Danish Champion 2010 (Foto: René Delauran Mølgaard Andersen)

Luckily I don’t have to change my wardrobe this year. I’ll keep on riding in the red/white jersey for another year I for sure knew, that the jersey would be mine this year, if I just did a great race without any mechanical issues. That being my mainfocus I started my race, flying up the looong startclimb, beginning my chase for the male riders in front of me, motivated by the competition.

Unfortunately the women’s field was so small, that it was almost silly that this race was ranked as a national championship. For me it ment, that I spared a lot af mental race-energy, that I’m sure will pay off later on this season with many great races to come ( World Championship MTB XCO, World Championship MTB XCM and the World Championships on the road – Yes, I’m going to defend the danish colours in Australia at the beginning of october, mainfocus on the TimeTrial, but also doing the roadrace!)

The racecourse in Blåbjerg was was one of the greatest danish courses, that I’ve been riding for a long time. It was pretty technical and tough too and demanded concentration for maintaining speed. I was back on my DT swiss carbon rims, that I couldn’t use in Israel last week due to the many rocks, which calls for the heavier tubeless setup. My DT swiss carbon rims are the best pair of wheels, that I’ve ever been riding. They are light and very stiff, and I rarely have the feeling of bad legs, while riding them. That’s why I only use them for competitions – otherwise they’ll loose their magic!

Without the pressure from my competitors I rode the course feeling relaxed in the bikehandling and strong in the easy parts. After 1h30m of riding I crossed the finishline with a margin of 15minutes to second place. 

Crossing the finishline!.. Forgot what I'm pointing at (Photo: Kristina Møller)

Thanks for all the cheering at the race. It completely felt like racing at a the German Bundesliga or a WorldCup climbing up the tough Rævebjerg!

Enjoy icecreams, beachsand in your bed and post-race heavy legs

- Annika

Photo: Eyal Dolin

A very hot week in Israel finally ended. The whole week I was feeling tired like a zombie, but managed a 15th spot at the womens race friday. Maybe I’m just more used to the scandinavian temperatures, than I thought…It’s no secret, that I wanted to do better in the race. With many good results this spring, I aimed for at top 10. Well, one thing is the result, another thing is the feeling about the race. I’ll make it short, because there’s not much to say and I’ll spare you the bad vibes.. 

I started my warm up the way I usually do. Already after 1 minute, I was soaking wet from sweating – which is not a bad thing! In the shadow and with a little breeze it helps you cool down. I mostly felt like hot tomato soup – you know; the kind with lots of chili peppers that really burns! ( I like chili very much, which sometimes is a disadvantage, when I cook for my roomate) In this case, I think the burning sensation came from a too high level of lactate in my legs. I pushed my body a few times under the encouragement of Christian Poulsen. Usually this awakes my body and raises the level of tension to race level, but in this case I could just feel, that my body didn’t respond the way it used to. I couldn’t spare myself the frustration..

5 minutes to the start (Photo: Eyal Dolin)

When the gun went off, I found myself missing power an loosing my great spot at the frontline, messing around somewhere behind the whole bunch of riders. The zombie-mode once again dominated my body. I didn’t feel any eager to work my way back to the front. This is one of the first times, that I experience a scenary like that. 

The start (Photo: Eyal Dolin)

In the second of five laps something slowly started to be swicthed on inside my head. With the blessed shouting of Christian Poulsen I pushed the pedals harder and felt the inner warrior being encouraged by the fact, that I was overtaking more and more riders. At the finishline I had worked my way back to 15th position – a good result for the day!

The good thing from this race is, that I kept on trying the whole race. When you’re in the front of a race, it’s rarely that difficult to keep the speed high. When you’re way behind the front it’s much more difficult keeping the pace only having yourself to battle with.

That was the story of Israel. Besides the heat, I’ll mention the poeple of Israel, who are all exceptionally friendly. On our way to the course the first day, we were stopped by a shouting policeman just before entering the race area. My first thought was, “oh no, did we do anything wrong??”.. But he simply just wanted to hear, if anybody had given us water and was very upset by the fact, that that wasn’t the case!..

In a week, I’ll be racing at the National Championships in Varde. I’m looking forward to that

Enjoy summer!…

Yesterday the team relay was thrown off at the race track. At the team relay the nations compete as a four-member team, each member doing one lap. The team must consists of a male, a female, an under 23 rider and a male junior. Klaus Nielsen was starting our race highly motivated by standing on the startline shoulder to shoulder with very strong starting riders from the other nations. Klaus did an excellent ride and passed the pace on to our U23 rider, Kenneth Hansen, who also put all his effort into throwing off some good speed before returning and making the shift to me. I pushed my force into the pedals, but found it a little difficult to really find a good rythm. Jonas Pedersen finished our game and managed to overtake some riders just before crossing the finishline. We finished 8 overall, which could have been better. I guess, more was expected from us, but hey, that’s the way it goes some times.

