World Cup 1, Czech
It feels good to be back racing World Cups and everyone on the circuit was all smiles starting in Czech. The season seemed to take forever to arrive. With the slow build up I was able build a strong foundation in my training, but for the top-end speed I need to win, I really need to race and there is no better place to start than in Czech. What makes Czech special is both the crowds and the terrain. Fans bus in from over Europe for their favourite racer, marathon athletes racing that weekend, fill the surrounding fields with their camper vans and locals arrive with costumes and creative noise makers (chainsaws). The trails are like coastal British Columbia, flowy and root strewn. This is one of the few courses where you feel like you get to spend a substantial amount of time going downhill fast, and the climbs are technical, especially when the rocks and roots are wet, demanding attention as well as power. You have to be on your A-game physically and technically to perfo