The Weekend of mtb (Lidingöloppet and EC XCO)

The did race this weekend too. Two weekends in a row racing without a racelegal bike and licens. But thanks to Stefan I had a Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper with a Khisel fork and all parts Specialized has done to make a fast mtb 🙂

Rode Lidingöloppet MTB for the 2nd time and the prestige was bigger than ever before as I had to win over my colleague Jaime and the pressure was on. I know he’s strong and easy trained, I also know he can train which I’m not good at. But anyway. Didn’t got the best start and did a lot more work in front of the bunch than I should but I wanted to keep the pace up didn’t go too hard. Pushed hard on the climbs, softened on the downhills and tried to keep the pressure proper on the flats.

It felt hard but not to hard and when riding a 8kg 29er it feels like flying. Lost grip in many corners with my 1,95″ S-Works Renegade tires but they rolled faster than every tire I used before. It felt like I could push and keep pushing. Got dropped by a guy and the women winner Isabelle Söderberg in a climb we had to walk (the ran) and ended up being 3 people with one other from CK Valhall. And a guy who didn’t want to help. We 2 rode good with the other guy on wheel for a long time. 2 others came from behind and the group became 5. No more work for me 😉 At the most technical part at Bosön I got dropped and had to ride the last part alone. Was a little tired but pushed as hard as I could and passed one from the earlier group.

Finished at 2h24min and 45th place of Men Race, 38 spots better than last year and 13min. Beat Jaime with 10min 😉 Stats here: Strava

Ended the yesterday with taking the train to my dad. And spending the day with him at the awesome European XCO Championships in Huskvarna. With winners like Victor Koretzky, Jolanda Neff and Julien Absalon

Soon XCO/DHI World Cup begins

Thought of writing an april fool but seemed to obvious. So instead I share a video with you. Late start this year but soon the waiting for the mtb world cup is over and the racing starts for real:

And hopefully we will see Marco Aurelio Fontana or Manuel Fumic win a world cup on the new released Cannondale Scalpel 😀

Mam’zelle Julie Breiz’et #3

Video from Julie Bresset from the World Cup in Cairns, Australia:

XCO World Cup in Cairns: Women

Women U23:

1. Helen Grobert – Focus XC Team

2. Jenny Rissveds – Scott Racing

3. Jovana Crnogorac

Then the Women Elite with Jolanda Neff as biggest name and mud that should fit Alexandra Engen. Julie Bresset always a rider to keep out for too. But today didn’t went as usual. Jolanda Neff and Eva Lechner started fast as usual but after some time Neff dropped, and dropped, and dropped. Alexandra Engen punctured in the wrong place so had to walk a long way and lost the race. Julie Bresset had some physical problems so DNF.

So it was Eva Lechner who rode the race strong and alone in the front. Chased by Sabine Spitz who had a puncture and had to change wheel. Emily Batty and Irina Kalentieva was close so passed and Batty liked the warm humid conditions so impressed today.

1. Eva Lechner – Colnago Südtirol

2. Emily Batty – Trek Factory Team

3. Sabine Spitz – Sabine Spitz Haibike Team

4. Irina Kalentieva – Russvelo

5. Tanja Zakelj – Unior Tools Team

9. Jolanda Neff – LIV XC Pro Team

Men elite is racing now on live.redbull.tv Don’t miss.

 

Mam’zelle Julie Breiz’et #1

Sometimes I wish I could understand french. like with this video with Julie Bresset:

And don’t forget Omloop Het Nieuwsblad this afternoon.

Italian Northwave and French XC Cup

First Marco Aurelio Fontana talking about Northwave and some other cool things:

And then the 3rd race in the French XC Cup, women elite. Great crowds, awesome track (love the contrasts of brown track and green forrest). Think if the national XC cups would be so big here in Scandinavia:

Olympic highlights

Two videos from Cross Contry Olympics London this summer, men’s spread by Fontana so start with the women:

And then men:

Olympic XCO today!

Don’t miss womens race at 13.30 CET. With the fast swede Alexandra Engen that got this special bike for today:

 

photo by Jahn Ekman.

 

Getting a pair of special AX-Lightness wheels is top, best looking mtbwheels that are available for sale if you ask me 🙂 So don’t miss see them passing riders while Alexandra pedaling.

Highlights from Offenburg

Found this nice video from the World Cup in Offenburg. Listen too Brian Lopez and Catharine Pendrel, see how Manuel Fumic have it before and after and compare the difference between a lot of meet at Cannondale to a lot of fruit at Orbea and listen to Julien Absalon before the race. For me Absalon has seemed a little boring but starting to be impressed by the perfection around him.