With over 400 riders from all over the world the IXS European Cup in Pila was a 5 minute course with a starting altitude of around 2000 meters - a tough race for all competitors.
There was a great women's field at this race with riders from Australia and New Zealand getting in some practice for the World Championships in Champery in a few weeks time.
We headed over to Pila with the scottish lads that had been camping outside our house for the past week!!
Pila is a high altitude resort with some amazing tracks. For the IXS European Cup, they use the 2005 World Cup track - although this year they put in some new sections… and with the weather they have had, it was an awesome track to ride.
The course has everything rocks, drops, big jumps and pedalling sections its a track that even the best riders struggle to put a complete clean run together. Also with the 400 riders ruts and holes appeared all weekend making it even tougher!
After chatting with Ruaridh about how best to cope with such a demanding track, Tahnée had decided to take it easy in qualifying, keeping to her lines in the tough sections and just keeping it mellow in the easy ones… had her U17 category pretty much sealed after qualifying on Saturday with a 5.24 - over 60 seconds faster that the girl leading the series!! Tahnée was 3rd fastest overall and on form Miriam Ruchti coming down first in a 5.09… she knew what had to be done and could not wait for race day.
The course was giving the bikes a real beating - thank you soo much to Dave Garland at Stendec who had Tahnée's forks working amazing for Sunday…
Sunday brought the rain - not loads but it had been 'spitting' all day and everyone thought the dusty track might start running faster.
It was a good, relaxed atmosphere in the pits all weekend and going up for her race run Tahnée confident. She really wanted to push for the fastest womens time of the day and things were going amazing until she washed out in a dusty corner - she held onto the bike and was able to continue without too much of a stall but that was it she now had to give everything to the finish line.
Tahnée was only one of a few girls to hit and clear the huge double that brought you down into the long straight you could see from the finish.
She crossed the line in 05:11.204 - over 12 seconds quicker than her qualifying time but she did not think it was quick enough for the fastest time…. its a track that really suited the more powerful rider and she thought Miriam would take but she crossed the line in a 05:11.272 - Tahnée had taken the fastest time of the day by .068!!!
Tahnée said: "We had been joking around in the pits about - not leaving anything on the hill - and apart from the lay down half way down, I felt i could not do anymore. Physically I felt strong although my lungs were burning when I crossed the line… something to work on for next year. I was a bit gutted there was not a scratch podium!!"
Thanks to everyone for an amazing weekend - it really was good fun!
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