Rapid Ascent is very excited to announce that Australia’s ultimate MTB marathon, the Kona Odyssey, will welcome elite Swiss mountain biker Nathalie Schneitter to compete in the event at Forrest on February 16th, 2013.
Schneitter is a Swiss pro rider on the Colnago Südtirol team has included the Kona Odyssey as an integral part of her pre-season training camp in Australia and is ready to race the fastest 100km yet.
Nathalie has been on the world MTB cross country scene for a number of years, winning a Junior World Championship in Les Gets in 2004, then coming 2nd in the U23 World Championship in 2008. She represented Switzerland in the Beijing Olympics and is now aiming to climb back into the top 10 in World Cup XC racing after being mired by injury in 2012.
The Kona Odyssey is a challenging mountain bike marathon event held in Forrest in Victoria. Including 15km and 50km events for novices , the premier 100km event attracts many of Australia’s elite riders from all over the country with a capacity field of 2,000 riders expected to take part again in the events 7th outing 2013.
Schneitter commented that she is particularly excited to be racing at the Kona Odyssey and answered the following questions about life as a pro rider, her goals and expectations for her time in Australia.
RA: Nathalie, you’re consistently a top ten rider on the world stage – including wins as a World Junior XC Champion and in the Open World Cup. Talk us through some of your biggest MTB achievements.
NS: My biggest achievement was for sure winning my home World Cup in Champéry (Switzerland) in 2010. In 2011, I finished 5th at the World Champs on the same course. Winning the European Champs and becoming Vice World Champion as U23 in 2008 was very exciting. Winning the Junior World Champs in 2004 is a long time ago, but the rainbow jersey is something very special to me!
RA: And aims for the future?
NS: After having a very difficult season in 2012 (I broke my arm in May and struggled to get back on track afterwards) it is my goal to get back to top 10 in the World Cup series and a medal at the World Championships is still a real dream for me. However, my next big goal (after the Kona Odyssey, RA) is to win the Cape Epic stage race in South Africa in March 2013.
RA: How did you get into the sport and how tough has it been to progress?
NS: I started mountain biking when I was 14. As a kid, it is quite easy to learn technical skills, because children are not so afraid of crashing and do not envisage all the upcoming things that might happen. The first few races were quite bad, but I could feel progress pretty soon. The most important thing to progress is have clear goals – if you have goals you want to achieve the motivation for training just happens and it’s more fun. Fun is always one of the key aspects of mountain biking!
RA: What is your key MTB strength?
NS: I am technically good and like short powerful uphills. I am kind of a sprinter.
RA: And weakness?
NS: Long steady uphills. I just get bored with them soon.
RA: How do those both line up against the 100km Kona course that you’ll be tackling in February?
NS: I think the course will be a challenge. There are two big hills I’ll have to survive, but the sweet single-track will make it fun anyway 🙂
RA: What got you on to the Kona Odyssey?
NS: I asked a friend of mine (Naomi Hansen) what races she would suggest me to do while being in Australia – there was no question for her that the Kona would be the one I have to do.
RA: You’re racing a few other events while Down Under – what is the idea behind your trip here – serious competition or a riding holiday with a few competitive outings for fun?
NS: The idea is to do a proper training camp with some serious competition. I will be training hard, but of course also enjoying the sun, landscape and the nice tracks. I’ve been injured during the season 2012 and lack a bit of race practice. So the trip is kind of a mix of escaping the snow and cold back home, get good training in and gain some race practice.
RA: Have you raced in Australia before?
NS: Only once at worlds in Canberra in 2009. (Finished 5th with Switzerland in the Team Relay and has a DNS at the cross country because of food poisoning.)
RA: What are your expectations of racing in the Kona?
NS: Hard to say, but I will of course try to make it a hard day for the other girls!
RA: How tough is competition these days in marathon style MTB racing?
NS: It is hard. The level is getting higher and higher and the girls are all very serious about racing. Cross Country (what I normally do) is just fast & full speed from the start line. A marathon is hard too, but it is also a lot about tactics, knowing your own body and making no mistakes.
RA: You get around the globe a bit for all sorts of exotic races – tell us about some of your favourites.
NS: One of my favourites is the stage race in Langkawi, Malaysia. It’s exotic, the people are friendly and the tracks great. Another great race is the Cape Epic stage race in South Africa, which in the hardest race I’ve ever done. Also in South Africa is the Cape Pioneer Trek, I did this race with a deaf partner. It was unbelievably intense. We have also tons of fun races in Europe, but as this is where I come from it is far more exciting to get abroad to race 🙂
RA: You’re racing with your brother – is he a MTBer or have you done some persuading?
NS: My brother never did a single MTB race in his life. He is a former soccer player and wants to get involved with mountain biking now. It’s good to have him around, but it will be interesting and funny to see how he deals with 100km of racing 🙂
Whatever happens on race day, we’re sure Nathalie will love the challenge that the Kona Odyssey will lay down before her – plenty of hills, flowing single-track and of course that amazing Otway landscape to take her mind off the pain.