Norway, World Championships U23

World Championships U23 - NORWAY

XCO - 68th/105 in U23

XCE - OutTheAss


Listen and Read - A Song i heard in a Norwegian Night Club
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF6JvbfYI-8


'Now I can say iv eaten moose and 'Surmelk' a Norwegian dessert made from unpasteurized colostrum milk, the first milk produced by a cow after giving birth.'

When I think back to Norway, it reminds me of...

The great team and staff we all had

The BMX section of the XCO course

Cannondale after party

Playing French Rap on my speakers to Julian Absalon in the Elite XCO.

Sticking my whole hand in a huge bowl of chocolate mousse at the buffet when I got bumped

Running for 60m before even getting to the single track in my race
XCE Warm Up

Most Expensive country in the World, Picture below..

Post Race. This cost $25 AUD, I saw $50 AUD Pizza's

'Rat Boy' breaking his foot at the downhill

Taking food from the breakfast buffet for lunch before going back for dinner

Hearing the 'Like a fart at a funeral' saying for the first time hahaha
Charging my phone with Pedal power!

Holly.H pushing Em off her bike pre race

Sam Hill's Devastating run

Holly.H pulling skin off with the strapping tape on Ellie Wale's arm

So happy to have my Cousin Bella Hart at the Race

Marco Fontana taking a selfie with me

Holly.H just being brutal in general

Raving in the Cannondale Truck After Party

Getting handed an Egg at the Specialized After Party by Howard Grotts

RACE LEAD UP

I was mentally pumped with my race at the world cup in France. The week of training following Meribel wasn’t ideal but it was at altitude and had plenty of climbing!

Second day of practise on Wednesday at Hafjell I was following Paul VDP and I tried to triple triple the six rollers (meaning I tried to do 2 big consecutive jumps :) but I nose cased the second one and landed on my shoulder/back. My shoulder was surprisingly completely fine but my leg was Fruit looped, I couldn’t move them :/ I took a while to get off the track. I also sprained my wrist, screwed my knee and corked my right ass cheek. Thankfully our Soigneur/masseuse Christine O'Connor is a fantastic Soft Tissue Therapist. She really helped me recover and niggle out the muscles and joints that tightened up, strapped me up and gave me some exercises for the week. She was a real life saver. But definitely wasn't an ideal situation the week of world champs.

RACE START

Started 68th

Gun went off, 1 second delay before my row was able to move then straight away into full sprint, all I could see is dust and coloured jersey swapping through the course.






We were off running in the first 40 seconds even tho the track was still 6m wide and 60m till the single track.

We entered the Forest all running through the slippery roots and rocks all the way to end of the forest which was about 600m long. Into the BMX Section, I had a hustle with a rider side by side we hit the step up then he backed off for the step down. After the jumps it was straight back up the hill. I was creeping like a pedophile in a kindergarten. I lost so many places, each decent I was able to make up time, but each hill I fell further and further back.






After thinking about the race over and over in my head, trying to see the positives, negatives, ways of looking at things, what I should of done, how I should think about things, it does your head in. But I came to conclusion, you have your good days and bad days, and the week before I had a fantastic race that I was so happy about. This race was the first time I’ve had to run so much in a race, I definitely didn’t recover from it. I was trying to pace myself on the first lap which means it must have cooked me hard. You know your creeping when you’re mixing it up with Mexico and Japan, no offence to them, you all know how I love burritos and sushi. So I crept on for the 5.5 Laps until I got pulled and sent into a random bush where I had to scramble through to a housing estate, having no idea where I was and having to find my own way home. Not the situation you want after being pulled out of a race haha. 

In the end I finished 68th, funnily my start number.







In all it was a great experience, I currently have a chest infection and contemplating doing the Flight Centre Epic or not. I look forward to planning what is looking like an interesting 2015.




Congrats to my fellow Club rider Megan Williams who raced in the U19's at World Champs. Also a Congrats to fellow Torq team mates Chris Hamilton, Ellie Wale and Em Parks who also competed.




Thank you Torq Australia, Kenmore Cycles, Kenmore Cycle Club and Scott Bowden for the 3 weeks of Planes, Trains and Cabs, you're great to travel with mate. These People make it happen.




Sponsors

Torq Australia

Kenmore Cycles

Kenmore Cycle Club

Sram, Rock Shox, Truvativ, Avid

Cube Bikes

Adidas EyeWear

Schwalbe Tire's

Louis Garneau