Ashleigh's World Champs Recap

“The Zurich World Championships turned into a real test of endurance, thanks to some truly awful weather.

In the days leading up to the race, the forecast just kept getting worse. I did my best to prepare by packing all my rain gear and filling my mind with positive thoughts. I kept telling myself that everyone was in the same boat and that the rain would make the race tougher, meaning more riders would drop out early. But I never imagined I’d be one of those affected so badly by the cold and rain.

At first, I managed to stay warm. But as the downpour continued and those long, chilly descents through the forest back to Zurich took their toll, staying dry became impossible. My core temperature started to drop, and along with it, my performance. My body began to shut down, and all I could focus on was just finishing the race.

It’s really disappointing to end a world championship like that - freezing cold and feeling completely paralysed by the weather. But even amid all this suffering, I have to remind myself of how far I’ve come. Just being back in competition this year after a serious T10 fracture is already a huge win for me. I worked hard to get back in shape before the end of the season, and I’m genuinely proud of what I’ve achieved. Carl and I are both super driven and always looking for ways to improve, but sometimes it's important to take a step back and celebrate how far we've come and the obstacles we've overcome.

I really want to say a big thank you to everyone at the Collective for your incredible support during my recovery and for always cheering me on during races.

It truly means the world to me!”