The third round of the European Cup took place this Saturday, April 18, in Drozdovo, Slovakia, on the slopes of a ski resort. With 31 riders from 14 nations, the race had a strong international field. The course featured significant elevation gain and a long climb, a profile that generally suits my abilities well.

Starting with bib number 17, and with 10 riders ranked inside the world top 500, the fight for a top 10 result was expected to be intense. Although the riders starting behind me did not have more UCI points, several of them had strong references, making the race very open and competitive. After recovering from a heavy training block that had impacted my previous races, I was feeling good again and aiming for a top 10 finish.

From the start, my impressions were confirmed: the pace was high and the level very dense. I chose a controlled approach, riding hard enough to stay in contact without compromising the final part of the race. During the first lap, I managed to position myself within a group fighting for 8th place.

Unfortunately, still in that first lap, a loose rock slipped under my front wheel and sent me into a tree on the side of the course. Nothing serious apart from a heavy hit to the shoulder, but the incident cost me around 20 seconds and dropped me back into a group battling for positions between 10th and 15th.

Still feeling strong, I managed to break away from that group and set my own pace. On the long climbs, I was able to regain time thanks to good sensations. However, the crash made me more cautious in the descents, especially as I arrived on race day and didn’t have the chance for a full course recon on a track that turned out to be more technical than expected. As a result, I lost some of the advantage gained uphill.

The final two laps turned into a test of endurance and management, as for most of the field. I managed to hold my position and crossed the line in a solid 11th place, earning 8 UCI points.

This result allows me to strengthen my position within the top 20 of the European Cup standings and confirms my consistency at this level.

Next stop: Seoul for the first round of the World Cup.

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