I am sitting on the 11th floor at Eurostop's Quality Hotel after managing to get a fine deal. It is a unique design because I could enjoy the view of Örebro while I took my shower after today's race. And with some major fire at a heating plant this was certainly special.

So, this was my 3rd time starting in Kumla and the last two times I seemed to remember the course as pure hell. But today it felt way better. Superklass was massive as usual and unlike the local races I started dead last. They were supposed to start Dam Prestige 2 minutes after but decided to just let everyone start at once. Now there are more of them so in fact many were behind me except for one from Ludvika who started beside me. The start was panic as always and I was out to the side and just taking it easy because that was the plan for today. I was right behind the one from Ludvika but I passed her and was right on the tail of a group of 3 guys. Good, something to work on.

The latest problem with my bike is that I can have it in the easiest gear but then I have to shift down 3 because the chain jumps on everything between. That made the hill section after the forest kind of strange because I didn't need the easiest gear to get up but my other choice was too hard for Lap 1. This became the spot I seemed to lose time. Well, also the jumps, the hill after and the stairs which were slippery as hell.

Surprisingly the 'grassy mud of death' part over behind the parking lot went extremely well and I didn't lose any time. In fact I caught up to the 3 and passed the first one. On the second lap there was a guy from CK Valhall that seemed to be having a rough day so I could pass him in the grass part behind the red houses before that part with the hill up to the start area. That actually went perfectly today.

Then the rest of the race became a mind battle with Jessica from Alingsås. I was kind of på rulle through the muddy grass which explains why I finally managed to get mud on the front of me. She slowed down on the grusväg section so I passed and she was following me instead. I was strong in the forest section but my lead was gone by the hill because of my stupid gear and cadence of 2000. I was gaining on someone else and I am sure I passed someone else although someone passed me too. Then at the top of the stairs I was slow so Jessica passed again and had a bit of a lead through the finish area when the '2 laps to go' sign was up.

Time to get serious. Probably she had tons of strength left and I was going to kill myself with an attack but one has to try. Again while she was resting on the grusväg part I decided to pass and keep at the harder gear as long as I could. She was again right there but I managed the perfect approach to the start area hill and flew along nicely which gave me a great gap. Steady pace through the forest making sure not to make any mistakes. Up the hill on the harder gear as long as I could. Not enough of a lead. And then I saw Axel who was leading and realized that if he passed me I would not have to do the last lap while Jessica would.

So I could afford to make a final push, let Axel pass me at the bottom of that 2nd park hill and then do my best not to fall in the sand or mess up the jumps and stairs. It went perfectly and I could stay ahead!

I was 3rd last in Superklass after all this fun so maybe I should say 4th in Dam Prestige instead after this battle. Honestly, when CX is like this I don't care if I am competing against someone in another class. This is cycling at its most fun!