Cycling: I've always thought that the break from competition was too short. But this year I almost didn't notice them, because I'm building a house at the moment and the first round of the EWS was already programmed in March.
After an emotionally charged 2014 season, the break from competition came at just the right time. With my wife Tory and son Luca I was planning to leave Christchurch by Christmas and move into our new unfinished house near Blenheim where I grew up. The construction was already quite advanced, but there was still a lot to do. For several weeks I traded my bike and power meter for a hammer and drill!
I also wanted to recover physically. With the support of my coach and the All Blacks medical team, I worked to heal from the injuries I had been carrying around since the end of last season. But then it was time to get back on the bike. Rotorua was getting closer and I still had a lot of work to do!
But I still managed to complete a good training program. However, a calf injury from a bad crash a few weeks before Rotorua threatened to ruin everything. I had no choice but to skip the preparatory races and concentrate on my physiotherapy treatment. I would have liked to have been able to do without this problem, but that can happen in our sport and it's nothing new for me.
Regarding the race in Rotorua, I decided to ride my 29er. I also opted for 160mm of fork travel instead of last year's 150mm. Unfortunately I had learned that my friend Jared Graves had to throw in the towel because of an injury. It's always a disappointment when a favorite to win can't start. I felt sorry for him, but postponed is not canceled.
On the morning of the race I was very excited. For the first time the EWS was "at my house" in New Zealand and my wife and son were there to support me.
The first special stages were the most difficult and dangerous.
So I decided to drive more carefully at the beginning of the competition and not take any unnecessary risks. Easier said than done. My first run was anything but smooth. I finished fourth best, which was a big surprise. The subsequent transfer leg was short. In complete contrast to my good intentions in the morning, I tackled the second special stage at full speed. I felt really good on my bike, which should be confirmed by my result: best time! The best way to achieve a good end result is consistency. As a result, I tried not to make any big mistakes.
I felt good and stages 3 and 4 went smoothly. Stage 5 was complicated. It was short, but riddled with many treacherous roots. I actually got through pretty well on the reconnaissance trip, but luck wasn't on my side this time. I fell badly and lost valuable time as a result. Despite everything, I was happy to have gotten away with a few scratches. I had opted for my full face helmet and once again my full face had saved me. I quickly pushed the visor up again and adjusted my goggles – perfect vision is important in such a fast sport. Just adjusted the brake lever and then I was able to finish the special stage.
I still had two special stages to catch up. The 6th was a typical DH track that I had under control. The very last special stage was a good mix with a very technical upper part and a pronounced DH part afterwards. It was televised live and finished in front of the Crankworx crowd which added some pressure to the race.
I started hard, but the terrain quickly brought me back to earth and cautioned me. I got through the first part easily with a clean run. Then it was on to the DH portion of the route. In the meantime my cleats had come loose, but it was too late to do anything about it. However, after surviving a few shocking situations, I had to do without the final jump. The risk was too high that my bike and I wouldn't finish the jump together. I finished 3rd on that last special and 4th overall, just a second behind Wyn Masters, who made his first EWS podium finish.
And once again the level of competition was incredibly high. It was a battle for seconds on very challenging terrain. Survival was a feat in itself. I was extremely happy with my result.
Until the second race in Ireland!