considerably more difficult than the bronze / iron loop . I wished my crew on bronze line the best , and mentally prepared as the nathional anthem played . I was nervous as this was the first time I ' ve been on the front row of any race ! The flag flies , my husky roars to life at near perfect timing and we ' re off ! After the first two corners I look ahead and see Rieju ' s Quinn Wentzel in front of me . I ' m p3 off the break- Great success ! As we wind through the woods the riders simmer down . Very unlike a traditional enduro where everyone is out for blood on the first lap , it was almost a relaxed pace through the first long creek section and uphillwe all know this isnt where the race is decided .
After a few silly early mistakes I ' m sure I had dropped back to 15- 20th place . We were immediately funneled into one of the events preimer obstacles- " Nico ' s valley ". A large rock filled valley surrounded by hopelessly slippery mud . I ' m not sure if it the ground was frozen , or the mud was that slick , or both , but there wasnt much traction to be had . The rocks had their own challenges . 1-4ft ledges , setup almost like a stairway to heaven , covered in moss , and a partially frozen stream still dripping down the middle . With smart line choices , and trials skills I got through most of the valley unscathed . It ' s a fine line between waiting for a good line choice to open up , and losing positions as
VOL . 6 ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2021 // PAGE 107