With RHC BK 10 approaching, we asked several RHC 2016 top contenders that are competing in Brooklyn how their season is going, what they expect of the race, themselves, and what they think of the new qualification format. In this edition we spoke to Johanna Jahnke who became 6th in Red Hook Crit Brooklyn No.9 and 13th in the overal RHC GC.
Photography: Tornanti.cc
How do you prepare for RHC BK10?
Right now i’m making sure my bike is working, testing my race setup and trying to wake up from hibernation. My training includes more short intervals, sprints and a little bit of technique.
How is your season going so far?
The season has just started. I’ve added road crit racing for training and already had a good race finishing top 10. This weekend I’m racing a fixed Crit and a fixed 42 race which I hope will be a good preparation for Red Hook Brooklyn a week later.
What do you think of the new qualifications system?
I’m actually really looking forward to the new qualification system, because it means more racing and hopefully more safety. It also makes sense to me to have a race in order to qualify for the main race.
Is your race tac-tics affected by the new qualification system?
My focus is definitely on the main race, but it helps to have a good starting position. So yeah, gotta get those legs spinning in the qualification race as well.
How do you think that the race is affected by the new qualification system?
I believe fitness and the ability to recover from the qualification race will affect the athletes performance in the main race.
What is the goal for RHC BK10?
Last year I finished 6th in Brooklyn, so I’m aiming at top 10 or even podium. But the competition is tough and my team smaller than last year. A strong team performance would actually make me happier than my individual result.
What is the goal for RHC 2017 series?
As I won the Team Championship with Whybenormal? last year, my goal is to defend it of course. In Brooklyn it will be my former team mate Veronika Volok and Brooke Philips who I’m racing together with for ELF Huez* so we do stand a chance.
