Longauer took silver in World Cyclocross Masters Championship
The start at the world championships is the pinnacle of the year long effort, trying to forge the hard work into the best result possible
The start at the world championships is the pinnacle of the year long effort, trying to forge the hard work into the best result possible. So was the case at Cyclocross Masters World Championships, taking part in Swiss Gossau, with it`s unpredictable grassy circuit, changing it`s parameters every minute, for the second time.
The day before raceday, the circuit was covered with 30 cm of heavy snow, which was partly removed by a tractor with snow plough. However, the vehicle left deep tracks which would freeze after the temperature dropped below zero, making the surface hard. Surprisingly, the weather shifted overnight, it rained and most of the snow melted, but this left the grass drenched and every ride created more mud on the circuit.
We bring you the exclusive, first hand account of the race from the silver medalist, Ladislav Longauer:
“By 13 in the morning, when my age group was due to start, the rain had decreased, it wasn`t pouring, just drizzling. The comissaire had us cued, gun-started the race and I surged to the front and went to the off road section first. After 70 meter section of deep mud and off camber section, which I went through using my left leg to keep balance and momentum, three guys were faster than me, so provisionally fourth place for me. Next up was the ride up to the tarmac road, with no mud but with icy crust on top – I took the side of the road with solid traction and gave it all. We flown by the pits, going again in to the muddy section, which some riders decided to run, but I tried to ride it as far as I could, but later in the race running proved to be faster. Somehow, the French rider, eventual winner, started to distance me. Over the hard, icy section, I narrowed the gap to 10 seconds, I changed the bike in the pits, then through the steep run up to the finishing straight and after lap one, I was losing 13 seconds.
In the second lap I lost a few seconds in the off camber section, then changed my bike again and dug deep again to close the gap, but I was still 15 seconds down the road.
Then the last lap. I still had the French in reach when I heard the Slovak shouting: “Come on Laco, go, go, go, you have to beat him, two surges and you`re at him!”. I couldn`t recognize the guy, but it really motivated me, I changed my bike again with 400 meters to go, The Slovak guy running besides me, cheering on, I turned myself inside out but Galissaire Jean Bernard won by 28 seconds. Behind me, Belgian Mertens Francois won the sprint for third. The cheering guy was ichal Prachár, former excellent cyclist, currently living in Switzerland, who was the first to congratulate me at the finish line. It was an excellent feeling. But without the sacrifice and help from Jirka Prudila from Svitavy, Jitka Hodanova from Policka, Belgian Jurgens Huybrechts and foremostly from my man in the pits, Jirka Sedlacek from Ostrava, I would have never finished the race. I would like to say THANK YOU!
In the evening, Michal and his girlfriend visited me at the hotel: “Guys, dress up, we`re hitting the town, the medal should be celebrated” . And so we had a well deserved beer or two at the local Australian inn.
