World Cup Finals in Slovenia

Kiara in the street of Calaf (Catalunya)
photo : Sylvain Badia

Letter from Kiara Bisaro

"The adventures continue ! After World Cup Finals in Slovenia I hopped on a plane and headed to Beijing for the Olympic test race. In the Olympic pool for Canadian women there are now 3 riders but only 2 will be going next August. We decided to use this chance to check out the course and the racing conditions we would encounter. The pollution is really bad and with the heat and humidity it is definitely going to be a factor. The course is really challenging. There are a lot of short steep climbs and descents with tight corners so it is not possible to carry momentum. There is never an opportunity for rest. I had a massive crash during the 3rd lap and that was the end of the race for me. I managed to hurt both legs so badly I could not pedal or walk properly for 3 days.

After the race we had a day to check things out a bit so I hobbled around to see the Great Wall and the Forbidden City as well as doing some serious bartering at the market. I also tried some of the food from the street vendors and it was so good!

After China I flew back to Montolieu and spent the week recovering from the crash. I took it easy on the bike so I had some time for other adventures. On Thursday we went mushroom picking and it was so cold that we got snowed on a bit. The figs are still ripening so I am going to make jam before I leave and the chestnuts are starting to fall.

After my week of gathering and light training I decided I was fit to race in the Catalan Cup final on Sunday.
Saturday morning we got up early and headed to Calaf, 4hrs from Montolieu. After 20km something strange happened to the van and we did not have 5th gear. Since it was 350km of highway driving that was a bit of a problem. We headed back to Montolieu without 1st, 5th or reverse and got a rental car. By noon we were on the road again. The rental was a small Peugeot and it was perfect since we took an “alternate” route to Calaf and it was all marked for the rally car race that was there on Sunday morning. It is much more fun rallying in a Peugeot 207 than a VW van!

The Catalan Cup was great. Well organized, ideal weather and a really nice venue. It was a super fast course but I was still able to take the lead early in the race and felt pretty good considering how crazy things have been the past month. After the race there was a huge post race lunch supplied by the organizers so it was a fun social event as well.
Today we are on a mission to get the van fixed so we can get to the next race."

Kiara