Last weekend i travelled again to Leogang because the IXS cup and the European 4x cup was going on. It was all the same apart from that I was this time by myself and i had to switch the car, my one had a break defect. My uncle lent me his own. Friday the Dh track was in a good shape and the sun was out. I really enjoyed riding it. The 4x track was fast. I had good practice runs and had really fun. It was a great preparation for the World champs there next year. The qualification run went well too. I was 2,7 seconds first. Ahead from Diana Maggraff from Equador and Neza Knez from Slovenia.
Saturday I felt very tired I could feel the races from the weeks before and was empty. It was quite hectic and exhausting to switch between 4x and downhill. And my batteries were finished. At the end the weather conditions turned into a storm and the 4X final race and the elite dh qualification got cancelled. I kept my first place from quali, which was great and I was okay with that because the race would have been on Sunday morning, where i had downhill practice.
Sunday was raceday in downhill and I felt allright but not 100 percent motivated to be honest I wanted to go home to relax for a bite. So was my race run. The track looked not anymore like a downhill track more than a battle field, so deep brake holes and mud lines that you could slice with your brake disc the mud. I found my way down but the time was really crap. I finished 12th. But I didn’t think about it much it was not feeling for racing and so it was fine for me, I can not be always top. (okay in four cross I won, so I can not be top everyday….)
This weekend I stayed at home did some nice XC laps and 4x trainings, RELAXING that it was I needed. Bye bye Lene
Podium in Czech Republic
Last weekend I competed in Czech Republic, just across the Slovakia border. This race counted again to this Slovakian- Czech downhill race series. The track + weather was nice, the organisation as well and the best was, I won. I was about 6 seconds faster than in my first run and so I won by 1,3 seconds in front of the Czech republic rider, Jana Bartova. (Totally we were about 10 girls) It was quite weird because the commentator didn’t speak English and my run wasn’t perfect, so I thought I didn’t win but I did…. I realized just after a while that I was first and so I missed this moment when you cross the finish line and listen to the results….and to be extremely happy when you hear you won – in my case it was more like “ah I won hmmm?”. The whole weekend I felt all right just the finish jump you can see on the picture makes me at the beginning some problems but for the race day I was well prepared. My next race will be the national champs at Semmering ( so come and watch if you are near)
Lets Free ride…
Let’s freeride. Yeah, yeah, yeah?Because of my whole in my pockets, I am not at the world cup in America. So I had two weekends of since I race at the IXS cup and European 4 Cup in Leogang. Where I won by the way the 4X and in the Downhill I placed 12th.(Sorry for not informing you) After these 6 weeks of travelling and racing in the row I was empty and I took time to charge my batteries. Working and racing on a high level don’t fit together… So in this two weeks I had some nice hours on my xc fully and replaced many parts on my downhill bike, which was after the rainy races also finished… the bearings didn’t move any more..This weekend I felt for racing again so much that I travelled to Saalbach to the Dakine Freeride Festival, one of the biggest MTB events I have ever been in Austria. The people just get crazy here. Fancy bikes, fancy clothes and motivated spectators, pro riders, riders and distributors were everswhere. I competed in the Maxxis Dual Eliminator and the Scott Gang Battle. The Dual was going on Friday evening. I trained very well, felt good on the track and looked forward to ride it home. The race modus was not really fair. In Dual you have to tracks and normally every couple ride both lines and the one with the bigger time difference wins. But at this event we didn’t have a qualification. So the riders were picked by luck and the first said number could chose the line…… that wasn’t really satisfied for the athletes so neither was it for me. At the end we had to play Schnick schnack schnuck (stone, scissors, paper). I was dominating every run until the final, where I had the bad luck and got the left course, which was slower than the right course. I gave my best was jumping all the jumps pedalled hard at the end but didn’t make it. I place 2nd behind Steffi Marth from Germany. I was quite disappointed but hmm what should I do we are both fast and she had the fortune on here side. But the champagne shower was so much fun….At the boys my team mate Hannes Slavik won in front of Guido Schugg (GER) and Johannes Fischbach (GER).
