Monday, June 29, 2009
Bont Enduro 2nd at Le Mans
The Bont Enduro Team finished 2nd at the Le Mans 24 hr Race in France this weekend. In 24 hours the team skated a total of 845.37 km being beaten by the RPM Poli team who covered 849.55 km.
Friday, June 26, 2009
What's on this weekend
This is a busy and important weekend for most of the people that live in the Bont House in Weinfelden.
Tamara and Alexandra have both left today to head up to St Moritz for the Engadin World Inline Cup which is on Saturday. This is one of the most beautiful races in the World when the weathers good. It starts up at Maloja overlooking the lake which on a nice day is full of windsurfers and kite surfers. The fast course then snakes down the valley passing the inline village at half way and then going down a big steep hill which quite a few skaters dread. The last couple of years I have lead the pack down this fast down hill stretch. You have to be very confident to lead as you can hit speeds of 70-80+ km. If you make a mistake in the front it could be very dangerous for the whole pack. The only up hill section of the race is about 1km after the down hill. The race heads up towards Pontresina and it's a long up hill drag. In the ladies race this is usually where most of the attacks are launched, quite a few breakaways have stayed away from this point in the past. It's then predominately flat or slightly down hill all the way to the finish which is at S-chanf.
However when the weather turns, the wind picks up and the rain starts to fall it's not too beautiful. A couple of years back a storm passed through before the start of the race and everyone was left up at the start line freezing cold with no gear to keep warm. You get dropped up at the start line and then are left as the buses or team cars must leave before the roads get closed for the race. That year my zip also broke on my skin suit about 5 minutes before the start. I will never forget going down the hill with my skin suit held together by safety pins and the freezing cold wind hitting my bare skin between the gaps. It's also hard because the weather can change so quickly up there and it could be raining at the start but totally dry 42km down the road at the finish so it's always a gamble as to what to stick on your feet.
The weather forecast isn't looking too good at the moment for Engadin with about 60% chance of rain on Saturday. But we will just have to wait and see.
Everyone one else left early this morning to head to Le Mans, France for the Le Mans 24 Hour Race. It's held around the Le Mans car race track where the famous car race is held. Bont have a 10 man strong team entered with skaters from all over the World. The race starts at 4pm Saturday and ends on 4pm Sunday. The course is about 7km long and each team has one skater out on the track at a time. The skaters relay as they choose and the team that has covered the most distance in the 24 hours wins. This is a tough race and this year there are some very strong teams entered so all the best of luck to the Bont Team.
Wayne Begg (New Zealand)
Ben Alchin (New Zealand)
Willem Hut (Netherlands)
Ard Veneman (Netherlands)
Kert Keskpaik (Estonia)
Philippe Matter (France)
Guillermo Trinaroli (Argentina)
Ruben Martinez (Argentina)
Alfredo Moreno (Venezuela)
Livio Wenger (Switzerland)
Tamara and Alexandra have both left today to head up to St Moritz for the Engadin World Inline Cup which is on Saturday. This is one of the most beautiful races in the World when the weathers good. It starts up at Maloja overlooking the lake which on a nice day is full of windsurfers and kite surfers. The fast course then snakes down the valley passing the inline village at half way and then going down a big steep hill which quite a few skaters dread. The last couple of years I have lead the pack down this fast down hill stretch. You have to be very confident to lead as you can hit speeds of 70-80+ km. If you make a mistake in the front it could be very dangerous for the whole pack. The only up hill section of the race is about 1km after the down hill. The race heads up towards Pontresina and it's a long up hill drag. In the ladies race this is usually where most of the attacks are launched, quite a few breakaways have stayed away from this point in the past. It's then predominately flat or slightly down hill all the way to the finish which is at S-chanf.
However when the weather turns, the wind picks up and the rain starts to fall it's not too beautiful. A couple of years back a storm passed through before the start of the race and everyone was left up at the start line freezing cold with no gear to keep warm. You get dropped up at the start line and then are left as the buses or team cars must leave before the roads get closed for the race. That year my zip also broke on my skin suit about 5 minutes before the start. I will never forget going down the hill with my skin suit held together by safety pins and the freezing cold wind hitting my bare skin between the gaps. It's also hard because the weather can change so quickly up there and it could be raining at the start but totally dry 42km down the road at the finish so it's always a gamble as to what to stick on your feet.
The weather forecast isn't looking too good at the moment for Engadin with about 60% chance of rain on Saturday. But we will just have to wait and see.
Everyone one else left early this morning to head to Le Mans, France for the Le Mans 24 Hour Race. It's held around the Le Mans car race track where the famous car race is held. Bont have a 10 man strong team entered with skaters from all over the World. The race starts at 4pm Saturday and ends on 4pm Sunday. The course is about 7km long and each team has one skater out on the track at a time. The skaters relay as they choose and the team that has covered the most distance in the 24 hours wins. This is a tough race and this year there are some very strong teams entered so all the best of luck to the Bont Team.
