AUSSIE GIRLS!!! Oi Oi Oi
So after having some fond memories at Banyoles last year, after winnng the European cup here last year, I was stoked to hear it was back on the calendar and raised itself up a notch to become a World Cup event. Banyoles is based beside a beautiful lake, with rolling green lush mountains surrounding it, and has been home to numerous world championship rowing events as well. It's visiting places like this that really make me question why I do what I do? .... Seriously you look around and to get the opportunity to not only see, but go riding through places like this, you can't help but think yourself one of the luckiest people around, just doing what you do and enjoying it.
Just before I left France to drive to this race from St Raphael, where I was training, I had my old man pop over, who was working in the same hemisphere at the time, and a mate from home come and visit. So full car load down we trekked to Banyoles, and treated ourselves to some tappas at a basically deserted bar, assuming siesta went on overtime today, we were accompanied by some "charming" arabic music soiling our tappas by some of the only other spanyards awake at the ungodly hour of 6pm.
Come race day, weather was ace, and I was feeling great with the very solid 2 weeks of training I had put together in St Raph, the body was feeling as good as it had in a long time, though a grumpy bum in the morning because I didn't sleep fantastic, it's ok I just took it out on dad :) Aussies took up the main contingent of top ten start spots, so with the gang starting close together the pristine blue lake water was churning with the thrashing of arms trying to nuzzle their way into a good position. I unfortunately sucked at this "nuzzling" and swam like a crab. Exiting at the back at much further back than I should have, and where current form should have me. Witth an all o familiar scenario played out in front of me I knew what had to be done from then on, go hard chase and don't stop until you hit the front. So this is what I did.
This plan would also work a lot better when there is others of the same mentality surrounding you to help chase, but with only really one other young spanish girl willing to put in her part, it was a another bout of long solo time trialing on the bike, cursing for not having my TT bars, dueto them being legal thanks to my midget sized hands Holding ground to the front pack and picking up 3 other spanish chicks, I felt like I was riding for team Spain! With 5 of them and myself and a token Austrian that was lurking at the back somewhere. We dismounted around 1.30 down.
The Brook flats on I was back in my favourite territory on two feet and just set about catching as many people as I could between now and the finish line. WIth temps starting to rise it was hot and dry heat, my favourite and what I am accustomed to, I could only hope that all those torturous runs in 40deg heat in Perth over Summer would make this race seem like a mild winter avo;). That they did, with no dramas at all with the warming surroundings I felt great on the run from start to finish and ran myself back into 8th. Happy to get back up the pointy end of the field, but disappointed I could not have exited the run with leaders, or at least some fresher legs after to see if some real damage could have been done. At least the green and golds stole 2 of the podiums spots with Densham and Gentle finishing 2 and 3 respectively. Gwen Jorgenson from USA took out the win for the day with a stellar run.
Again after some excepitional hospitality from the Catalonians I would happily come back to race this event again. For now though it's a 6 day turn around to race Kitzbuhel WTS race in Austria on Saturday. Lets go recovery!
Flick :)
Just before I left France to drive to this race from St Raphael, where I was training, I had my old man pop over, who was working in the same hemisphere at the time, and a mate from home come and visit. So full car load down we trekked to Banyoles, and treated ourselves to some tappas at a basically deserted bar, assuming siesta went on overtime today, we were accompanied by some "charming" arabic music soiling our tappas by some of the only other spanyards awake at the ungodly hour of 6pm.
Come race day, weather was ace, and I was feeling great with the very solid 2 weeks of training I had put together in St Raph, the body was feeling as good as it had in a long time, though a grumpy bum in the morning because I didn't sleep fantastic, it's ok I just took it out on dad :) Aussies took up the main contingent of top ten start spots, so with the gang starting close together the pristine blue lake water was churning with the thrashing of arms trying to nuzzle their way into a good position. I unfortunately sucked at this "nuzzling" and swam like a crab. Exiting at the back at much further back than I should have, and where current form should have me. Witth an all o familiar scenario played out in front of me I knew what had to be done from then on, go hard chase and don't stop until you hit the front. So this is what I did.
This plan would also work a lot better when there is others of the same mentality surrounding you to help chase, but with only really one other young spanish girl willing to put in her part, it was a another bout of long solo time trialing on the bike, cursing for not having my TT bars, dueto them being legal thanks to my midget sized hands Holding ground to the front pack and picking up 3 other spanish chicks, I felt like I was riding for team Spain! With 5 of them and myself and a token Austrian that was lurking at the back somewhere. We dismounted around 1.30 down.
The Brook flats on I was back in my favourite territory on two feet and just set about catching as many people as I could between now and the finish line. WIth temps starting to rise it was hot and dry heat, my favourite and what I am accustomed to, I could only hope that all those torturous runs in 40deg heat in Perth over Summer would make this race seem like a mild winter avo;). That they did, with no dramas at all with the warming surroundings I felt great on the run from start to finish and ran myself back into 8th. Happy to get back up the pointy end of the field, but disappointed I could not have exited the run with leaders, or at least some fresher legs after to see if some real damage could have been done. At least the green and golds stole 2 of the podiums spots with Densham and Gentle finishing 2 and 3 respectively. Gwen Jorgenson from USA took out the win for the day with a stellar run.
Again after some excepitional hospitality from the Catalonians I would happily come back to race this event again. For now though it's a 6 day turn around to race Kitzbuhel WTS race in Austria on Saturday. Lets go recovery!
Flick :)
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