As quickly as the first World Cup came around, the last was upon us. Returning to Europe from North America, the series was set for a thrilling finale: on-the-day-honours, the overall standings and a last test before the World Championships.

Riders for Val di Sole – Cherie, Martin Gluth, Shlomi and Martin Gujan – with manager Paul.

With Isla only just back on her road bike after a fractured vertebrae, and Mariske choosing to sit out this race in favour of preparation for being fully recovered from ankle injury for Worlds, we had four rider in Val di Sole: Shlomi, Martin Gujan, Cherie and Martin Gluth.

The atmosphere within the team was great, as ever. The bikes were prepped to perfection, training went really well, and we even had plenty of pizza!

The week rushed by and suddenly it was Sunday. Race day.

In her new South African Champion’s kit, Cherie Vale took to the start line with a well-judged balance of natural nerves and controlled clarity. Over the season  – her first World Cup season – Cherie has learned the hard way how too much energy spent thinking can suck the strength from your legs. She had a great start, holding her own on the aggressive start loop, but thereafter her muscles started to tighten and she couldn’t extract the strength she knew should be there. This time it was no fault of the mind, just a body which wouldn’t co-operate. That said, a 51st place finish tells us that those legs are still pretty good, and that the potential is even better. Cherie has a philosophical approach to life and racing, she knows that this is the beginning of her journey and each stage, even if it is a disappointment or a set-back, is a step forward in the bigger picture. This has been a roller coaster first year – ups and downs; many moments of thrill and some of terror!; times questioning why on earth you got on the damn thing, but overall a big cheesy grin and the desire to do it all over again.

No wonder Cherie couldn’t find her power, she had no legs and no cranks!

Without any time for a fortifying slice of pizza (much to Lee’s dismay!), it was time for the boys to do battle.

Shlomi, Martin Gujan and Martin Gluth all got away from the start line safely, sprinting like their lives depended on it amongst a furious throng of 112 others doing exactly the same. Guschi managed to move up into 24th position by the end of the start loop, with Shlomi not far behind. Gluth had a disappointing start by his standards but was still moving up the field.

For Guschi the race was a tale of three parts. After an excellent start he began to fade quickly, dropping back through the riders that he had stormed past in the opening lap. Not all the pistons were firing properly during that second phase of his race, but in the final three laps it was all change and, as if the finish was a magnet, he moved back up through the field, faster and faster the closer the end came. A tactical move and early sprint for the line saw his final overtaking manoeuvre to claim 39th place.

Experience playing its part, as well as good legs, in the final lap.

Shlomi rode a consistent and controlled race, managing his power, tactics and skill to maximum advantage. After a strong start he held his position in the opening half of the race, riding in and between groups of significant riders. The final laps saw him drop back a few places as the lack of race condition (due to illness) began to show a little. However, it was a really positive race for our Israeli Champ…

“Still need to do some final tuning, but feeling in good performance with only two weeks to the world championship.”

Cool, calm and collected, on and off the bike.

For Gluth the final round of the World Cup was unfortunately a disappointing race. Like Cherie, Gluth said that the power was just not there for him. Still, he battled all the way to the end and took 65th place. Although the position was not what he wanted, or indeed is capable of, he always does us proud with the heart he gives everything.

Unusually for Martin the power was gone. However, as usual, the passion was still there.

For Gluth, Shlomi, Cherie and Mariske, the focus is now 100% on the World Championships in Andorra on 6th September. We are incredibly proud to have the team so heavily represented at the biggest race of the year.

Good luck, and perhaps more appropriately for 2000m above sea level, good lungs!

#weareOMX

Thanks to a combination of injuries, illness and a need for less travel and more training, it was only the two Martins who flew out to Canada for the fourth round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.

The Mecca of MTB, Mont Saint Anne, was celebrating 25 years of World Cup racing. Both favoured and feared among the riders, the track’s iconic features – like ‘Beatrice’, a sharp chute of randomly angled rocks, and the classic French Quebec climbs of ‘Alp d’Huez’ and ‘La Marmotte’ – keep coming at the riders without respite.

For Martin Gujan and Martin Gluth the course offered a lot to like, and of course some sections to test the motor and the mind. For the most part the jet lag had subsided and the long journey was out of the legs come race day.

The start of the race couldn’t have gone much better!

