May 26, 2019 (Nove Mesto, CZE) – Pedal caught up with Haley Smith (Norco Factory Team) following her first World Cup podium finishing third in the Elite Women’s 26.20km race, in Nove Mesto, CZE at round #2 of the UCI MTB XCO World Cup Series. Smith also recorded the fastest time on the final lap to claim her historic podium. Her best previous result was 8th at Mont-Sainte Anne in 2018 – results here.
Congrats again – has it sunk in yet ?
Haley Smith: Yes and no – I just did my thing and raced my bike as fast as I could, so it feels a bit surreal that that result came out of it!
Did you feel anything special today… you like the Nove Mesto course ?
HS: I really like the Nove Mesto course, that’s for sure! I felt that I had good legs in warm up and I was game to just crack it and see what I could do, and I suppose that creates the possibility for something special to happen.
Did things unfold as expected – what was your strategy today ?
HS: My strategy was to put myself in a good position (top 8 if possible) and then see if I could hold it or work my way up. I didn’t expect to podium, that’s for sure, but I kept telling myself that it’s not over until you’re over the line, so I just kept pushing.
You were top 10 and then on the last lap you went from 6th to 3rd… tell us about it.
HS: Yeah on the last lap I moved from 6th to 3rd. I came around with one lap to go and I was 14 seconds or so down on fifth. I thought I could maybe close that gap so I knew I needed to go all-in and try. I bridged to Jolanda [Neff] and passed her at the top of the first climb on the lap, and then passed Sina [Frei] on the next climb. Meanwhile, the three of us had overtaken [Anne] Tauber who had some type of mechanical problem. I got to the top of the final climb in third and knew I just had to ride smooth and hold it and I managed to do that!
HS: Yes haha, I was hyper aware of it! I was leading the sprint out so I knew my best chance was to make it as hard as possible for the final couple minutes and I managed to get a gap that meant Sina didn’t have a draft from me. It was full effort to hold it to the line.
How did it feel when you crossed the line ?
HS: Pretty damn good. I believed in myself and I went for it, and it paid off. It’s an incredibly satisfying feeling knowing you did everything you could.
This result and podium validates many things – tell us what it means to you ?
HS: The result doesn’t really validate anything so much as what the result was a side effect of: my biggest struggle has always been with self-confidence, and self belief and my goal today was to truly commit and give myself to the effort. I found the courage to believe in myself and go for it and that, to me, is the biggest reward cycling has and will ever give me.
How much of a confidence boost is it going forward ?
HS: For sure it’s a confidence boost, but I’m more just savouring the day and allowing the energy of it all the infuse my soul!
Any shout out to fans ?
HS: I received so many messages over the last week from people saying they believed in me and that I had what it takes to me at the front. I can’t tell you how impactful those messages were for me. I actually had a bit of a cry last night before the race while reading them. So thank you to everyone for the positive energy and the genuine encouragement and kindness.
Congrats again.
HS: Thanks