Break it and make it in Münsingen

Photo: Andreas Gilgen

If only I could turn back time, I would do anything to change the last 5 minutes of the Bundesliga race in Münsingen..

.. since bad luck struck me, causing a crash where I hit a tree full speed with my ribs first. Now I’m left with a couple of broken ribs, intramuscular bleedings and lots of pain. Prospects saying rest and recovery for now! I don’t know when I’ll be able to train properly or race again!

Not the way, the I wished for things to turn out!

Well, here’s the whole story:

Flying at the start (photo: Andreas Gilgen)

I had a stellar race until the crash. The conditions were quite difficult, since the course constantly changed due to a slippery ground and rainshowers during the race. I managed to make a good start riding up the first steep uphill, where most riders had to run. All the sudden I was in the front with a small gap. Since the course now had a long strech in headwind, I knew it would cost too much energy to maintain the gap to the pack, who would have me in sight easy chasing me down. I let myself merge with the rest and decided to wait and sense the strength of the others. Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå and Elisabeth Brandau flew by, definitely not hesitating. I went with them, feeling strong. On a climb I went into second position after Gunn-Rita. From here the field spread and I didn’t see the chasers, only Gunn-Rita in front of me, who managed to pull a gap on me. I had her in sight all the time, but wasn’t able to close the gap. On the very last round, I knew my second position was home safe, but then!.. I might have lost concentration a little bit. On a seemingly harmless part of the course, my frontwheel slipped and highspeed I flew into a tree!

It was like a traumatic dejavue from last year in august, where I also broke my ribs. The pain shoot through my body and blew the air out of my lungs. High on adrenaline and not reflecting consciously I was back on my bike in few seconds denying the pain. Katrin Leumann had now passed me and I was in third position. I pushed on, managed to overtake her. Then I felt, that my body was not really able to race any more and Katrin passed me once again. Luckily there was only 1 km to the finishline, which I was able to roll. Crossing the finishline in third position in black despair! I knew, that things were really bad!

As my adrenaline level decreased, the pain level raised. We went to the hospital, where many x-rays and ultrasound examinations left me with the conclusion, that nothing was broken! I told the doctor, that I was no new to broken ribs and I had the experience fresh in memory and found it unbelievable, that nothing was broken.

Today I had an appointment with a sports doctor at Team Denmark (the Danish Olympic Institution), where my suspicions were confirmed. One broken rib, one severely bend and a huge hematoma in the intracostal muscles. Well, I at least have learned a lot from last year’s broken ribs, and now know, that the only thing for now is recovery instead of pacing on.

What an emptiness

The biggest challenge is definately the accept of change of plans. It should not be any secret, that for the olympic qualification, this is pretty shitty.

On the upside: The season is long, and there are plenty of great things to come. I’ll return fully motivated, when I’m recovered!