May 21, 2018 (Albstadt, Germany) – Pedal caught up with Sandra Walter (Team Canada) following her stellar ride on Sunday taking home her best European World Cup MTB result as she finished 15th at Round #2 of the UCI MTB World Cup XCO in Albstadt, Germany. Walter’s superb ride was a big jump from her previous best Euro result in Albstadt last year when she was 24th – at one point she was riding with Emily Batty and Catharine Pendrel. The Coquitlam, B.C. rider’s best World Cup result was 13th in 2012 at Mont-Sainte-Anne.

 

Congrats on a great ride at the Albstadt MTB World Cup.
Sandra Walter: Thanks! I’m really happy with my ride today!

How were you feeling on the start line ?
SW: I was feeling pretty relaxed on the start line. I was prepared. I’m confident in my form and I had a plan, so I was ready for the gun to go off.

How was your start… it seemed congested out there ?
SW: I didn’t have the best start. I got caught up in traffic and just focused on staying out of trouble and looking for places to move up. I didn’t panic, because I knew there was still a lot of racing to go.

Did things unfold as you expected ?
SW: Kind of. With these slippery conditions especially, you need to be ready for anything. Looking at the forecast, I was ready for rain, which didn’t materialize. But the course was still so muddy and slick from yesterday’s rain and then more rain overnight, so I knew it was going to be crazy.

How slippery was the course as there were many crashes – did you also crash at any point ?
SW: Definitely! Even though I’m confident in mud and riding in wet conditions is one of my strengths, it was still really challenging to stay upright. I focused on riding smoothly and taking time to set up my lines and staying loose on the bike, so I feel I rode well, but I definitely made mistakes, especially on the final lap when I was getting tired.

Did you know you were in the top 20 ?
SW: I was aware I was in the top 20, but I didn’t let it change how I rode. I needed to stay focused on my performance and choosing my lines, so I couldn’t get distracted by my position. I feel it doesn’t really matter where you are in the field, as long as you’re giving your best and I definitely achieved that.

How did it feel to be riding together with Pendrel and Batty ?
SW: It was pretty cool riding with Catharine and Emily at one point. It’s definitely motivating and there’s a sense of solidarity out there with my country mates, even though it’s an individual sport.

Tell us about the end of the race.
SW: I was definitely tiring in the second half of the race and I had to have some serious talks with myself about staying focused and not rushing, despite having some strong riders on my tail. At one point I was even gaining on Gunn-Rita, which was a bit mind-blowing. But things did start to fall apart a bit there at the end and I had to dig really deep on the final climb to stay ahead of my chasers, especially because I’d crashed and lost time earlier in the lap. And then, of course, I crashed again on the final descent, just to keep it really interesting. But I did manage to hold onto 15th spot, despite those mistakes.

Is this your best World Cup result ?
SW: My best World Cup result is 13th, which I did in 2012 at MSA, but this is my best Euro World Cup by far (my previous PB was 24th here in Albstadt last year).

Did you do anything different in training… ?
SW: Not really. I worked super hard, as usual, and I have some great training partners at home and I have an awesome coach. I think that combo, along with all of the support I get from my family, friends, sponsors and Cycling Canada, has helped me improve continually from year to year, which is really exciting and motivating, especially since I’ve been at this for so long!

You missed Round 1 in South Africa so this is your first WCup and has to give you confidence heading into the season ?
SW: Yes, this result gives me a boost of confidence for sure! I had a really strong start to my season already, but this is confirmation that my form is good and I’m really looking forward to seeing where it takes me this season.

All the best…
SW: Thanks!