Last race of season in Lofsdalen, Sweden

*** TRANSLATED WITH GOOGLE TRANSLATE ***

After 2 weeks I managed to make a report from the last races of the season in Sweden. To the north I traveled with our new skicross hopes Nikou, who started to ride this year. However, after my last experience with the car, we have to Sweden, respectively. Oslo flew. Direct flight, 2h in airplane, but just luxury. The only minus is the very limited luggage and therefore the skirmish is mainly with skis and service.

We arrived in Oslo on Thursday afternoon, where our Norwegian friend Henrik, who also went to racing, pulled us out. After a 4-hour drive, we were in Lofsdalen and the accommodation was right on the ski slope. We welcome a very warm weather of +10 degrees, which is very unusual in this country. On Friday afternoon, we had a training course on the track. Compared to last season, the track was shortened by about 15 seconds, but it was still very good. The only problem was very high temperatures and so the track was very slow. After the first rides, they had to cancel one tilted bend because the other jumps were not fast enough. However, the training went smoothly and I tracked the track pretty well.

On Saturday, the program was the first race. In qualifying I made a gigantic mistake right after the start, and I knew I had lost a lot. From this moment I went to 120%. Eventually it was enough for the 8th place. It was clear to me that the mistake had cost me a lot. In the final, a spider from 32 people went, but only the first round had some riders. I was lucky and went straight to the second round, the quarterfinals. I did it without problems and got to the semifinals. I knew there was going to be a crack here because the 8 riders were very good at performance. After the start, I was third, and after half of the track I took second riders. But then contact came when the last competitor attacked me and lost contact with the lead pair. So I was expecting a small final of 5-8. I had the worst starting gate after the crush qualification. I was the last to start, but we were all in touch. In front of me began to play literally the wilderness. The Swedes always go all the way, even if it's only 5th. I say honestly, I did not want to risk any injury in the last race, so I dropped it a little and I came fourth and overall it was the 8th place.

On Sunday we had a second race, the qualifying went far better, where I finished on the 5th. Again, I started only in the quarterfinals that went without a problem. Today I really believed in the semifinals and I wanted to go to the big final. After the start I was very close third and I ride the other rider on the skis. I was waiting for my time, there were 3 places on the track, so I did not want to hurry. My moment came to the target level. The last bend I went through better than the rivals and I got higher speed. I was a little bit excited and then I tried it. When I crossed the target I almost killed myself. because I stretched my hand forward so that I was almost constant. But I did not know if I came second or third. It was actually a millimeter. The arbiter asked me if I was the other, but I could not answer him. So we were waiting for photofinish and I was in the big final. It was about 30s that they came to a break. Bartalski third ... Frustration came but I said, it's just sport :) I've been thinking a lot about where I could still get the millimeters I needed and I came for it. It was enough to ride in the lighter for riders for half a second longer and I would be there. In the skicross, however, it's about decisions in the hundredths of a second, so I'm left with nothing else, just to learn from this moment.

At the small final I was motivated, today I did not plan to drop it. In previous years I had a very unusual swede, with whom I also came to contacts and a bit we caught in the line. In the small final he chose the gate next to me and I admit I was a little nerd, which would follow the track. I knew I had only one option and that was to run away from him. That's how it happened, right after the start, 2 we fled forward and we stalked. I went second and I finished sixty. After the race, I felt like I needed diapers. There was 12 degrees on the slope and I was rolled into the thread. I have to say that this way I was not swallowed yet :)

I went to Sweden to enjoy the last races without great pressure and so it happened. I'm not very satisfied with the location, but I'm very much on the other side of my skiing. I'm most sorry about the Sunday semi-finals, but that's the sport. This season I have gone through 26 races, which is my maximum so far and I have to say that I have enough. This is followed by 2-3 weeks of rest and then we go into the conditioning preparation.

Expect the longest blog with season review + cool video ;)

Barty