Bike: Trek Superfly 9.9 SL, Vittoria Barzo / Peyote 1.4 bar
The second race of the cup was on a location where we had raced many times before. Generally quick trails resulting in high speeds. However recent rains had turned some of them into mud (as can be seen by the photo) so the technical level was a bit higher than normal.
The second race of the cup was on a location where we had raced many times before. Generally quick trails resulting in high speeds. However recent rains had turned some of them into mud (as can be seen by the photo) so the technical level was a bit higher than normal.
Result: Slushcup #2
The race started well for me and I was among the top-10 riders in the first gravel road section. However it improved even more as the lead guy had a fall in the first turn as gravel road turned to single track; I was able to go around him and found myself all of a sudden in third place over all.
Two of the quick young riders went away ahead at a brisk pace and there was no point in trying to follow. For a while it was just Palle Jensen and me chasing behind but then more riders started coming up from behind.
At the start of the second lap Palle took the opportunity in one of the muddy sections to go ahead. No one tried to follow and the group that formed behind consisted of me, Johan Malmsten, Henrik Söeberg, Thomas and one of the juniors
In the mushy and muddy sections I tended to lose a little ground to the guy in front but I was able to catch up on the gravel road sections. This continued until the third and last lap. Towards the end of the lap Henrik Söeberg went to the front on a gravel road bit and the pace picked up sharply. I saw that we were catching up to Palle who was first in M40. We approached the last single track section which just had a short gravel road part following it before the finish line. Henrik went first into the single track, then Thomas and Johan, with me going in last. At this point I found myself really tired and let go of the rest of the group. The guys didn't quite manage to catch up with Palle but I saw them sprinting for second place. Henrik took second, Thomas third and Johan fourth. I came in a few seconds later in fifth place.
