How Was Your Weekend - XC #2 with Anne Terpstra
Last weekend, Ghost Factory Racing's Anne Terpstra took on XC World Cup #2 in Albstadt, Germany - we caught up with her to hear how it went, what it's like to race the famed German course, and what's next for her.
Crankbrothers: Anne, great job at the weekend! How are you feeling after a weekend of World Cup Cross Country?
Anne Terpstra: Thanks a lot! Right now, I am still a little tired. World Cup racing always asks a lot from a rider, and the Albstadt course is just really hard physically. That kicks in different than a typical racing weekend for me. Luckily I have a little time to recover now.
CB: It's been a few weeks since the season opener in Brazil - what did you do between the races?
AT: After Brazil, I first took time to get completely rested again after the racing and the traveling. Because it has been a really successful weekend for the team and me, it was also good to have a little time to process everything. I enjoyed having a bit of time off and being home to see the first signs of spring! Then, as always, haha, training continued. I had a really good week of training and finished that off with a double weekend of racing. I felt good on both days but was a bit unlucky to crash during the Sunday race, and that influenced my final week before I went to Albstadt. I did not break anything, but it took me some time to feel good again physically. I am happy that it worked out right in time before Albstadt was coming up.
CB: Albstadt is always referred to as a course for hardtail bikes - why is that, compared to the other venues on the circuit?
AT: For me, Albstadt is a hardtail course mostly because of the surface. It is relatively smooth and, therefore, quite easy to transmit the power from the pedals and have grip on the back wheel. When the climbs have a lot of roots, like in Nove Mesto, for instance, that is way harder and a fully makes it easier to be efficient. Also, because the climbs in Albstadt are really steep, I feel more comfortable on a hardtail. You see more and more riders not switch back to a hardtail anymore from a fully, but I was happy with my choice to race on a hardtail again this year.
"We are all curious about what the day will bring when we are standing at the start line"
CB: Just like every XCC, this one looked crazy! What is the secret to success in getting a good short track result?
AT: Maybe that is not the perfect question for me; I am still figuring that out, I guess! Because my training balance is more focused on XCO, I tend to struggle a bit more in short tracks. It is important there to save energy and not waste it before it really goes to the finish line and positions are decided. I think the trick is to stay safe and in the front without wasting energy by doing that.
CB: You finished 8th in the XCO - were you happy with how the race went? Did it go according to plan?
AT: I do not often have a specific race plan anymore, to be honest. I just go with how I feel and then trust I will make the best out of the situation I get into. My race was a bit similar build-up than last year, and I consider for the next one to go back to a race plan in Albstadt ;-) I had a great start, struggled in the first lap with the high pace, and then slowly came back again to end with a strong finish. Copy-paste like 2021 somehow. I am satisfied with my result, and it just shows once again that every race is a new day, and new riders can be at the front. That's exactly why I love to race so much. We are all curious about what the day will bring when we are standing at the start line.
CB: You're now 2nd overall, and the team is leading the overall! Do you think about the overall championships this early in the year, or is this more of just a nice bonus?
AT: It is a bit of a strength of mine to be consistent through the season, and therefore this year was the first time I thought about the overall before we started racing. But it is not more than in my head, because to do good in an overall, the job is pretty simple: do as good as you can in every single World Cup race. That has always been my approach, and it will not change. I can't control what others are doing, so I just want to be the fastest possible me on the days it counts, and that is what I'm working for.
CB: Heading into Nove Mesto next week, how do you feel? Do you have specific goals going into a World Cup weekend?
AT: I am feeling very motivated, and as I said before, I am also pretty curious about how the racing will go this weekend! I know I am in good shape, and I think the Nove Mesto course suits me better than Albstadt, so I am just looking forward to seeing what I can make of the weekend. I don't have any specific goal, but I will think about how I want to race the short track since they changed the course quite a lot. On Sunday, I will go on feeling and intuition and try to use my strengths in the best possible way.
Nove Mesto is just a few days away, be sure to catch Anne and her Ghost Factory teammates live on Red Bull TV!
Images // Ross Bell
