Antwerp, Dublin and Val Di Sole
First up was Antwerp. I knew going in this one might be the most challenging for me, for multiple reasons. Based on where I was at in my training cycle (what we were able to cram in after the injury!!), the power profile of the course not quite suiting my strengths, and the features of the course (aka SAND SAND SAND) being in short supply in my domestic racing experience. I understood all of these challenges objectively, but still made very ambitious goals for myself for my first World Cup post injury. I prepared in every way I still had the ability to the week leading into the race, nailing my nutrition, recovery, sleep goals and spending 2 days on the course before the big day with my mechanics. The vibes were high, as was the pressure I put on myself to perform, to prove myself, to make my "ComeBack" mark.
From the whistle, my first lap was filled with chaos, bad...