Wayne Begg (New Zealand)
Ben Alchin (New Zealand)
Willem Hut (Netherlands)
Ard Veneman (Netherlands)
Kert Keskpaik (Estonia)
Philippe Matter (France)
Guillermo Trinaroli (Argentina)
Ruben Martinez (Argentina)
Alfredo Moreno (Venezuela)
Livio Wenger (Switzerland)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Therapy
This morning I went back to St Gallen for more physiotherapy and rehabilitation. I also done a stabilization/balance test while I was there which was interesting. I had to balance on one leg while standing on a moving plate and try to keep my balance as centered as possible. The results were basically perfect and there is hardly any variation between my left and right side so that is great.
Stabilization/Balance Test
Stabilization/Balance TestToday I also done a range of different exercises focusing on stabilizing my left foot and ankle. All of the activities involved balancing on different wobbly or unstable objects while doing a motion that would compliment skating movements. My ankle is definitely improving and I'm starting to get a better range of movement in it now.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
My Injury Update
It's been just over seven and a half weeks since my accident in Heerde, Holland. I started skating again about 4 weeks ago and easing my way into it. Now I'm fully back training on my skates and not having to wear the brace at all. So things are definitely improving.
I have been on the medication for the thrombosis now for 7 weeks and I was hoping that once the clot went then I would be able to stop the medication and be able to race again. Yesterday I saw a doctor that deals with sports medicine and also thrombosis and was not given clearance to race this weekend in St Moritz or any races before the World Games. The good news is the ultrasound showed no sign of the clot so the medication is working and the clot has gone. But I cannot come off of the medication just yet because if their was a recurrence their is a risk of it going to my lungs. I can however stop the medication about a week out from the World Games, so I will be able to race without the risk of bleeding heavily if I was to fall.
After seeing the doctor at Diepoldsau which is about 1 hour from Weinfelden I then drove 30 min to St Gallen for physio and stabilization therapy. My ankle was massaged and it was amazing to see how much more range of motion I had after the treatment. I also worked with a trainer doing various exercises to help stabilize my ankle.
Each day things are improving and looking better, it's just something that takes time. Although it's frustrating not being able to race I'm still able to train for the World Games and World Championships and as they say it's not over until the fat lady sings.
I have been on the medication for the thrombosis now for 7 weeks and I was hoping that once the clot went then I would be able to stop the medication and be able to race again. Yesterday I saw a doctor that deals with sports medicine and also thrombosis and was not given clearance to race this weekend in St Moritz or any races before the World Games. The good news is the ultrasound showed no sign of the clot so the medication is working and the clot has gone. But I cannot come off of the medication just yet because if their was a recurrence their is a risk of it going to my lungs. I can however stop the medication about a week out from the World Games, so I will be able to race without the risk of bleeding heavily if I was to fall.
After seeing the doctor at Diepoldsau which is about 1 hour from Weinfelden I then drove 30 min to St Gallen for physio and stabilization therapy. My ankle was massaged and it was amazing to see how much more range of motion I had after the treatment. I also worked with a trainer doing various exercises to help stabilize my ankle.
Each day things are improving and looking better, it's just something that takes time. Although it's frustrating not being able to race I'm still able to train for the World Games and World Championships and as they say it's not over until the fat lady sings.
WIC Zurich
The World Inline Cup last weekend was held in one of Switzerland's biggest cities, Zurich. The Zurich race is always full of excitement with the 6.3 km course snaking through the center and around the banks of Lake Zurich.
Nearly every year I have raced in Zurich it has been boiling hot and the largest obstacle is the sticky tar snakes on the road and trying to avoid them. This year that wasn't the only thing the skaters had to deal with.
The ladies 37.8 km race kicked off at 3pm followed by the men 2 minutes later. At this stage the sun was shining and it didn't look like it would rain. One lap into the race the wind started to pick up, the clouds closed in and the weather started turning. After two laps light rain started falling and by 3 laps the weather had done a 360 degree flip and it was pouring down with rain. With the race being held in the center of the city there were far more obstacles due to the rain. The roads which are usually full of cars became very slippery along with the dozens of painted white lines, pedestrian crossings, tight corners and tram tracks.
Even though skaters tried to escape in the ladies pack no one was able to stay away and the race ended in a bunch sprint. With only 2 skaters racing for the Bont Wheels Team it was a tough race and didn't go quiet as planned but Tamara and Alexandra both ended up finishing in the top 10.
