Marina Duvnjak

Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000168 EndHTML:0000003868 StartFragment:0000000468 EndFragment:0000003851

Hey there

So as promised here is the update….

Righto, so as you might have realized I have joined the Jazz Apple cycling team! It was a bit of an unexpected event, but it has turned out great!! The original plan for the year was to take it as it comes and up until like 7 weeks ago I was going on a trip to the US to visit Mike, a couple of emails to Susy asking if I was able to join them for a few races…. etc… And things just went on from there!!

I arrived in Monterey California last Saturday, greeted by the team manager Chris Drake! It’s been 9 days now and I have managed to:

Shift houses/accomodation :5 times (absolutely amazing team host housing, a MASSIVE change from my last year in Europe thats for sure!! People are so nice and friendly here too!! Actually smile and are excited to have us here!!

Race : 4 times ( 4x 60min crits)

Plane trips :4 Right now we are flying to Philly for a major event on the 7^th June

Tangled up in crash (but not go down by some miracle) :1 amazing that a bunch of girls can corner at like 45km/hr but take each other out on a straight bit of wide road, right past the start finish line!! I had nowhere to go and piled straight into a girl already on the ground, but somehow I didnt go down, all I know is that I was sliding along, on my cleats totally upright and using every bit of my inner thigh strenght not to end up on the gound doing the splits!! So I just gradually slowed down and just tipped over, managing to hold myself up with one finger!! hahah I looked round for my bike and realised it was like 5 meters back!! I had to crack up, no idea how I managed that one, but the only proof I have is a tiny scratch on my ankle!! waaaahhh!!

Number of kiwis spotted at races so far : 3, Huck, Toni, Jas!! 4 with Liz! More kiwis to be spotted this weekend in Philly!!

Promotianl work for Jazz Apple ; 1 at Wholefoods! Pretty good fun!!b basically just spend a bit of time in the shop talking about and promoting the apple..

Witnessed a demolished team bike!!: 1 Malindi had a bad spil on the first night of racing and the bike was totally stuffed! Forks completely snapped, and considering state of the bike she’s come of pretty good!

Anyway, it’s only been like 4 races (crits) so far, but man its been soooooo much fun!! The crowds and the atmosphere here are totally different to Europe!! people are loving the fact that there is a race on, and the mens and womens races are on the same time so thats wicked too!!

Gotta, go… be back soon! Kutztown here we come!

Over