Off season time..what is she doing

After the Worlds I went straight from Leogang to Switzerland to visit my brother shortly and then continue to drive to Portugal. In Switzerland my knee started to hurt more from the crash in Leogang and went to hospital to made a MRT and X rays from my knee, elbow and hand..fingers crossed my insurance gonna pay that 1000 euros… BOOM!!*#*‘-.?/&%$ I came out I don’t have a cross ligament in my right knee and that I broke my ulna and couple of bones in my hand. The doctors were very surprised…same as me because i never realized that. But because nothing was very urgent so my boyfriend and I continued the journey. We drove to Hossegor and Ericeira to surf and to Sintra to bike. It was amazing…. I felt so in love with this area (sintra) thanks to facebook—- I met so many nice people there. They were so friendly, organized us a shuttle for us and showed us the DH tracks and another day they showed us the most amazing Enduro trails I have ridden so far.. soooo great we rode until the beach.  (thanks to Joao Goncalves, Nuno Alvelos,Armando Gomes and his driver and Sintra Downhill club) We stayed totally on the road 3 weeks, slept in my caddy maxi and enjoyed the time together.
It was great holiday and we both were sad that we had to come back.  In the mean time I was racing to other small races the „HERBSTCUP 4.0 “ its a small DH/Enduro/dual cup, organized from friends for friends. Its a fun race and everyone loves it.
Winter time is also the time to try other things as well and this time its skateboarding.

Something is new too. You can follow me now in Instagram. (helenefruhwirth)

Herbscup 4.0. am Zuckerl
Herbstcup 4.0
Kodi and I

Leogang

This weekend was my most important weekend of the year. The 4x World championships were running in Leogang Austria and I was so ready to compete well. So far my season went pretty good I got 3rd in the overall of the 4x Pro Tour Series, had many podiums and lots of good moments and it just worked. I am mean of course I trained very hard for it, everyone does , so you also need luck in 4X and this year it seemed that I had it. 
So I arrived at Leogang on Thursday with my trainer and best friend Markus. The track is for sure not my favorite one but I tried to find my lines and I felt good.  On Friday my training was the same but I qualified 8th. I wasn’t very happy about my run because I didn’t hit the rock section how I wanted and how I always did in my training runs but I knew Saturday is race day which counts so 8th from 18th girls is not to bad and last year I didn’t even made in the finals because I crashed in my qualify run. So this year I was in the finals.
On Saturday my boyfriend, my other friend Birgit and my parents came to support me as well and so it couldn’t be better. I was ready and motivated to race hard but in my first training run I got hit by another rider. I have to say the biggest retard I have ever met on the 4x circus I don’t want to mention his name he is poor enough to be alive. I understand when people are stressed and want to hit the lines but you should always have an eye on the other riders when you riding especially when you ride behind them because they can’t see you .And for me rule number one is to help the other rider after he/she crashed and stop the other riders so they don’t crash on the person.
 I couldn’t see him coming I was jumping from the left side and he was on the right side behind me.  He just landed on me and made me crash so bad on my wrist hand elbow hip and knee.  But the icing on the cake was he didn’t even stop nothing and didn’t apologize after either… I was lying there in the landing couldn’t breathe had so much pain started to cry straight away and my first tough was how I get out of here because the landing is so long and steep that the others won’t see me and will hit me too.  So I was crawling out and was lying on the side for 15 minutes before some ambulance came….The whole ambulance was not very well organized.
I don’t have to say how much motivated I was to race hard..pretty much zero. I took a rest, missed the training and took pain killers. My boyfriend helped me to reset my mind and I turned all the anger and aggression into my heats. It worked well for me in my first heat I got 2nd, second heat 4th and third heat 3rd so finally I finished 7th. I am satisfied with this result. And  I can say I tried everything I could. I am proud on myself.
I want to say thank you to all the people who helped me the whole season. Big thanks to my sponsors, Patrick from Moro bikes, Michi my boss from the best bike shop in town who always let me go to race, I don’t know many bosses who would do that. Big thanks to Christian from Hayes, Manitou, Answer and Sun RIngleIriedaily, Acros, Spy, RSP, San Marco, Michelin. My favorite fitness center Galaxy fitness and Go PRO.  Thanks to the photographers who gave me the pictures for free, thanks to my trainer, my best friends, my doctors, my family and my boyfriend.


