The two weekend just passed have been busy with the fourth leg of the Italian Cup in La Thuile and the French proof of Enduro World Series in Samoens.
It would be ten days of “loitering” in a camper between Italy and France together with my brother and a few hit and run Pheasant during the two race weekends.
Parties on Wednesday in the evening we went direct to La Thuile to be ready the next morning for the path tests; It would be two days of practice and two days of competition with three special day. Having raced the EWS last year something of ps I still remember, and since only one special was completely new tests are spun away without any problem.
Arrived on Saturday morning it was time for the race, I felt pretty good and I was full because there were too many foreigners at the start and then the level was definitely higher than the competitions I had done up to that point.
3 ps of the first day are pretty good; no particular error and sensation and in fact close to 5th place not far from the third step of the podium. The first two (Casadei and Bailly-Maitre) they are already quite far apart and are competing separately.
The day after childbirth decided to recall something and wager at least in 4th place as it is distant only a few seconds. After the first special of the day, the completely new, “short” and very steep I can overtake Osborne ahead of me on Saturday, but in my turn I am overtaken by Barnes; Ludo May instead, which was in third place, won the ps and then the third step of the podium is now very far.
Only two special and we are three in seconds.
Last 2 ps go regularly and I make special good but the result does not change and I finish the race in 5th place (I get overtaken again by Osborne while Barnes has a problem in SS5 that does the back end), a result that makes me happy given the high level of the competition and also because with this fifth place I stay and consolidated second place in the overall Italian Enduro Cup standings in a race remaining, the home race in Coggiola to October!
After the race at La Thuile the intention was to make a couple of days to turn in any bike park but as the paths there were very nice we decided to stay until Thursday. On Mondays and Thursdays we went out with the bike enduro on asphalt to run a bit ‘legs (both days we climbed up to the brow of the Piccolo San Bernardo), while on Tuesday we finished filming on paths of the park, especially on a new and open this year, all steep, with tight turns and the ground soft … a show !!! Wednesdays instead we drove Ale Levra company; to always matino in the bike park while in the afternoon, with the boss of the place Henry Hammer who was our guide, we went to ride on other paths.
After four days passed so Thursday night we went in the direction of Mont Blanc tunnel and then straight up to Samoens.
In France, for the round of the Enduro World Series # 4, on Friday he was devoted to retire numbers and to walk on the special track 3 (other ps you felt a lap before the timed, while this was once the race).
Then it comes immediately on the first day of competition with ps1, ps2 that is repeated twice and ps3. Unfortunately, after the “practice run” of the first special comes a strong storm that is stopping the plant and therefore delays the whole thing; because of this repetition it is canceled ps2, and then there will be only three special timed on Saturday and two on Sunday.
Comes the real moment of the race … the ps1 unfortunately does not go very well and I make a lot of errors, a fall, and I struggle to get the right rhythm. In 2 instead I do a good race, no mistakes and this time I can push well. The 3 instead is short and ends up directly in the country and having tried just walk this time I do a few little mistakes but nothing excessive.
At the end of the first day of competition so I am in 49th place … not bad, but the next day I want to recover something!
Sunday is about the same as the day before with a ps4 where I really struggling, here I make small mistakes, I make a slip and suffer much harm to the hands because of the special long. The PS5 instead be a hair better but not exactly how I would … say that fact instead of retrieving end up losing even a few places and I conclude my first EWS season in 55th position!
The result is not bad because the level was clearly high, but frankly I was hoping for something better, at least stay around the fortieth position on.
Obviously it’s all experience that will help me in the future because thanks to this race I knew where and what I need to work and
improve, hoping in the future to ottenre migliorari results in the international field.
There is no better way
and to run big races and high level to improve so I’m satisfied of this experience, aiming to make much better perhaps as early as the end of the EWS in Finale Ligure.
still two weeks now concentrated and then there will be the Maxiavalanche of Cervinia, the race that I like a lot and which I hope to do well. After that race instead a month a bit ‘quieter with a little’ break and then jump with his head towards the season finale!
The next.
Denny
Italia.EWS -Denny Cup