Introduction
We've barely crossed the mid-season mark and the end is already in sight, so it's time to take stock of this year and this 4th race of the championship
A scorching hot weekend, 40°C in the shade and 60°C on the track—a real test for both man and machine, but my goal has always been to push past my limits! The weekend got off to an absolute flyer, and I was well on track to hit my target of P10 or better in qualifying, with hopes of biting at the heels of the podium during the race…
But fate had other plans: waking up on race day, I felt sick, incredibly sick. On top of that, I had to pit twice for technical issues. Qualifying 18th, it was with absolute grit and determination that I lined up for the two race days, fueled by the team's words ringing in my ears: "stop hesitating to overtake, you're faster than them, send it and they'll let you through!"
It's with great regret that my weekend ends with this kind of footage. In race 1, I managed to gain only 2 places; I had a clear pace advantage over the group of 4 ahead, but the highly dangerous track and careless competitors kept me from getting past.
And then came race 2, my final chance of the weekend to prove my worth. With a boiling 42°C ambient temperature, regional officials forced us to cut our day in half; so it was down to an 8-lap race, 10 minutes of pure action, and 22 riders absolutely ready to battle it out.
I got a brilliant start, but once again, I found myself bottled up behind much slower riders — WAY slower — who didn't hesitate to bump into me every time I tried to pass. As I was setting up a clean move, another rider barged past, blocking my line. 4 laps down already, and there was no way I was backing off. I made my move in a corner where I had a massive advantage, but I made light contact with this rider who cut back onto my line as I was overtaking; she crossed the track, clipped my front wheel, and sent me sliding off at nearly 200 km/h.
The rebuild is going to be tough, but I am absolutely starving for results, and I am determined to take my team, my sponsors, and my loved ones all the way to the podium this year.
The next rounds will tell the story!
See you very soon
