Danika Botha Race Report Paarl National DH #1 - 22/01/202

Thursday 19 Jan 

After landing in Cape Town we met Beani and built bikes before heading to Leatt HQ. We collected our race kit and new helmets to kick off this season. 

Then we hit Paarl like a band of buffalo on a mission…

We dropped our bikes at our accommodation, unpacked and then drove to the bottom of the DH so we could do track walk. 

This was fun, the race nerves and excitement set in and I loved how the team worked and joked together but still kept the tone calm and focused. 

The track was rough and blown out, I was keen to ride it on the new bike and fork, especially since I had last raced Paarl on a 120mm trail bike…

Friday, 20 Jan 

First practice day! We had breakfast and got to the track early. My plan was to ride everything first run, just rolling and getting comfortable on the track as efficiently as possible. 

 The bike felt great and my grip in the flat corners at the top was good. But further down the track I felt bucked and janky on the rock gardens. It also felt as if the bike was diving into the breaking bumps and ruts on the bottom of the course. The jumps felt smooth though. 

The whole team hit our track goals by the end of the morning and I felt strong and confident, that track was so cool. 

The course was closed at 12:00 to be marked and Robbie called while we were having lunch and comparing notes, it was great to finally talk to him and get some great advice…

Saturday, 21 Jan 

Official practice! 

We started the day by changing our suspension to what Robbie suggested and getting our bikes ready for the day. 

My fork was set a LOT softer and we also set the rebound correctly. I was super excited to go ride and test out the new setup. 

At 11:00 we could start practicing and our day picked up some speed. 

The team was amazing, keeping a light mood but pushing each other to focus and the excitement was contagious. My bike felt awesome! It had made such a big difference and I no longer felt like I was sinking into every hole on the course. 

We phoned Robbie again to give him the feedback and I was set to race with a super smooth bike. 

At 15:00 the practice ended and I was happy with my riding, I was smooth and my lines were clean, I hadn’t pushed or overcooked anything and I felt confident. 

Then we headed back to accommodation to pack and get ready to race…

Sunday, 22 Jan

Race day! 

I was so nervous but so excited! I did one practice run before my seeding run and rode calm and smooth to get a feel of the track. Then it was time for seeding… I didn’t make any mistakes on course but I knew I wasn’t pushing hard at all. I wasn’t happy with my time either (2:16:50), second in Juniors and fifth overall women, I knew that I wasn’t racing hard or fast enough and that my riding was much too relaxed.

Now for the real deal.

Race time…

I went up on the shuttle and I knew I had to push hard. I raced a very smooth run, pedalled really hard and kept my lines as clean as possible. I’m happy with my race run and I’m absolutely over the moon to have taken 8 seconds off my seeding run and win the Juniors with a time of 2:08:20. 

I couldn’t have hoped for a better start to the season, I’ve taken the valuable lessons to heart and now my sights are set on SA Champs as my next race.  I’m excited to better myself as an athlete, see how well I can do and really push for it.

Thanks so much for all the help and support, I’m so excited to be riding and representing for your brand and I’m excited to see what this season will bring… 

Until next time, 

Thanks again

Danika Botha - Organic Athlete Gravity Team