Heavy legs
i have just finished my last training before i take of to Belgium. I have, as written in “shot version of my season start”, pushed myself to the limit during the last few weeks training. But the sideeffect has clearly taken it’s toll, my legs are TOASTED!!!, but luckily my motivation has never been at a higher level. So i bet i’ll be ready for giving my best at Houffalize.
Short version of my season start
my season didn’t start too well. I caught a flue which prevented me from training for 4 weeks and this was only a month before the first danish Superliga.
At the superliga i screwed up totally, not only was i in bad shape but it was also my first race as a Elite senior. I ended up as number 20 something, not really Pronghorn standard :S. I had then 2 weeks to prepare for the first Bundesliga in Münsingen. I pushed my self to the absolute limit to get prepared and it turned out with a acceptable result. I was seeded as the very last rider in the peleton of 120 riders. After the first lap i was in the 47th position and i ended in the 37th position, which i personally know i can do way better. Ergo i need to train a little harder and a little more, i haven’t reached my limit yet.
So now i have been training as hard as i possible could for the last 2 weeks and i have begun my preparation for Houffalize, which im going to compete in as a national team rider.
The Fully Advantage. Roskilde XC Race
Hi
Yet another Danish DCU rated XC race is in the book. Roskilde MTB Club hosted a great race in nice 23 degrees an sunny weather. And lets get to it! The course was dreamlike and favoured riders on a fully and tubeless tires: 95% narrow twisting and turning bumping singletracks. All the time you had to touch the brakes or attack at small step climp. If you was not 100% ready you really had a hard day. Fortunately I was flying and was on the best suitable bike in the bunch (No commercial, I really mean it).
After a very fast start from T-bikes hardtail rider Casper Saltoft and Webike/Vision hardtail rider Simon Tarp I found my pace. And it was faster than Simon’s and Casper’s. But halfway I somehow got of the cource and had to chase down a lost minute. But once again I took the lead. And this time I stayed on track and took the victory with a margin of a couple of minutes. (Results are not to be found)
I’m looking forward to the second round of the Shimanoliga in start May and until then I will try not to kill myself in training and hopefully make a good top 10 performance.
See you!
/Klaus
Europetour part 2
Well recovered from the race in Münsingen last weekend i was looking forward for the Worldcup-race in Offenburg, Germany. Well, my body was still hurting, but my form is good, and I was starting to believe in it. To be honest, I have never done a worldcup-race that I am satisfied with, and I will not, and can not accept that. So before I am getting too old, I really have to do something about it. So I wen´t to Offenburg with everything prepaired. Training on the course went well. On race day I was feeling good, so no problem there. The only problem was that due to my injuries last week, I did not have the guts to take the battles in the start-phase, meaning that everybody overtook me. After first lap I was around 120th position… but I was actually feeling confident, and slowly worked my way up to apx 65place in the middle of the race. Unfortunately I hit a root wrong, which made my injured arm go all crazy. I almost started crying! That took of my pace for a while, so I ended up in 72th position. Not that bad, but definately not what I came for. Next week it is worldcup on the classic course in Houffalize, Belgium. This place is the MTB-hell- on earth, in i good way. The spectators are all crazy here, so of you have good legs here, it is really cool to race here. Only downside is, that course is brutally hard, and shows no mercy…
I am hoping for the best… and still doing what I can to make that result I really want. There is takeoff tomorow morning in the camper. This weekend I don´t have my favorite mechanic with me, so I have to do everything myself now, overhauling my bike, drink esspresso and fire up the webergrill- all at the same time. Danke Eddi für die letzte zwei wochen, und danke Anette für kochen when ich mir fasst zum tot gafhren habe!
Placebo
Well, today I went to the doctor again, and today with a little more luck. I got almost everything put back to place, and got some massage. At last I got all taped in around the neck and shoulders, it looks pretty funny, but to all luck they have been using pink duck tape, whicch suits the colors on the pronghorn outfit.
Normally I am pretty skeptic about these kind of treatments, but I actually feel like I getting better. I don’t know if it is true, or if it is just an placebo-effect, and I don`t really care, as long as things are getting better. Placebo or not.
Today I have packed up the camper again, so that it is ready for takeoff tomorow morning. Racing or not, we are well prepared for a good weekend. Good legs, good shiny bike and good wheather. If it turnes out that I can`t do the race, we are full equipped for nice weekend as spectators as well, the Weber grill and the espresso maschine is on board, just in case!
I hope to see a lot of you for some racing in Offenburg.
