ABD wins in Italy
4 May 2009
Another weekend over, another double podium.
3rd May, 2009
Had a fairly good day today with a 3rd in the final. Had a late start like last weekend (all European Rounds are run with the same format/times apparently). So chilled out for the morning at the hotel before riding down to the track.
Had Jnr W1 (- Valentino) from last year in my moto's and lead from the bottom of the start hill to the finish in all three motos bar the first where she sprinted to the line while I saved my energy.
In the semi, I had Laetitia Le Corguille (Olympic Silver Medalist) in lane 2 with me in lane one. She got out in front of me on the snap but I pulled once we got to the jumps and I went into first. Lead all the way to the last corner where I drifted a bit wide on the exit and she came under me (and I forgot what I was supposed to be doing down the last straight) but it was a 2nd and it meant I was through to the final.
Qualified fourth for the final and knew that as soon as I got going, I would be fine so I chose lane 5, leaving Laetitia, Valentino, Eva (winner from Sunday in Klatovy) and Hladikova inside me. Got an ok gate and while the other girls (lanes 1-4) bunched together which gave me a free run to the first corner. Just got my nose in front of Valentino but wasn't agressive enough so she pushed me wide. I came out of the corner behind Laetitia and Valentino and once I got going again, pulled back up to Laetitia and we elbowed around the second corner. I tried to avoid turning on the lose dirt on the inside of the corner but that didn't work out because for the split second I was thinking about the lose dirt, Laetitia had turned into me and once again, was a little shy with the agression (I'm getting there). Tried to come back again but the rest of the track didn't have a lot of places to make a lot of ground so remained in third for the rest of the lap.
4th May, 2009
Today I was back to finish what was started yesterday but unfortunately didn't quite pull it off.
In the moto's, I pretty much had the same people from yesterday so once again, it was Valentino and myself battling for first. She got the first one when I over manualled one of the jumps down the second straight (losing a bit of speed). I won the next comfortably to prove a point then was winning the last one till I cruised the last straight as 2nd was still well enough to make the semi final.
In the semi, I chose lane 4 so that it gave me time to come out of the gate and get going. Eva (winner from Sunday last week), was in lane one and came straight out and across towards me. I pulled in behind her going into the first turn then sat behind her to find my opening. This came down the third straight when I high-lowed the second corner and got good speed off the jumps, passing her then shutting her down to make sure she wasn't going to come back.
In the final, I chose lane 5 again (it had worked yesterday giving me room to get going rather than being shut off).
I can't remember how my gate was but as we got further down the first straight, I was catching more and more but felt I didn't quite have enough to pull over into first so took it wider around the first corner to get some speed up. As I came out, it was the same scenario as yesterday with Valentino in first, Laetitia in second with me in third. This time, I pulled inside Laetitia and was in second into turn two. Coming down straight three, I was catching Valentino and saw an opening to go under her in the last turn, I went for it but she saw me just in time and turned sharper, giving me nowhere to go. From there, I had to get going again and half way down the last straight, Laetitia got passed carrying more speed. So it ended up being the same Elite Women 1-2-3 as yesterday.
I have taken what I can out of it and will use it to my advantage in the future. I was definitely the fastest on the track and it was pretty cool to just fly by the Olympic Silver Medalist on one straight. It's also very exciting that the things I need to work on are the easiest things to develop - being stronger and being more aggressive.
Tomorrow we head to Copenhagen, Denmark for the reason we are in Europe - The Copenhagen Supercross (World Cup). The track looks very technical (from photos) and have the biggest jumps that girls have ever had to do around the track at a Supercross race.
I will be in touch after Copenhagen. :)
Thanks,
Sarah
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