Sami Moreno Sauri : RHCBCN4

text : Samantha Moreno Sauri - photo : Chiara Redaschi

Yes, Red Hook Crit is the race! That one race that made fixed gear bikes from the city become bikes for racing and having fun instead of for just riding to work! The one race in which wether you are a spectator or a rider you just feel the adrenaline!! The whole thing is so exciting, from the day before, the main race and the infamous afterparty (haha). 

About Barcelona, well this was not my best race! I only started racing this year but I just haven´t quite had the luck yet ! In each race I had some problems, London being perhaps the most memorable ( we know all what happened there...). But lets focus on the race, my situation was horrible... one week before I woke up with my waist completely swollen. SHIT! I don't know why but I couldn't walk or move properly! After training hard the days before my expectations for the race were now very low. I went to the hospital with Carla and after an inspection they said to me:

- Doctors : "We don't know exactly what it is, maybe some liquid inside of you. You have to compress it and rest until it is gone. Your skin has gotten separated from the muscle so take it easy!"

- Sami : "Are you crazy??? Hahaha... I need to race! Take me to the race!"

The doctors didn't understand me. After my inspection we went to the pharmacy but I passed out and bumped my head to the floor.. It was not my day thats for sure... On the Wednesday before the race the trauma doctor took tons of liquid from my waist and he said to me that I could race... well maybe! 

The day of the race I was very nervous because I couldn't fall down on to my waist or I would have destroyed it and would have to go directly to the hospital. So, that was my focus for the race, do not fall haha! I left my compression bandage on and it turns out that this was wrong because my blood was not flowing properly. I did the qualifications and decided to see how was my waist reacted after that. In the end I did the finals too, starting from the middle... Because why not!! After a few laps and loosing the lead group, taking the wind in my face for too long my leg went to sleep. In the end I just got lapped but it was happy to finish after the stress from my injury!

I´m Looking forward to Milano to see everybody in the last race of the year... and the after party (haha).