No-one understands that better than women’s motocross world champion Courtney Duncan.
Before the Otago rider collected three titles in a row she endured a rotten run of poor fortune which conspired to keep her off the top step of the podium at the end of the season for three years running.
Now it looks like some of the bad luck might have returned.
The defending champion made a disappointing start to the defence of her crown in Italy last month.
For the first time in her seven years on the circuit she did not win a race in the opening leg.
The 25-year-old arrived just days before the races in Lombardy due to a visa holdup.
She struggles a little on sand surfaces and slipped back to third in the first race, and a crash on the first corner meant the best she could managed was ninth in the second.
The build-up was terrible and she had barely ridden her KX250 bike. The combined result was Duncan did not race like herself.
In an email to the Otago Daily Times, she revealed the build-up for round two in Portugal this weekend had been just as messy.
"[I] had a crash first week back after Italy and picked up an AC injury, so had to take a few weeks off," she wrote.
"Rode on the weekend and also [on Wednesday]. Bit sore, but at least it’s stable. We’ll tape it up and we’ll be good to go."
Duncan put the ooomf in tough and, as she said, has managed worse before.
"Obviously, could of done with those extra weeks for testing and improving, but at the same time it could always be worse. At least I still have an opportunity this weekend.
"Portugal is a good vibe. The track’s fun, so let’s see what we can do."
Duncan is in sixth place with 32 points after the opening round. Dutch riders Nancy van de Ven and Lynn Valk lead the standings with 47 points each.
