The Czech Cross Country Championship was a bit of a disappointment. I finished sixth, but was hoping for a spot on the podium before the race.
But before the start I wasn't feeling that great. I made a quick start because I wanted a good position, but I used up a lot of energy doing that. So I had to race a bit slower for two laps. I lost some places and was maybe 12th. But then I started to feel better and I moved ahead of some riders. It was probably the best I could do in the hot weather.
The winner was reigning European Champion Jaroslav Kulhavy. He is the best Czech rider and I finished six minutes behind him. But I know that my fitness is not that great due to my recent health problem and it was only my second MTB start of the season.
After the race we went to Mikulov, where my father’s cousin has a wine cellar. I would like to thank him for the invitation. There were people from my family, Belgian members of my team and also some fans from Stribro there. About 30 people in total. Everybody had a great time. It was nice for me to show my friends from Belgium a little bit of Czech culture :-)
I got two bottles of vintage wine from 1985 (the year I was born) as a gift. One bottle for Ine and a second for me. I will save them for a special occasion.
