FIRST EUROPA CUP !

MY FIRST EUROPA CUP EXPERIENCE
ORCIERES, France

DAY 1 : DH training was cancelled due to too much snow !

DAY 2 : DH training followed by DH race
I had bib 94 in the race and finished 76th !  PB FIS points (80.52)  I wasn't brilliant, but really enjoyed it !

DAY 3 : DH race Weather changed in the middle of the race going from sunny to flat light
I had bib 94.  Skied well but not very fast !!  Finished 89th.  Could have done better, but still pleased with myself.
However my feet were really starting to hurt.  Small balls have appeared on the side of each foot and really hurt when I put my boots on.

DAY 4 : SG race.  Terrible weather - foggy and windy.  The race was stopped several times.  I had bib 94 again.  The race started at 9h45 and I got to ski at 12h45 !
I only had a short race as going over a jump I "bumped" into a gate that had been moved, and I forgot that they'd moved it !!  Short but sweet. DNF

Really enjoyed the Europa Cup atmosphere and really like the speed events.

WATCH THIS SPACE !

 

Here is the video of my first DH race !


JANUARY 2021

2 GIANT SLALOMS IN COURCHEVEL
Huge work to do in GS this year .... my coaches want me to change the way I ski.  Wow !  Hard work

GS1
Bib 37.  Too direct on the first run - exactly what my coaches don't want me to do and came out in the second run doing the same. It's the first time I've seen my coach furious.  On the positive side, I presume he wouldn't be furious if he thought I couldn't do a lot better.

GS2
Bib 37.  Second chance.  Skied my best ever in the first run only to be stopped 2 gates before the finish as the racer before me had crashed.  Rushed up to the start and ran again - not as good a run, but not bad.  (But two runs in a row on sheet ice is exhausting and I was missing energy at the end).  Got into the flip for the first time this year.  Skied well in the second run, but too gentle.  Now need to combine the new skiing tactic with the old aggressiveness.

GIANT SLALOMS in FLAINE
When you start with bib 40+, you've just got to go for it to get into the flip.
I went for it in both races - but had too much energy/attack which got the better of my skiing.

 

GS 1
Bib 43.  Huge mistake in the first run and almost as big in the second.  Best forgotten !

GS 2
Bib 41.  Skied really well in the first run, no mistakes, but too hard for the conditions and missed the flip by under 1/2 second.  Second run mistake.  Another leaning curve !

BACK TO WORK !

 

NEW YEAR - NEW FEELS - NEW CHANCES - SAME DREAMS

Started the year with 2 Super G in Chatel.
Haven't done a Super G training since July.

SG1 : huge mistake, but happy with my skiing
SG2: small mistake.  Again happy with my skiing.  And PB points.

Back to training.

Next races are GS.