Next day, was Saturday and a new game was on, the Scott Gang Battle race. I have to say I am racing so long now but this race was the hardest race I have ever ever done. The track was about 12-15 min long, not difficult but the distance made it so hard. In my qualification went bad. I had no experience and chose a very stupid start place, my fault, so apart from this, I missed the start signal by 1-2 seconds and I got involved in a start disaster, in one crash, a many dusty clouds, risky passing manoeuvres, and got stuck behind a slower rider. I ended up 5th from 29th.Next day, race day I wanted to make it better. I choose the lefties place I could and it paid of well. This time I tried to concentrate on the start peep signal so much and on the first left turns. I told my self you have to be first at the turn. I was leading for a while got passed by another girl when we enter in the first turns. I stayed on the second position until the 1km pedal section. There my race was over. I stood up and pedalled but the others passed me one by one. I think because this is my weakness anyway, and they had this adjustable seat posts and could pedal way better than me. So I rode a solid run down and gave everything what I could. I finished with a time of 13min and 19 seconds. I placed 4th. Even if I didn’t make it to the podium I am so proud on myself that I was leading at the top and gave my best.
Next day, was Saturday and a new game was on, the Scott Gang Battle race. I have to say I am racing so long now but this race was the hardest race I have ever ever done. The track was about 12-15 min long, not difficult but the distance made it so hard. In my qualification went bad. I had no experience and chose a very stupid start place, my fault, so apart from this, I missed the start signal by 1-2 seconds and I got involved in a start disaster, in one crash, a many dusty clouds, risky passing manoeuvres, and got stuck behind a slower rider. I ended up 5th from 29th.Next day, race day I wanted to make it better. I choose the lefties place I could and it paid of well. This time I tried to concentrate on the start peep signal so much and on the first left turns. I told my self you have to be first at the turn. I was leading for a while got passed by another girl when we enter in the first turns. I stayed on the second position until the 1km pedal section. There my race was over. I stood up and pedalled but the others passed me one by one. I think because this is my weakness anyway, and they had this adjustable seat posts and could pedal way better than me. So I rode a solid run down and gave everything what I could. I finished with a time of 13min and 19 seconds. I placed 4th. Even if I didn’t make it to the podium I am so proud on myself that I was leading at the top and gave my best.
First place was Ines Thoma, second Antje Krammer (GER) and 3rd Elke Rabeneder (AUT).
At the boys Mathias Stonig won with an incredible time of 11 minutes 09 seconds. Beeli Arminio (2nd) and Anrig Lukas (3rd)
results (click here)
Bye bye Lene
Austrian National champs at Semmering
This weekend the main event in the austrians‘ downhill scene was running and the fast women and men came together to get the gold medal around the neck.
The track (Semmering downhill track) was in a very good shape until it started to rain and it got really tricky and slippery. I knew the lines very well from my training before, but at the race weekend I had to think about a plan B at some sections because they changed so much. But still, the whole training paid off well and I felt confident and strong, and I ended up second, behind my team mate Petra Bernhard. Elke Rabeneder got third in the nationals and overall Jana Bartova from Czech got third. My first run on Sunday morning wasn’t that good because I had to pass an other rider. For the second run, the race run, I asked for changing the start order because I didn’t want to pass her again so, the fastet started first. I had not the perfect run, I was tired during my race run. I hit some sections just perfect and then others I was more a passenger on my bike than the rider. But to sum it up I am satisfied about my placement. Straight after the race I prepared myself to fly to Edinburgh, where I am at the moment and waiting for Steffi Marth, an other 4 X rider to head up to Fort Williams tomorrow. I am very excited to race 4 Cross again, which haven’t done this year yet. Just training. So yes I will keep you up to date how it goes here in lovely Scotland.
