I’d always enjoyed racing in Mont Saint Anne and after a much improved performance in Lenzerheide I was really excited about another 3 weeks training before heading to MSA for another crack at the podium. Things didn’t quite go to plan however and I fell ill a few days after Lenzerheide which forced me to have 2 weeks of zero intensity. Once arriving in MSA I found I was able to settle into the new time zone fairly quickly and I was sleeping well which was a welcome relief. I also really enjoyed the challenging track which has a nice natural trail feel to it, reminding me of the back country trails I used to adventure on back home in New Zealand. On Friday I finally started to feel more like my usual self on the bike which was a huge confidence boost just 2 days out from the race. Things were finally start to look a bit brighter.

My call up number was 9^th so I had the first choice of where to line up on the 2^nd row of riders. I had a strong start and was 4^th into the first switchback climb. I had no idea of just how good I would feel later in the race so I was very cautious not to push too hard early on. I found my rhythm in 6^th position and focused on trying to not let the riders in front out of sight. I fought hard over the last few laps to bring back Andri Frischknecht, the Swiss Champion in front of me in 5^th position eventually passing him on the final lap to ride home in 5^th place.

Overall it was a great day at the office and I’m really happy with how I rode. First and foremost I need to focus on my recovery and staying healthy before the World Cup in Windham, USA next weekend.  After that I will return to Europe for the final 2 races of the season, Val di Sole World Cup and the World Champs in Andorra. That’s it for now! Hopefully I can ride myself onto the podium next week in Windham!