15th
Aug
2011

One week ago Thursday, I got an email from Paul of the Orange Monkey team saying they had a space on their trip to the final two World Cup rounds. I hadn’t planned the races into my season after sort of conceding traveling to the World Cups as an individual, without arena support plus having to fly was too much hassle and uneconomical. So the opportunity to do it properly was not one I could turn down.  

After a massive drive from Essex to the middle of the Czech Republic I was left with three days practice on the course. A good number of laps in and I was really enjoying the course and feeling quick. The track felt similar to UK terrain in many ways and Bristol trails of old with lots of exposed roots and punchy climbs.

I took part in the Pro Sprint Eliminator on Friday night. The Czech’s had gone all out for this too, with a interesting course including log jumps and scaffold bridge. Log jumps have never been a strength of mine, usually having to slow down and front-back wheel them rather than jump them at speed. A few laps practicing though and I had perfected my log jump. Unfortunately I was way off the pace for the timed qualifying round, it wasn’t the jumps which let me down but the loose gravel which I lost the line on due to a locked out and twitchy front end. 

Sunday and race day came round, I was suffering from more than pre-race bowels though and felt considerably less than ideal. If it were a training day or another race I would have called it quits due to the squits but having come all this way I couldn’t not give it a go. I got a warm up in but could already feel myself overheating and with everything already aching it didn’t want to ache much more. I had also come off in practice the day before, bruising my coxis which wasn’t helping matters. 

The gun went and I started alright, feeling comfortable…for about 30s. I then seemed to blow up and had no power. The support on the course was the best I’ve experienced at a WC, the Czech’s sure know how to heckle! One guy even had a WWII siren! It was the only thing that stopped me from coming to a halt. I limped round to get pulled in the 80% rule.

Lots of rest today and another long drive to Val Di Sole, Italy tomorrow should hopefully see me get better for the final round in five days.

John.