Surprisingly surprised

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” quote. So go take it Malene. 

​Before the World Cup I wrote; “I’m so lucky I get to race side by side with the fastest women in my sport, I only got 7 chances to do it this year so I better enjoy it”. So off I went to the two first World Cup events. Lots of questions had been summing around in my head over the past 5 months. How is it to race in the elite category? The starts? The short track? The level? The pressure? It felt so good to finally stand on the start line. It’s been a long time coming. 

​But I felt calm and prepared. Excited, not nervous, I knew I had done my homework 100% as I wanted to. I was fully prepared to race xco, but as you know the World Cup format includes a Short Track Friday evening. ​I haven't spent much time thinking nor planning for this event, it’s a completely new challenge for me so I had decided to play it safe and try to just finish top 24. So I did. I stayed near the top 20 for all 20 minutes and just observed (finished 21). 

​Success is just an awesome feeling. The feeling is worth all the work. 

​When Sunday came it was finally time to ride the xco race. Albstadt is a short lap but with lots of climbing meters. On a track like that, it’s very easy to destroy yourself. Therefore I kept my start position around 20 for the first lap, again like in the xcc I tried to observe the other rides and not hesitate. My legs kept on riding well and halfway through the race I felt the engine inside of me still was full of gas, so I just kept on pushing. Through all 90 minutes, I climbed slowly but surely further towards the front. On the last lap, I knew I was fighting for a top 10 result, to reach that I had to go all out on the 

last switchbacks climb. ​​
​My team and Loic was encouraging me from the sideline, so I just pushed with all I got in the pedals and secured my first top 10 WC result. What a day. What a dreamy entrance to the elite world cup scene! It felt so good to cross the finish line and get big hugs from the team around me. I was quite emotional. I dreamed about a top 10 result, but to do it in the first try was just an incredible feeling. Success is just an awesome feeling. The feeling is worth all the work. 

​​On Monday I was still buzzing from the race, a hangover, but a good one. There wasn’t much time to celebrate tho, because we were onwards to Nove Mesto na Morave - World Cup no. 2. The week with the team was pretty cool and we lived in a big house together - which is a good way to get to know each other better, instead of being in a hotel. So thanks to my team for doing this for us riders for the first world cup trip. 

​The race-weekend came quick and suddenly I was standing on the start line again. How could I do better when I had such a perfect race in Albstadt? I talked with my coach and we decided to stay with the same plan. Just get Malene from A to B as fast as possible. Last weekend 'that' was enough for a ten place. If 20 girls are faster than the fastest Malene is, in Nove Mesto, then so be it. I just had to be the best version of athlete Malene out there. 

But there is a difference between knowing you can do something and actually do it.

​And off we went. My second xco world cup race with the elite women. On the start loop, I worked my way up through the pack and when we started the 1st real lap I came around as 9th in a little group. Anne Tauber and Jolanda Neff started out like fire and made a little gap down to the rest, fast. I tried to race like in Albstadt, just riding in my zone and using my power as smart as possible. As the race developed I found myself a contender to the 7th spot. Wow, this could be amazing. So when the last lap came I knew exactly where I wanted to attack Linda Indergand and Anne Terpstra. On the first technical climb. I attacked and it worked out, even tho Linda was not far away. When the second climb arrived I kept pushing as hard as I could and suddenly I saw Jolanda struggle with a flat. 

I passed her and then I heard my team manager yell that 5th was in reach - I just had to gooo! No time to think about the podium, focus on my riding, I had a plan - remember? I came safely down the technical descends and felt the acid fill my body ones more as we climbed the last real climb. Who wants to sprint against Linda? Not me! After losing two sprints in Nove Mesto (thanks to Sina haha) I was giving my absolute everything to keep the gap between us. I was now in 6th position and as I went up the last rooty climb I saw Tauber struggling with her gears. The fire inside of me was insane. A mix of acid and adrenalin was fueling it. When I arrived on the finish straight and I saw Linda some meters behind me it was just all or nothing. The next second I crossed the finish line. In 5th position. What the heck just happened. ​

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​Surprised? Surprisingly surprised. Last year when I was competing with Sina Frei and Evie Richards in U23, I could see on the lap times that our’s often was inside top 10 in the elite women field, but it’s hard to compare 1:1. Whatsoever I knew inside of me that I was able to compete against the best women, also in the elite field. But there is a difference between knowing you can do something and actually do it. It takes a lot.
But I took the shot and I met my dreams one hundred %. 
I don't really believe it, it's just such a dream coming true. I owe many people a huge thank you. Honestly, WOW. 

​Now I’m back in Denmark - appreciating the last weeks of success and continuing to chase dreams. 
Being an underdog is awesome. 

​/Malene

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