- 2014 - English


	2014 - English

Even though there were several disappointments i had gone through during the last year, i looked forward to the 2014 season. There was a ray of hope, because in Germany a female cruiser-class on national level was introduced (from 13 years with open end).
The preparation for the upcoming season went very well and happily without any injury that could have forced me to another break.
Next was the arrival of my Supercross Cruiser, that was put together in "a few seconds", and the first ride happened soon at Bönnigheim. From the beginning i felt very comfortable on the bike, and switching with the 20-inch bike has become easy and uncomplicated since they were set-up perfectly to each other.

As many times before my first competition was an international race abroad. At Zolder/ Belgium were tons of riders, all wanting to try out the 2015 world championship's track. It went very good for me in the female cruiser-class 13 years and older, and after a tactical smart main i reached a great 2nd place - a worth seeing start into the season, rounded well with a 6th place on the second day.

Changing between national, regional and international events we've been travelling around almost every weekend. And in some races i competed in Men 40+ as well - that was an additional good training for tactical stuff as well as for assertiveness and of course stamina. Once in a while i managed to make some people astonished.
Unfortunately sometimes i had some pain in my elbow, but most of the time i was able to fade it out.

Like so many times before we had the regional championship on mother's day. After the first moto's series i asked myself why i had registered for both classes, of all at this overlong track. But it went especially in the men's 30+ really good for me. With places 1-2-1 i reached the main kind of easy. Making the podium and the perfect double-win for my club Ingersheim was way more, than expected or dreamed of. In women's cruiser 30+ i managed to get the title. Despite the heavy wind it was a very nice sunday.

With the two 3rd places in women 17+ at the races for the european league at Switzerland i managed to get my ticket for the euro and worlds. Whatever i wanted to compete in, i earned it with my 2 good tactical finals with 3rd places and confirmed it at the 3-Nations Cup at Ahnatal. Here it was a strong fight to get in the main against the dutch girls. 10x NL vs. 2x GER were competing in the motos. And if it was how the guests wished for, 8x NL in the main. But i was able to salty their soup a little bit, after hard fighted motos i was at the gate once again and had several of the audience behind me. My goal was reached, i could go into that final kind of relaxed - there was nothing to lose. With a little luck the result was better than sighted.

În June there was a BW-Cup at Weiterstadt, where i always like to ride, if only because i can see Yvonne, and after that race the was a race-break until the german championship. During that break Tom Ritzenthaler and crew (Elite-Trax) came to Württemberg and modified, beside other projects, our track on several straights. It was amazing to see how everything was rebuilt and got a new shape, and one or the other small-talk happened inbetween. These were 3 nice days, especially after i had found out that he knew who i am and that he took the club and our wishes for the track very serious.
But - training was not possible at that time, because everything had to settle down and the new top-layer had to get hard. It was of course the worst time for a BMX-break. But - there are so kind neighbours, and we had the chance to do our club-training at Bönnigheim. Many thanks to Walter Winter, Gerrit Schwenk and all from Bönnigheim for beeing so kind to us.

My thoughts for July were positive, and i was looking forward to that month, beginning with the german championship at Vechta at the first weekend. We had a main final in cruiser-class, like at the season-opening bavarian league race at Kolbermoor. Even though i won all my motos i felt that not everything worked perfect, so i decided to do some fine-tuning at my bike, so i was able to use the short passages where You were able to pedal, for optimal acceleration. I felt good for the final, i could accelerate way better and could finally get the win, my 13th in the cruiser-class.

We didn't go home after that, the year's vacation was spent in the north. The one or other training session was way more comfortable than sitting in the car for days - how it would feel like. I used our stays at Bremen to meet some friends again, talk and - during our recovery ride - to show Gerhard where i used to do my endurence training.

While there were heavy rains almost everywhere, most of the time we've been lucky and had lots of sunshine, also at Denmark at the european championships. The first obstacle was a little weird, as well as the last turn, but i kinda felt good on the track. In cruiser (women 30+) i qualified for the final after winning my motos. Though i had the chance to defend last year's title. A good start was the first premise to do that. The further finalists out of the Netherlands and France lined up sorted in groups at the gate, so i looked to getaway by riding out front. Even though it became closer to the finish line, i took the title and was super-proud, just amazing, since several of my competitors were Youngsters. Competing on sunday during that nasty drizzle had one purpose: training - to prevent sitting around lazy for 2 complete days. I was satisfied doing the semifinal in the women 17+.

On the way to the worlds we did a stop at Hamburg, since we've been invited to have a look at the new track. I had lots of fun and could live my perfectionism at the gate, and finally felt ready for the worlds at Rotterdam where we headed to after another short stop at Bremen.
Our accomodation was large in space and supported the feel-good factor, and only in short distance from the Ahoy arena, once again perfect conditions.
The track visit was positive in my view, didn't see an obstacle that could cause bad trouble. Especially the triple going into the first turn looked nice and smooth. Only the starting hill seemed to become steeper fom one year to another.

