Medtronic Insulin Pump School

pure chaos

The planning was good: two weeks before the Ötzi a weekend in Andermatt, Saturday the little round (120km with 3500Hm on Susten Grimsel and Furkapaß) at Alpenbrevet under competitive conditions, then on Sunday another one passes round with Furka, St. Gotthard pass Nufenen and, finally, Andermatt from barely three hours by car from Freiburg. Fabio was persuaded quickly, at least as fast as we were notified (very close before the deadline, then we would have the late registration additional 25 Sfr. Cost more, which for a Entry fee of 90 Sfr. not necessarily must be even). After a little searching and a few phone calls was then in arms also found a hotel (Hotel Gerig, I can only recommend), Anderson was at this time is already completely booked out. But it happened as it had no sooner we had booked us to bid farewell to the summer. After about nine weeks, during which the thermometer was barely fallen well below 30 degrees, it seemed as if the fall has already taken hold: Temperatures in the low 20 degree range, to almost daily rain. There were also doubts as to the form for me: the ease of the last few weeks after the Arber Radmarathon suddenly blow, her legs felt be blocked at any particular the head and was tired, so tired of cycling part. On top of that I made since Arber Radmarathon slight knee problems worries. All in all, not good conditions in order to agonize over three Alpine passes beyond the 2000m.

the days immediately before the Alpenbrevet were characterized primarily by daily to check the weather report: a cold front from the north, the snow line in the Alps can be reduced to at least 2,000 m, was less optimistic forecasts even of only 1600m talk! On the other hand, others saw Weather ahead at least for Saturday in Anderson while cold, but still fairly dry weather.
The arrival on Friday was for rain, cool weather and cloud-covered mountains, then only a very limited positive throughout, especially Fabio, the bad weather on the bike more clogged than me, but its start probably figured more like 0% than to 10%. I even tried to convince me that it was yet to "perfect cycling conditions" handle, which brought me to Fabio the title of "denial of reality."

when collecting race numbers on the eve of the temperatures in Andermatt to about 1400m above sea level are more than just two digits, except for short gaps is constant rain precipitation recorded. The decision to leave and already back on Saturday not planned to stay until Sunday died in principle already. After dinner is on Fabio completely "after all the pasta was delicious" mood, as I say still, I'm going into it at least to arms, and in the Susten. After a restless night (the first night I sleep in strange beds rarely good) The first look is after getting the weather: rain, rain, rain, estimated temperature in Wassen (500m deeper than the other Matt): a maximum of 10 degrees, rather less. So slowly ripens in my own case, the decision to dispense with a start. The view of the signs to Sustenpaß augurs poorly: where yesterday's "open" was, now is a white sign with the warning Packed snow to be seen. Just at that moment Fabio ereicht a text of the organizer: Due to snow and Susten Nufenen there is a route change: there is only one route over the Gotthard, Lukmanier and Oberalp for all categories. This route change was connected with the hope that would occur after the Gotthard in Ticino, a weather improvement. Quickly, the decision is per start. After breakfast, we drive the car up to Andermatt. Only 45 minutes from the start. It's raining, and neither of us dares to open the door of the car: cold would receive us, but how cold that wants to at the moment no need to admit really.

weather documentation at the start

In assembling the wheels then the next shock: the front wheel can not inflate. All I try to pump air into the tire is, in another place out again. So I quickly change the tube. Amazingly, I get the coat gives way to the rim, the last time I had struggled for hours with this coat and this rim. Quick inflated. Ah great. The air stays inside. In'll take care of other arrangements: rain jacket, shoe, wrap long gloves, hat under the helmet, bars and gels, etc., around a quarter to eight I want direction Starting Line-up roll, as if struck by another shock: the front wheel is flat again. Ok, that's it, no start for me. But I had not reckoned with Fabio, he gives me spontaneously his front wheel and waived his hand on the launch, with which he is due to the weather before had never really can get used (to my defense, I must add here briefly that the two hoses to different places are broke down, it is therefore not a "consequential loss" is). This further delay, however, leads to the fact that I did not even create a toilet visit, besides, I do not have time to even fill my bottles. Kindly lend me Fabio also its already filled water bottles (Mille Grazie!).