“It’s a fair start loop and if you are a fast starter you can get to the front”, said Gluth, whose impressive XC Eliminator credentials really showed. “I was in 11th position at the highest point of the first lap!”

Gujan was also able to make a great start, moving up to 15th position at the first lap split. The boys were mixing it up with the very best, getting lots of TV time and getting us all very excited. After a season of difficult starts and getting held up with crashes, it was great to see the boys up fighting in the top 20.

Unfortunately the subsequent laps didn’t go so well. For Gluth, two big over-the-bars crashes meant that he lost places and his good race rhythm. He decided the pace was just too fast and that in order to avoid more big mistakes he must back off the power and recover his composure…

“From lap 4 onwards it went better again and I could finish in a solid 40th place and with a good feeling.”

For Guschi, a finishing position of 28 did not bring a good feeling. Having found some fine form in his last races, he was hoping for something more in Mont Sainte Anne.

“There was nothing exactly wrong, but I just didn’t have that good feeling. I could set a good speed, but then nothing more. It’s hard to explain.”

It seems that Guschi was running on diesel, chugging along quite well but without that zippy top-end speed of a petrol motor!  Rather remarkably, Guschi’s less than best still resulted in a top 30 finish.

So, despite some disappointments and few bumps and bruises, there are many positives to take onto round five in Windham, USA, next week.

We are ready to fight again, #weareOMX!

The third round of the UCI World Cup in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, delivered a stunning venue, great racing and season’s best results for the team.

However, the trip didn’t get off to the greatest of starts. Firstly, Mariske crashed and sustained an ankle injury during training for the South Africa Cup the previous week and therefore did not make the trip to Switzerland. With Shlomi not scheduled to race in Lenzerheide we were down to four riders. Four then became three when Isla took a dramatic fall during practice on Saturday which resulted in a broken collarbone and a compression fracture in her vertebrae. Thankfully despite being fairly serious injuries, there doesn’t appear to be any complications at this stage for either of the girls. Mariske is looking to be back on the bike in a month, whereas for Isla it will be near to three months before she is back riding anything more than a turbo trainer. Thank you to everyone who has helped and supported Mariske and Isla and kept their spirits as high as can be expected. They are fighters and they will be back! Best wishes girls.

 
Now, back to the racing. For Cherie, Martin and Martin, the show had to go on.
The course in Lenzerheide was a hit with all the riders. Twisting, climbing, jumping and descending its way around the lower slopes of the big mountains, the track required a mixture of technical prowess, explosive strength and strong climbing. Roots, dust and three drop offs were the big players on this largely natural course.
Sunday was very hot and dry, just as it had been all week. The call-up boxes were awash with iced water and umbrellas as everyone did their best to keep cool. Cool and calm. The Elite Women’s start time was approaching fast.
Cherie rolled out onto the grid and at 1115 the starter’s gun fired, signalling the flat-out sprint into the first sections of singletrack. Unfortunately Cherie got caught behind a crash at the first technical section and lost a lot of time. With some skilful scooting and scuffling along she managed to get going again. There were places to made up. The battle was on.

Still a relative newbie to the sport, and especially to World Cup racing, Cherie knew she had yet to find the aggression and determination to fight for her position and for the best possible results. In Lenzerheide that push to the limits and drive for the finish began to really show. Accelerating out of every corner; attacking to catch the riders ahead; holding the line. It all paid off handsomely as Cherie picked her way past rider after rider, digging deep and finding the belief. The reward was huge boost in confidence and a fine 36th position.

Cherie always talks about progressing step-by-step. This was a big step!
With just enough time to grab an ice-cream, it was onto the men’s race. The scorching sun was high, and so were expectations for a thrilling race.

Martin Gujan made a great start, sprinting up towards the top 20, but a crash in front of him held him up. With time lost and his rhythm disrupted, Guschi dropped back to around 70th position and with that he had a hell of a mission to get back towards the front of the race. Over the opening couple of laps both Martins were riding in a similar position, not where they wanted to be but both moving up through the field. It was too hot to panic so they played it cool.

Whilst others punctured, made mistakes and suffered from the high pace and heat, Guschi and Martin were looking well in control. Taking on plenty of fluids, plus taking cooled water from the team staff in the pits to throw over themselves, the boys were able to keep the heat from breaking them.

