Hannah Report - Season Ender

The last race of the season is done and gone. We all knew that Monday was going to come eventually, but why so soon? As I wander around the Oslo airport - where all the riders will leave from, I find myself with an overdose of Mondayitis. All the Mondays of the season gathered up into one big day that slaps you in the face and says, “It's over.”


A season that began in a quiet little town, flooded with excitement at the first round starting there, in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. The off-season built up like no other knowing that the first race would be the toughest race…. But was it?

A dry, dusty, sunny race that led into tropical North Queensland, where everyone headed early to soak up the sun and dive on the Great Barrier Reef. “Too perfect’’ - come first practice the rain started like a monsoon and didn’t let up until the last competitor had left. The hardest race of the year to say the least... Then there is ol' faithful, old faithfully rugged and tough on the arms and body. We came out of the first two rounds thinking that the hardest would be behind us, and then, there it was - Fort William, Scotland, one of the toughest courses beating down riders since the 19somethings. Leogang in Austria came next; I never know what to expect, sometimes it's sunny, sometimes it rains and then again, sometimes it just might snow. The rain came down during practice, which was sure to put riders off, but the sun shown through those “perfectly fake” looking mountains and Leogang shone again.


The sun shone right up Mont Sainte Anne’s butt in Canada. Riding down this track is a physical as it gets, rough, long, rocky, with big ruts. We headed on to Windham to let our brakes off and ride it like you stole it, it's the only way to race down the relentless New York track. The final round found us on one of the more technical tracks of the season in Meribel, France, that kept us on our toes as we headed into the World Championships in Norway.


Norway is one of my favourite tracks on the circuit. It's tough, challenging and awesome. There's not one run that you go down this hill feeling comfortable or relaxed, the speed that you fly down the track is intense. I was feeling awesome on the track all week, and all I could think about every evening as I went to sleep is what it would feel like to win. I spent the whole season riding consistent, no injuries, always riding below 100 percent. I knew I could do well on this track and I couldn’t stop thinking about the possibilities. When it came to my race run I was ready, I wanted to win. I finished my run and pondered the way I rode down the hill; it felt smooth and I had a good run but I didn’t feel like I pushed to the limit, I didn’t give everything to win. Someone wanted it more than me that day! I had a good smooth run, but it wasn’t enough for the win, however I am stoked to take 4th and finish off a consistent season near the top.


All of a sudden racing was finished, the brakes were put on and I was instantly stopped - my season didn’t end at World Champs, but rather three days later as I lay in the hospital post-surgery. The Stryker S2 nail that had been inside my femur for the last two years was finally removed, which isn't as simple as unscrewing a few bolts. They screw the slide hammer back into the top of the nail and slide hammer that thing out. Everything went well and I will feel less and less pain as the days pass. One month and everything will be back to normal. I can’t say anything about what the future holds, and I wouldn’t dare. I would never change anything that's happened, and I'm thankful for one of the best years racing I have ever had. Going into the off-season I am excited and motivated, and I can’t wait to spend a summer at home training and be back to racing in a few months.


Thanks to all my sponsors: Hutchinson UR Team, Hutchinson Tires, Polygon bikes, Alpinestars, BOS suspension, E.13, Spank, FiveTen, Formula brakes, ODI, Reverse, VP Components, Ride 100%, Sony, IXS, Zefal, Ti Spring, Clearprotect, Jetblack, Blackmountain, Coach Central

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