Like the last 2 years, September 28th was the World Cup in Molveno/Italy is on the agenda. On Tuesday of race week I started the 8-hour journey to Italy at 4 in the morning. In the early afternoon we went on a bike route inspection to once again properly assess the trails for the weekend. The tire choice was clear, good tread for the wet trails. In the early evening I visited the running route. On Wednesday the plan was to swim in the lake, with the water temperature only being 14 degrees, neoprene socks and a swimming cap were also used.
On Thursday the short track was scheduled, a race format in which only the best 30 elite athletes are at the starting line and an action-packed race is delivered in just 30' to offer the spectators a good show. I started the race week with a solid 21st place, but I wasn't satisfied for a long time. My goal is the TOP 10 after I finished 9th at the European Championships - 7 weeks ago.
On Friday I visited the mountain bike trails again with my “boys”, but this time only the crucial technical downhill climb with the gondola. I also adjusted the tire pressure again. World Cup race day 7:00, the alarm clock rings, my first walk was to the dining room to enjoy breakfast and coffee, nutrition is important to me. Then go back to bed to find some peace and quiet. At 9 we went to the transition area, left the bike and shoes at the place, did a short run to warm up and then into the water. The swimming distance was shortened from 1.5km to 1km - which really suited me. Nevertheless, I swam with neoprene gloves to keep out the cold. The starting signal was at 10 a.m., I found a good pace and group and delivered a solid swim time. As 30th out of 51 elite athletes I came out of the water to meet some good bikers. We were able to set a good pace straight away and catch up a few places. On the climb I rode at my own pace and found a good rhythm with good performance data. The diet was also right and I was able to catch up one after the other. After the 1st of 2 laps on the bike I was already in 15th place. The move forward gave me additional motivation. In the second lap I had to slow down a bit and ended up 18th in the second transition zone. The TOP 10 only 1 minute and 40” ahead of me.
In the first kilometers of the 10km running route I caught up with and overtook two competitors. After the 1st of 2 rounds I was informed of a 30” penalty - reason unknown. I then ran up to 14th place, but knew that I had to go to the penalty box before the finish. With a good cushion, I finally crossed the finish line in 14th place - my best Xterra World Championship result to date. Super happy we're now heading into a well-deserved 4-6 week offseason.