The track (Semmering downhill track) was in a very good shape until it started to rain and it got really tricky and slippery. I knew the lines very well from my training before, but at the race weekend I had to think about a plan B at some sections because they changed so much. But still, the whole training paid off well and I felt confident and strong, and I ended up second, behind my team mate Petra Bernhard. Elke Rabeneder got third in the nationals and overall Jana Bartova from Czech got third. My first run on Sunday morning wasn’t that good because I had to pass an other rider. For the second run, the race run, I asked for changing the start order because I didn’t want to pass her again so, the fastet started first. I had not the perfect run, I was tired during my race run. I hit some sections just perfect and then others I was more a passenger on my bike than the rider. But to sum it up I am satisfied about my placement. Straight after the race I prepared myself to fly to Edinburgh, where I am at the moment and waiting for Steffi Marth, an other 4 X rider to head up to Fort Williams tomorrow. I am very excited to race 4 Cross again, which haven’t done this year yet. Just training. So yes I will keep you up to date how it goes here in lovely Scotland.
Back home from our trip…
Kai and I came home on monday. We had a great training week in France and after that we went to Switzerland, where we took part at a Swiss IXS cup. It was a very simple track but good fun. A lot of parts to pedal also uphill. We both were very tired from 6 non stop riding days and sometimes we forgot about that. Kai broke his fork and so it wasn’t very perfect for him. I felt good in training. Of course tired but okay. I had a good first run and a crash in my second one. I didn’t get injured or broke something on my bike. I managed it to slide into the spectateurs.hmm so I lost a lot of seconds. I don’t know which place I could have made…Yes must, could, should, didn’t …that’s racing. You love it or you hate it.
What else happened, we spend some days at Kai’s friend Clemens, so we did a sight seeing tour through Bern (Sui)
strong swiss girl Verena and I
Clemens and Kai
and we swam across a very very very dangerous river to save a poor little screaming sheep on the other side of ther river.noooooo i am cheeky. The real story is. On the way to Wiriehorn we passed a river and along the river the hikers piled stones. You can see on the picture below. 
We tried to build up one stone tower but hmm finally we failed. So but the most excited thing was to reach the place where all the stone towers were. The river looked very calm from the car but in real we didn’t know how to cross it without landing with our cameras in the water.
Kai and I are still playing the tractor game and we have a new pencil for the game. Her/His name is Traci. She/He is a very talented counter and does an excellent job. He/she was quite expensive but it was a safe investment.
Our next stop will be Wagrain the Symphony Jam Session (11.August). So everybody who has time should come BECAUSE I have birthday on Saturday… Getting old I know 24.. Anyway it will be a good event lots of riding and party.
See you Miss DH
Symphony Jam Session
Now it’s 2 years since the bike park Wagrain has opened and this year Jason and his crew organised a new generation race. Two runs. The first was against the time and the second was judged. The track wasn’t very long so it took us just 50 seconds. But a lots of obstancles and jumps were to passed. I had so much fun. Racing and Styling in one… I like the idea..I didn’t take it that serious…I won the competition and got good price money and a bling bling neckless… yo yo yo.
The party was also very good – organised by a near located skate shop. (Tigas base) Lots of dancing and lots of drinking. Jägermeister was the main drink because the winner spend his whole price money on that drinks. A box full with this little bottles which I guess must taste horrible. Hmm so no wonder that the party finished early. About 12 I went to bed and next day we spend a great day on the new bike park trails.
For next year the Bike park is planing to race from the top so about 10 minutes….. I can’t await that.
After the weekend we were in Leogang and in the new bike park in Czech Republik. Not to bad the freeride track is very nice and they will finish the downhill track soon.
stef, jason and i
That’s how it looks like when I clean my bike….
My next stop is in Györ (HUN) tomorrow. Going wake boarding… YEAH I like it. And my next riding stop is maybe the 24 hour race (Semmering)
see you LENE
Fort William…10th place
So yes what should i say. I am angry about myself. Everything went well the last days. I had good practice runs and a good feeling a good qualification came 9th and in my first heat everything went wrong. I had a bad start, cased the jumps, lost the momentum, lost a passing maneuver and so I came 3rd and was out in the first round. How disappointing is that.