Waiting for my heat

Whistler Crankworx…A place to be

At the moment I am in Canada in Whistler, sitting on the table with my pyjamas, just had breakfast and thought it’s time to leave an update on my webpage.
Caroline Buchanan and I arrived here by Monday and since monday lot was happening.  We know each other for a while and it was good after so many years hang out again and have fun…just a girl riding week… no boys… just great.

We both took part in 3 races. The first one was A line, second one the Pump track race and the third the Dual Slalom.  
Tuesday: The A line race was tough. 4-5 minutes full on pedalling and soaking up the jumps, pushing hard in the turns…it was amazing and I loved it. This A line is something special, the jumps are so made that you can’t stop smiling when you hit them. You are all the time in the air…just amazing. I don’t know any trail in Europe which is like that.  Caroline finished I think 8th and I came 18th. My run was not very fast but I had fun and so I was satisfied. 
Wednesday: Jumping back on my small bike I trained on the dual slalom course in the morning and then on the pumptrack. I liked both much but the Dual a little bit more. At the pumptrack qualification I a made two mistakes and came 9th just missed the top 8th to race in the evening at the final. So i took the rest of the day easy went a bit shopping and also went dirt jumping. In the evening I went to the pumptrack to watch it was great. Super atmosphere and Caroline came 2nd. She was so close that she beat Jill Kintner.  
Thursday: Still on my small bike…we trained for the dual slalom. The weather was not so good and it rained…but the track stayed okay not too slippery. I felt good, training went well -just the first corner made me problems..I didn’t get the right speed to step down nicely. I qualified 5th and in my first heat I had to race against Anneke Beerten. I tried my best but she made it and advanced.  Caroline did great again and came 2nd again very close to beat Jill. Finally I placed 5th. 
In the evening we went out and party a bite… I danced non stop. It was good fun. I really liked that the party starts soon about 9pm and nobody smoked. So it didn’t stink and you could go home earlier…what I liked so that I could ride the next day again. I jumped back on my big bike and rode nearly the whole day. The freestyle event was on JOYRIDE and so the bike part was nearly empty after 5 o clock and so I went riding…no queues and because it was so quite I saw to bears just running in front of me that was nice…

Pumptrack training
ladies night
watching at ALINE

4x Pro Tour …everything else than easy cheesy

What a weekend! I can say this was the most challenging, stressful, emotional and hottest race since many years for me. The JBC 4x Pro Tour in Czech Republic designed and organized by the 4x world champ Thomas Slavik.  I knew it gonna be hard and a difficult track but that it will be so hard I have never thought. In my first ten minutes training I wanted just to turn and drive home …how you want to survive this Helene? Was the question to myself! But after the first shock I calmed down knowing I have my coach Markus with me and I have the skills. I had plan and did section trainings. At the end of the day I was satisfied, didn’t crash, hit the lines I wanted, and my bike worked perfectly. I felt prepared for qualification day.  The next day it was even hotter then the day before and I have to be honest I couldn’t handle it. I felt finished, empty and totally exhausted. I couldn’t drink as much I sweat out… My run was not very good I was just happy to stay on the bike. I finished 3rd. Katy first and Celine second.
On Saturday, the race day I felt all right but the temperature was killing me and I was very tensed. You could feel it in the air everyone was stressed and wanted the race to be over. Lots of crashing and bad injuries were on the list.
In my semi-final I came 2nd and advanced to the final. So it was Katy, Celine, Anna B. and I. Finally I finished 3rd. So relieved I am glad to be on the podium again. At the man class the local hero Slavik T. won the race. It was a great event and I am happy I didn’t drive home..hahaha. The next weekend I will stay at home and after I am going  to whistler racing at crankworx with Caroline Buchanan…Girls week.. gonna be fun.


Bike and Beats Festival in Saalbach (Austria)

Bike and beBike and beats was the theme from the last bike festival in Saalbach and I can just confirm it. The music was great and the trails too. It was one of the best bike festivals I have been so far.  All the big names where there and the bike industry was kicking off with many bike test stations, competitions, autograph lessons, barbecues and pro riding training courses. The weather was all right too not perfect but all good.

