|
For the Schladming world cup I decided to drive out and headed out with my Dad and Sister. We arrived the day before practice and my sister and I rode another track at the venue to get used to the terrain and to ease up after the long drive. The weather was terrible and it rained for the first couple of days we were there. Luckily it was just sign on and a walk of the course and then we could go swimming at the local pool right by where we were staying. After some dodgy back flip attempts and some trains down the slide with the wolfe brothers and the keswik boys I crashed out in the van.
The course was amazing. It was the same as last year but with a new steep rooty section in the middle. With the wet weather at the start of practice it was spike tyres on for all the loose muddy corners. This is one of my favourite courses and I felt comfortable in all the corners and was riding fast as well. On the last day of practice the skies cleared and it wasn’t long before we were riding a dry course. I just did one run on the course on Sunday morning and then got ready for my seeding run.
I hit the first few corners quite hard and then came into a set of switchbacks to fast for the gravely corners. I railed the first one fine but was too fast for the second tighter one and lost my front wheel. I got back up as quickly as possible but never got back into my run and crashed again further down coming off the course. I was really gutted with my result of 107th and annoyed I didn’t qualify to race the final.
I look forward to the race here next year and think I will take it easier in my seeding run and make sure I qualify.
Next is the national champs in Reola this weekend so it’s back down south for one of the biggest races of my season.
The World Cup In Champery with its tales of the steepest, knarliest course in years was guaranteed to be a race to remember.
My Friend Ferg and I set off on the long drive from Fort William to Switzerland via Dover. The weather was cooking and with the radio broken and only some dodgy tapes to amuse ourselves we were surprised how smoothly the drive passed. After a couple of swims in some brown rivers England way we were soon on the ferry and camped up near Calais. Ferg persuaded me that the Airbed would be easily ample for the back of the van and he was right. It was pretty comfy and I slept like a baby for several hours. After several hours were up I woke lying on the hard wooden floor of the van. What can I say, never trust an airbed and we had to sleep on deck chair mats for the rest of the trip. Fergus.
We arrived in Champery the next night with the comedy genius of John Hegley blasting out. I couldn’t wait to see what was around us and what the infamous course was really like.
Champery was the deepest, steepest valley I’ve probably ever seen and the course came right down the side of it. After walking the course on Tuesday before all the catch nets were up it was the first time I have bean scared to ride down. I just put the course out of my head until practice started. The course actually rode amazingly and once you were between the tapes it became great fun as you could be up to speed in a second and get loose in all the muddy corners. I was really pleased with my first days practice and felt comfortable with the course.
The next day of practice didn’t go too well for me with a big crash over the bars giving me a bad dead leg. My bike carried on down the hill and was picking up speed, just missing a spectator it slammed into a fire road and bent my handlebars. This just shows how steep the course was. With my bike 100m down the hill I collected it and then rolled down for a cold shower at our campsite.
Come race day and with some borrowed bars from the Atherton’s and a reasonably supple leg I felt good for the race. I attacked the semi final run and rode really well until on the last set of switchbacks I slid out and got kicked over the bars. My bike got stuck in the nets and it took me a while to get back on and down the hill. I was shocked to still qualify and be in 50th place.
In the final I decided to take it steady and to get a clean run. I however got carried away on a section I got well in my seeding and when I hit a corner the rut had gone since my first run and I got pitched over the bars. This added to another crash further down set me way back than I felt I should have been. For the final 25 riders the heavens opened and this mixed the results up as the course became unridable. With most other riders crashing as well this cushioned my result up and I got 42nd my best World Cup result.
One man shined through and Sam Hill who came down to 3rd with a crash and a wet run. This has to be the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen as every one else could hardly ride down.
The drive home was not quite as exciting as on the way there. With my two crashes and Ferg dropping out with an injured knee dampening the spirits. We still arrived home hassle free but now I think I will give John Hegley a rest for a while.
Name: Joe Barnes
Age: 18 years (DOB 11/06/1988)
Category: Elite
Where you live: Fort William
Aims for 2007 Season:
For the 2007 season I am very excited to be riding for the CycleJersey/MFX race team. Riding with friends and on a team with a high profile will help me progress in the sport.
My aims for the year are very vague just now as it will be my first year racing elite. Also with a winter away racing in New Zealand I feel I have stepped it up a level. However I will need to wait until the first race to see if I have increased the pace relative to the competition. I will aim at least to get top 5 at SDA’s and to podium at least twice. In the NPS series I aim for a top ten. At the world Cup races the aim is always to qualify for the final and then to put in another good run and get inside the top
|
