Appends to race/event: 20.05.2012 // World Cup La Bresse, FRA
1 start plus 6 laps, 1.40h
6th place, 2.08min behind todays winner Julien Absalon
No 4th Olympic games for me, but this is also a cool chance to race Leadville 100 already one year earlier.
A sixth place is very good, but not good enough for being Swiss. I only finished fourth best Swiss (Nino Schurter could not even take part due illness) and only three can be selected for the games. For my own ego I can at least say that I would have qualified for any other country.
It is difficult to judge if at the Olympics only the world best riders should take part, or filling up the last 20 spots for "exotic" riders, which get pulled out of the race already after a couple laps due the 80% rule.
The course in La Bresse was natural or almost all "organic made". Only a little was hand made. I personally don't like artificial courses, because that is one line racing with some A,B or C choices over some drops or rock gardens. Here in La Bresse you had to change your lines during the race because the terrain changed the whole time. So many riders crashed out! Even Julien gave his safe win almost away due a crash in the very last descent.
Since I did some serious standing start training I improved so much off the line. I even came off the start loop better then my start number position and that means something! My race was not so spectacular though. I was racing around 8th position for a long time and during the last lap I passed Marotte and Peraud which blew up. The two battled so hard for the French Olympic spots and were going too fast earlier on.
Instead the Olympics I now race Leadville 100. It is THE race in America! Held in Colorado battling it out in altitude between 2800 and 3800meter above sea level for 160km! Well at least the lack of oxygen lowers the wind resistance!
Link 1: Specialized video clip
        
Link 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSweLFVYd8M&feature=player_embedde...
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