​Sure there have been some national race series since August, but it’s not quite the same as the World Cup show or the importance of Championships. 
We are now a few days away from my start to this storm. Because it is nothing less but a big fast storm approaching.

My calendar has lined up; 
Danish National Champs 26th Sep, World Cup xcc 29th, WC xco 1st oct, WC xcc 2nd, WC xco 4th of October. Then I continue to the World Championship in Leogang, Austria, followed by the European Championship in Schweizerland.
Did you want racing? I give you racing, haha. 

​When I’m thinking about this major block of racing its a mix of emotions that goes through me, butterflies (feels good to feel them again!), worries and grateful! I’m worrying if we will have the disappointment of cancellations again (valid no?), nervous for the racing and it feels so good to finally have those butterflies again, the 

excitement is there.​
​But most of all grateful for the opportunity to race again. This is my thing, my job, my dreams are made when racing - and in this year of a pandemic, it just feels good to get the opportunity to get out there and race my bike. 

​Wearing the danish flag for the past year has been an absolute honour and I have been so proud to represent Denmark in this way. Trying to inspire others on a national plan, but also outside our national borders. It’s about daring to believe and follow your dream. With a woman like Annika Langvad on the front line it has always been a bit out of reach, but as I have grown up, so has my attitude - what if? What if I won? Why not?

​ In 2020 we are actually a few women who could take the jersey home, so no matter what, an exciting battle ahead. 
This year we are racing on a hilly course in a city called Vejle. It’s 3 small hours from my home, so not known territory, but I have raced there before and I know that this course always makes great racing. It’s super demanding, but still hard to make a real difference, which brings in good tactics. 

Am I even fast yet?
​That questions bugged my mind a bit in the week leading into the race, because after so many months away from racing it’s hard no to let the anxiety creep up on you and start asking questions. But over the past few months I have worked really well and I felt confident in the work I had put in. Still, time for a test. ​

We (my team) arrived to the venue Friday evening, so we were ready to try out the track Saturday morning. We went together to check it out and figured that we arrived in a really cool mountain area. The track was great, natural, steep, good dirt and fun. 3 long steep climbs, followed by steep downhills and then a ‘long’ flat part to mix it up. ​

I spent a couple of hours riding it and trying out different tire options. Ended up riding a Michelin Jet in the back and a prototype with a bit more grip in the front. I hadn’t tapered coming into the race, so I was curios how my freshness would be. But as the start gun finally went off I completely forgot all the questions and there I was just racing my bike as I have done a million times (or at least it feels like that) before. I went to the front half way up the climb to make sure I was in the front for the downhill. ​

During the past week we have had 2 race cancellations of our World Cup. Which is our biggest series of races in xc mountainbike. that means we are down to only 2 rounds (both held in Nove Mesto Na Morave). This year sucks, honestly. There is still smaller races on the calendar here in Europe, but none of them is in the same league as the World Cup. Beside the races in Nove Mesto, we will also have the World Champs. Worlds is hosted by Leogang, which I had looked much forward to, but as the situtationen is developing it starts to feel strange. Are we going to have a world championship without the whole world able to compete? ​

​The other night I drove through Barcelona with Loic, we saw the statue of Columbus. And Loic was like ‘The Navigator!’ (in a prober french accent, hah). And it made me think. We have to be great ‘navigators’ this year. There are plenty of waves and obstacles on our way, but if we are smart, and keep on taking that, ‘step back’ to see the bigger picture, I’m sure we find our way. ​