2011 Blogs
Those 2x8 hour drives were so much fun last weekend we decided sure, let's
do it again, except this time, let's tack on another hour and drive further
into Bohemia. So like déjà vu of last week Simon blasted Big Country while I
attempted to learn Dutch through my headphones which sounded more like a
mourning whale call.
That whoosh of German cars humming by doesn't get old and it sends a shudder
through our car as it quickly buzzes by. Kind of like how my start was at
the Tábor World Cup. After last weekend's finish I moved from 27th in the
world to 22nd and was lucky to have a 2nd row start. I blew my start, but
at least I made the slow start look good with my new baby blue Hakkalügi.
The first 2 laps I seemed to constantly be in the wrong place at the wrong
time, almost fighting past a rider but getting pinched at the last
microsecond resorting to grabbing a handful of brakes and starting at zero
mph in one of my hardest gears. Or you know how sometimes you're in the
perfect spot when someone crashes in front of you to narrowly sneak by? I
was never in that spot. My legs and handling were good, but I wasn't
thinking ahead of the course and ahead of my bike.
About half way through the race I was able to grasp onto a bit of thinking
whilst propelling my bike forward. I joined the English-speaking train that
had formed of Mo, Nicole, Meredith and Gabby Day. We reeled in a group in
front of us and would vie for lucky number 13 through about 20th. In the end
Meredith and I were clear and closing in on 11th & 12th but never latched on
and I settled for 13th. What is it about us English-speakers wanting to be
in the same place at the same time? The night prior to our race the majority
of us stumbled into the same Indian restaurant in the square of Tábor. Mo
and Matt joined us for a lovely pre-race curry. Those two are two of my
favorite in our cycling world, a class-act-duo.
The memories I had of Tábor were from the World Champs a couple years ago, a
circuit covered in snow, ice & death ruts. This year, though still quite
chilly, and still very challenging with the circuit's use of the hillside,
it was fast ground, railed corners and a slight switch-up to the Worlds
circuit. The US again had a strong presence, this time with more riders
coming in for the men's race, and with adopted-American Katka taking a
home-town win. I said good-bye to all my compatriots as they fly home to the
states for Boulder Cup this weekend. And our 9-hour drive commenced, and I
was home & in bed just a bit after midnight. Next Sunday is the second
Superprestige in Zonhoven, just a hop & a skip from Begijnendijk.