Time to waste…
Normally when you are on tour, time just flies by, but right now there is a little stillstand. My body is still out of order, so it is a little anoying to sit here in the camper, looking at the mountains and my shiny mtb. Well, ok, I went for a spinn on the road this morning, just to get a little excersize, but it just ain´t the same as climbing a hill and blasting a singletrack. My mechanic and are spending some time tuning the bike for the weekend, and make some small changes on the suspension setup and sitting position. We have turned the stem upside down, so that I am sitting more upright, easying the wheigt on my arms, this might help my wounded elbow a little. As well have we made the suspension setup softer, also to compensate a little bit. I have to make a lot of small changes for the weekend, and hopefully when it all summs up, I will be able to make a decent Worldcup result.
Over and out.
Ghost Cup #1, Silkeborg
Victory!
I won the first round of the 2009 Ghost Cup. In my opinion it wasn’t a glorious win though. Fact is that I sat on A. Bachmanns wheel 98% of the time. Bachmann was clearly the strongest rider this evenning. In fact I think he’s one of the strongest mtb rider in DK right now. He just have one big problem: He is g… d… stubbern! I mean he just takes the lead from the gun and if you try to take the front he just accelerates. Its well known that the guy gets a kick out of setting a furious pace and just see people fall of his wheel little by little. And he is so strong this year that he actually succeeds. Mostly on flat courses. But once in a while it happens that riders is able to stay on his wheel. And then it’s fairly easy to take the front on the last singletrack and and take the victory. That’s pretty much what happened this Wednesday evening. +200 on the startline in a lovely light green dry forrest. See you in Skanderborg!
br
Klaus V.
Frustration
Hi
Velcome to my part of this new blog.
I just want to give you a litlle update on what’s happening in our small but powerful team:
Klaus Nielsen is touring in Germany participating in Bundesliga races. He was Unfurtunate to crash in Münsingen and brake som ribs. He’s frustrated because his form is really peaking. He will try to sadle up for the next round and see how it goes.
Simon is making serious progress after an early April with constant sickness. After the recent National team training camp Simon is back on track!
I am getting over my frustration caused by my misserable first round of the Danish Superliga. In fact I think that was my worst performance in at decade. Since then i have made big changes in my training and together with very strong riding Allan Bachmann, Team Webike/Vision and Peter Bech, Team Rivette I’ve done very good progress. I’m testing my form this wedensday at the ghostcup in Silkeborg. I guess I’ll see you there!
br
/Klaus V.
Klaus Nielsen Europe-tour, part one…
Three major races in three weeks. It was time to pack the camper and go roadtripping. First stop was the first round of the german bundesliga. A raceseries that is getting bigger every year, and this year was no exeption. The startlist looked more like the startlist of a worldcup, than one from a national series. After some good training races back in Denmark expectations was pretty high. The goal for the weekend was a top 20 spot, and hopefully better. Saturday was sprint day, a new type of event where the rides battle in timetrial, and the thirty best continiue battelling in “sixpack” races. After 24 hours of heavy rain the course was well slippery, it was time for going sideway! The time trial was good, I hammered the bike to the 9th spot of apx 120 starters. Next was the first heat of the sixpack race, which I won in front of Italian Marco Fontana. Only the 2 best riders continiue to the next race. Next race was a little more difficult, but in the second last curve i made my move, which was planned to lead me to victory. But instead I made a nice 180degree spinnout, race day was now over for me. But I had i good feeling about tha main event sunday. Sunday was raceday, and the course was pretty much dried up. So we went very selfconfident through the morning, making the last tuning on the bike, and drinking espresso…
The start of the race was as usual chaotic. I was in the front group with all the stars, I thougt, but 50 meters in front of the main group crazy swiss guy Ralf Näf had made an attack, from the very start! But he made it to the finishline, unbelieveble.
I suffered a pretty bad crash in the end of first lap, which put me in around spot 50. I think I am getting to old for these kind of highspeed crashes, I was pretty shaken, and my helmet was broken. I decided to roll down the last part of the race, and the abandon. Problem was that there was too many spectators, and the fact that I had driven 1000km in a camper, made me continiue another lap. One lap went to another, and suddenly a had completed the race in 15th position. The last couple of laps was really god, and I had some good battles there. I am really happy that I completed the race. I have now proven to myself that my form is better than ever.
The downside of the weekend is that my body is mess. Myleft arm is useless, my back and neck hurts and I have a couple of bended ribs. It makes biking a litlle painfull. I wen´t to a doctor yesterday, and his word was something like: Sir, your body has so many damages, that it has to recover a couple of days before we can help you.
So I will see the doctor again friday, and hopefully everything will be better.
Next stop on the European tour is the worldcup in Offenburg, a course I am looking forward to ride. I think my new racefully can give me an edge on the competition here. And I really need that edge, I have a really bad start position there, and with actual condition of my body I am damn sure it will be a hard day at the office.
Happy riding, Klaus Nielsen
Münsingen Germany Bundesliga
Klaus struggling after a serious crash. Hobe he will recover before Offenburg next weekend.