Back On Top
As the season’s mid way point approached, I had a relatively quiet period in terms of travelling and racing. The break in the World Cup series allowed me to enjoy a short stay at home in Australia.
As well as having a bit of a break from training and travelling I had some testing at the AIS to make sure I was still healthy on the inside and could handle the remainder of the season–the most important part.
Well, although I do not eat much Sustain, according to the equipment at the AIS I am in great shape–the best I have ever been in since I have been involved with the performance enhancing system. My race results told me that before I nearly made myself sick on the erg in their lab! But the results and data that is collected from the fitness and blood tests is always useful for future reference.
After my short visit to Canberra it was time for a break at home and my essential dose of Melbourne weather before heading off to the USA for the World Cups again.
My flight over was one that I will remember. Instead of the usual route taken from Australia to the USA, we went via Tahiti of all places–not for a sample of island paradise but to sit in the plane whilst the local paramedics rescued a passenger who had heart failure! I was happy to get there.
My first race back was Round Six of the World Cup series. Mt Snow, Vermont is a small ski resort in the New England region on the East coast of America. The course is renowned for technical–rough tree roots, rocky descents and a long open climb.
The weather is always one extreme or the other, hot and humid or pouring rain, which increases the difficulty of the single track three fold.
This year, the weather was on the hot and humid end of the scale. This was especially noticeable on the climb where the heat reflected off the gravel road to make a nice little ‘rider oven’ for twenty-five or so minutes per thirty-two plus minute laps. Multiply that by four laps and you get a well roasted 100 minutes.
We were off to the usual scuffle in the start loop and frantic ‘lactate fest’ up the first climb. My team-mate ad room-mate Hubert Pallhuber was controlling the race at the front, with the winner of the past two years, Rune Hoydahl (Giant), on his tail.
By the second lap, a group including Miguel Martinez (Sunn/Nike), Andreas Brenes (Ritchey), Belgium’s Roel Paulissen (American Eagle), another Belgian rider, Henrik Djernis (American Eagle), Thomas Frischknecht (Ritchey), Jerome Chiotti (GT), Kirk Molday (Marin), Christophe Dupouey (Sunn/Nike) and myself among others were chasing wildly and making some time on the leaders.
As the race took its toll, the groups were reduced to just Pallhuber and Hoydahl out in front, and the chasers Molday, Martinez and myself.
Then we headed onto the race within the race–the last lap.
It was a turn around from the majority of the races so far this season where the Sun/Nike team have been the most dominant force, taking up to three of the five podium places at some of the World Cups. Molday, the Canadian/American who some people may recognise from the Australian Jeep Cross Country Series, (or maybe not - he has changed his hair colour at least five times since he was on Australian soil!) has had a stellar season so far. His consistent results have put him among the best in mountain biking. And on the last lap of Mt Snow he showed his strength as he attacked Martinez and myself again and again.
Out in front it was Hoydahl’s all round strength that everyone knows about versus the lesser know nimble climber, Hubert Pallhuber, who is also amongst the fastest descenders on the World Cup circuit.
Pallhuber took the lead on the last lap and was making good time. It looked as though the man that has always been the ‘awesome rider but not quite good enough to win a World Cup’, was about to prove all of his critics wrong and fulfil his dream of a World Cup victory. But alas, with jut a few kilometres to go the kind hearted little Italian (who is also a great cook) punctured his rear tyre and had to settle for second for the umpteenth time in his career.
Martinez had just enough left to move away from us with a quarter of a lap to go to take third. I held on for fourth and Molday fifth.
I really did feel sorry for Hubi. For so long he has worked so hard to get to where he is in the sport which I think is about as high as you can get without being a ‘huge race winner’. But that is the nature of our sport. Only those who can put this sort of misfortune behind them and get on with life succeed and have the respect of their peers–look out for him!