Ladies Top 10
1. Baena Cecilia
2. Gegner Jana
3. Turciarelli Giovanna
4. Roosenboom Bianca
5. Vivas Alexandra (Bont Wheels)
6. Llorens Tamara (Bont Wheels)
7. Ghezzi Laura
8. Hartichelar Andrea
9. Strüver Tina
10. Halbout Justine
Men Top 5
1. Guyader Yann
2. Moreno Alfredo Leon (Bont South America)
3. Mantia Joey
4. Tobon Juan Nayib (Zepto/Bont)
5. Boucher Thomas
Nearly every year I have raced in Zurich it has been boiling hot and the largest obstacle is the sticky tar snakes on the road and trying to avoid them. This year that wasn't the only thing the skaters had to deal with.
The ladies 37.8 km race kicked off at 3pm followed by the men 2 minutes later. At this stage the sun was shining and it didn't look like it would rain. One lap into the race the wind started to pick up, the clouds closed in and the weather started turning. After two laps light rain started falling and by 3 laps the weather had done a 360 degree flip and it was pouring down with rain. With the race being held in the center of the city there were far more obstacles due to the rain. The roads which are usually full of cars became very slippery along with the dozens of painted white lines, pedestrian crossings, tight corners and tram tracks.
Even though skaters tried to escape in the ladies pack no one was able to stay away and the race ended in a bunch sprint. With only 2 skaters racing for the Bont Wheels Team it was a tough race and didn't go quiet as planned but Tamara and Alexandra both ended up finishing in the top 10.
Ladies Top 10
1. Baena Cecilia
2. Gegner Jana
3. Turciarelli Giovanna
4. Roosenboom Bianca
5. Vivas Alexandra (Bont Wheels)
6. Llorens Tamara (Bont Wheels)
7. Ghezzi Laura
8. Hartichelar Andrea
9. Strüver Tina
10. Halbout Justine
Men Top 5
1. Guyader Yann
2. Moreno Alfredo Leon (Bont South America)
3. Mantia Joey
4. Tobon Juan Nayib (Zepto/Bont)
5. Boucher Thomas
Dijon Video
There is a good video from the World Inline Cup in Dijon, France on the Roller EnLigne website. Click here to view the video.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
WIC Dijon
The World Inline Cup visited Dijon last Sunday for the 6th stage. The team left Weinfelden Sunday morning to embark on the four hour drive to Dijon. The forecast was for hot temperatures and it was looking that way until fifteen minutes before the start of the race. Then the rain started to fall and never looked like stopping. The course was the same as previous years. A 2.21 km course straight up and down with a roundabout at each end. I have never raced Dijon in the rain but from what I've heard one of the corners was very, very slippery.
The ladies race was quiet tame to start off with. A few attacks were launched throughout the race but no one was able to stay away. Tamara Llorens and Alexandra Vivas tried to escape on a few occasions as our team has won a couple of races in breakaways this season. Unfortunately everyone else was watching them as well and they were quickly targeted and chased down.
The ladies race came down to a sprint finish in the end. With only two team members the Bont Wheels Team waited for someone else to start the sprint and then try to come over top of them. The Powerslide team started the sprint and with about 200 meters to go Tamara tried to pass but Cecilia saw her coming and quickly popped out and accelerated. Tamara finished in third and Alexandra fourth in a close finish.
The ladies race was quiet tame to start off with. A few attacks were launched throughout the race but no one was able to stay away. Tamara Llorens and Alexandra Vivas tried to escape on a few occasions as our team has won a couple of races in breakaways this season. Unfortunately everyone else was watching them as well and they were quickly targeted and chased down.
The ladies race came down to a sprint finish in the end. With only two team members the Bont Wheels Team waited for someone else to start the sprint and then try to come over top of them. The Powerslide team started the sprint and with about 200 meters to go Tamara tried to pass but Cecilia saw her coming and quickly popped out and accelerated. Tamara finished in third and Alexandra fourth in a close finish.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
WIC Dijon Results
Here are the results from the World Inline Cup in Dijon which was held on Sunday. It started to rain about 20 minutes before the start and stayed wet for the entire race. Tamara and Alexandra where the only skaters present from the Bont Wheels Team as Kelly is back in Colombia preparing for the selections for the World Games and World Championships.
1. Cécilia Baena
2. Jana Gegner
3. Tamara Llorens (Bont Wheels)
4. Alexandra Vivas (Bont Wheels)
5. Nadine Gloor
6. Laura Ghezzi
7. Justine Halbout
8. Livia Meier
9. Karin Widmer
10. Karine Talbourdet
1. Cécilia Baena
2. Jana Gegner
3. Tamara Llorens (Bont Wheels)
4. Alexandra Vivas (Bont Wheels)
5. Nadine Gloor
6. Laura Ghezzi
7. Justine Halbout
8. Livia Meier
9. Karin Widmer
10. Karine Talbourdet
Thursday, June 11, 2009
World Inline Cup Ostrava
The first ever World Inline Cup in the Czech Republic was a successful outing for the Bont Wheels Team with Kelly Martinez taking the victory.
