LUNA Mountain Bike Team Dominates UCI World Cups

From the backyard patio of Alison Dunlap. I've decided to change the format of our team race reports. I want to make them more interesting and exciting to read, instead of the usual play by play you get in Velo News. I will share the stories of my teammates from my window on the mountain bike world, complete with expert commentary of course. (Sorry for the typos) Enjoy!

World Cup #2: Offenberg, Germany
After a successful first round World Cup race in Houffalize, the team was on the road again, travelling to Offenberg, Germany, a small town situated between the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland. This was the fourth year of hosting the World Cup and the first year it didn't rain. Many of the riders complained about the course last year, but when the crowds are over 30,000 strong, the race organizer isn't inclined to listen. In 2007 the course was dry and fast only to be wrecked the day before with rain. The technical drops that were once sort of rideable became terrifying. It can be incredibly stressful to ride up to the top of a drop that is so steep it looks vertical and you wonder how in the world you're going to get down. And that's when it is dry. Now throw in heavy rains and mud that is as slick as peanut butter covered ice and that's when things become a real challenge. You literally lay awake at night thinking of those sections, feeling your heart rate start to climb and the anxiety building. (One of the many reasons I retired!) That's what the course became known for. Now in 2008, it was time to go back. This year the course stayed dry and everything was rideable, albeit still quite challenging. The girls finished the event ranked #1 in the women's team World Cup rankings and continue to be the #1 ranked UCI team in the world.

Georgia had this to say:
"Europe has been great- with the exception of my sucky race in Offenburg! Oh well, sometimes you just don't have it. Pretty frustrating. I was hoping to redeem myself after last year's rainy, muddy fiasco. I had a great start and was in the top three heading into the 1st lap, but I never managed to find a rhythm (or go very fast). As the race went on I lost more and more places, eventually finishing 13th- not the worst race I've ever had, but not what I was hoping for either. It was a frustrating race for sure, but sometimes you need a bad race to get you fired up for the next race. We still managed to win the team competition (and A LOT of beer). I'm looking forward to better things in Madrid!

Three time Olympian Katerina Hanusova has been struggling at these first World Cups due to a nasty injury she acquired in the National Mountain Bike Race in Phoenix, AZ the first weekend of April. Going into the first turn of the Arizona race she slid out and put a large gash into her knee. After spending 5hrs at the emergency room she came back with 4-6 stitches in her knee. After a few days rest she resumed training, hoping to maintain her stellar form. Adding to the stress was the fact that the Czech Olympic Team was being decided after the first three World Cups. There was only one other woman Katerina had to worry about. If Katerina could finish higher than the other rider in two of the three World Cups she'd be going to Beijing. But it was not to be.

Here's what Katerina had to say:
"Sorry for not getting back to you but I haven't been online much and really did not feel like communicating with the world the last couple of days. I did not make the Olympic team and you know how much it sucks. My leg hasn't been hurting but has not been super strong either. I felt like things were getting better before last weekend but I sort of rode the same lifeless pace. I hope to ride better soon just to prove to myself that I can. I have not found my optimum form yet, but trust me, I am still looking and will be back soon. My teammates are doing a great job at the front of the field, which helped us to win the team competition again and that was great."

In only her second World Cup with the LUNA Team, Catharine Pendrel finished eighth. For a rider so new to the sport and the European racing scene, finishing in the top ten is a HUGE result, especially when each rider out there is trying to make her country's respective Olympic Team. It is scary to think of what she'll do in the next few years as her experience and confidence grow.

And Catharine said:
"After last weekend in Houffalize, I tried for a more conservative race and the pacing paid off. After getting up into the top 8 on lap one, I settled in until the 4th of six laps and then stepped it up. I was able to finish the race feeling strong and capable of more - a welcome change from last weekend. The course in Offenburg was exciting and there were thousands of people lining the entire course creating an amazing atmosphere."

World Cup #3: Madrid, Spain
And then it was off to Madrid for the third World Cup. The trip down south is usually a welcome change from the cold wet weather of Germany and a chance to eat food that isn't drowning in a dark gravy. Of course both years I raced in Madrid it was sunny in Germany and pouring rain in Madrid. Travelling around Europe can be an exhausting challenge. Usually on Monday after the race, the team packs up and drops the girls off at the airport. The drive to Madrid is huge and most of the teams will either send their riders home for a few days, (only the Europeans) or fly them down, to be met by the team truck a few days later. Finding the hotel and places to eat in the chaotic city of Madrid can take hours. Katerina has been studying Spanish in her spare time so I'm sure that helped.

The course was in downtown Madrid at a giant city park called Casa de Campo. It is a beautiful park with lots of paved roads as well as bike paths and great trails. It is also quite seedy. There are hookers all over the place. And we're not talking women sneaking around in the bushes. The women, in groups of five to six, were "advertising", very minimally clothed, on the main roads through the park, even as the race was going on. The year I raced in Madrid there were used condoms hanging from the bushes and the occasional naked couple fooling around in the more secluded areas of the course. Some of the mechanics even found used condoms under the awnings of their team trucks. By race day you don't see any of this because the 40,000 very enthusiastic, and very drunk Spanish fans screaming "Venga venga venga" (Spanish for go, go, go!) make it difficult to solicit for sex. Haha!

The race course is super fast with lots of short steep power climbs. Not much technical riding, but that doesn't mean the course is easy. You could have a World Cup race in a parking lot and it could be the hardest thing you've ever done. The riders definitely make the race, not the course. Start position is crucial because it is almost impossible to move up when the fields are large and the speeds super fast. The riders do multiple loops of the course which means getting to fly through the start/finish line as well as suffer up the "wall"; a short climb with a 25% grade, between 4-6 times. At the end of the day, the LUNA women had achieved a remarkable first. All three riders finished in the top ten of the Madrid race and maintained their #1 ranking in the team competition. First time in the history of the LUNA team!

"World Cup #3 in Madrid was a tough one," said Catharine. "The course was very fast which meant time gaps were tight and a rider was always there to take your place if you went wide on a high speed corner. I rode consistently in the top 10 with only a minute separating 6-12th position at the finish. Having three LUNA riders in the top ten all day was pretty incredible." Catharine's 8th place finish is a career best.

And Katerina had this to say about her much improved race. "Yes, my legs are back and it feels great. The injury is off my mind and is history. I had a super good start, moving from 3rd row to 6th place by the end of the first lap. The course here in Madrid was fast and had several steep hills. I felt like I was racing cyclocross at times." Katerina's 10th place finish is one of her best World Cup results.

Team on podium in Madrid Georgia found her mojo and rode to an outstanding 5th place finish. "I had a good start and was riding in the top 4 for most of the first 2 laps, " remarked Georgia. "During the second lap I was a little bit sloppy on a couple of the downhills, and I got dropped from the front group. A few riders passed me, but I was able to move back up to 5th by the finish. My legs felt good (the pre-race espresso Waldek brewed for me didn't hurt either), and I am happy with another solid result at the World Cup. It was great to see the whole team riding at the front of the race. Three LUNA riders in the top-10: hopefully this is just a taste of what is to come!" Georgia's 5th place finish in Madrid and Houffalize make her the leader in the Olympic points chase.

What's next for LUNA:
After a much needed rest week at home, the girls will join forces again this coming weekend in Santa Ynez, CA for the third round of the National Mountain Bike Series. Then it is back to Europe for two more World Cup races and the prestigious World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy. With the conclusion of Worlds, the Canadian and US Olympic Teams will be officially announced, so stay tuned.

That's all for now. Have a great weekend and happy trails!

Alison