Austrian DH National Champs- “Next time I will give everything and being ready to fail rather than having a solid slow run and “don’t fail”

After my successful weekend in Saalbach – at the bike and beats festival, where I placed 2nd at thegrass old school dual slalom I moved on to Tirol to take part at the DH national champs and something very strange happened to me. In all years of racing I didn’t have the drive to give everything. I was racing without any emotion at all. Maybe because I was tired from the last weeks or maybe the suddenly coming bladder infection stopped me. I don’t know. I also got a new Manitou Dorado Fork just the day before so my bike was it for sure not it worked so well.
Training went fine. I slept well and had good support from my boyfriend. So all good I thought.
Everyone was sliding and crashing around on this super slippery muddy surface. But not me, I managed to stay on my bike the whole weekend I haven’t even crashed once. Now retrospective I think I was just to slow or didn’t try to reach my limits.
On Sunday at the start I just wanted to have a solid run and no crash what I did but that meant also a very devastating result. I cruised down the hill and just at the finish line, without knowing my placement, I realized that I hadn’t given everything and wished to do another run.  But that’s racing and competing you have only one chance and should “go for it or go home”.
On the way home I started to think a lot about my run and my strange feeling at the start and swore to myself.
“Next time I will give everything and being ready to fail rather than having a solid slow run and “don’t fail”. The watch says maybe the same but I take the risk and can say at the end I tried my best !!! ”


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

Schladming Race Report IXS European Cup

There are always two perspectives in life and also in riding. The one how you see yourself and the one how someone else sees you.
This weekend I raced the IXS European Cup in Schladming. It was like a World cup, all the other pro riders were there, because Schladming is one of the best DH tracks in Europe and everyone loves it. The track was in an excellent shape and it was perfect weather.
For the first time I had my Alutech Sennes in race action and it has been a long time that I raced DH, I think nearly one year. And it was only the fifth day that I rode my downhill bike this year including this race weekend. So I couldn’t expect much from myself but to see that so many other riders, who were always slower than you are now much faster, was not so easy to accept.
My training went good. I couldn’t stop smiling I enjoyed it a lot but I had to stay focused and realistic what I am able to do and not risking and wanting too much from myself. To have my friends, Birgit and Cri with me, helped me a lot to realize what I am doing is great and you have to be passionate, brave, crazy, consequent to do this sport and to be proud of every challenge you cope with.
I have been DH riding since 15 years and I still love it even if some jumps or sections drive me crazy. I think this sport gives me so much energy and power to reach big things in normal life and even that I had a puncture in the second turn durring the race and so had a “ DID NOT FINISH result ” , I still smile and
am looking forward to my next chance.

Next stop is Val di Sole (Italy). But this time back on my 4x Bike for the 4x Pro Tour Gold Event.

Bye bye Lene

Where are the 4x World Champs?

How do you see the different between a 4x girl and a XC girl just look at her legs and the sun marks of the knee protection

This place is very beautiful, is surrounded by mountains, has a big bike park and is in Austria. The world cup circus stops there since many years, the 4x track is designed by Guido Tschugg, I am racing there every year, and it is the 3rd time that the World Champs are there.
I am talking about Leogang. The event starts tomorrow  (12 Juni) and the final race is this Saturday at 5:30 pm.

I took the advantage and trained there last weekend. I not just rode the 4x track i also tested my new downhill bike the alutech sennes the first time. I just love it. It feels amazing to be back on the big bike and my suspension worked perfect. Thanks to Manitou.
The tracks were in a good condition and we enjoyed riding there. 
The 4x Track is still the same just the rock garden got worse to be honest not One of my favourite. 
Here are some impression from this weekend. Thanks to Cri who took the pictures.

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

Ecuador yo vengo

I hope everyone had nice christmas days and a good start in 2013. My one was little bite different. On the 31th I searched for my neighbours‘ dog „Ferdinand“ (see the picture below) in the forest because he ran away shocked by the fireworks…I think he was on a party because he returned in the morning totally relaxed…hmmm and we all were very finished. But at least I had some nice days after in the snow.
What’s new from the sport side:

I stay with the bike company Moro and looking forward to the new 4x frame. You can be suprised it looks like a good one. I will also have still the support from Hayes groupe with Manitou, Hayes, Answer and Sun Ringle. Acros, Michelin, Iriedaily, Spy, DVS, San Marco, Go Pro, R.S.P are still with me too.

My plans for next year is to take part at some festivals like Garda Festival (ITA), Willingen (GER) , Crankworx, Saalbach (AUT) and race the 4x Pro Tour,
some DH IXS cup European cups and I want to try an Enduro race as well.
I also want to work on my bike academy and do more Girls freeride camps.

I am looking forward to a great season and fun on my bike and friends…

The next stop is Ecuador. I am flying there next week to meet Diana Maggraff and her boyfriend.

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My first tour with a split board.
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Ferdinand

Shoot shoot shoot in Nauders with Alutech TRAILFORCE TEAM- True Riding is on.

love is in the air

The last weekends were very bussy again but something different than normal.
I had a Alutech Team meeting in Nauders with my team members, manager, boss, filmer and fotographer.
We had so much luck the weather was just perfect and Nauders is just an amazing bike paradise.. Just I was a little bit sick and my nose was running and running and I had not much power, but I pushed threw. It was still a lot of fun and the crew was so nice. I am looking forward to the outcome.. These pics are taken with my Go Pro.

Anna Brandtner and I enjoying the shoot
the best man in the world
yeah riding doesn’t know an age

few of the team (filming crew)

Hanging around in RIVA

hanging around with my buddy, Teibun

It is quite a while since I have been racing a bike and I am happy that I am able to. I don’t know if all of you know it but I had a serious brain surgery in January. I had a kind of tumour found incidental and then taken out. It was a hard time for me and my focus was on getting threw this with no disability. All went fine and I am very relieved now.
Just to complete my happenings the last months. I changed the Frame Sponsor and I am now a member of the TRAIL FORCE Alutechcycles team. I ride also new for TSG,Carbocage and Giro SPD shoes (Protection and Chain guide). All my other sponsors stayed the same. Big thanks to Iriedaily, Michelin, Acros, R.S.P., DIRTY, Answer, Hayes, Manitou, Sun Ringle, Go Pro, Spy Optics and Ciclopia for supporting me again this and thanks to Moro for great last years.
Last weekend I packed up my new Alutech Teibun Enduro bike with the new Mattoc fork from Manitou and drove down to Riva del Garda to the BIKE Festival. I wanted to see my sponsors and friends. I also took part at the Specialized Enduro Series round 2. It was my first Enduro race ever and it was good. It was something totally different for me and took it easy because I had no idea how this format works. For those, who don’t know either? The rider has to ride a round course with different stages. In Riva there were 5 Stages. And just the downhill stages are timed and the uphill’s not.
I rode with Tanja Hendrysiak, my Hayes Group Team mate, and in my eyes we did a good job. It was raining the whole day, was challenging and hard but a good experience for me. Big respect to the other enduro pros. I had good solid stage runs, no big mistakes and no crashes. I am satisfied with my 12th place in the Pro women class for my first Enduro race ever.

My next stop is right now in Portugal for a movie project with Tanja. You can be excited – I am definitely.

See you Lene
Stage number 5
Alutech Trail Force Spy sunglasses
I am in the new Hayes Group catalog
Happy to be here in Riva
just ask me if have the answer
Tanja and I are glad we made it
My second half who helped us girls a lot this weekend
we were finished before it even started
our camping place friend
City Prolog in Riva