Pagina's

maandag 27 juli 2015

Craft Bike Transalp 2015

It would be silly to try to compress an adventure of seven days in the Alps in a few lines.
Otherwise it would take me very long to get this report written.
So an in between will do.

7 days of racing through the Alps, from Ruhpolding in Germany to Riva in Italy.
611km's, 19000hm and an average temperature of 30-35°C.


As last year we arrived two days before the start with our camper and driver. This gives a little opportunity to get to know the region, and to acclimatise.












Accreditation was as always pico bello, and on saturday we were enlisted  ready to give it our best during our third Transalp as a mixed team.


We also met with our Australian friends we've met two years ago.


As announced temperatures were rising high and even in the morning it was already hot.

The first stage tactic was to race our own pace, and see where we would be standing in order to ameliorate or defend that position.
My legs were sh*t and Sara had a really good day. End of story: 18th place in Mixed. Not quite what we expected, but not bad either.

Second day already was a lot better with a 15th place. We were climbing and that felt good. Sara was once again the leading biker in our team, but my legs already felt a bit lighter then the previous stage.

With a lot of confidence we were at the start of the third stage. It would be the hardest and so called queen stage of the Bike Transalp 2015.

We were both having a very good day and so we we were riding in a 10th position at half past course.

Then suddenly my world stopped turning, when I was witness of a terrible frontal crash with a rock by Sara. Images show the gravity, because, I can not yet find the best words to describe how I felt at that time.





Sara was out and I had to decide whether to continue as a solo rider, or to quit the race also at that point.

I decided only the next morning to ride on, and to go for my third jersey in a row.

Sara left the hospital the same day with only a big bruise and bump on the head. Doctors and everybody who saw the crash were astonished about how she survived... Even Sally Bigham was surprised to see Sara was alright.


The stages were much more technical then previous years, and I really enjoyed riding at a slower pace, and even took time to take some pictures. At 3/4 I went all out, so the training would do good for the next goals. After all I was no longer in the result table, so I could enjoy.


Very strange feeling, to ride all those mountains without my baby.


Well, on saturday I arrived at Riva and finished "our" third Transalp.  I got the jersey, and we got go back home with mixed emotions.


Always a pleasure to meet the WORLD CHAMP The Albanator; Alban Lakata


And I got the finisher shirt... 


Up to the next goal.

Next year we will be back, same ambitions, better result.

BTW,

Crankbrothers and Canyon already provided pieces and frame to continue the season.

What a partners we have. thanks guys.....
Also thanks to Baloise Insurance, Overstims, Roeckl and Fizik for the material support.


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