Context – A global battlefield
The opening round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series always sets the tone.
Even on the other side of the world, the best riders show up. Pyeongchang was no exception: 51 riders from 21 nations, all chasing the same goal — start the season strong.
For me, the context was mixed.
Jet lag hadn’t fully faded, and adapting to a new continent is never trivial. But the course — originally dry and perfectly suited to my climbing abilities — gave me confidence. A top 30 finish felt within reach.
Then the rain came.
And with it, a completely different race.
What was meant to be a physical, rideable course turned into a running battle in the mud — not exactly my strongest suit. Still, the objective remained the same: get as close as possible to that top 30.
Race day – From control to chaos
After last-minute mechanical adjustments — switching to full mud tires — it was time to warm up.
Given the logistics of the venue, my warm-up took place on the road, under heavy rain. Not ideal, but at that point, nothing really was.
The call-up was chaotic. I started from the last row.
And straight away, the tone was set.
From the very first climb, it became obvious: this would not be a race you ride — this would be a race you run. Mud everywhere. Bikes clogging. Traction almost non-existent.
The opening lap was about survival and positioning. As the field stretched out through the singletracks, I crossed the line in 36th position, already 3 minutes behind the leaders.
Fighting the course
Lap two made things even harder.
Trying to move up in the first lap meant taking less optimal lines — dirtier, stickier, more punishing. My bike quickly became heavy with mud. At times, it felt like dragging extra kilos uphill.
Mechanical issues followed.
I had to stop multiple times to put the chain back on — small incidents, but costly. In total, these stops cost me more than 1 minute 30.
After two laps, sitting in 38th place, it felt like the race was slipping away.
Turning point
But in lap three, something shifted.
My lines improved. My choices became cleaner. I started managing the mud instead of fighting it.
I was still running most of the climbs, but more efficiently. Less mud buildup. Fewer mechanical issues.
And slowly… I started catching riders again.
Finding the rhythm
From there, it became a different race.
Lap after lap, I found a rhythm. Consistent. Focused. Efficient.
My lap times improved. The sensations came back.
I started moving forward — one position at a time — until reaching 34th place.
The end – and what could have been
I was eventually pulled out under the 80% rule at the end of lap five.
But the most important detail lies elsewhere:
My last two laps were inside the top 30 times.
Which confirms one thing — the goal was there. Within reach.
Takeaways
In the end, 34th place.
Slightly below expectations on paper, but in reality, a result I’m proud of — my best performance at this level so far.
Of course, there’s always that question:
What would this race have been in dry conditions?
We’ll never know.
But what I do know is this:
The progression is real. The direction is right.
And I trust the process.