With a home crowd behind him, Guschi really started to find his legs and work his way up through the field. Living only half an hour away, he knew the terrain and was well-adapted to the altitude and conditions. Riding the Silverback SBC 1.0 full-suspension helped him float over the roots and keep the power on. With the hammer down he was on the up, charging through the field in the final two laps to claim a superb 28th position by the finish.

Martin Gluth was also riding fantastically well. A technically gifted rider, he was smooth and strong where it mattered. Never one to finish a race with anything left in the tank, Martin was giving it absolutely everything to post his best possible result. From a start number of 63, he moved up to 46th – his best ever Elite World Cup XCO result and a very impressive ride from the young gun.

Covered in dust and sweat and water, our riders had given it everything.

We celebrated with a small drinks reception at the team tent with fans and friends of Guschi. After a cold beer it was time to pack away and begin our respective journeys home. Until next time…

#weareOMX

After their troubles in England last weekend, Martin Gujan and Martin Gluth managed to transfer great form into great results this weekend in Haiming, Austria.

This Hors Categorie race in Haiming, Austria, always draws an impressive elite field and this weekend was no exception. The course was almost all singletrack which twisted, traversed and steeply sloped up, down and around the pine-forested hillside. The soil was dry and loose, adding another technical element for the riders to tackle. With a few laps completed on Saturday afternoon, Guschi and Martin were happy with the track, despite knowing it would offer absolutely no respite once the gun went on Sunday.

With a belly full of Kaiserschmarrn it was off to bed!

The morning brought sunshine to the stunning Otztal region and the boys were in an equally bright mood as they headed out for a leg-loosening spin. With a second breakfast-come-lunch complete and the bikes fully prepared, it was time to head down to the venue and get the warm-up under-way.

Although still relaxed and joking, the tension was rising and the race faces were on. With gridding complete and the crowds in place, the countdown began. The staff scattered to the two technical/feed zones and the gun went.

From row three Guschi sprinted into the top ten by the end of the start loop. Meanwhile Martin had more traffic to contend with but still managed to hold his own as the race funnelled into the singletrack.

Jockeying for position and jostling with roots and traffic jamming made it hard to find a rhythm in the opening lap. After that the race began to settle as riders found their place in the pack. That said, the pace was relentlessly fast and the fight for position was never-ending.

Guschi soon found himself in the fight for the top positions, and Martin was working his way through the field into the top twenty. It was clear that a podium was a possibility for Guschi who, during the middle sector of the race, caught up to Rudi van Houts who was riding in fifth position. The battle was on!

Assessing van Houts’ strengths and weaknesses, Guschi was able to calculate how hard to push and when to make his competitor suffer. With a time gap of 6 seconds growing to 9 seconds on the final lap, Guschi gave it everything to make it stick until the end. It paid off splendidly and he crossed the line in fifth to take the final podium spot and some very well-deserved UCI points.

Martin fought hard to stay inside the top twenty and was looking comfortable in 19th position until a twig flicked up and got caught in his rear mech. Sensibly he stopped and removed it rather than risk snapping the chain or breaking the mech hanger but this lost him four places. Martin finished in 23rd position, a result that he was initially a little disappointed in but ultimately shows that the young rider has good form and great potential.

It was a successful weekend full of fun and which leaves the riders with confidence as we lead into the first World Cups of the season.

There was also racing for Mariske Strauss and Cherie Vale this weekend as they took to the start line for the third round of the South Africa Cup.

After a hectic month of racing which saw them complete the Cape Epic and then two XCO races, the girls took some rest and came into this race with fresh legs.

Mariske did her National Champion’s stripes justice with another win in the series, whilst Cherie raced to third place. Another strong performance from the girls on home soil and more points in the bag as they too now look forward to the opening World Cups of the season which they will fly out to Europe for.

Before that, however, are the African Continental Championships where our riders will look to dominate.

Four weeks ago began an epic journey:

The Cape Epic once again did its name justice. The scenery, course, kilometres, climbing and the commitment of the riders were all epic!

The eight days of the Cape Epic catapulted the Novus OMX Pro Team into the media spotlight in a way never before experienced. It all started on Sunday 15th March with the Prologue, a 20 kilometre time trial on the slopes of Table Mountain.

For Martin Gujan and Fabian Giger, a truly world-class professional Swiss pairing, the Cape Epic could not have got off to a better start. They came into the race under the radar, inexperienced and with no grandiose statements of intent, but made their mark very quickly. An awesome display of speed and skill saw them win the opening day and go straight into the overall leader’s jerseys. The Novus OMX Pro Team brand was now very much at the forefront of world mountain biking’s attention.