I will watch the DH race and cheer for my team mates. Fingers crossed they will make it better. and see you in Leogang Lene
WC Training
This weekend Kai and I took part at the national slovenia race in Maribor, on the World cup track. It was a great weekend, the weather was just brilliant. I guess the track will be hard in rain… So fingers crossed for the world cup. I like the track fast, tricky corners, wide open parts, and few jumps. Okay the jumping part isn’t my favourit but at the end I did it. I ended up 3rd and the austrian chicks were leading… First Petra Bernhard, Second Anita Molcik and Me. So we all were pretty happy.
Of course I have to mention that I couldn’t avoid to get bruises. I crashed in my training run on saturday in the stone section… Not good choice. No I have completly blue thighs and hmm I can’t even walk very well. But riding is good. I was for a ride yesterday and I had no pain.
At the moment I am sitting in the Press Center in Friedrichhafen. The time seems to be running. The world cup season is nearly finished and I have already had to think about sponsors. What I am gonna do next year. I think or I hope that I can keep most of my sponsors. Generali (an insurance company) has said already yes for the next year. I am so stocked about that because it is my most important sponsor.
So yeah I will see what this weekend brings. Today we were at the Demo day, where you could test bikes. But there were nearly just cross country and freeride bikes to test and I would have liked to ride some downhill bikes.
see you LENE
Black or White
Black or white, lose or win, make it or crash, give everything or lose everything . I have to admit that’s the best way to explain the word racing and my life as a competitor. I live through this all the time and a smile is so much closer to a tear than you think. I nearly know anybody who is always on a winning streak, so neither I am.My World cup story begins in Scotland. Everything was planned in detail. I got on the plane by time, I got picked up by Pete Scullion, I had a place to stay in Edinburgh, got a cheap rental car, had the best travel mate, got my bike in one piece, I had a great accommodation in Fort Williams, the weather was great and stayed great, the 4x track suited me, training went perfect but yes now it comes the word BUT and the turning point in this story I messed up me first heat. I had horrible gate, I cased the first jump- the step down- the double- the other double, I was fighting all the time to catch up to her but in the stone field I nearly crashed and she was gone again. At the last straight I sprinted but I couldn’t make it. So yes I came all the way to get out in the first round how shattering is that? I looked the replay and couldn’t believe how bad my performance was. Finally I placed 10th. Melisa Buhl hugged me later seeing how sad I was and told me give yourself 24 hours and you will see you will feel better by then. It worked, I slept over it, I spent another day in Edinburgh, did some sight seeing and ate the best Indian food ever.
I came home on Tuesday, washed my stuff, had a long talk to my mental coach and get on the road again by Thursday morning. This time I had a big support with me, my mechanic Martin from Suspension Clinics and I felt confident for the upcoming races in Leogang, Austria. I decided to take part in both events downhill and 4X. I liked the track and I like Leogang but like always in Austria it was pouring down and I was the whole weekend just soaked and muddy. I take me hat off for those people who are out there the whole day to help the athletes, standing in the mud, carrying heavy back bags, spare wheels, pumps, trainers, gloves, goggles, tubes, giving the rider the umbrella and standing in the rain. Like Martin did for me, for free, just because he wanted to help me. This is for me having the heart on the right place. It was so good to not care about anything just your hands on the bar and ride. So did I. I trained a lot and had a tight schedule. But I found the right balance and had always enough power, when I needed it. Saturday I had downhill qualification run. I made a big mistake at the top section and missed the top 20th mark. I got 28th. I was disappointed but I had to get it out of my head to get ready for the 4 cross in the afternoon. And this afternoon was my time. I fought and raced I had never done before. It just went for it. Crash or win. Black or white and it paid off. I got 6th and was so happy. I couldn’t believe it. I made some good moves in the small final and nearly made in the first turn to lead the field. Next year there are the World champs in Leogang and after this performance I am confident for next year…. Yeah I like the white side can get used to it.
