MTB World Cup XC, Belgium-Georgia Gould 8th, Top US racer!

The racers from China are on trail, the real deal, and they are very focused! They took 1st, 5th, and 7th at the MTB World Cup XC in Belgium. I think they are out to make a name for their country. This is good for the racers, as all racers, from all countries are going to have to step up their game.

The world is a very big place and racing World Cup is not like racing in local events in the USA. There may be 20 people who can match your best! Blink your eyes and you will get passed! That is what makes this so fun, is that you must have everything perfect on the bike and also in the mind!

Then you have to start at the bottom, say like Georgia at 40th, and fight your way to the lead.

The important thing is that Georgia knows, firstly, that she can race the World Class racer's and secondly, what it took to put time (4 min.) into the field at Sea Otter in the US. The World Cup was good for her, she now has an idea of how much work is needed to place well in the upcoming games. Georgia was "top-gun" for the USA, but she still can't let her focus down. To be at the top, she is going to have to find even more speed in certain areas of a course.

She doesn't want to just represent her country, but she wants a real chance at a medal.

Georgia knows that she is going to have to find more than 4min in her game to be in the hunt, on trail, running with the pack! Nose down, tail high, just like a "Blue-Tick" hound dog! However, she has time to get it worked out, so she can be that lead dog!

Don't count Georgia's teammate, Shonny Vanlandingham, out of the hunt! She is wise and also on trail, after being sick at the start of the season she is fighting her was back. With all the travels, sitting on planes day after day, which can tax you! Shonny- "The legs are just not there." There is a lot of racing in a season, so keep an eye on her, as we know she can dig deep! The game is only getting faster!

If you can place in the top 20, you can be looked at as 'in the hunt'. Mary McConneloug (USA) Kenda/Seven, Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher are also in that hunt.

I just spoke to Willow Koerber at Sea Otter last weekend who is from Brevard, NC. I shared with Williow that Brevard is where I grew up as a kid. I know that play ground and I how wet and steep the trails are! We used to race our motorcross bikes in that day (no mtb bikes). My father, when he was a younger man, hunted the Blue Ridge mountains for bear and coon's using hound-dogs!

Houffalize, Belgium, April 22-, 2007

Race 1 - April 22: Elite Women's XC

Results:

1. Ren Chengyuan (Chn) China 2.00.23
2. Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Nor) Multivan Merida Biking Te 0.01
3. Margarita Fullana (Esp) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica 0.15
4. Sabine Spitz (Ger) Ghost International Racin 2.35
5. Jingjing Wang (Chn) China 3.07
6. Marie-Helene Premont (Can) Rocky Mountain Haywood 3.28
7. Ying Liu (Chn) Team Lapierre International 4.22
8. Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Womens Mtb Team 4.49 Wobble-naught CAD/Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish
9. Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Womens Mtb Team 6.11
10. Ivonne Kraft (Ger) La Carrera-BTS 6.25
11. Elsbeth Van Rooij-Vink (Ned) Beone Mountainbiketeam 6.35
12. Tereza Hurikova (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna Mtb 6.46
13. Maja Wloszczowska (Pol) Halls Professional Mtb Te 6.59
14. Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Tonis Pro Team Kirchberg 7.19
15. Rosara Joseph (NZl) 7.52
16. Mary McConneloug (USA) Kenda/Seven 7.53
17. Shonny Vanlandingham (USA) Luna Womens Mtb Team 7.58 Wobble-naught CAD/Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish
18. Arielle Van Meurs (Ned) 8.39
19. Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 9.23