Experience By Carla Haines
Day 1-Wednesday 25th July
After a short journey on the Channel Tunnel Tuesday night; it was a very long journey from Calais to Val D’isere. However with scenery like this to wake up to I was easily distracted!
Today was spent setting up base in the Team Expo area...with next door neighbours such as Cannondale Factory Racing, Orbea, Colnago- Suditrol, Subaru-Trek, and Lappierre….. I can’t complain!
Looking forward to riding the course tomorrow…with sections like this:
I sure am going to have some fun! J
Day 2- Thursday 26th July
Myself and Stephania rode down the road to the course-again the sun was shining all over the mountains it was great. We were joined by Maxine Filby, so was nice to have a good chatter and inspect the course.
Climbing up the first climb I found it difficult to breathe-took a while to get used to being at altitude! We descended down a single track section and along another before reaching the first technical descent. Maxine had already ridden the course yesterday so she rode down ahead; she made it look pretty easy so it was my turn…I made it down fine with no problems at all. Stephania had a crash near the bottom which shook her up a bit, but after a rest she was back on her bike.
After the board walk (above) it was time to climb back up the curbs and on to a gravel section. I found these a bit difficult; need to work on wheelies!!But I managed to get up ok just a little messy. Another climb zig zagged to the top before descending down the ‘slalom’ section and back through the feed station. The course then went over two big wooden bridges back through the start again.
The first lap was good fun. I managed to ride another part of the course until I crashed at the bottom of the rocky descent. I clipped the crash mat wrapped around a tree and went straight over the handle bars; I ended up sat upright on the floor! I was in agony! I started shaking like I was in shock which made me kind of nervous. The French guys who were marshalling were so great. They helped me down the rest of the descent to sit in a bench. Next minute the paramedic guys came to pick me up in the van to take me down to the emergency tent!!My leg was wrapped in a support and everything! I really wasn’t hurt that much but they just took over, carrying me here and there. A bruised, sore and stiff knee was the outcome, nothing broken thank god.
After a sit down and an ice pack on my knee it was time to ride back to the hotel to get showered and make tea. I wasn’t the only one in the wars…Steph had a painful wrist so she got it checked out; a suspected fractured scaphoid! Whether she’ll be riding Saturday…knows?!
Day 3- Friday 27th July
Another beautiful sunny morning to wake up to! J My knee was fine, just slightly bruised and a bit stiff but nothing serious. My Team mate Claire Oakley and I pre rode the course again with Maxine. Today was a much more fun day-no crashes or anything just some smooth riding on all sections of the course. I was a little nervous before hitting the rocky descent I crashed on yesterday, but I rode it nice and controlled. Steph stayed on the road for today with her wrist strapped up to prevent too much stress on it.
Most of the day was sunny until later in the afternoon clouds started to accumulate and the heavens opened with thunder and lightning with it! I made sure I kept my feet up for the rest of the day before the race tomorrow.
Day 4-Saturday 2th July
Race Day!
After three days of beautiful sunshine I woke up to very wet and miserable weather! It made me feel a little more relaxed because I really like racing and riding in the mud and wet so I was hoping it stayed like it for the rest of the day. My race wasn’t until 4.30pm so had quite a long wait! I prefer racing in the morning as my body is used to that so I have the rest of the day to relax but for this case it seemed a long wait.
I was able to watch the Elite Females and Males; they made it look so easy it was very inspiring and motivating! It was great to see Annie Last pick up a Bronze medal; a great race before she heads to the Olympics next week.
The weather had cleared up a lot, even the sun came out so the course dried out a lot. Now it was my turn. I was very nervous but excited; it was the final round and I wanted to do well. The same preparations were made prior to my race so my mind was focussed and ready.
On the start line my heart was racing; I was full of adrenaline. The horn went and I hit the pedals. It was an elbows out mass start before hitting the two steep climbs up. I was in quite an alright position. My body began to tighten up slowly and breathing was becoming very difficult. The further up the ascents I got I was gasping for air. I was struggling so much I wasn’t concentrating on how I was riding; I just seemed to get slower and slower and my lines were very messy. By the time I got to the Zig Zag climb I couldn’t carry on any longer..I stopped in the feed zone and collapsed on the floor in misery! Loads of negative thoughts were spiralling through my mind. It’s not like me to not finish a race but I felt I couldn’t go any more.
Pre riding the course the past couple of days I felt ok but at race pace it’s a different story.
Looking back on this race and others, I have learnt a lot about my riding. The journey home I wrote down all my thoughts that went through my head pre during and after the race. I then analysed myself fitness wise. From this I can now draw up what I need to do to be a real competitor on the world stage. It will take time,the patience, commitment and will power... it’s not impossible.
I would like to thank hugely WXC World Racing for their amazing support through this experience.
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