Here you find an interview sorry its german:
see my runs in freecaster.tv replay
minute 55
minute 69
minute 79
Thanks to all my sponsors Lene
Sorry the time was running..
So long time ago that I wrote news.. Lots of things happened. The season is over and I am tired. I feel sick and have head ache. Anyway.
I should write about Maribor. The last world cup. I competed in 4 cross and downhill. It was the most exhausting Worlc up in my life. I had to think about so many things before I got to Maribor and then I had to discuss with the woman who should have rent us her appartment… SHOULD because the lady forgot about my reservation which I did 5 months before and about the call I did 3 weeks before… Anyway I was so angry that she didn’t had a chance to come with no solution for us. At the end we ended up in a big house full packed with amy, kai, kerrain, petra, mathias, diana her boyfriend and me.
The first training day was good, good weather good track just brilliant. At the afternoon I had 4x training. That worked well too. The next day – friday- I could hold on I was so tired. I did just 2 DH runs because I wanted to keep my power for the 4x qualification. Qualification worked allright but not good enough (11place).
In the evening the bathroom and the kitchen were awashed…Something broke down. pipes?? we didn’t know. The next day was good. I felt so good on my DH bike. But at the 4 x Training I was empty. Completly. No power. I took a rest and for the first run I was very motivated. I tried hard but I didn’t make it in the next round.
The next day was good I felt all right. Did one training run and then we had the qualification. It worked okay but I still wasn’t satisfied with my time. I tried hard in the final run and hit a tree with my shoulder so that I lost my balance and finally lost seconds. I ended up 26th . My absolut worst result this year… To sum up I know i can do better and I will train harder….
Thanks to all my sponsors my friends, Kai, Markus, Jürgen, Miriam, Chris, Jenna and my family without you my season wouldn’t be that good.
Semmering last Austrian cup race
yeah 🙁 🙂 the season is over. On the one side I am happy and on the other side sad. Always the same, in autum you know that you won’t see most of your friends for a long time. But then you realize „hey at home are waiting some very special persons for you“. Yesterday I met Miriam we were boomerang throwning… So much fun…
Okay back to the Semmering race. I was so stocked to be there. The last week I wasn’t sure if I wanna compete because I felt so tired and empty. But I didn’t want to miss the last season party so I raced. I stayed there for one night. I think it was the most expensive room I have slept in for the whole season 37Euro!! okay with breakfast but too much. Anyway it was a good desicion. The party was so good fun. Lots of dancing, smiling faces, drinking, joking around…. Some riders wanted to persuade me to drink alcohol. I was happy that I didn’t….So I could race well the next day. I won yeahhhhhhhhh that’s a good season ending. But I also have to say that Petra B. didn’t compete. She would propably won cause she had a better time in the seeding run the day before.
Petzi and I
Jörgili and Alex( I wish you a good recovery)
Eva and I 
boris and I
I won a ticket for the Motocross Freestyle Event in Vienna on the 16th. I have never been there so I look forward to see the crazy tricks.
So the next month i will conzentrate on my last writings I have to do for the university. And will enjoy trampolin jumping, salsa dancing and break dance with my student friends.Hmm and yoga I will try that soon. I need that to keep on smiling on my bike the whole season… That’s my way..
