Adventure is out there!
Austria, the land of my relatives, the land where the Sound of Music was filmed (one of my favorite films), the land of cows and castles. The flowing green hills with steep, windy roads curving up to the top of the mountains welcoming us into this wonderful country.
This is the first time that I have traveled out of North America to race my Mountain bike. For those of you who have traveled out of the country, you understand just how long 18 hours actually feels. With the smooth flight, the team was trying to get some sleep during the night flight. For me at least, it was hard to actually fall asleep that night. After arriving in Austria the following morning, it was time to drive to Oberndorf, just North of Kitzbuhel. Green surrounded us and we were welcomed into the mountains with a plethora of cows grazing in the fields and their bells ringing in the air. Once we got to the inn, I kept moving about-- even if it was just in circles. I knew that if I stopped moving my body would fall asleep within seconds. That day was the hardest day during the whole trip. Eventually, I allowed myself to curl up in bed and fall asleep-- it was 8:30 pm.
The next couple of days we explored the amazing trails right out side our doorstep and the unique culture surrounding us. We welcomed the adventure as it showed us the different areas and traditions that we don't know about in the United States.
A few days into our trip the team drove to Windhaag bei Perg for our first race. On the way to the venue the team stopped to have a brief history lesson at the Mauthausen Concentration Camp. (and let me just tell you, it was quite an eye opener). With that experience under our belts, the team was off to the venue to pre-ride the course for the upcoming race.
With the race only a day away, I was mentally preparing for the hot and technical race ahead. The course was dusty and loose with roots and rocks. Of course, that added to the aspect of a typical Euro race. What I found most surprising was that I would be racing with the fastest junior 17-18 girl in the world. That added a bit of nerves to the start of the race. As I started my warm up the next day around noon, I plugged in my headphones and got my head into the zone. The race lineup came faster than I wanted it to, but that is always the case. Taking in some deep breathes to calm my racing heart and sooth the pit in my stomach, I finally started to feel better and more relaxed. Lining up behind the Pro and U23 women classes, the 17-18 girls were anxious to get this race started. The most stressful part about racing is definitely standing on the start line waiting for the gun to go off.
As the clock ticked down to the beginning of the race, we knew that there were only seconds left before we were all in the pain cave, vying for the top spot on the podium . The gun sounds, echoing through the mountains and buildings, and the women were off, going around the twisting paved roads that lead us to the start loop and eventually the rest of the course. The race was such a haze, and that might be because the dust started to fill the air clouding my vision, but I remember coming in through the start line again after I finished the start loop, feeling great and ready to race my very best. After the rooty downhill sections and the loose track, I came back through almost halfway through my race. I remember feeling confident with how I was riding and how I was feeling on the technical sections. On the last steep downhill of the course of my second lap, the dustiest section of the course, my left hand hit the sidewall of the wood, which protected the riders and the spectators from each other. Once I hit that sidewall I bounced to the other side of the track hitting my right hand on the other wood plank. This made me lose control and somersault down the hill. This was not one of the worst crashes of the day, but it was not ideal in helping my self confidence and speed through the last lap of the course. Overall, I did not do as poorly as I thought, gaining myself a 6th place against some of the fastest riders.
That week after the first race included hiking up some mountains and into the clouds, swimming in Austria's artificial lake swimming pool, pools with vertical slides, and of course some pre-riding of the next race course. Fortunately, for us the second race was only a 20 minute ride away so the team was able to ride and practice the course as much as needed for the race just days away.
This course was even more technical than the first with roots and rocks littering the ground. The climb was mainly a double track road. The road turned into the single track decent which lead to the start and finish of the course. I practiced sections constantly trying to find the best line in some of the scariest sections of the course.
This was steeper than it looks!
Technical riding has always been a strong suit for me, especially when there is an abundance of roots and rocks, so this course was perfect for me. At the bottom of the track there was a jump, that always looked scarier than it really was. because it looked as if it shot you straight off into the air without having any landing below. After hours of dialing in the course I felt ready. Ready to see how I compare to the Europeans round two. With only a couple of days before the race (where did the week go?!) I try and take in as much as possible both on and off the bike. With the remainder of the week, I rode in the morning and then went to see the sites. The team explored Kitzbuhel and Sankt Johann, and even a castle.
Race day... the day full of nerves and apparently thunderstorms. With no rain for the entire two weeks we were in Austria the one day that it decides to rain was also race day. I kept my head in the game knowing that the rain, nor roots, should bother me. As the time for the race quickly surfaces, the girls and I rode over to the venue in the pouring rain. As I ride over I told myself "I have to keep focused on the task ahead and show myself what I can do on some of the most technical riding I have ever done". Once we reach the venue, there was approximately 20 minutes until the race start. By now, I was soaking wet with water sloshing in my shoes and the rain was still pouring down. Luckily, we had an umbrella to somewhat keep us dry on the start line. Now imagine having 3 or 4 riders huddled under a one person umbrella trying to stay as dry as possible (if that is even possible at this point)- lets just say that we did have some laughs about it (or at least I did).
4 laps
1.82 miles or 2.9 km
I lined up on the first row, rain pouring down clouding my vision. The weather is cool, but just warm enough for racing to be comfortable. Without a doubt in my mind I knew that this was going to be an awesome race, not only for the experience but also for my performance. As the gun sounded the girls were off. Rounding the corner after the start I got pinched against the fence causing me to be in the very back of the pack. I didn't panic. I told myself that I could do this and I shouldn't give up. Keep pushing harder and harder. Listening to my inner dialog to myself, I push just that much harder, passing the majority of the field and earning myself a spot in the chase group seconds off of first place. With the extreme weather that morning and during the first lap, everything was a muddy mess. Tires were slipping and mud was flying everywhere. As the group starts the first steep climb my legs start to warm up even more allowing me to go faster. By the top of the last road climb, before the downhill section to the finish I am riding alone.
After some discussion from the race promoters about the technical root section being too slippy for the racers to safely descend down, they decided it was best to cut that section out and for the racers to do the U 15-16 downhill section instead just. This decision was made just minutes before everyone was supposed to start .
With no prior experience riding, let alone racing on the 15-16's course I went slowly and carefully down the track, choosing my line over the roots and chicken wire covered wooden bridges. Good thing that was only on the first lap. Coming in for the final couple of laps, my legs felt good and I was feeling confident about my race so far.
Coming into the finish in 5th place was a shock. I am still feeling so grateful for this amazing opportunity to show myself what I can do.
Thank you to everyone who made this trip possible.Thanks to my parents, Summit Competitive Cyclist, Anita and Michael Edenhauser and Turner family, Carmen Small, and everyone else who made this trip possible. This was one of my greatest adventures yet and I cant wait to do even more in years to come. Now it is time to prepare for Nationals in West Virginia.
During this trip, I learned 1) how to cut pizza with a fork and knife, 2) how to feel more confident on the wet roots 3) there should be an invention so you can wear glasses in the mud without them getting dirty-- or eliminate the amount of mud to get into your eyes(?!)
Ciao,
Sienna
