Summer Update!
Another travel day means another opportunity to update the blog! So far, the summer has been quite hectic and busy. Since returning to Europe after Nationals, I raced in Switzerland (6th place), Iceland (7th place) and in between those races, I had a well needed visit with my family and friends. I am currently on my way to another two weeks of exciting racing. First, I will be travelling to the Gravel Weekend in Tukums, Latvia. This race is a part of the Earth Gravel Series and another exciting event that I am really looking forward to being a part of. Friday will be the opening prologue, 2 kms with a mix of single track, forest roads and fast gravel. This will be a good opportunity to open the legs up for a much longer day on Saturday. Saturday’s race is 145km with 1350 meters of elevation gain. There is not a significant amount of climbing, but a handful of hard climbs that will surely make this a difficult race. With no major climbs, it will come down to riding smart, being efficient in the technical sections, and for me, taking advantage of any hard climbs. I have been feeling strong in training and really working hard towards a good result!
Riding in Iceland!
Photo: Sarah Diekmeyer
After Latvia, I will be flying to Stockholm where I will be staying with a friend for a few days before heading to Halmstad for a 3-day gravel stage race. I am not only excited for this race, but I am really looking forward to spending time in Sweden both training and being a tourist. Starting on August 15, the first day will consist of a 19km TT, the second day will be 146km, which is a part of the UCI Gravel World Series, and the final day will end with a 98km race. I really enjoy stage racing, and three hard days of racing will play to my strengths. I normally perform quite well in stage racing, and I am excited to have the opportunity to see what I can do!
After these two weeks of racing, I will be heading back home for a few weeks to get in some good training before my next block of racing. As much as I love racing, I am really looking forward to getting in a good training block. Since my Unbound block of training back in May, I have not had more than two weeks of training without a race. Those three weeks will be a good opportunity to get in big hours on the bike, recover and catch up on things I have neglected in the past few months. At the end of the three weeks, racing will be FULL on till the end of the year. I will be racing every weekend in September starting September 13th with Gravel Desert, Sea Otter Girona, and finally the Earth Gravel final. With a busy month in September and possibly a couple more races in October, the three weeks of non-disrupted training in August will be my final big block before the end of the season.
Enjoying training on Andorra Gravel :)
So far, I have been quite proud of my season and results. One thing, I am always consistent. However, I am still missing that one big result I have been training for. I have a lot of exciting races and opportunities coming up and I am planning to make the most of it. As always, thank you for following along and for updates make sure to follow me on Instagram for more updates!