I took part at the Super DH and the Dual Slalom race. The Dual Slalom was not at the same slope like last year and so I was very surprised about the old school meadow slalom and because I didn’t know it I was not prepared with the right tires. So the mission “how I get to my old hard rubber high stud mud tires”… was started. I flipped the whole world to get to these tires, made phone calls, ask my dad, ask my neighbours to search for them and more.. my riding friends Rene and Rainer started to make fun of me because I was so determined to get these tires and they didn’t believe me how important they were. But at the end my friend Cri brought it to me. (Big thanks for that) And at the latest at the men winner Guido Tschugg crossed the line with the same tire I had my friends started to realize how important it was to race down the super slippery grass slope with this specific tire.…
I was leading in qualification, dominated every heat and felt very strong, had fun and wanted to win bad. But in the final I made a mistake in the third turn and lost grip. I couldn’t make it up and finished just by few meters second behind Elke Rabeder (3rd Steffi Marth). I was pissed the first moment but now I am all good and happy. In the Super DH I didn’t expect much. I didn’t train DH lots and my body wasn’t trained for a 12-13 min downhill run just for 4x. But I was mentally strong and I fought until the end. And it paid off I found myself again on the podium (3rd). First was Elke, second Birgit Braumann) So to sum it up again a very good weekend for me… It just seems to work for me this year so far…..I am happy and thankful … and hope it stays like that.

National Champs 3rd place

The last weekend the downhill national champs were on …the reason why I gave my four cross bike a break and rode the last weeks with my big bike.
Everyone was there in Schladming THE downhill place to be in Austria. I always like to come here. The track is one of the bests in Europe and I like the whole town. And the best was it didn’t rain and my parents came to watch. They hardly never come to watch and so it was quite special for me.
The sun was shining the whole weekend and the track was so fast… Unluckily many riders rode over the edge and hurt themselves bad. So I wish all the best by the way to recover fast especially Mauser Stefan.
I felt great on the track. I like slippery dry conditions even most when you drift all the time sidewise. Friday and Saturday training went good I cleared all the jumps easy and felt good. I was satisfied and on Sunday I was ready to pin it. At the end I finished 3rd. First got Petra Bernard and second Elke Rabeder. I was very happy to be again on the podium and getting a medal.
I want to say thanks to Elias and his room mate Sebastian to let me stay in their apartment and Roland who gave me a ride to Schladming.
So now I am back home having a two-week race break and I have already swapped my bike again. I am so motivated for the 4x Pro tour race in CZE.  

European IXS cup race in Spicak…

The last weekend I finally got back on my BIG BIKE to race a DH race (European IXS Cup) and I had so much fun and loved it. It wasn’t difficult for me to get used to the DH bike again but it was difficult to get race pace. I also juts trained the last month to give everything for 90 seconds and not to race 4-5 minutes… But I wouldn’t be a racer when I wouldn’t give my best.
The race was in Czech Republic in a place called Spicak. I have been here two times and always enjoyed it…. so this time too. I travelled with a very nice group so from this side we just laughed lots. The track is very rooty and the corners are tight and tricky and it isn’t an easy track at all, quite challenging but good.
Practice went well the track was fast and dry but just few minutes before the ladies qualification it started to rain cats and dogs. The track got so difficult but I stayed chilled, positive and smiled… I finished 10th and was happy and knew race day is on Sunday. So on race day the sun came out again and the track was getting back in good conditions. My run was all right. I made few mistakes but I was still very satisfied I didn’t crash hit the lines I wanted so all good. I placed 9th.
Now I am in Saalbach (AUT) at the Bike and Beats festival and will compete at the DH race and a Dual Slalom race. We trained today and all good I am excited and glad to be here.
bye bye Helene

Val di Sole….4x Pro Tour…can’t say it in words how happy Iam…love my life

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The last two weeks I took part in 2 4X Pro Tour races. One was in Scotland, Fort William and the other one in Italy,Val di Sole.

