It felt like 50degrees that weekend, when the IXS European Downhill
cup took place in Ilmenau.
Riders of 11 nations met to sweat together and after one year
the guys from Ilmenau gave their best and presented us an awesome
course, which was really fast and not so rough or notchy, after
the first downhill part you recognized that you could have lots
of fun here….
It was really dry and really slippery and the jump of the finish
hill was there as well, so I drifted wherever it was possible...from
the start to the finish line…
Sadly you had to shove your bike up the hill from the shuttle
bus to the start.
With these temperatures the mountain became higher and higher
and my bike more and more heavy. On saturady finally I was so
exhausted that I just was able to sleep,but I wasn´t the only
one.
During the exercise my rear wheel broke away so often, that I
feared myself very much before the qualification race….
But right after the starting signal all bad thoughts were away
and the party was about to begin. Just after the start I rushed
over the course and every sting I was afraid of the day before
I passed easily. I enjoyed myself until I heard a curious sound…a
flat tyre…damn it. I thought to myself, becasue the track is some
kind of slippery I could go on with it this was plan A, so I got
back on my bike and moved on, but the bike simply doesn´t wanted
to ride the way I wanted it to.
It worked very well, so good that I slipped really good in a long
left curve with a large cloud of dust, took a look back, no one
to see, so back on my bike and downhill. Here I tried to keep
the control of my bike with bustling movements of the handlebar
and to stay on my bike and so I tried to push the break…while
I went downhill…
When I hit the front break I thought...Holy shit…because I didn´t
became slower…the rim stopped but the tyre went on riding, so
than the fence in the finish became my brake, thank godness it
was a little bit padded.
On Sunday,race day, it started to rain, so I ride a little bit
conducted and realized shortly before the finish, that I was still
in good shape but 5seconds slower, but the funny thing of it,
was, that I was able during the race to cheer up the supporters
J
See you soon …
Andreas Knorr |
.. 
Pirate 