Fabio: instead of cycling ....

Just before eight, I put myself in the starting lineup, from the original 214 reported starters to the short round may be left around 100 (the starter of the two major rounds are traveling started at seven clock, although they are now traveling the same route are as we should be). At eight clock we go: Although the rain has slowed, but as long as the water is on the road, it is relatively unimportant whether the water comes from above or from below. divided on the approximately three kilometers to the start of the climb to the Gotthard in the field already, as I stood at the start relatively far back, I lose the connection here already to the forefront and keeping track of my position. I join a group of riders in Swiss national team, judging from the wheels, upon the Cross is it driver (this assessment should be confirmed later). Down at the Gotthard I catch even a glimpse of a small guide for cyclists: 9km range with 630Hm be announced me. That sounds to tolerable. Forget it. Although I manage to put me out of my group and to get the driver (including however many MTBler that had started half an hour earlier) but the feeling of the last two weeks is back: his legs work but there is no sense of cycling's there. Everything feels blocked, although the legs do not hurt, I have the feeling now to be full on attack. This is the head is not in the least willing to torture themselves. I fight the tears me up the rise, giving up, the bike-in-the-pitch Botany, the below in more detail than the pass. Before I give my innner eye the Ötztal already lost, doubt whether it even makes sense to start there. In the rain mixed with light snow slowly Grieseln, left and right, the fields are white, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

weather at the Gotthard: Yes, it is mid-August!

I ask one of the accompanying riders, whether on the other side (the pass) the weather was better, "not really" is his answer. The fog prevented the pass that I perceive as such, it is simply flat and suddenly the tunnel in front of me. I am completely alone to see before and no one behind me. With a personal escort motorcycle I take the exit to Airolo in attack. After all, it has stopped raining and the road is mostly already dry. A short time later I will cross three of the National Driver obtained. Soon I can see why: Radbeherrschung perfect, in every corner I lose a couple of feet, especially when we are diverted after about half of the descent on the old cobbled street. Finally reached Airolo and the cobblestone behind us. The local food we have left (or right) are located. Continue in the direction Biasca. I have no idea how many miles it is like the road ahead yet. First, there is even steeper something flat down, the four of us we can solve from a regular and organized so before a nice pace. The few drivers who we can get, or do not follow our own pace. Only one attaches to our heels. My guides always come out shorter, but this is not due to the onset of fatigue, but rather the fact that so slowly of missed my toilet starts before the start of revenge. One of my passengers relieved themselves while riding an exercise that I dare not imitate him. Shortly before Biasca we are haunted by a very fast moving 4 or 5 riders strong group (later I learn that it has acted as the very top group, which is on the way up to the Gotthard to the point at which the new and traverse the old road from each other, had).

When we go over Biasca direction Lukmanierpaß , I think just to relieve myself. Another rider in my group is doing the same to me. The rest goes on, of course. At the next board (which we omit again) wait two former driver who now top group on my rider. Obviously aware of either my companion. The four, very soon, however, only three of us take the first ever long and not very steep ascent to the Lukmanier addressed.