Once again i decided for some fine-tuning at my bike to make sure i could ride the track with maximum speed. I was looking forward to the first training session, but it didn't work as i had hoped for. Only 3 laps, so few, and caused by the steep stairs up to the gate. Further i was not satisfied with myself, but hoped for the next day. After good gates i finished my 3rd lap with a smile on my face. When will be my race ?!?
After the 2nd nation's training i visited Philipp Specht, the german physio, who banished some blockades out of my back, haven't felt that loose for a long time - again thanks a million! The only gratitude he wanted was: "Do a good race!" And that's what i wanted to do!
G finally managed to remove that brake-squeak, race-day could come!

Mit Alan Hill, der ebenfalls erneut gewinnen konnte, und dem WM-Maskottchen

On friday finally it was time to race, my nervosity was huge, so many unknown faces competed in the Women-Cruiser 30+, and several of them really young. After the first moto it was a bit better, and after 3 won rounds i could calm down again a bit. With the pedal-slip in my second moto i had gone through that slip-up You often have on a race-day, so i was confident. After my qurtefinal i just wanted to be on my onw und ride, ride, ride. If only the pauses were not that long... Going into the semifinal, last year's N° 2 said "We'll fight it out in the main", but i managed to let everythince bounce off and put the pressure on the other ones. After all i had only N° 8 on my plates, the other ones N° 2 and 3.
Of course it was flattering when i saw a dutch lady pointing at me saying "Superwomen" to another Dutch during staging for the motos, but i also refused that. Later i had to smile about it again, and i used it to my advantage when i left towards the start. Finally it was time for the main final. The last one of the day, and i really wanted to ride, was looking forward to it. The rider's presentation happened with a camera-man right in front of the gate, i kept it small to concentrate maximal. And this worked very good, as well as my start. I had the holeshot and took the lead, riding fully concentrated for almost the whole track, and finally took the title i had dreamed of, it was phantastic. After the finish line was another man with camera, interviewing all class winners for a minute. Not much more than "Happy" from Pharrell Williams went through my head, i was too overwhelmed and more than happy.
I really completely enjoyed the awards-ceremony, even though the UCI-BMX Coordinator (i was racing with her several times in the early 2000's) told me i should stop winning. (?)
I watched and enjoyed the rest of the worlds from the grandstands - a dream.
A few days later the complete lists were available, and Gerhard researched that the 4 best out of my moto had made it into the main and that i was the oldest in that last round, with maximum age difference of 14 years to the youngest. The structured training paid off.

Actually a break might have been good for me, but i wanted to be part of the night race at Weiterstadt (see Yvonne and her family), and if possible be fast on the track to jump a bit. Though i moved my lazy week to the end of August, and it was really neccessary.

Mid/ end of September the national series Bundesliga continued. As before at Kolbermoor and Plessa i could win at Erlangen on both days.

Following was the bavarian league at Herzogenaurach, and how i was welcomed and treated was beyond compare. Wellness-factor was huge, and i could write some autographs (left with Ferdl), too. It was rieally nice to get so much appreciation from everyone, especially the kids, even though i am already a little bit older. THANK YOU!!!

Once again my elbow became painful, lots of taping by our omnipresent BMX-Doc Christopher Buhlig helped me a lot through these days, with knowing that the season's end was in sight. The final races of the natinal series happened at the rebuilt track at Kornwestheim. There wasn't a lot for manualing or jumping for me, but it still was a funny weekend, even though a bit long. The series win was mine, as well as both race-wins, all with maximum points.

The weather still was good, there were 2 regional races left on the schedule. Even at Markgröningen the sun came out, and after some rainy days the track went dryer from one lap to the other.

A last highlight was the homerace at Ingersheim, final race for the BW-Cup with summer-weather and perfect conditions. So many riders followed the invitation, unblieveable. The mood was great, i had some friends from Heilfrom among the spectators, and i still had one point on my to-do-list, and it didn't wanna disppear during the last weeks, not without a check. Finally in my 3rd moto i took all my courage and jumped the 2nd double, it went very well, so i did it again in the final lap. Only a few photos were taken, because almost no one had expected me to do it. But i was really satisfied with me and my phantastic year with a perfect closure.

So i finally could dare the visit at my orthopedist, and what has been implied as maybe neccessary, had to be done. An arthroscopy was planned to find out what was damaged, with the option to more. So i went to the sports-clinic at Stuttgart.

True to the motto "no half" they made from two small cuts one, a big one for an open operation. Goal was a triceps plastic to make the instabile elbow work perfect again.

The good thing: finally i had a longer break, and my whole body really longed for it. After 2 weeks with a splint i celebrated the new year with an orthosis and, above all, optimistic.