The day after the Missoula ProXCT I was packed up yet again and dropped off at the airport to begin a long 28 hours of travel to Geneva, Switzerland. I arrived in Geneva to be greeted by a family friend who I was staying with that week. Then I spent the week adjusting, recovering, and exploring the beautiful city. On Thursday I hopped on the train to meet up with the National Team in Zurich, about 3 hours north. We were staying in Baden, Switzerland, about 30 minutes from Zurich and 45 from our race venue in Lostorf. It was hot when I arrived but there were thunderstorms close by and it was nice to be greeted by late night rain in Baden, after a week of riding in temperatures in the high 80s. The cool temps didn't last however, and the days began to heat up quickly as our Sunday race approached. We were able to get on course Friday and Saturday and I was feeling more dialed than I had ever felt on a course after spending time looking at lines and putting in a few laps. The course started out down in some farmland with a steep, hot, and exposed road climb into the trees. Once in the trees you met the first descent which twisted and turned down dry and blown out corners, punching up another steep climb, and descending again. Out of the trees again and into a long more gradual climb that spread across a lot of the course, and then descending again through the trees, over roots and switchbacks. You exited the trees for another climb, before the final descent on a long fire road through the fields that took you back to the finish. Junior women raced at 1:00pm at the heat of the day, for five laps. At 12:00pm I hopped on my bike to warm up. I was excited to jump into some exciting European racing against stiff competition. Starting my warm up my legs felt amazing and I was ready for a battle with some of the worlds best. At 12:50 we were on the line as we waited in the hot sun for the pro women and u23 women to start. We were right behind. I was third call up. The whistle blew and we surged forward. I missed my pedal once, and again, and in a split second was at the back of the pack chasing from behind. I sprinted to the front and by the first turn was sitting in third. I held on as we hit the climb and the field shattered. I already knew then I wasn’t feeling myself and had left my legs somewhere far behind. I fought up the first climb and entered the first downhill, heart rate peaking and lungs burning in the heat. I was focused on staying smooth on the downhill and pushing to get the climbs over with as quickly as possible. Halfway through the first lap I was being past and knew with five laps to go, it could only go up from here. The next two laps went a little like the first, though I was slowly feeling better by the third. I quickly knew my legs were not there and my mindset changed. I was now just focusing on not letting up and picking off the riders in front of me. With two laps to go I attacked. I sprinted every climb, scorching hot in the mid 90s, as my legs started to come around. Toward the end of the last lap I could see fifth right ahead but never had enough to close the gap. I finished in sixth, 18 seconds off fourth with nothing left, frustrated, and unsatisfied. I did everything I knew to prepare to be my best on the start line, but sometimes there’s no explanation for why it didn’t go as you’d hoped. It’s these races that you learn the most from, and in this sport the experience you gain (aka getting your ass kicked in Europe) is the most important to improve from. This is fuel for the fire.
I am so thankful to have this opportunity from USA Cycling and especially to Marc Gullickson and Julien Petit for the support this week in the pits and all around. But this trip wouldn’t be possible without the support from those back home and everyone who has generously donated to my Rally Me to get me here. It truly takes a village, and I am so grateful to have you supporters behind me. Onwards to next weekend in Andermatt where we will try again, hoping for better legs and a little less heat. First stop is Frieburg, Germany where we’ll spend the week to train and reset.
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AuthorSavilia Blunk, 20 | XCO MTB racer for Liv Racing Archives
March 2020
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