The author, at second position in the driveway to the Lukmanier

concentration and effort on Lukmanier

Already on the first bit steeper sections shows is that I am the best climbers in our group well. I'll wait, however, in the flat sections, it is simpler than the three of their own. The legs work so slowly feeling better, and the head is also concerned with other things again as the futility of cycling. That we so slow the first and last one hour earlier launched driver is overtaking and additional ethics (I know it is nasty to pull himself up to it, but it's still a good feeling). Olivone behind the increase becomes steeper, and it is warm enough to open the shirt, the rain jacket has long been stored in the jersey, just as the long gloves. Without great speed I set me from my two Swiss guides. Now it runs smoothly again. A short time later appeared before me a jersey with Swiss Cross: this was the first of the National Team member who had me caught up in the descent of the Gotthard. I ask him to ride. We talk a little bit (and I know that my guess is that they cross national driver was correct), on top of that we are both in Freiburg ;-) He just out of the Swiss Fribourg and Fribourg. When it just becomes flatter at Campra, I will sit also upon him. I continue to get hard-working driver, the one hour had started before me. Slowly it is getting colder, I close my jersey again. The other two drivers of the Cross I get about 3-4km in front of the summit, and they follow me for a short time. Finally, the rather cold and windy mountain pass Lucomagno is reached. Light rain has resumed, but there are really only a few drops, enough to not even know that the road is really wet. At the fast food, I fill my bottle and grab me a couple of lying ready gel. Then it goes into the downhill, I think, at least: first it goes into a tunnel where it rises a few meters further, before the road after about 35km again about to rise tends valley. The descent is extremely annoying: not particularly steep, plus head wind, here is work required to at least to reach 45km / h. Fortunately, there is a fellow, after all, so I'm not all downhill in the wind alone.

After some 20km exit achieved Disentis. Now followed around the 20km long climb to Oberalp that is very flat at first. The wind that had me slowed down in the directions of Lukmanier pushes me now up the rise: in the first flat I drive all the gates on the large sheet, the speed is around 25km / h, sometimes even more. Before me appeared the last driver on the former leaders. Also it may overtake me. Slowly, the increase is steeper, but I must now turn to the small chain ring. reached after about 12km but then the increase alpine slope percentages, so slowly makes itself wide fatigue in the legs.

The last return to the Oberalp: finally, the weather plays fairly with

Unfortunately I have not a clue what the pass is exactly, nor how far it is to pass. So I asked a couple standing on the roadside spectators who, three and a half miles I get the answer. Stupid as I am, I forget at this moment to look at my speedometer, so to me that this information is only a few hundred meters later, no longer bears much. Moreover, there will steep, really steep: for the first time all day I need the 26er gear, the largest that I have on board. But even this steep part is over now. But a nasty cold wind is directly on it from the beginning. Even if the sky is mostly blue, I reckon because of the clouds looming on the horizon, still struggling to dive down to Andermatt again in the rain. After a terribly long last kilometer to reach the pass, to a tightening of the windbreaker I do without, the long sleeve jersey should be enough for the last 10km down to Andermatt. In large, nice to moving sweeping it comes down to Andermatt. My fears about the rain should not be confirmed, on the contrary, the now mostly blue sky releases a fantastic view of Andermatt, Hospental and Realp towards Furkapaß. Alone for this view was worth the day really.

How it looked then later at the finish!

Then Andermatt achieved, it is still short of the town and then across the finish line: after 5h 36min am I in dry, sunny (but cold) weather back where I felt the morning at 5 degrees and rain started was . Fabio shoots a few pictures, bring my bike to the car and bring me my bag (Fabio, you're hired as my personal soigneur!). Following the return of the transponder, is a small plate of pasta is then returned to Freiburg.

finish: the author too fast for the photographer!

large, so here again in!

a weekend that threatened to fall completely into the water and not otherwise happy just started, had found a conciliatory end.

Conclusion: According to the organizers was the route length of 156.2 km with 3270Hm, my own assessment showed 159km with 3500Hm (although I must admit that my altimeter somewhat "generous" is ;-)).


My 5h 36min ranged for seventh place overall (the list is sorted alphabetically, unfortunately), about 15 minutes behind the winner. Of the 8-Clock-starters, I was as far as I could see this, probably the fastest. However, it is pure speculation as to whether I would have been faster if I would start at 7 clock. Just as I went through the Gotthard, where I had the fastest probably not more likely to follow.
The route change was the weather, technically correct (and probably only possible) decision of the stewards, even if this were beautiful passes of Grimsel Susten and by rather unspectacular (and rather unpleasant to be driven) and passes such Lukmanier Oberalp replaced. I'm glad that was ever driven! For the eyes
animals among us, it will probably be in the coming days a few photos. Fabio has even shot a few pictures that he wants to send me.

EDIT: Pictures added!