Today the junior riders are racing, Jonas Pedersen and Magnus Cort representing Denmark. Right now, I’m relaxing and will go watch the last bit of their race before going training on the course. I will cross my  fingers and hope they’ll do a great race!

The course is dry, dusty with lots of rocks and slippery, sandy turns. It has some really challeging sections and today I’m going to do some more practice out there. Friday will be race day, so keep your fingers crossed and watch out for another race report

Happy, excited, relieved and wondering what just happened (Photo: Maria Kruse)

And now – my version of what happened this weekend! National champ in Time Trial and Road Racing

I don’t know where to start – this weekend of road racing really turned out to be a fabulous succes for me. Before entering I for sure had hoped and aimed for a top podium spot. An enourmous lack of experience was my greatest concern, but in the end it all turned out in my favour.

First of all I want to thank my team Odder CK, – a bunch of cool girls and great team leaders!.. All putting great trust in me – it feels so good to show, that they were right, when they saw my potential.

Time Trial (photo: Troels Langvad)

Thursday were kicked of with Time Trial; 25 km of pure power and focus! I knew I was able to do really good in this discipline. During my warm up I could already feel, that my legs were really good! 

The start almost ended up chaos. 100 meters after the start, the course crossed a road. The people, who controlled the traffic weren’t able to hold back the traffic, and a car slipped in just in the middle of my way and in panic the driver hit the brakes and totally blocked my way! I had to brake as well, but luckily I could pas the car – with the driver trying to figure out what was going on. Yes you ARE in the middle of a time trial race!.. Luckely I didn’t spend much energy on the bad start, but instead focused on what was in front of me!

I found a good rythm out there very quick and soon a good song found it’s way into my head. I just repeated the stupid chorus over and over again in my head. On my Garmin I could see, that my heart rate was way above my normal race level, but I let the feeling in my legs decide how fast I went. It’s amazing what a adrenaline rush can do! All the time I knew, that I had great support just behind me, and it felt good to know. On the way out I had tall wind and at the turning point the course went along the same road – with a solid headwind. The course had many hills, so it suited me well! The total race time was way below normal race time for me ( mountainbike races are 1h30 – 1h45 ) so I just gave it all and hoped for the best. I was second to start, so I had absolutely no idea about how fast the other girls would go and no idea about what time to beat. Crossing the finishline I could only wait for my judgment. My family had showed up to support me, it was really great crossing the line and being greeted by them.

With all the riders on the course the speaker announced, that my split time at 13 km was the best with almost a minute and then I started to realize, that victory was coming closer. Soon all riders had passed the finishline and my time was really, really good 2 minutes ahead of second and third place. (2nd: Trine Schmidt (Team Hitec Products – UCK), 3rd: Maria Grandt (Team Hitec Products – UCK))

Podium Time Trial (photo: Frank Rud Jensen)

Saturday it was time to go tactical in the Road Race. Before the start a strategy for our team was created, not knowning the amount of agendas in the peloton. Team Hitec Products – UCK would be our stongest opponent with the time trial podium finishers Maria and Trine. 7 laps on the course gave us 107km of racing to find the winner!

From the beginning of the race our team set the pace with Nikoline attacking and the bunch following her wheel. Soon we hit a smaller road with headwind, where a team attacked with a rider and the rest of the team blocking the front, so nobody could follow the attacker. Once again Nikoline showed her force and used her cross cycling skills simply passing the wall of riders in the grass along the road. Tearing the field apart!.. Way to go!

More riders attacked and soon a small group had formed in front of the field with a distance of 1 minut ahead. None of the title favorites were out there, so still I toke it easy. The Hitec girls started to show force, constantly attacking and reattacking! Everytime I managed to close the gap and they never got away.

With 2 laps to go the race started to come to an end. In front of us there still was a group of 11 riders. My teammate Julie Leth and me started to work hard to catch up with the group. I put in all my force and we were a few riders leaving the bunch and catching the front. Now I was where I wanted to be and started feeling relaxed.

Good job! (Photo: Martin Bæk)

On the very last lap with 7 km to go I attacked hard and got away with 3 riders on my wheel including my teammate Trine Lorenzen, who all day had been doing a great job at the front. Neither of the Hitec girls had come along and I knew, I was the strongest rider in our group. We kept the pace and got a good gap. On the climbs I kept on attacking and got away. In my ear (radio contact) my teamleaders were cheering like crazy and the motivation was kept high. I focused on keeping high speed and was informed, that my gap was only getting bigger. At this moment, I knew I could make it. This feeling is fantastic and at the same time very fragile! I talked to myself, complimenting myself and enjoyed the last kilometers to the finishline, where I could raise my arms high!

