Austrian National Champs - Schladming - 14 July

If there is anywhere in Europe that feels like home away from home to me, it would have to be Schladming. After the WC in Val di Sole, Schladming became our go to spot in between races like Leogang and Spicak. The people there are great, and it is an awesome place to get some training done. Not to mention that the track is amazing!

I decided to base myself in Schladming for the first 2 weeks of July because I didn't have any races and I wanted a bit of downtime. However, I couldn't not race the Austrian National Champs when I found out that they were being held at Schladming when I was there.

The weekend started off really well, and I made some changes to my suspension on Friday which made a huge difference. I then took part in the whipoff competition later that evening which was a ton of fun. I feel that I was robbed to not make the final haha - kidding.

The weather was very unusual for a race in Schladming, and the track was super dry and dusty. I was loving the conditions but things got a bit wild in the turns when you pushed the limit too much. I felt confident on track and after some runs with Schladming's adopted son, Johann Potgieter, we went back to the apartment and rested up. I was so excited to see that the sun was shining on Sunday morning and it didn't look like there was any chance of rain. Practice was short and it was soon time for seeding runs. I had a good run and was seeded in 7th.

The long wait for finals was on and after prepping my bike multiple times and getting some food in the system, the only thing to do was sit around and wait for my run. Finally it was time to race, and I managed to have a good, solid run. I was so stoked to cross the finish and go into the hot seat because I knew that I was going to get 7th or better. I ended up 6th, quite a few seconds back from 5th but all in all I am very pleased with how the weekend went and I had such a good time. Next up, Andorra World Cup!

Photo by: Raffi DieWaldfee