Jo Petterson checks in

Jo Petterson dropped Pedalfeet a line with her World Cup update. Sounds like everyone had a hectic time in Maribor, Slovenia what with the rain, wet roots and Neven fracturing her pelvis. I seriously hope things go better for Jo next round. She's off to Canada in two weeks for the next leg and is clearly chomping at the bit for a top 10 placing. Go Jo, go! (photo by Tom Humpage)



2009 World Cup Maribor, Slovenia DH and 4X

After spending a training week in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia riding some amazing trails and seeing incredible views, I headed to Maribor, Slovenia for the 5th stop on the World Cup Tour. It is one of my favourite DH tracks and I had a jump to conquer, one that had me off, in 2008, giving me my first concussion. Our first day of practice was amazing. The DH track was dry, fast and so much fun! Everyone was talking about the speeds we carried in some sections but I knew that wouldn’t last as the weather forecast called for more than 200ml of rain, which meant we would all be careening down a muddy slick track by day break!

Saturday morning I awoke to the sound of heavy rain, dark clouds and the threat of thunder in the distance. I headed up for practice with my best mud tires. The track had transformed in the rain and was now far more difficult to negotiate and had slowed down a considerable amount.
Qualifying was set to start in the afternoon but the lightning cracked over head and we all got postponed for Sunday morning. 4X finals where to be held in the muddy muck on Saturday evening.

4X practice had gone well and I had sailed over that once ominous double feeling confident and strong. I qualified in 9th and headed into my first heat against Jill Kintner, Diana Margraff and Angelika Hohenwarter. I started strong and was head to head with Kintner down the first straight when I hit a muddy rut and was instantly sideways. I managed to get back on track and trail behind Diana who was in 2nd but I ended the day in 11th overall. A disappointment but knowing I can start strong and be in line with Kintner off the start I am looking forward to the next race with hunger for a podium finish.

Sunday morning was a complete opposite of Saturday greeting me with sunny blue skies. We had to start the day really early, especially when you are hurtling yourself and bike down mountains. I was sitting in the gondola for my first practice run at about 6:50am, smiling with the knowledge that the track was going to dry out for racing in the afternoon.

My qualifying run went well and I headed into my final with confidence. I felt strong and steady throughout the track until I slipped a pedal costing me only a few seconds but just the two seconds I needed to crack the top ten ending in 13th.
It is so close I can taste it.

Onto Mont Ste Anne Canada, July 24th - 26th for another great weekend of racing.

Morzine!

Whoop, whoop! So it's been almost two weeks since the last post and this, people, is because I was mountain biking in Morzine for a few days and then checking out some luuuuuush road routes in the Cevennes in France.

Morzine was totally rad although that goes without saying. Stayed at the Flow mtb chalet and hooked up with Fionn Griffiths and Jo Petterson who promptly pooed all over my riding. They made me look like a brunette barbie doll. You know, the ones that noone buys BECAUSE THEY ARE CRAP. My favourite quote about their riding comes from Sam at More Mountain who gasped as they charged into a berm: "Oh my God! They pedal when they are going downhill!" My excuse is that it poured with rain and I couldn't see ... Neven Steinmetz was also hanging out but was relegated to the chalet with a broken ass she sustained in maribor, poor love.

Boy wonder Humpage (I know) got some fab photos (above is one of Jo kicking ass) and a piece on the riding will be going into the Observer soon which I'll link to when it's done. We initially went out to ride the Passportes du Soleil. It looked like a pretty fun event (free beer ... ) but it wasn't really downhill enough for us so we all headed out to the black runs down to Chatel. Sweet! Ouch.

Cevennes piece to follow shortly just as soon as I piece my ego back together.

Couple more shots: