Andrew Neethling takes 3rd in Dual Slalom
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008
The Sea Otter Classic held in Monterey, California is in the books. This world famous cycling festival is the start to most of the racers international season. New bikes, new kits and seeing everyone again makes this event exciting.The Dual Slalom is a highlight of the Sea Otter. I had an average qualifier and was in 19th spot. They take the top 32 to the final.
I started finding my groove going through the rounds. I eventually would meet up against Greg Minnaar in the semis. It was tight with Greg just edging me out. I went on to win the consolation round and finished up with 3rd place–my best Sea Otter finish.
The Downhill here is a mix of jumps, berms and even a small uphill. It is fun to practice but not a World Cup DH course by any means. This course requires a lot of pedaling and holding speed in the right places. Legs were little sore from the previous day’s slalom, but put together a good run and ended in 9th place only 0.8 secs from the podium. I have struggled to even break the top 20 here, so am very happy with a solid start to the new season.
Thanks for the support,Andrew Neethling