After another fun filled bike-festival-weekend in Willingen (with the obligatory sniffles arriving afterwards) and my capacity as organizer at the ultra triathlon in Moosburg, I made my way to Ischgl, in order to be present at the Feel your Bike season opening with a trial show and a bike simulator.

Since most of the folks were up in the mountains during the day, the simulator wasn't exactly working to full capacity, like at other events, which was actually pretty good, because 3 other shows were running parallel. In the evening (right before and shortly after the Klinsi-Kickers' World Cup game) a small crowd gathered at the Silvaretta track.

This weekend could be seen as a warm up, since I'm going to make my way onto the approach path of the Silvaretta engine pods at the Ironbike at the beginning of August with the show.

Last weekend it was, once again, race time.
Okay, due to the preparations for the trial show with my new, little Trial-Hai and the riding technique courses, the BMX training had to suffer...or should I say completely skipped... yeah, yeah ...I know, I have only been on the track 5 times this year... :-( ... but I was still able to achieve aome all right results.
At the 4th run for the Felt-4X-Cup in Belzig a new location for the event was presented, in order to make up for the cancelled races, e.g. in Ansbach, Hof and Cottbus.
Overall it was a pretty fancy lokkin' track that turned out to be a first-corner-race, where the winner could be determined after the first jump, or turn.

Due to my high starter number (Hobby Men's beginning at no. 201), I prepared myself mentally for the sucky left side of the starting block, which I ended up in, of course.
Constantly starting from the left side, I had to find an open space in the first right turn, so that I could still pass some of the competition.

While I was only able to get to the same height as the rider in 3rd position during the first preliminary run, the maneuver worked in the second preliminary.
And it got better: the second real turn on this relatively short track was my friend, because the guy ahead of me wiped out and I came in in 2nd place. It got pretty tight again in the third preliminary.
It was a group of equals and at the step up (as you can see in pic below) we took the jump like a pack, bicycle to bicycle. Mashed against the right hand track barrier I was lacking in oxygen and so the only thing I had to land on was the boundary tape. I caught myself well, but crossed the finish line without ever having a chance of catching up to the guy infront of me.
I qualified myself by placing in 4th, 2nd and 4th and so I made my first few points and was in 31st position. Not bad for 0 training...

There is only little more to be said about the events that took place at the race:
The narrow track in Belzig was good preparation for an MDC race, but with the width of the track and only two turns, it was pretty cramped for a four cross.
Except in the final with Alexander Musall there were very little passing maneuvers and after the first turn the four riders rode across the finish line as if they were being pulled on a track.
The final of the Licensed Men showed everyone what an exciting race can look like: after the 2nd turn Alex' opponent was able to push passed him, but "Musi" would not admit defeat and with a hearty tread, an elbow and a little bit of luck, he was able to pull ahead of the other guy on the last jump and cross the finish line as the day's winner.
My friends of the "Team Funmachines" from Plauen/Schleiz didn't fare so well.
For the first time this season, none of them made it to the podium, instead they showed up for the little final in a pack and secured places 5-7.
At this point I'd like to say, "get well soon", to David Geske in Hamburg.
After the boy already had to stay in the local hospital in Wilthen for two days, he was taken apart in the semi final again. He is now enjoying the nurses in Belzig with a mild concussion and a sprained ankle...

...so, that's it for today...

Things will continue in July with the following events:

- 07/15/06 - riding technique course, Nürnberg-Steinbrüchlein
- 07/21-23/06 - riding technique course & trial show, Ruhpolding (24h-Race)

Björn