After a week in the Czech Republic , was it last Sunday (23.10.11 red) time for the second Worldcup, in Tabor. The course was super hard, with some long pure power uphill passages, runups and not specific technical, es was this time more about the power in the legs.
After a really nice week with sun and blue sky – very good training weather. On the race day, the sky was covered with clouds and the temperature was only around 3-4 but because of the absence of the sun it felt much colder. After some hot cross races, the weather for the first time was set up as a proper cyclo cross weather.
After a good result in the Worldcup in Plzen, I knew that I would have the power to perform well again. I knew that I have the power to finish within the timelimit, which was something that I really struggled with last year. This is really nice to know, and it gives me more confident when I’m riding. Unfortunately I did have my best start in Tabor, the girl in front of me never drive when the rest of the peloton took off. So there I was all the way back in the peloton just like last year, but I stayed calm and found the hulls and powered my way further ahead. This cost a lot of my strength and I could see a larger group of girls just 10 sec in front of my but I wasn’t able to close the gap. Even thought I really wanted to and tried. Despite that I’m very satisfied my 25 and the start of the season. I felt that I had the power to do better, but the season is still young.
Just two days after the WC in Tabor, it was time for racing again. Nacht van Woerden – my first ever night cyclo cross race. The start was set at 20:45 – normally a time where I’m relaxing with my computer talking to Jacob on skype. So it was really strange and for me difficult to get my body and mind in racing mode.
After a good start where I was around the top 10, I had a crash, which shook me a bite, and I need a couple of laps to shake it off me. But it I never ended feeling good on the course, and after 3 more small crashes I ended as number 18, after I for a while I had riding for the top 15. But now I think about the result now, it was ok, I had an off day and still ended up as 18.
The last two days has gone with resting and taking care of my body, watching a lot of Flemish Cartoons in order to pick up some more Flemish. I really need that to get focused and relaxed again. Next races on the menu are the Superprestige in Zonhoven and the famous Koppenberg cross.
Thanks to Luc Van Der Meiren for the great pictures.
