Video: Robin Wallner’s Race Diary from EWS Petzen-Jamnica

Team captain Robin Wallner scored his second podium finish at the Petzen/Jamnica race and we asked him to give his insider's view of what goes through an EWS rider's mind in a race like this.



It had been seven weeks since our last EWS race in Olargues, France, and while training on my home turf was going great, without actually racing it’s difficult to gauge how well you are riding. We’re also expecting our first child any day now, which made me nervous about traveling so close to the due date.


Before going to the EWS in Petzen I made a picture in my head of how it was going to be. You always try to picture the course and terrain by watching any videos of the area, so you have an idea of what to expect.

From my research, I had the notion that we’d be racing on high alpine terrain, much higher than it actually was. Once there, I hiked the first two stages and realized the course was mostly loamy, fresh cut single track - I was pumped!


There’s this debate amongst the racers about whether or not it’s cool to walk the stages. Some riders don’t think it’s cool, but it works well for me to have a look at the tracks before riding. The big advantage is that by walking the tracks before practice starts, I have a good idea of what we’ll be riding, and helps inform my setup and tire choice. It also allows me to make better use of the single practice run that we’re allowed.


Practice went well and I was feeling fresh, so I was confident going into Day One. However, I didn’t remember a few key sections on stage one well enough, which resulted in a small crash. I ended up using more energy than planned on the first two stages to try and make back time. I also stressed out a few of the people at home since my time from stage one didn’t show up! Our team mechanic Mats, actually called my partner Elin to let her know I was fine.


Despite the early mistakes, my race strategy remained the same. The last stages of both day one and two played to my strengths. They were both 15 minute long descents with over a 1,000 meters (3,000 ft) of descending. At home, that’s my favorite type of training fun; go from the top of the mountain to the bottom and switch up with different trail options run by run. That kind of practice has taught me what kind of pace I can maintain on the stages. Whenever I see a long stage, I get excited because not only can I be competitive, but I simply enjoy doing them.


After the first day of racing, I was sitting in fourth place with just a second between me and Eddie Masters. With such a small time difference, I was keen on clawing back time on Sunday and getting back on the podium! The first stage of day two (stage four) didn’t start the way I had hoped. I was caught off guard early in the stage due to a little root sticking out a corner and went over the bars. Once back on the bike, I rode hard to save time. For the next stage, my goal was to stay smooth and conserve energy, so I could push hard on the final fifteen-minute long stage. It’s a strategy that really paid off!


Sometimes when you’re racing, you find a “zone” where it doesn’t feel like you’re pushing, but you’re actually flying. On the flip side, there are days where you feel like you’re trying hard, but in reality, you’re barely moving. On Stage 6, I felt good. Everything was going smoothly, I felt fresh, I was riding with ease, but somewhere I must have hit a rock or something hard. As I was pushing, I felt my rear tire starting to flat!

The tire was going just as I was starting to catch up to my 30-second man, Damien Oton! I tried my absolute hardest to stay smooth, avoid any holes, and to put my weight more over the front (since that tire was will holding air). When I caught up to Damien, it was a blessing, as I could see his lines and try to avoid some of the rougher stuff he was hitting.


It was only on the last uphill that I realized how tired I was. It’s also when I started to think about how lucky I would be to get down the last bit of the 4x track and across the finish line in one piece. Somehow, it ended up working out. My rear tire was completely flat for the last thirty seconds of my run, but I was happy to ride it out and place third. That performance was enough to catapult me to a second podium finish of the year!


After the long break and all the anxiety that comes with preparing to bring a human into this world, it felt incredible to prove to myself that my first podium wasn’t a fluke. Picking up some valuable points towards the overall at the midway point of the season wasn’t a bad feeling either!

Thanks for reading. See you in Italy.
- Robin Wallner

The Ibis Cycles Enduro Race team is supported by: POC, Maxxis, KS, Fox Factory, Shimano, Joystick, LizardSkins, Muc-Off, Feedback Sports, Industry Nine, Honey Stinger, One-Up, and The Athletic.

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