Unfortunately I am forced to interrupt my cycling season for a spell. I have had diarrhoea and...
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Racing at the Offenburg World Cup.(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Third place in Offenburg.(Image credit: Frank Bodenmuller)
Champery, Switzerland, June 4, 2007
Unfortunately I am forced to interrupt my cycling season for a spell. I have had diarrhoea and stomach pains for a good two weeks now, and my body is being sapped of steadily more energy every day. I am now returning home to have some tests to find out what's wrong.
We left directly for Champery after the last World Cup race, which was held in the German town of Offenburg a good week ago. I didn't have a very good preparation period for that race, as the diarrhoea and stomach pains hit me the weekend before, and have been with me ever since. I felt somewhat better before this weekend, and it felt like both my tummy and I were heading for better health. However, I probably shouldn't have taken part in the race last weekend as I have really had to pay dearly for that effort through this past week.
I've done very little exercise and rested a lot here in the Swiss village of Champery this last week, without it having any positive impact at all. This coming weekend there is a new World Cup race up here in this mountain village and I unfortunately have to pass.
I'm leaving for Stavanger this evening in order to take the necessary tests in the hopes of finding out what's messing up my system. From my own experience I know that it is imperative that I prioritize my health, so all competitions and exercise must wait.
The most important thing now is to get lots of rest for a couple of weeks, implement the necessary measures based on the test results, and simply recover completely before I can lay any new plans. Even though I miss out on one or maybe more World Cup races, it's not important compared to recovering my health. There is still a lot of the season left and there are still many weeks before the first World Championship.
We try to maintain an optimistic attitude and are leaving for home in good moods, in the hopes that I'll soon be back on my bike again. I certainly hope that I am the only one that is forced to interrupt an exciting and enjoyable summer of cycling due to sickness. Good luck with all challenges and competitions you might be facing in the coming weeks. Enjoy your days, with great trips out into nature.
Cyclist's greetings from Gunn-Rita and Kenneth Multivan Merida Biking Team www.gunnrita.com
Translation by Crispen T.P. de Lange
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Norwegian cross-country mountain bike racer Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå made an impressive comeback last year after sitting out much of the previous season due to illness. In 2008, she won the Madrid, Spain, round of the UCI World Cup and the UCI Marathon World Championships and finished 12th in the World Cup final standings.
Dahle Flesjå will take on a new challenge in 2009 when she gives birth to her first child, expected in late March. With the support of her husband Kenneth Flesjå and her family, she aims to return to competition within a few months after becoming a mother.
Don't count her out for the late season World Cups and World Championships races. She was World Champion in 2002, 2004, 2005, and 2006, plus Olympic champion in 2004. In 2003 to 2006, she dominated the sport, winning the World Cup overall.
Follow her exploits in 2009 on Cyclingnews as she takes on a new, joint role as mother and elite racer. Or, for more Gunn-Rita, see her personal website: www.gunnrita.com