LENE
vienna museums night- and we on tour
Last night my friends and I decided to take part in one of the most interesting culture offer in Austria. It sounds very spectaculary and yeah it was. First so funny with friends company and second we saw a lot of good exhibitions. Kathi had planed everything and Markus and I had just to follow her… She is planing genius…. So the after picking up Markus we went to the „Stadthalle“ were we lined up (not the last one) in the croud. Oh I forgot to explain. The night of the museums is an event , which is just one time in the year. All the museums are longer open until 12 or 1 o’clock. You need just one ticket for all the museums. There organized shuttle buses,which drive you around to the places. Of course no wonder that many people are around but it’s just great. Okay now I can go on. In the Stadthalle we just got the last 3 tickets for the exhibition, which called „Dialog im Dunkeln“ (dialog in darkness). You will tell you later one…
After getting time tickets we went to the chocolate museum…Of course the main reason was to taste and test the different choco…We were a littel bit in hurry so we tried as much we could. We enjoyed it how you can see. Running schocki, choco fontaine, chocolate with chilli…
Kathi
Ute, Markus, Kathi
not to explain
I wanted all of them
The next stop was in the „naturhistorisches Museum“ „natural history museum“. We wanted to take part in an guidance. But at the end it wasn’t that we were expected so we walked around and saw massive insects…..Amazing I tell you.
About 13 cm long…brbrbrbrbr
In my past tense I must have been a lion??
Or a fancied peacock?
The unborn „star“ hmm what she/he would have been?
After the this museum we thought that we can’t miss the Albertina, where we could see Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Chagall, Picasso, Modigliani, Matisse, Kandinsky, Sam Francis, Mark Rothko, Roy Lichtenstein,Francis Bacon.
We also were in gaudinnes rooms… so pretty…I was so fastinated by the lusters. miss downhill „magbie“, I love bling bling things… 
After that we were pretty tired but we wanted to make it to the dialog im Dunklen thing…We are the ones who stay on the course! YES- And we made okay not all because we didn’t have enough tickets. So Kathi and I could make it. It was a great experience. You walked around in 100% darkness area with a blindman’s stick. It was a realistic walk with forest, trees, zebra crossing, a bus drive, … I have very bad eyes (12diopter) and sometimes I thought about getting blind. Of course it scares me, who wouldn’t it. But after this night I’m really happy about my eyes and that I have my friends Kathi and Markus.
Next season……
On that way I want to say thanks to Trek for the support and the bikes. Goodbye Trek –
Hello Morewood. This company is grounded in 1998 in South Africa by Patrick Morewood. With Richard Carter’s help it grew and morewood frames count now to the best downhill frames in the world. And I for me it is a privilege to ride with this bike next season. The goal was to built a frame which is light and works simple. With the SPI system I think I will take it like a duck to water….I can’t await it to get my frame.
Next year I will be still on Michelin tires, Marzzocchi forks, Sun Rims, San marco saddles, Thomson seatposts and steams, Shimano cranks dereilleurs, Sombrio race clothes, Six Six One protection, DVS shoes, Iriedaily casual clothes, Rsp grease for my bike, Generali insurance company, Acros head set,
What new is, is Syncros and maybe Formula.
The next days I have a important sponsor meeting and there I will see if I can afford me to travel to New Zealand from December to February.
see you LENE
My new Sponsor partner: Frontworx
Miss Downhill goes YOGA…
Last week I had my first no training week. Okay honestly it wasn’t completely free. I was trampoline jumping with Lisa on Tuesday and Yoga on Thursday. The trampoline is a performance of friendship duty and Yoga is a new thing for me which I try and enjoy. In this 90 minutes I am so focussed on my body and my energy that I forget about everything else at least if forces me to do it. And my stretch ability isn’t very good… So yoga is good to work on it.
I also used the week to work on my Baccalaureates writings which I have to do to finish my studies completely. I will fly on the 27th to Newzealnd to train there and race with Mister Crow… Fuffy Fu. I wasn’t sure at the beginning if I should fly because I want to finish the writings before I leave but I think I can make it and so I have also pressure on me to work hard and permanent on it. Oen topic is about the concept, strategies, approaches and possibilities in Sponsor acquisition for individual athletes and the other topic is about sports competition planning with long journeys (jetlag Logistic stuff etc )
With both topics I am all the time confronted so I enjoy it on a way to write about it. I can slip a lot of experiences in my work.
This morning I drove my parents to the airport and on that why I saw this pylon. In the last second I decided to make a picture of it and I was surprised that I got that shot. I love it.
