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“When I get to race day, I know that we have looked at everything and that I am confident in the choice I am making. I think with technical riding, confidence, strength and power makes the biggest difference.”
– Kate Courtney
Full Send
Sometimes in order to go forward you need to go back. What has that meant for Kate Courtney this season? Mastering even the simplest essentials like cornering and technique so that no matter what gets thrown at her on the race track, she is able to punch back with confidence and strength. Full Send dives into the technical progress Kate has focused on this season on the SCOTT-Sram team and under the wing of Thomas Frischkneckt.
Technical Skills
Coming from the USA and transitioning to Mountain Biking at the Elite level meant playing a game of catch up against the technically adept Europeans who are used to demanding tracks in varying conditions. Working with Thomas Frischknecht has been an opportunity for Kate to focus on mastering technical features and skills like cornering to squeeze every second out of the race track.
Line Choice
Whether on the World Cup track or out at your local trail network, line choice is everything. That is why one of the most important parts of Kate and Thomas’s work together is pre-riding the race track and discussing line options. Together they can go back and forth on the best options so Kate can have full confidence come race day on the choices she is making on track.
No Room for Error
At the top, there is no room for error, no matter the conditions. That’s why leading up to and during the season, Kate’s training focuses on putting herself into multiple different situations. This means time in the gym working on conventional exercises like leg strength and explosive power, but also through ‘fun’ exercise like the balance board that help you strengthen yourself in ways you can’t by riding your bike. All this work translates into confidence, power and strength to punch back no matter what the conditions on track throw at you lap after lap.
“She stands out for being a fast learner, someone who always wants to do things better.”
- Thomas Frischknecht, SCOTT-SRAM Team Director
Push and Pull
Young talent meets age-old wisdom. This coach and rider collaboration of walking the track and working out which lines to take and how to make the course work for Kate is what gives her the confidence come race day. The process of going back and forth, creatively looking at the track and getting to know every option is one Kate enjoys most with Frischi.