I really like Fort William. It’s always great to be there and the crowed is just amazing. The track was also nice but very stony and difficult to ride at the beginning. I had a 6th place in qualify. I wasn’t that satisfied because I know I could do better. So on race day I wanted to do much better and practiced well..felt good and motivated.. had Dougie Pryce on my side a local rider who was so nice and helped me out there a lot… In my first heat I had a flat so I didn’t reach the finals… It was very stressful…. run up get the tire changed..and start again but I stayed focused … and in my second heat (semi-final) I got second behind Anneke Beerten. I was satisfied with my run and performance.

After Fort William I flew home worked few days and left again for the World cup in Val di Sole. This times my friend Birgit went with me. What an enrichment she is a very funny and positive person exactly that what I need to relax. The weather was just perfect .The track was like every year apart from too much gravel in the berms…too much…My qualification run went all right got 4th but hmm wanted more or knew there is more possible. My first heat was everything then good I made one big mistake and was at the 3rd position, but I did a very good passing manoeuvre on the last stone section and so I reached the finals. I was so happy and relieved.

In my final heat (Katy Curd 1st ,Celine Gros 2nd Lucia Oetjen 3rd) I had the outside start position. I know I have good gates and so my plan was to cut in so did I. I bounced a little bit together with Lucia but still was in front of here and stayed on the back wheel of the other two. I finished 3rd. I think I haven’t been so happy for so long just couldn’t stop smiling. This was my first 4x Pro Tour Podium ever and then 3rd. Champagne Shower was on… I want to thank Martin (my long time mechanic who is always on my side when I really need him, he just knows me so well…) then Birgit who was my lucky charm all weekend long and of course all my sponsors.

The next weeks I will swap back on my DH bike a bite. The national champs are soon..

bye bye Helene

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the other island…

I am already in England, excatly at Aylesbury. I am waiting to get picked up by a 4x rider named Tom Davies at the evening. We will drive up to Harthill where a 4x national round and the international 4x round will be. I am very happy to be here and excited to compete. The 4x scence in England seams to be very big and I hope we will be a lot of women.

The last days were very bussy for me and I didn’t find time to calm down. Had to finish a lot of things and had to plan even more so I am not surprised that I sleep a lot here (what I normally never do, sleeping in the afternoon…) and take some time to rest. The next weeks gonna be full on… now harthill, then fort william, then Val di Sole, then some coachings, and then leogang, then 4x Pro Tour…and so on …and then it is september …okay not that quick but it always finished quicker then i wanted… bye bye Lene

Trainings Session in San Remo 2013

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Just few weeks after Ecuador I switched my bike again, this time my moro downhill bike…the pink panter. So I went to San Remo in lovely Italy with some friends. I haven’t been there for years and it was crazy. So many DH tracks and so natural. I just loved it. We didn’t have so much luck with the weather but it didn’t really bother us. We just kept on riding and riding. Mario made some nice pics, which you can see on his webpage.
We filmed a lot with few new Go Pro hero 3 cameras (thanks to Motion Sports to lent me some) and I hope I find some time to cut soon… I am very bussy now in getting prepare for the first 4x World cup round in Poland which is in few days. I feel good and strong so I am very excited to see how I will do.

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Last video from Ecuador.. Down to Zero

Some of you maybe found out why I named my videos like numbers.. I named them after the altitude. And because I travelled to the seaside..this last video is called down to zero…to the beach.
It was a great time there and it was one of the most interesting country I have ever been. Watch it and you will see what I mean.

Bye Bye Lene

Forty five fifty… Ecuador part two

The last week I spend my time in the mountains. A couple of riders travelled to Cotopaxi.. a very nice Mountain, which I had planed to climb but I think I won’t. I rather go to the beach next week.. The time is running and I have to plan my days well.

We went up to 4550 meters and started from the top full speed no brakes…It was so crazy. I have never done something like this before. Wide open everywhere and you can drift in the gravel like in snow. After the trip to cotopaxi we went to banos. Also a very nice place to be. There we rode lots of trails. Ate incredible good food… stayed in an art hostel, which i liked a lot.. and before we went back I went to a big waterfall… but enough writing just watch the video and enjoy. bye bye Lene