Crankbrothers Racing Team: RACING IN CZECH REPUBLIC !

Drasal Bikemarathon

Last year we went to Czech Republic for the first time and this year we are back! We start our adventure in Holesov not to far from Slovakia. A beautiful castle is the scenery of the Drasal Bike marathon one of the oldest races in the country. The original distance is 170K, but since they are on the UCI calendar they have a short version of a 117K for the men and new this year 85K for the women.

You get a bit of everything during this race, mud, rocks, roots and some serious climbing. Due to the warm and dry weather the race is fast and good rolling.

Peter and I both race the 85K, me for some UCI points and Peter for having fun! Although there are not so many big names on the start list, never underestimate Czech riders. We start fast and just like last week in Belgium we get hot conditions. This time I take some water with me to make sure I don’t get the same bad feeling as last week.

After some going back and forward with some of the girls, we all find our place. In 4H30 I make it to the finish in a 4^th spot and a much better feeling than last week!

Peter did some extra kilometres, he took a wrong turn, but finished the race. Not entirely like he wanted but we are starting to get on the good track here!

Holesov to Teplice nad Matuij

After sleeping in on Sunday (very unnatural for us 😉 ) we pack up an travel north-west in direction of Poland. Although it’s just 200K the route takes us over 3H, we even cross the Polish border twice.

Arriving in Teplice we go straight to the camping area, you can’t make reservations, so we want to be sure we have a spot. And if possible the same one like last year. The camping is rather small and there are not to many places where we can easily install like we like to.

We are lucky! Same place, and still nice weather. We set up our little home for the next couple of days and take our time to relax.

The race starts on Wednesday with a prologue, so for now we can sleep in and chillax 😉

MTB Trilogy

Wednesday we do our accreditation just before noon. It’s a little more cloudy today, but to race that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Prologue

Tuesday we did a recon of the parts we could still remember. This ride is not to be underestimated, in just 11K you get 500 AM and not the easy ones. You start with a long not to steep climb, but the last part is steep and technical due to the roots followed by a fast downhill. If you reached your max heartrate at this point, you will suffer like hell. Because this was the easiest part!

Every rider starts individual with a 30 second interval. I started last in the woman category so for me the chase is on. I manage to pass several women and finish in just over an hour with a second time.

Peter does better than me and sets a time under the hour.

Stage 1: Kleine alpen

Form last year I remember this is a horror stage! In 72K you get to climb over 2700AM on very rough paths. Not only the climbs are hard, more than once we have to get of the bike to walk down. Originally this race was an Enduro race, it still is, but instead of taking the short route from one special to another like the enduro riders we take the long difficult route.

10 specials we get under our wheels… I’m always in for a challenge, you just don’t want to break your bike or your legs. And if you see the camera’s and photographers it is time to sh*t your pants.

Almost 6 hours it takes us to reach the finish. I managed to finish a little faster than Peter. For me a second place in the women category.

Stage 2: Best of sudety

This stage is less brutal. In numbers it is similar, 73K and 2500AM. Only today there is less walking. We pass the Polish border a few times and get more rooty trails. The downhills are still technical and sometimes hard, but we only have to get of the bike once or twice.

The first 40K, me and the leading lady in this race are riding side by side. I climb a little better, but she can ride down like a nutcase. I try to keep her good lines, but halfway I hug a tree. Nothing to bad, just a massive bruise on my leg. It takes me a couple of kilometres to get back into my rythm. I reach the finish only 2 minutes later than her.

Peter finishes only a couple of minutes after me, today with a smile on his face.

Stage 3:Vrani Hory

The last stage today, the longest one of all with some serious climbing (2700AM). It is a mix of the first and second stage. We get climbs like you have them in the alps mixed up with technical trails, fast descents and extremely hard and demanding downhills.

At the start I climb up with my Ghost competitor after 15K she can slowly get a little gap. I decide to ride my own pace the rest of the race. Suddenly I hear Peter, I let him pass and take his when. At the next feed zone he has to stop, I keep riding. I have a good training speed and I’m even enjoying the views. The next time Peter catches me. We finish the race together in a comfortable pace.

I keep my second place, but I actually enjoyed the last ride! I’m not even tired.