The 33km race was held around a fast and smooth 3.050 meter circuit. It was a straight forward circuit, up and down the same stretch of road with a U-turn at each end. There were plenty of spectators lining the streets of Ostrava and a great atmosphere for the race.
Just before the start of the ladies race it started to rain which caused skaters to panic and quickly change their choice of wheels. The rain didn't last long though, by the time the race started the rain had stopped. With it being so warm the roads ended up drying instantly. This didn't stop the Bont Wheels Team from sticking to their plan and attacking to try break up the field. The weekend before Kelly successfully broke away from the field in Pamplona and went on to win the race so the tactic was similar for Ostrava.
Tamara Llorens launched the first attack and Cecilia Baena didn't hesitate to chase it down. Once Tamara was caught Kelly Martinez then attacked with about 25 km to go. Only the Czech ice-speed skater Katarina Novotna was able to follow her. Katarina wasn't able to stick to Kelly for long and a 45 second gap grew between them. After four more laps the distance between Kelly and the main pack grew to 2:45 minutes.
Once Kelly was safely away the team started to attack again. With about 15km to go Tamara successfully broke away from the main pack.
Kelly proved too strong for the field and went on to win the race. Katarina held on for 2nd place and Tamara came in alone for 3rd. Alexandra was the only team member left in the dwindled down pack for the final sprint. Alexandra ended up coming 2nd in the pack sprint behind Cecilia Baena.
A great day for the team, with all the members finishing in the top 5.
Kelly 1st
Tamara 3rd
Alexandra 5th
The 33km race was held around a fast and smooth 3.050 meter circuit. It was a straight forward circuit, up and down the same stretch of road with a U-turn at each end. There were plenty of spectators lining the streets of Ostrava and a great atmosphere for the race.
Just before the start of the ladies race it started to rain which caused skaters to panic and quickly change their choice of wheels. The rain didn't last long though, by the time the race started the rain had stopped. With it being so warm the roads ended up drying instantly. This didn't stop the Bont Wheels Team from sticking to their plan and attacking to try break up the field. The weekend before Kelly successfully broke away from the field in Pamplona and went on to win the race so the tactic was similar for Ostrava.
Tamara Llorens launched the first attack and Cecilia Baena didn't hesitate to chase it down. Once Tamara was caught Kelly Martinez then attacked with about 25 km to go. Only the Czech ice-speed skater Katarina Novotna was able to follow her. Katarina wasn't able to stick to Kelly for long and a 45 second gap grew between them. After four more laps the distance between Kelly and the main pack grew to 2:45 minutes.
Once Kelly was safely away the team started to attack again. With about 15km to go Tamara successfully broke away from the main pack.
Kelly proved too strong for the field and went on to win the race. Katarina held on for 2nd place and Tamara came in alone for 3rd. Alexandra was the only team member left in the dwindled down pack for the final sprint. Alexandra ended up coming 2nd in the pack sprint behind Cecilia Baena.
A great day for the team, with all the members finishing in the top 5.
Kelly 1st
Tamara 3rd
Alexandra 5th
Monday, June 8, 2009
WIC Ostrava Results
Here are the womens results from the World Inline Cup in Ostrava yesterday. The girls will be arriving back in Switzerland today so I will be able to get more details about the race later on.
1. Kelly Martinez (Bont Wheels)
2. Katerina Novotna (Benatky)
3. Tamara Llorens (Bont Wheels)
4. Cecilia Baena (Powerslide)
5. Alexandra Vivas (Bont Wheels)
1. Kelly Martinez (Bont Wheels)
2. Katerina Novotna (Benatky)
3. Tamara Llorens (Bont Wheels)
4. Cecilia Baena (Powerslide)
5. Alexandra Vivas (Bont Wheels)
Saturday, June 6, 2009
What's on this Weekend
I am back on my skates training but still not allowed to race so I will miss out on the Ostrava World Inline Cup on this Sunday. It's the first time the World Inline Cup has ever been to the Czech Republic, so that is fantastic for skating in general. The weather forecast for Ostrava isn't looking too good at the moment with 40% chance of rain. Kelly, Alexandra and Tamara will be in Ostrava competing for the team.
Also on this weekend and starting today are the Swiss Bank Track Championships in Weinfelden. The time trials are supposed to start at 10am but it's raining here at the moment so that could be delayed. Even though the track has a roof the sides are exposed so if the rain is not falling straight the track does get wet. Last year I competed in the Swiss Champs as they are open to foreigners but this year I will just be a spectator.
Also on this weekend and starting today are the Swiss Bank Track Championships in Weinfelden. The time trials are supposed to start at 10am but it's raining here at the moment so that could be delayed. Even though the track has a roof the sides are exposed so if the rain is not falling straight the track does get wet. Last year I competed in the Swiss Champs as they are open to foreigners but this year I will just be a spectator.
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