Update from Blake #2

We arrived on Friday after a 5 hour drive from Germany to the trial held at Kramolin, Czech Republic. We had a look around the pit area and found a park. Next we went to the supermarket (shopping is not easy). We managed to buy sour milk for a cereal. We then found some accommodation, which wasn’t easy either because there was the trial on and a ‘beer fest’ in the area as well. I had sign in and scrutineering

Saturday morning, and then practise. The rocks were very grippy I found in practise, and the hills weren’t as steep as the previous events I have had in Europe. I then walked the sections and they involved large steps up grippy moss covered rocks. There were also a number of difficult drop offs and technical sections. Some of the sections had some large banks and all the sections were set under larch trees. The sections we feel were not set very well for non stop as there was not a good flow to some of the sections and some had very tight turns before large steps.

Race day we arrived early and got set up, my start time was 9:52:30am. I got  a 5 on the first section  which wasn’t a good start, but I cleaned the second section which I was very happy with as I seen it as a difficult sections. However the rest of the lap didn’t go to plan as I got to many 5s. Everything was going good apart from me simply not performing to the level I can ride at. I felt my balance was good but my technical riding was not as good. I lost my confordence on the large steps, and even steps I felt confindent on I managed to 5 which was very fustrating for me. I got infront of the top riders on the second lap which was good and a improvement on Italy as this ment it would be unlikely that I would exceed the 5hr time limit. My second and third laps were similar to my first with to many 5s and silly points. I also got some 5s for stopping within sight of the end of the sections which is extremely fustrating as a rider. The non stop rule is very inconsistent and hard to read for both rider and observer.  I finished the day in 16^th on 116 points in total. My bike ran well, Dad was great minding and Mum was a great support, but I am disappointed in my personal prefomance as I know I can do much better. So now I have a week end off and then off to Great Britian. I will be spending that time training hard so I am ready to put it all together and get a good result in Great Britian and France after some more training.

Blake Fox