UCI E-XCO World Cup Monaco

Finally, the season really started and I could hardly wait to start in Monaco. One of my declared goals for the season is to deliver very good performances in the E-XCO World Cup. The preparations in the winter and in the last few weeks went perfectly and I was correspondingly nervous before the race.

Unlike last season, this year there will always be two World Cup races on one weekend. This means that there are two chances at each venue and so recovery between the two races is also an extremely high priority.

Raceday #1

I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so nervous before a race. Second place in qualifying (this is a time trial – one lap on the track) didn’t make my nervousness much better, but my confidence rose again significantly with this result. Was I really capable of competing for the win this year? I had had this goal in mind all winter and now I was really so close.

The start was great and already at the first climb I was able to break away together with last year’s winner Jerome Gilloux. For three laps we led an exciting “cat & mouse game”, but unfortunately this duel was ended by a short stop in the tech zone. I was able to make up the almost ten seconds I lost there, but in the end I had to watch Jerome Gilloux cross the finish line a few seconds ahead of me as the winner.

After this race I had the answer to my question. I’m definitely capable of competing for the victory at an E-World Cup race. Despite the small disappointment, the joy about my achieved result prevailed. However, after the race the goal for the next day was clear: I want the victory and also the World Cup leader’s jersey.

Raceday #2

My renewed second place in the second qualification showed that I recovered very well from the first day of racing. So I started the second race full of confidence. Again I pulled away at the start together with Jerome Gilloux and again there was a thrilling duel. However, I never managed to take control of the race today and was always the rider who had to close smaller gaps of 2-5 seconds on the uphill or downhill.

However, I didn’t give up until the last of the six laps and always tried to put Gilloux under pressure as much as I could and provoke a mistake from him. With his usual elegance on the bike, however, he again decided this duel in his favor and I once again took second place.

Basically, I’m extremely satisfied with my two races and I “almost” couldn’t have imagined a better start to the season. Nevertheless, it’s clear to me that I want to win a World Cup race and bring the duel for the seconds on my side. Now it’s time for me to analyze the race carefully and to improve again for the next two UCI E-XCO World Cup races in Bologna (ITA). Of course I won’t be satisfied that fast!

But now, first of all, there are some XCO World Cup races and next weekend the first Swiss Bike Cup in Leukerbad on the program.

//Joris