South Africa world cup is one I’ve not been able to race the two times the world cups have been there before. The main thing that gets talked about this track is the pedal section in the middle but not being able to go before I hadn’t realised the rest I’d been missing out on. There’s not many tracks that are that fast and have big jumps in the whole way down which I think made a wicked track and it just gets boring hearing everyone talk about not wanting to pedal their push irons.

It was as long way round to get to SA. First of it was Unior tools/Trek Team camp in Slovenia for a week catching up with the team who I hadn’t seen since August last year and doing some riding on the new Schwalbe tyres that we are riding this year. From there we drove to Muich, Germany got a plane to Dubai, bit of a stop over then another flight to Jo-berg, South Africa then drove to to the race in Pietermaritzburg door to door 40 hours.

Team camp, Slovenia Photo: Grega Stopar

Was loving the riding all week and in quali I put in a strong run but it didn’t feel anything flashy and got through to the big show in 25^th. With there being spots I could improve on I felt on my goal for race day. Pretty happy with my quali run me and my Slovenian team mates went for a famous Coffeberry cafe pancake and shake. Life changing material. Not the most exciting thing but the fruit out there is so good so I got the Sram guys some to say thanks for tuning my bike.

Saturday was a half day of practice in the morning and I chose to only do one run to save myself in the baking heat as I was happy with where I was going on the track. That night it rained pretty hard-out so there was the usual what tyre conversation going on but it would take a lot to change from my Schwalbe Muddy Mary front and rear combo. With the track being so hard pack baked all week long it would take along time for it to rut up and until then it was just going to be bambi on ice no matter what rubber you ran.

PMB World Cup Photo: Vanja Kidermac

Felt like their was a lot of practice on race morning so I waited around and let the slickness on the track wear off abit then go do my bit. The jumps were all still on which was important to keep your speed going and for it to look rad so racing was going to be good. I was just going to do similar to the friday quali run but push it harder in the sections I had worked on and felt super solid. Coming out of a off camber left and onto a ledge my front wheel pushed abit wide carrying me along the ledge on my head not my bike! I ground the rest of the run out but after a crash there wasn’t anywhere to make good time back up.

Same flight route home and onto the next one. Tune into http://www.redbull.tv/Redbulltv to watch the live show from Val Di Sole Rnd 2 of the World Cups on June 3^rd, see you there.

HH

Now on the plane to Slovenia for the Unior tools team press launch already two races deep into the season and it’s only the start of March! Seems to have been the shortest off season ever but I couldn’t be more ready to get back on the road and race.

Last weekend I was at Innerleithen, Scotland for the Alpine bikes final winter round. With SA being so early there was a good elite turnout which always add’s to it and makes a good race. I trucked up on my own and then got a text from the other half of team Fiat Scudo Adam Brayton and Benson who said they would be there soon so that was the pit setup for the weekend.

Proper treat of a track for the weekend being flat out with a few token jumps and only a couple bits of the infamous tight Innerleithen knuckle smashing tight trees, throw in four seasons of weather and it really felt like a British race. Had one of my favourite bits of track in that’s just straight out of the start steep, wicked turns and rolling rocks down the switchbacks. I had a few bow and arrow crashes through the trees there and the marshall was on his whistle like he was at a rave so a few others must have gone down like a home sick mole aswell.

Saturday night it lashed it down with rain and then there was only one in the team Scudo pits. Brayton and Benson couldn’t stand it so got a B&B. I doubled up the sleeping bags which was a good move cos it snowed all night but it didn’t mess up the uplift so it was still all go.

First race run I stood it up in a lot of turns and knew there was good bit of time left on the hill. Sitting in 4th and not happy I had some super noodles and got it sorted out. Final run I railed the top then the bottom slowed down with the mud getting gloopy but I stuck it and took 2nd behind Miami Bryce.

A trip to Scotland wouldn’t be complete without some haggis so I grabbed a roadie and headed home. Some Schwalbe and Rock Shox testing in Slovenia this week then onto the first World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

HH

I had planned to stay at home all winter and just get riding the dh bike as early as possible. Got a few good days and was made up with the bike and got a few things setup. Then the freezing weather came in so I got a last minute flight for two weeks in Malaga, Spain. The sun!

Malaga is pretty much overrun by scrote Brits on tour in the summer and now every year the Brit racers tear it up in the winters just on bikes instead of booze. The Spanish must be sick of it but it’s such a good buzz this time of year so it’s just like home but longer tracks and warm. There’s always somebody doing uplifts with vans or keen for some whips at the dirt jumps.

First day out here and it was 20C and the same day the Unior tools team press launch went out, couldn’t have been a better start. Some new tracks had been built since I last was in Malaga so I was keen to check them out. Track numero uno was a full on long and rocky mess of a track which for the first few runs in made me feel like I needed stabilisers. Once I got in the groove it just gets faster and faster until you can’t hold on, so a good reality check and shows if you’ve done your off season graft.

Got a few days at the dirt jumps which makes you feel spoilt for this time of year.

Home next week and into the first race of the year which I can’t wait for so I’ll let you know what happens there.

HH

Slovenian UCI MTB Team is ready for the full UCI World Cup season with top riders from Great Britain, Greece and Slovenia. New name in the team is Jessica Stone, 2010 British National Champ and top contender in the World Cup. She will join Harry Heath, Nejc Rutar, Žiga Pandur and Maria Michalogiannaki, all aiming to improve their best results from the last season.

This is pretty cool for the first post on the new site. This is the Burgtec season recap video filmed/edited by Scott Marshall so you know it’s going to be a good edit. Click on this :Burgtec Recap to watch the video