February 06th, 2018

 And that is the most important feeling for me. That regardless of the failures I feel at times, I find the courage to continue despite them.

If you have been reading my previous story you will know that I now am entering the last two weeks of this year’s 7-week winter-training, before I’m heading south towards the early mountain-bike season openers. The focus is back on the intervals and it’s not the sweet ones. I’m entering the next two big weeks after a weekend spent in Holland. But not just any weekend, a World Championship weekend. It was time for the 2018 CycloCross World Champs and I had put myself into that delighted situation of being on the start list. I’m not really riding cyclocross but I find it super fun when I do. I love the intensity of the sport! Not just the intense effort, but also the whole vibe of it, so much more contact between the riders and to the spectators doing the race. I arrived in Brussel on Thursday where I met with Loic and we drove together to the race venue in Limburg, Holland. The week leading up to the event was kinda a rest/mid week for me between the two blocks of training. Coming home from Gran Canaria Sunday night, with some big rides in the legs, I took the few days at home to relax and recover as good as I could. Even tho it’s always a little more hectic, to only be home for a few days than it sounds, I felt pretty good on Thursday and Friday as the race-day came closer.

The track was honestly insane! Hah. Last year in Luxembourg I was lucky that the track was technical because of corners and a few downhills, but rideable. This year, it was so cross specific technic’s, with deep mud in off-camber sections and a whole lot of running. Loic and I went out for the practices and I took some good crashes, trying to learn how to stay in the right track, so we had a lot of fun (especially the one filming, haha). I was this year equipped with two brand new GHOST cyclocross bikes “Violent Road Rage”, my two purple partners. My team manager, Tom Wickles, even gave me a tubular wheel-set to make the feeling even better. And it was actually so good! I have always just been riding with normal rims and tubes for cyclocross, but this was for sure a better experience. If you’re curious about the bikes, here’s a link https://www.ghost-bikes.com/bikes/lanes-road/bike/violent-roadrage-98-uc/.  

For the World Championship, I couldn't say I had a goal. Because how do you set a goal for something you don’t really know anything about? Like who are my competitors? How is my winter shape for a 40 min all-out race? How is the track? And so on. But I had dreams. Which for me is quite different. And after my performance last year, I believed (and still do) that a top 5 wouldn’t be unrealistic, but a lot of circumstances had to go my way. When you don’t prepare as good as possible, you need some luck on your side.
So as the start went off and the red light turned green I placed my feet on the pedal, but I didn’t hit it.. And when I finally found my ‘click’ my gear was too low to keep up with the speed they had around me. So I knew that I already had lost a lot of spots in the first 500 meters. Cause I mean, nobody is waiting around. On the first lap, I overtook a good amount of riders, mostly (like 90%) on the sections where pedalling was a thing. And I felt really good and strong in my body. Race-feelings was of course already running thru me tho, telling me that; 'that' start and these running skills are just not good enough Malene. And when we were about half way thru I felt the legs started to turn a bit against me too. I couldn’t get rid of the cramping feelings in my calves and with that - some negative thoughts. But I guess that’s alright? Thoughts are apart of it too, both the good and the bad ones. And as we continued out on the last lap I just suffered as much as possible could handle and focused on staying on the bike, which turned out really well and I finished the race with a smooth run, no mechanics or crashes. One of the hardest races I have ever done, being on my limit all the way, no breaks. 

I ended up place 16. 
Not what I dreamed of. 
​
So I rode down to the car and got out of the muddy skin-suit. As I took it off I had the feeling of wanting to put it back on and give it a second try. And that is the most important feeling for me. That regardless of the failures I feel at times, I find the courage to continue despite them. Because going back to why I like to ride the cyclocross bike: “the intensity - the vibe - the spectators - the good sensations”, I got them all that Saturday. 

I heard that feelings are much like waves. We can’t avoid them, but we can choose which one to surf. So I will find my smile and try again tomorrow. 

/ All the best / Malene 

I heard that feelings are much like waves. We can’t avoid them, but we can choose which one to surf. So I will find my smile and try again tomorrow. 

Leaving the Venue after the race