard. Elke Rabeneder got third in the nationals and overall Jana Bartova from Czech got third. My first run on Sunday morning wasn’t that good because I had to pass an other rider. For the second run, the race run, I asked for changing the start order because I didn’t want to pass her again so, the fastet started first. I had not the perfect run, I was tired during my race run. I hit some sections just perfect and then others I was more a passenger on my bike than the rider. But to sum it up I am satisfied about my placement. Straight after the race I prepared myself to fly to Edinburgh, where I am at the moment and waiting for Steffi Marth, an other 4 X rider to head up to Fort Williams tomorrow. I am very excited to race 4 Cross again, which haven’t done this year yet. Just training. So yes I will keep you up to date how it goes here in lovely Scotland.
Last weekend I competed in Czech Republic, just across the Slovakia border. This race counted again to this Slovakian- Czech downhill race series. The track + weather was nice, the organisation as well and the best was, I won. I was about 6 seconds faster than in my first run and so I won by 1,3 seconds in front of the Czech republic rider, Jana Bartova. (Totally we were about 10 girls) It was quite weird because the commentator didn’t speak English and my run wasn’t perfect, so I thought I didn’t win but I did…. I realized just after a while that I was first and so I missed this moment when you cross the finish line and listen to the results….and to be extremely happy when you hear you won - in my case it was more like “ah I won hmmm?”. The whole weekend I felt all right just the finish jump you can see on the picture makes me at the beginning some problems but for the race day I was well prepared. My next race will be the national champs at Semmering ( so come and watch if you are near)
Some of you think hmm why is she not in South Africa. yes the times getting tough and I could not afford me to travel there. I have to save my money for the europe races and for living. So this weekend I travelled to neighbor country Slovakia and it was totally worth it in a village called Kalnica. Nice track, nice jumps and nice weather, nice company and race atmosphere. Cheap accomodation, cheap entry fees but also less price money. I had good training runs how you can see in my first GO PRO video (Thanks to Axel from Motionssports to supply me one HD Go Pro camera) my qualification run was good as well, I placed second behind a Czech girl 2,97 seconds behind. I was going for the win in my second run but she as well and he made it. I finished second (from 8 girls) with 2 seconds behind her and was still very happy about my race run, because it felt great. I didn’t make mistakes and I did all jumps, which I wanted.
I have many news again.
The sun is shining and my legs are flying over the hills. At the moment I am a lot on my home track and on the home town hill. So i am jumping from my four cross bike to the enduro bike nearly everyday. The downhill bike i have to be honest isn’t much in use right now, compare to the other bikes… because I prefer pedaling up than pushing up, and the bike parks haven’t been open yet. My husband is totally infected by the biking virus and impossible in not in his vocabulary so he motivates me even more.
An other project I am very into right now is to make PR for my company, which I re-founded with two student friends, Thomas Bubla and Christian Zauner and my husband. The name is Vienna BIke Academy
We have a lot to offer. From Basic courses for those who are newbies up to Advanced and Woman Downhill camps. And the icing of the cake are our business events for companies, who want to use our offer as fringe benefit for the staff or as a goodie for loyal clients. Thomas and Christian are high educated sports scientists and Thomas was also a world cup rider.
So yes I hope this business will run well and I can pass my skills to other people.
My normal week is at the moment, training, phone calls, training, promo video, training, emails, training…. I like and tomorrow i will be the argus bike festival to promote the Vienna Bike Academy.
