Maribor World Cup

So i set off for maribor in transit with my Identiti team mate Bernard Kerr, who had kindly offered to give me a lift to the first world cup. It was a bloody long drive to get there taking something like 16 hours to get there. leaving late wednesday morning we arrived in maribor at 7am on thursday with everyone setting up and the pits taking shape. Walking the track it was a bit of an eye opener looking at how crazy the track was and how also how rough it is. This wasn't going to be a walk in the park. Thursday evening was practice and the track was a lot more fun than it looked. I got a bit star struck being around the likes of lopes and gracia but i wasn't going to let that faze me. I was here to race. Scott Beaumont, Lewis Lacey and I were doing fast practice runs together to suss out lines and see where the passing places, On my final run i was pushing a bit hard, especially after the long drive. I came down towards the last corner after the big hip and as i came over this random carrot bump, like a speed bump, in the middle of a flat corner, 2ft high on the inside tapering down to the ground on the outside. I came into it behind lewis, tried bunny hopping it, clipped my back wheel, and went straight over the bars and i was glad to be wearing my body armour as i took it straight to the ribs. This crash left me with some bed clinging cuts and a head ache, but i was ok and i got up and walked off with not a lot of wind in me.

Friday was qualifying day and i was nervous, a completely new type of racing i've never experienced except at a DH race, but this was different. It meant more and i was itching to see whether or not i could make the cut out of the 100'ish riders. Being 2nd from last place qualify didnt help either as i had to wait for my run and it was getting chilly at the top. Getting in the gate, i was nervous, and shaky but i got pretty good snap and pedaled my ass off and pinned almost every section shot down the last straight and over the line, the benefit of being last did mean i knew straight away if i was in or out. I rolled over the line in 44th. I was happy!

Saturday was race day and i was still nervous, but at least i knew what to expect this time. I looked at the heats, and was amused to see i was racing Lewis in my first heat, someone i race at nationals on a weekly basis. I got a reasonable gate and was just in third down the first straight behind lewis and Guido Tshugg. Taking a wide line in the first corner to cut back in across the off camber, i came into the 2nd corner right behind Lewis, he clipped the flag, which in turn sprang back up into my bars, taking my wheel out, game over! I wasnt too pissed off though, i rolled down to the wall ride to find the guy who was in third on the floor picking himself up, so i thought this was a chance to at least get third, which was fine, until i came into the place i crashed in on thursday. Getting over the carrot, into the next obstacle my front wheel washed out and i hit the deck again, being over taken and going back into 4th. Not a great first world cup, but i was happy enough to gain the experience of just qualifying.

The 2nd crash in my heat.