After finishing my last hard block of training it was finally time to pack the bike up for one last time and get on a plane to Australia. Months and months of training and preparing were done, and it was finally time to put my hard work to the test. After 38 hours of travel I landed in Cairns, Australia for World Championships. I arrived late and made my way to the hotel room. Bright and early the next morning I was wide awake and it was time to see the course! It was only 8 am and already in the 80s, I prepared for a hot day on course. The venue was settled back against the jungle, cruising past flocks of wallabies on the way to the course. The course took us on a rollercoaster of a ride up into the jungle, twisting and looping through brutal, dusty, climbs followed by rough rocky descents. I was in love with the course. The most challenging track I'd ever raced, keeping you at your limits and forcing you to be 100% focused the whole time. I knew it was going to be an action packed hour of racing bikes. The days leading up to the race were intense. I had limited time to get confident and ready on the course. Every day people had stories to tell about their time on the course with bad crashes leading to broken necks, internal bleeding, and other injuries. I finished up riding the course and put all my attention to mentally preparing for what I knew would be the most brutal 1 hour of my life. Race day arrived. The one race I had been working towards for years. I was calm and nothing but excited to soak up every part of this experience. It was so hot on my warm up, and by our start at 1 pm it was in the 90s. 15 minutes till call ups I was met my Marc and Jason in the start box with an umbrella and fresh bottles. Spin spin spin…call ups begin… I’m called to the line 8th. I sneak into the last spot on the front row. Far left side, the dramatic music winds down and the infamous heartbeat pounds through the loud speakers as they count us down. 30 seconds, 15 seconds…the gun fires and we go. I scramble to find my pedal and sprint as a cloud of chaos floods in around me. Elbows and handlebars are thrown everywhere as we flood into the first left hand turn. I get caught up in the middle of the pack, trying to make my way to the outside as we enter the corner. All of the sudden everything is dark as a huge cloud of dust swallows us all. I can’t see anything as I struggle to move up in the dark. I sprint everywhere I can and catch up to a group of riders as we cross the start/finish line going into our first of fourth laps. The air is hot and all I see is dust as I push as hard as I can to move up as we go into the first single track. The pack spreads out and I find myself in another jumble of riders as we hit the first climb. My legs burn but I’m feeling ok. The trail opens up and for the first time we have a couple second break. The dust is everywhere and I feel the heat pounding. I grab a drink and keep pushing. Next thing I knew we were cresting the final climb and beginning the first rocky descent down. Up and over the ‘Croc Slide’, through ‘Hells Gate’ and dropping down into ‘Jacob’s Ladder.’ Lap after lap the focus became more intense, and so did the heat and dust. By the start of the fourth lap I had worked my way up to another group of riders and my US teammate Gwendalyn Gibson. I was feeling strong coming across the line entering my final lap. I pushed as hard as I could on the flats and took the outer line going into the ‘Bmx section.’ Roller after roller I was gaining time on them, then WHAM I go into the last roller with way too much speed and find myself on the ground scrambling to pick up my bike. Back on my bike and fighting. “Go go go” The group of riders I was with had made a small gap but I’m sprinting and gaining on them. I catch back up to a girl from New Zealand with everything I have. I roll on her tail up the climbs and push absolutely everywhere. There is very little opportunity to pass on the climbs on this course so I stay on her wheel. The heat and dust hitting me hard and I feel my cough from a recent cold hit me again. Finishing the climb with everything I had left I begin the final descent. I try to make passes on the descent but the girl in front of me is smooth and I don't want to mess up on the rocks. We are almost there, I stand up and sprint with everything I have left. I pass the rider in front of me and don't look back. Before I know it I am sprinting to the finish line. The most brutal and seemingly shortest 1 hour of my life is behind me. A wave of emotions flow over me as I’m greeted at the line by my team. So much preparation came down to this one race, so much focus and sacrifice. In the end, you do what you do in every other race, and give it your absolute all.
It’s been a long season, and as it comes to a close, there is so much to reflect on and everything to be grateful for. It’s hard to put it all into words now, but all I can say is thank you. Thank you to everyone for giving your support again and again. Believing in me from the beginning and for being part of my team.
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AuthorSavilia Blunk, 20 | XCO MTB racer for Liv Racing Archives
March 2020
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