Finishline! (photo: Troels Langvad)

Now I am resting and trying to cope the experiences of the weekend. I have very mixed feelings. Mostly I am happy! On the other side, this road racing was not really a season goal for me, so the fact, that it all went so well is kind of strange. Nothing is greater than working hard for your goals and then reach them. This is the other way around – a great goal has been reached, without really dreaming about it. I think, that within short time, I’ll be seeing things in a clearer light. Once thing is for sure; this season’s maingoals on the mountainbike remains, and hopefully I’ll reach them

Next week I’m going to Israel for the European Championships, keep on going!

Foto: Martin Bæk

Unbelievable! I can now call myself Danish Champion on the Road! After three hours of racing I crossed the finishline overexited, thrillingly happy and not quite aware of what I just did! 

I’ll return with the whole story later today, right now I’m off to the beach

Danish Champion Time Trial (Foto: Frank Rud Jensen)

Report later… for now the picture says it all I’m happy, relaxing at my parents in Silkeborg, preparing for tomorrows race – and eating strawberries and barbeque in just a second

Last year I crossed the finishline in German Albstadt with goosebumps all over my body, adrenaline rush in my ears, sneaking cramps in my legs and arms raised high finishing 4th. It was only my third race in the Bundesliga and at the same time my first podium spot. I cheered like a winner, because I felt like one. I was filled with joy and confidence and started to realize, that I had the potential to go all the way to the top. I soon accentuated this with a victory in Wetter shortly after.

This year I was lucky to start in the frontline due to my victory in the last round of the Bundesliga in Heubach. At my side were standing strong riders like Lisi Osl and Sabine Spitz, who last year battled for victory. I expected this years race to repeat that scenary, not yet knowing my part af the play – only hoping for a leading role. 

The conditions this year was slightly tougher with lots of rain, mud and slippery downhills. I didn’t have the opportunity to train on the course with all the mud, because the rain just started pouring down that very morning. Still I was very excited to race and felt strong and focused as the gun went off!

After crossing a large open space the course went in to a brutal uphill, which soon tore the field apart. Just what I like At the front Anja Gradl and Elisabeth Brandau set the pace and at my back wheel Sabine Spitz and Lisi Osl were riding strongly. Anja suffered from a mechanical problem at the highest point of the course and had to let go. Soon Sabine and Lisi showed their experience and got a gap at the end of the downhill just before going into the second lap with me chasing in third position. At the end of the second lap Lisi suffered from a flat tire and I passed her at the tecnical zone, where she changed her wheel. At the killer uphill she once again showed her strong climbing skills and soon cathed up with me. I forced myself to stick to her wheel, but soon felt like exploding if continuing in her pace. I had to let go and focused on my own pace instead.

All the sudden I sensed Elisabeth Brandau ( who just won Trans Germany last week) from behind gaining in on me and she managed to catch my wheel in the uphill. In the following downhill I was able to once again get a gap on her. Now the rain was really pouring down and a few of the downhills were as slippery as inclined dancefloors cowered with soap! Still don’t know what dance floors are doing in the forest I managed to get through and on the very last round I pushed the hardest I could in the uphills and mud surfed my way down. The two girls up front I couldn’t catch, but I managed to get a good gap on Elisabeth Brandau and placed a solid third!

I am very pleased with my podium spot and hopefully next year I can once again take one or two steps up the podium!

After this round of the Bundesliga I’m leading the overall series and hopefully I can keep this lead after the last round in Saalhausen at the end of september.

Right now I am preparing for the European Championships in Israel at the beginning of July. Before that I will do the National Championships on the road. Even though I will be training a lot while doing the road races I know I will do well there too.

See you out there

Holstebro diskede op med en lækkerbisken af en rute! Vestjysk fyrreskovsplantage med et utal af skrappe korte opkørsler, rødder og masser af sving. Virkelig en rute, der krævede god teknik, da man konstant skulle dreje og accelerere. Jeg var lidt spændt på, hvordan mine ben ville reagere efter at have ligget stille i næsten en uge og brutalt vækket med dansen rundt i stilletter et par dage inden. Fra tidligere ved jeg, at min krop plejer at blive friskere og stærkere af at holde pause, så jeg håbede på, at jeg også denne gang ville komme ud stærkere.

Alene tanken om at skulle køre løb i tørvejr gjorde at jeg glædede mig vildt til at komme ud og køre! Da startskuddet endelig lød, gav jeg den én over nakken og tænkte kun på at komme ud og have det sjovt på sporrene med fokus på at køre alle rutens aspekter med en teknisk lethed. Damefeltet blev sendt afsted 1 minut efter juniorerne, 2 min. efter herre B og 3 min efter herre A. Den store spredning gjorde, at der ikke var kø-dannelse på sporet. Omvendt kørte jeg den første tid lidt alene, kun pacet af tanken om, at der var ryttere længere fremme, der kunne hentes. Jeg kunne tydeligt mærke, at når der var ryttere omkring mig, var jeg i stand til at presse mig mere, end når jeg lå alene. Heldigvis var der også tilskuere på ruten, der kunne hjælpe med til at holde dampen oppe.

