Quick recap on where we finished last time.
The whole week in Italy there was great uncertainty as to whether I should race. When we arrived we found out that there were some very steep descents on the first half of the course which made it very dangerous for those riding trikes. The main reason people ride on tricycles is because that person has a balance problem, so a lot of trike riders have trouble with descending. Many of the trike riders complained about the course and after failing to get the officials to change the course at the last minute, a few of the trikes withdrew from the races, including the T2 men’s rider Hans Peter Durst who has won numerous World Cup races and World Championships.
So let's move on...
On the Thursday morning before the competition started I went out for a ride. I had said
that if there was any chance that I was going to compete on this course I had to have a training ride. I made it through the first section well, but when I got to the really steep section I asked Anet to get out of the car behind me and walk beside the trike with her hand centimetres away from my handlebars. Although I took it extremely slow and was very fearful I made it down and I was really glad with how I mastered the climb on the second half of the course. I was extremely proud of myself for trying and succeeding. Goldy, our other trike rider decided not to ride the course on the Thursday after trying the first section of the course and becoming very fearful. After hearing my comments and getting some strong encouragement from the team and his mother back in South Africa, he would race the races over the weekend though.
Friday was my time trial and I was nervous. We hadn’t been able to hire another bicycle so Anet could not ride behind me but she and O’Ryan followed me in the car and I had an ear piece so that Anet could tell me when bikes or cars were approaching me from behind as she normally does on the bike behind me. We weren’t sure how well I would cope with the earpiece and although we turned the volume down a bit too low, I really enjoyed using it and personally it felt even better than having a support rider behind me. The downhill section was once again very scary and this time I didn’t have Anet walking beside me. If I remember correctly I may have had tears in my eyes from fear by the time I hit the bottom of the hill but also immense pride that I had conquered that section. Sadly, the downhill had taken so long for me to do that by the time I hit the straight and the uphill section I knew I wasn’t really going to make an impact on the race.
Taking on the uphill for the second time in two days I could feel my legs weren’t as fresh as they were the day before. Despite the fact that climbing is one of my stronger points on the bike, I think I have never climb such gradients constantly for so long. The hill was about 3km in total, not that far, but when there are no flat areas where you can catch your breath you really start to feel it. The last very hundred meters (which we couldn’t train on the day before) would have been very beautiful, as it took as through the old section of the town, had it not have been that the section was cobbled and was so steep that for a few moments I wondered if I would make the finish line. By the time I crossed the line I couldn’t do another pedal stoke and had to wait for Anet to come and fetch me from the line. Because there was only three of us in the race I finished third, but without a medal. (When there are three competitors only two get medals.)
After our races in the morning we went back to the hotel and I stayed there just resting while Anet went back to the races to help the other cyclists during their time trials. Goldy and I stayed at the hotel and watched the Giro.
The next day was supposed to be my road race on the same course. At the hotel we had a conversation and decided that I would only race if I could have a following car behind me. We knew it was unlikely as in the road race no following cars are usually allowed in a road race due to the number of trikes on the road at the same time, but we were uncomfortable with me racing the downhill section alone, as there had been several riders who had come off their bikes on the course. Once we had arrived at the race and confirmed that no cars were allowed we had a quick chat to see if there wasn’t any other way I could safely race but in the end myself, Anet, and O’ryan all decided that with two races still to come in Belgium, it was better for me to sit it out. I used the time to ( for the first time in my life) watch some trike racing. (I can never see the trikes racing because I am always racing with them.
The Sunday was Gary’s and Juan’s road races and Anet once again went with to help. Due to the rain and cold weather I once again stayed at the hotel. It was just as well I stayed and relaxed at the hotel because our travel plans for the next day wouldn’t exactly go as planned.
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