VAL DI SOLE, ITALYWorld Cup racing is tough, first year for Downhill, and I came out 9th overall. WHich I suppose is pretty good, but I can't really say I've been operating at my potential. Learning curve; made a lot of mistakes, took some slams, had a couple good men get broke off, won some splits and speed traps , lost some, yada yada.
Gotta have the ol ducks in a row to trust going as fast as you can in ever changing course conditions. THat, plus Pick yourself up again after crashes, ride in the present state of mind, trust your skills, have the bike all tuned right, adapt, react, etc. Kinda fun- the newness, just wish it wasn't so hard to deal with all the emotions this year. Riding the wave..
Not that I have it too rough, but there have been a lot of outside factors this year as far as support goes that have really effected me. Equipment and sponsors are amazing, and Marshy, my mechanic, has been the saving grace. He's a lot of fun and does a great job with the bikes, so I'm grateful for that, but defiantly could have used a team mate at times:( a manager, a coach for the whole season, and Bryn- he's my partner in crime. Didn't expect to be solo for most of this. So it goes.
I am happy with the experience, but can do much better. It's good to know what to improve on. Reading tracks and picking lines is such an art form with a mix of common sense and self belief. Top half of a race is usually my forte, first couple minutes, but of course no one ever sees that on freecaster. By the end of a run, I get pretty tired and sloppy which translates into pulling brakes. Had a few stall outs in the ol race today, was Especially hard to hold on here at the roughest steepest track ever- 4 days in a row. Carrying speed is the name of the game, but it's scary as hell sometimes going that fast.
Pom Pom, Troy Brosnan, and Danny Hart stole the show today. Incredible riding:) Good job. Gwin and Tracy Mosley took the World Cup overall titles.
Gonna go home early and skip World Championships in Champery. Just so emotionally drained, I don't really have the right mind set to attack anymore right now. Sorry America. The course in Champery requires 100% focus, and I have nothing left for it. Gonna come back next year with a lot more motivation, a smile, and more speed/ confidence to my riding.
Us tracks were a good starting ground, but honestly, gonna have to spend a lot more time in Europe to be in contention to win world cups. The style and roughness are advanced.
WOMEN'S RESULTS: www.pinkbike.com
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Big thanks to my wonderful sponsors: Transition, Red Bull, Fox SHox, Crankbrothers, Oakley, Shimano, Maxxis, Kore, ODI, TLD, Jett clothing, jaguire, e.13, cane creek, 5.10, esoles, park tool. Thanks also to : Scotty, Justin Frey, Bamel, Martin the Masseur /physio, Bryn, Marshy, Lars, and my mom:).