World Cup #1, #2 and #3 Recap
The Olympic year has brought with it plenty of traveling as Olympic hopefuls must first battle for those valuable Olympic qualification points which will determine who will line up in Beijing and who will stay home. This has made for some incredible racing, and some extraordinary race-watching, as all the current World and Olympic Champions have lined up for each World Cup, battling for those sometimes elusive points.
World Cup #1 - Sydney, Australia. This World Cup would be Sarah’s first race since her World Championship win in Spain last year. Furthermore, coming off a debilitating back injury this summer, the World Cups this year provide Sarah great short-term goals and a great way to race back into shape and get ready for the Olympics in August. Sarah finished a very respectable 5th place in her first competition back. She had “officially” started her Olympic year!
World Cup #2 - Beijing, China. This event also doubled as the Olympic test event. And what an event it was! China is incredible and anyone thinking about making a visit should – there is no place like it. In addition to remarkable people, the track also proved to be astounding. This velodrome, although not proving to be extraordinarily fast at this competition, nevertheless was by all other standards Olympic quality. Sarah finished up by taking the bronze medal. And although she is never quite happy with anything less than Gold, this result puts her squarely on track for her Olympic year!
World Cup #3 - Los Angeles. It is always desirable to not have to travel to go to a World Cup, and the US riders (and staff) always look forward to put on a great show for their families, sponsors and supporters. Sarah was also unveiling her new Olympic bike – the Felt TK1. The L.A. World Cup proved to be one of the best showings by US riders in history. The stands were packed as Sarah’s key sponsor, the OUCH Sports Medical Center, provided free tickets to all Jr. cyclists. Sarah ended up with another bronze medal which now puts her one point out of leading the World Cup overall.
Looking Ahead - Sarah now has 7 weeks to prepare for the World Championships in Manchester, England. And although the Olympics will be the big goal this year, Sarah would of course like to win another World title. All preparations are on schedule and we look forward to using the next 6 months to our full advantage as Sarah will be lining up in Beijing on August 15th, 2008!
As always, we appreciate everyone’s support!
World Cup #1 - Sydney, Australia. This World Cup would be Sarah’s first race since her World Championship win in Spain last year. Furthermore, coming off a debilitating back injury this summer, the World Cups this year provide Sarah great short-term goals and a great way to race back into shape and get ready for the Olympics in August. Sarah finished a very respectable 5th place in her first competition back. She had “officially” started her Olympic year!
World Cup #2 - Beijing, China. This event also doubled as the Olympic test event. And what an event it was! China is incredible and anyone thinking about making a visit should – there is no place like it. In addition to remarkable people, the track also proved to be astounding. This velodrome, although not proving to be extraordinarily fast at this competition, nevertheless was by all other standards Olympic quality. Sarah finished up by taking the bronze medal. And although she is never quite happy with anything less than Gold, this result puts her squarely on track for her Olympic year!
World Cup #3 - Los Angeles. It is always desirable to not have to travel to go to a World Cup, and the US riders (and staff) always look forward to put on a great show for their families, sponsors and supporters. Sarah was also unveiling her new Olympic bike – the Felt TK1. The L.A. World Cup proved to be one of the best showings by US riders in history. The stands were packed as Sarah’s key sponsor, the OUCH Sports Medical Center, provided free tickets to all Jr. cyclists. Sarah ended up with another bronze medal which now puts her one point out of leading the World Cup overall.Looking Ahead - Sarah now has 7 weeks to prepare for the World Championships in Manchester, England. And although the Olympics will be the big goal this year, Sarah would of course like to win another World title. All preparations are on schedule and we look forward to using the next 6 months to our full advantage as Sarah will be lining up in Beijing on August 15th, 2008!
As always, we appreciate everyone’s support!
posted by Andy Sparks and Dotsie Bausch at 10:04 PM
