Hannah Report - Hometown World Cup DH Racing

Australia: the Great Down Under. Tim Tams, Vegemite, steak sandwiches, pies, 10 out of the 10 deadliest of whatever you want. Cairns: that tropical place in North Queensland, plants that make you itch, bugs that make you itch, snakes that kill you, jellyfish that kill you, scorpions that kill you, spiders that kill birds, crocodiles that drown you, trees that grow taller than an Olympic pool is long, a reef more colorful than a rainbow, swimming holes more beautiful than pictures are perfect, rainforest more lovely than the Amazon, and one last thing... the World Cup.


Well, who would have thought - a World Cup in my hometown. I’ve only been riding a bike since I was three years old, so it's about time there was a race close to my house. The moment I first found out I was so happy; I couldn’t have been more excited and nervous at the same time…and it came around faster than I ever expected.

Two weeks before the Cairns WC we were in South Africa dusting off the cobwebs, racing the first World Cup of 2014. This was very symbolic for me because I was coming from an injury free off-season and was looking forward to the race season more than ever. Finishing in 6th place wasn’t my best result at this track, but it was my best World Cup result since I broke my femur, and I walked away happy. Looking ahead to the race in my hometown I was eager to leave South Africa and show off my town to the MTB world.


We had been home a week and a half before the start of the Cairns World Cup. Mick and I hid out the day before track walk and reappeared for a busy day on Wednesday that consisted of 'meet and greets' and then a track walk starting at 2pm. I had only ridden the track a handful of times before; we tested it when it was first built in December and then again when we were home just after National Champs. Walking a track is so different then riding it - you begin with a certain perspective that can be changed in a instant just by looking at something different. I was happy to go home and sleep in my own bed before first practice the next day.

I had an early night as women’s practice is always super early. I could hardly sleep because of the excitement of a race in my hometown and the build up of pressure that I’d put on myself to perform. First practice was great, I spent my runs with some friends of mine who’d made the cut off or got a wild card to race their first ever World Cup. It felt like I was at a club race, I had been riding with Berend and Jesse since I first started at 13 or 14 so it felt so comfortable practicing with them. On my last run of practice it began to rain on the shuttle up. I got out and rode to the start of the track, and began my last practice run. I soon found myself stopped on the side of the track halfway down. 'Holy crap... what tha... oh no...Oh my gosh.. slippery...I can’t see,' were just some of the things running through my head. I finally arrived at the bottom and rode through the rain toward the pits and quickly warned the boys it wasn’t the same track we had walked the day before.


Well, it didn’t stop raining, and non-stop rain fell all the way through to my seeding run. I pedaled out of the start gate already disappointed that what had once been the most exciting moment in my life was now rained out and almost impossible. I could barely stay afloat during my run, slip-out here, foot off there, touching the ground with my face, and that was just the beginning. I arrived at the most physical section of the track, a section that was unnoticeable in the dry as you had enough speed to roll through. In the mud I had enough time to converse with the marshals on track. I was devastated as I rode through the finish line with a time not worth repeating and a feeling of overwhelming disappointment. I’d spent six months waiting for this race and it was rained out. The track was the hardest, most slippery and physical I’d ever ridden.



All I needed was a change of perspective; I was in my hometown, tropical Cairns of course. Sometimes it rains and seems it will never stop. I decided rain was not going to stop me from enjoying this race, enjoying my family and friends and all the fans who came out to watch. I was excited and ready to go. I used practice to figure out exactly how I was going to stay on my bike. That was pretty much my only goal, stay on the bike and pedal hard at the finish. So I planned it out, unclip here, foot out here, roll slowly here and quickly there. In the end my well-planned race run payed off; I wasn’t looking for a deadly fast time anymore, I was focused on being consistent in my run and not crashing out. Pedal my butt off down the last straight and through my home crowd into the finish line was the goal. Riding down that track with my home crowd cheering all the way was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had, one of my most special race memories. On top of that I finished in 5th position, my first podium since I broke my leg. What an achievement in front of all my friends and family!


Thanks to my sponsors; Hutchinson UR Team, Hutchinson Tires, Polygon bikes, BOS suspension, E.13, Spank, FiveTen, Formula brakes, Odi, Reverse, VP, 100%, Sony, IXS, Zefal, Ti Spring, Clearprotect, Jetblack, Blackmountain

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