For the Novus OMX Pro Team girls,an all-South African pair of Mariske Strauss and Cherie Vale,the Epic got off to a more steady start. A conservative approach, which they hoped would see them safely through the race without mishap, mechanical or meltdown, saw them sneak inside the top ten on day one, and then gradually work their way up the rankings as the week went on.

Starting in Cape Town, the race transferred to beautiful Oak Valley, Grabouw, and proceeded onto the long hours and many miles in the saddle each day which characterise the Epic. Oak Valley saw both Novus OMX Pro Teams settle into the race and look to consolidate strong starts. With two fifth places Martin and Fabian established themselves as contenders for stage podiums, and in addition they maintained a very respectful fifth place in the general classification. Mariske and Cherie were also showing some good form, moving up a place in the general classification thanks to a tenth and eighth place on stages one and two respectively.

Confidence and camaraderie were at a high as the longest day loomed. The transfer from Oak Valley to Wellington was 121km of harsh dirt roads. Under the baking hot sun and into strong head wind, this stage was never going to be an easy affair. Indeed, it was the day it all got a bit too epic for Cherie. Her body was tired, her legs heavy and soon her head was battling with the effort as well. This was when the strength of Mariske and Cherie’s partnership really shone. Protecting Cherie from the wind and offering food, encouragement and advice, Mariske coaxed her friend and team mate through to the finish line. Cherie was a broken rider when she arrived in Worcester, barely able to get off her bike, and struggling to find any positivity.

What makes the Cape Epic so unique, and what makes the riders so inspirational, is that the following day the girls were back on the start line, smiles across their faces and ready to go into battle with 111 kilometres and 2000 metres of climbing. The boys too were motivated and ready not only to complete the next stages but to race them, pedal to metal, at the front of the elite pack. Their fitness, finesse and focus were truly remarkable to witness.

And so it went on. Both teams were making a real impression on the race, both in terms of their results and their professional but personable manner off the bike.

From Worcester the race moved onto Wellington. This transfer stage was billed as the ‘King Stage’ thanks to its long distance, technical trails and copious amounts of climbing. In spite of everything that the day threw at them, the Novus OMX Pro Teams conquered the stage in fine fashion, both pairs taking sixth on the day.

Stage six offered mixed fortunes for the team. After riding the previous stages with a mind to get through the Epic and not burn-out, on stage six Mariske and Cherie switched up their strategy and chased down a podium. Their self-belief was rewarded with a fantastic third place. Their big smiles broadened, a Cape Epic podium was theirs to savour.

For Martin, who had ridden out of his skin all week – up at the front of the race and challenging some of the very best riders in the World at a discipline he doesn’t specialise in, in a race he’s never done before – the tank emptied! Like Cherie on stage four, Martin had to dig very deep into his reserves of energy and spirit, and like Mariske, Fabian’s job was to see that the pair could pull through. With their overall standing at stake, the boys mustered every last watt to power through to the finish and onto the final stage.

Stage seven, day eight, took the riders on their final leg of the Epic journey, from Wellington to the wine estate of Meerendal. The girls finished with a solid sixth place on the day and the boys, a week after they stormed to the prologue victory and into the leader’s jerseys, performed an amazing comeback to once again ride onto the podium. Attacking the overall race leaders on the last climb, the boys crossed the final finish line of the Cape Epic just a few seconds down on the win and to the rapturous applause of a huge crowd.

With the podium ceremonies over, it was time to pop the corks on Meerendal’s sparkling wine and toast the end of a testing, sometimes stressful but ultimately hugely successful week. Novus OMX Pro Team entered the Cape Epic as outsiders for a possible podium finish on a single stage, and finished up with three podiums, a day in the Elite Men’s leader’s jerseys, and the utmost respect from the mountain biking world. Ninth place overall for the Martin and Fabian and sixth for Mariske and Cherie, coupled with the three podium places, exceeded expectation. Our athletes put on a stunning performance, highlighting themselves and the team as world-class.

The five o’clock starts, the midday heat, the almost interminable miles and the nightly knowledge that tomorrow would bring the same were all eventually worthwhile. Martin and Fabian, and Mariske and Cherie, did the team very proud.

The Cape Epic journey has finished, but the 2015 season is only just starting…

We are full of confidence and we are ready to race. #weareOMX