På tredje omgang ud af ialt fire, begyndte trætheden at melde sig og jeg havde svært ved at presse mig selv. Benene føltes ikke så stærke. På sidste omgang bed jeg virkelig tænderne sammen og fokuserede på at give den alt indtil målstregen. Det var en fed, fed fornemmelse et kunne køre over målstregen som vinder. Min klubkammerat Kristine Nørgaard kom ind på andenplads og det var fedt og imponerende at se, hvordan hun bare var ét stort smil. En lille detalje; Kristine kom direkte med nattoget fra Tyskland og et 4-dages etape løb. Jeg tager hatten af for at have overskud til at køre løb dagen derpå.

De danske løb har for mig både fordele og ulemper. Fordelene er, at jeg kan køre løb uden at bruge meget energi på at sætte mig op og være nervøs. Setup og mennesker er velkendte. Ulemperne er, at det kan være lidt en sovepude i forhold til forberedelser til international konkurrence, både hvad angår rutens sværhedsgrad og konkurrenceniveauet. Men sikkert er det, at jeg altid hygger mig til løbene.

Næste weekend tager jeg til Albstadt og kører Bundesligaløb. Her skal jeg nok få kam til mit hår. Topniveauet her er det samme som til WorldCups, men feltets størrelse mindre. Jeg glæder mig til at se, hvordan jeg oplever ruten denne gang, da det var første gang, jeg kørte på den sidste år, hvor jeg brugte en del energi på bare at være overvældet over ruten. Jeg havde dér en hårrejsende fantastisk oplevelse og fik min første podieplacering (4.plads) til en Bundesliga. Jeg er spændt på, hvordan det kommer til at gå i år.

Yip hee – hjulene ruller igen – hop på toget – vi ses

Der er stadig mange store løb, der venter denne sæson og det gælder om at bevare sulten efter at køre løb. Sidste søndag kørte jeg shimanoliga i Kolding og det var et muddersøle uden lige, der virkelig krævede en mental tandsammenbidning. Da vores løb undervejs blev afkortet med en omgang, kunne jeg kun tænke “Yes!….”. Noget af det, der fik mig til at kæmpe mig igennem løbet var tanken om en lille uges træningspause efterfølgende. Bortset fra det, var det gode ved løbet en god omgang træning i “mud-surfing”

I torsdags var jeg i Malmø for at få taget billeder til HESTRA. Hestra er vores handskesponsor og er et velrenommeret firma, der går meget op i produktionsmæssig bæredygtighed. En af deres filosofier er også, at handskerne udvikles i samarbejde med dem, der bruger handskerne og at særlige profiler inden for de forskellige discipliner (freeride, crosscountry skiing, ski racers m.fl.) lægger hænder og navn til. Det er et spændende projekt, som jeg glæder mig til. Det betød også, at jeg fik lov til at lege hånd- og kropsmodel for en dag. I skal nok få nogle af billederne at se, de blev superfine!

Mit diva-gen blev også plejet i går aftes, hvor jeg med en flok tøser var inde og se den nye Sex & the City film. Fin kjole og stilletter – I loooove it!.. Toppet op med champagne og overraskelse i form af gratis undertøj til alle tøser i salen. Sådan!

I dag er hovedet og benene lidt tunge, så nu vil jeg hoppe ud på min mountainbike, for at finde ud af, hvor meget den har savnet mig. I morgen går turen til Holstebro, hvor der er Shimanoliga løb. Jeg glæder mig rigtig meget til at komme ud og køre nogle tørre, fede spor.

Vi ses derude!

DM holdløb 2010 (foto: Troels Langvad )

En kold og stormfuld aften under en mørk og truende himmel kørte vi DM i holdløb på landevejen i min onkels baghave

I denne sæson supplerer jeg mountainbiketræningen med landevejskørsel på CK Odders damehold. I fredags kørte jeg så mit første officielle løb for holdet. Vi hev en sejr hjem og kan dermed kalde os for danske mestre i disciplinen det næste års tid. 

Landevejskørsel er helt anderledes end mountainbike og kræver koncentration på en helt anden måde. Jeg kan tydeligt mærke, at jeg har en god portion råstyrke og udholdenhed med fra mountainbiken, som jeg nemt kan omsætte til landevejen. Især på bakkerne har jeg virkelig fordel af at være vant til at angribe skovens bakker. 

Foto: Troels Langvad

Næste gang jeg skal køre for holdet bliver nok først til DM, som ligger d. 24. til 27. juni i Hobro og jeg skal ikke lægge skjul på, at jeg gerne vil hive endnu en DM-trøje hjem