Check out more images over at cyclingnews and Canadian Cyclist of the junior womens race. Canadian Cyclist has a great collection of full results and photos of all the race from the worlds as well, check it out here
Monthly Archive for June, 2008
The junior boys raced today and hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooolllyyyyyyy it was fast!!! The track had dried up considerably showing nice compact lines, not so much slipping and sliding like yesterday. The five laps took the winner (Peter Sagan from Slovakia) only 1h35min!!! He was a tank! Charging up and down the hills like they were nothing… It was very impressive to watch. The NZ team also showed some fantastic skill and determination, doing us proud. Dirk rode strongly the whole way to be the first kiwi boy home in 25th place! This is the highest placing a Jr NZ boy has ever had. George who after a great start had a nice tumble down the hill setting him back to last place however, he fought back making a great comeback into 42nd place. Continue reading ‘Junior boys XC race’
The race was wicked!!!! So much fun! It was one hearty race and yup finished with another bleeding knee… that’s a signs of a good one. I finished up in 20th place in 1h29m – 13min down on the winner Laura Abri from Columbia. The field was definitely stronger the last year because I was going much better than last year! I am pretty happy with how it all went, that feeling when you are pushing so hard and it’s hurting for sure but you are just so zoned out that you can’t register all the pain so you just keep on going.
Continue reading ‘My race! 08 MTB World Championships – Val di Sole’
Ok so I have been having a bit of bike trouble the last couple of days but now after a few rather stressfull moments I have been lent a bike from the Italian bike team. Today we are in the process of changing all my componentry from my frame onto this new one, hopefully by this evening it will be sorted so I can take it for a test spin before my race tomorrow! It is a hardtail, Colongo three peaks frame so may feel a little different to my Jamis racing fully but at least it’s going to get me around the track! Continue reading ‘Tuesday 17th’
Kaytee and I went riding around the course today and it had dried up heaps, the muddy sections are getting compacted and it’s all rideable. It’s a pretty non event full course now, plain up hills, a lot of riding around on grass and a couple of sections in the trees that seam to be better groomed then before. Saying that though it will properly be really hard to race.
I started the Adamello XC Bike race was on today until I crashed and pulled the pin half way through the first lap. It was cold as, there was fresh snow on the hills and it was poring down with rain, I went to hop up to the footpath sideways to pass someone but my wheels slid or something didn’t go right and I ended hitting the concrete knee first…like always. I was pretty over it after that so just headed to the medical tent to get cleaned up, no one spoke English there but they were pretty helpful. I’m guttered as though, I should have raced smarter than that. Continue reading ‘Saturday 14th – Race in Vermiglio’
It has been raining the last couple of day now which is really changing the track, yesterday we biked it and it was sooooooooooooooooooooooooo muddy. It is getting tricky going down some/all of the down hill sections it is just slippery as, the damp roots and mossy rocks don’t help either. I had a few nice little slip and slides off my bike yesterday but figured out some new survival lines to get me down in one piece. Hopefully they will still be there or I’ll be doing a superman slide to get me down. It is going to be good for the spectators this year. Total Carnage!
Went for a burn around the course today and its going to be a tough one alright! There is heaps of riding on grass, a lot of which is boggy, also there is several mud infested down hill sections with tight rocks that like to claim derailleur hangers… like Scott found out today. Gil (Dirk’s dad) helped me out heaps with line selections as there are so many choices, so thanks to him I think I am getting it sorted! There are few climbs in the course on grass and up gravel road’s that are easy enough to ride…well at a Nanna pace at least but there is one steep muddy and rocky pinch that may be a pushing section if the track gets carved up even more. Continue reading ‘The track’
Hey guys!!!
Ok so I arrived here in Italy yesterday, me, my bike, my bag and everyone else’s gear too! From home to here in Val di Sole the total travel time was 43h15m…so it was a pretty long trip alright, making for a pretty sore but! After two big flights we arrived in Milan to squeeze 11 people, 11 peoples bag’s and 7 bikes into a small 7 seated van and normal car… reducing the van to 6 seats, the car to 3.5 seats, we were pretty cozy! Now if that wasn’t tight enough we then had to go pick up Kerin, Wyn and Brook from a near by airport, each with their own bike and enough gear for a few moths racing. So after purchasing a few straps we loaded up some bikes on the roof, put Wyn in the boot between some more bikes and went on our merry way for a 3h 30 drive to Val di Sole… now that’s a way to get a team bonding. Continue reading ‘Arrived in Italy!’
Well I have finally finished packing. Earlier today my NEW FLASH bike got pimped out with some choice stickers that Herb made up for me (thanks Herb!), it is now securely packed away in its pretty looking bike box that too got some new stickers. Only 2ks over its 20kg limit I thing we did a good job at packing it away, ‘we’ being Trevor and Dad but I watched supportively. So between my bike and enough clothes and shoes to apparently last me a year, I think I am sorted. Continue reading ‘1 more sleep till I go!!’
