"Look out, it rains. Such a shit. "About as the mood at the breakfast table, after the day started yet dry, with some even blue sky added. As if it would not be sufficient that our landlady has overslept, and we must swallow our breakfast down in minor parts. More than three slices of bread with a bit of sausage are not in it for me, my beloved cereal must be canceled. After all, Jan's parents would be some clothes off at the start, so that we roll packed thick with Duppach the eight miles to start to Gerolstein. Although it has stopped raining, but the water is on the streets, and then it does not matter whether the water comes from above or from below. Since I had stood five spring races dry and fall-free, and there must be deducted from my this year's Marathon debut rain. Eifel indicated. Nevertheless, my anticipation builds with each meter, we come closer to the start. No sign of the nervousness that I had ever before attacked the license race. Maybe it's because cycling marathon run but rather is my element? That my form is good, I know, only the doubt whether it would be enough even for 209 km remains - since training camp in March, I was no longer than 4 hours at a sitting in the saddle.
Clock Item 8 is the start, even a short "Good luck" to Steffi, Sebastian and Jan, who want to venture into the 140 km or the 117-km round and then it is accompanied the hundredfold Einklickgeräusch the pedals already going on. 209 km through the Eifel, uphill and downhill, no longer increases, no long runs, a few flat pieces to relax, and all the gray overcast sky and light in a repetitive rain.
except for the dirt, slowly morphing into gray-white of my arm warmers and my vest, one's for my taste pretty high speed and an unsuccessful Stefan Mistler out for the first 80 miles pretty low. I try to be always at the forefront of the field stop without too much to ride in the wind, trying to find out who now runs which route to know whom I have any descendants. Even Jan and Sebastian always keep in the front positions. Shortly after km 80 engages on Jan. With it goes with one other driver. It is one of these attacks, in which one is happy if one does not have boots behind, because a) it is a team-mate, who has attacked and b) the attacking riders take a different route and thus present no immediate danger. In the field, Sebastian and I try the other drivers first place, to convince them that it is not necessary to drive afterwards, because the two front "only" want to drive the 117 km-round. Accordingly, half-heartedly pursuing first drops pending. But this is changing just a few miles later: Nino Ackermann engages with this year's winner of the "Eschborn Frankfurt City Loop," a rather vigorous Luxembourg (secretly I'm him "the Kazakhs' baptized, as he travels with Astana-pants, on the back of large" Kazakhstan Railway "emblazoned) on. Now I have to choose me a ride, yes or no. The decision is only a few seconds later, already lost. With a few minutes' driving. We bring with us! "Comes Günter Höllig driven past us. Immediately, I join together with three other drivers. Whether coincidence or not, the place for the attack was well chosen: a few meters, it is probably the most serious increase in the round into it. Ackermann and the Luxembourg Kazakhs, we have provided fast, then it goes on. Now is where the pedal, while we have just about a kilometer reached 95th When it comes to the departure, we also have the other two drivers, which was Jan this is set, and are now down to ten men on the road. A glance at the Numbers: ok, two times 117 km, twice 140 km, the rest goes 209 km. The view to the rear promises nothing but good. Should the effort be in vain and we will put back? But the gap remains constant and does not become smaller. The first division into sections then turns and runs from Jan to the finish in a safe place overall age 2 and a sovereign victory about 117 km contrary. We are still seven of us, two of which go to the 140-km distance. A short time later, share our paths. The five of us turn to the 209 km loop. I think for the first time on the podium by: ok, the Kazakh is definitely older than me, one could also be a higher age bracket, the other two are guaranteed the road in my age group. Worst, so 4th place in the age group standings. But almost 100 km to drive. Despite continuing bad weather, I took off my wind vest. For me the sign, now cycling down. Now it's true. As we turn the second time on the big loop of the highway on a dirt road, tells me the back view, that the next group already has a relatively large gap on us. The more astonished I am, catch up when suddenly two drivers coming from behind us, almost at the same time, however, can tear down the Kazakh, what surprises me very much, because he had previously made a very strong impression. Plus two, minus one then makes a group of six riders. However, the two drivers who have just unlocked are definitely on the road in my age group. Somehow I then believe me that the group is a bit too big, and ride the next short climb with a little more pressure is high - but my hope that perhaps two or three other call, and the small group in this way is not fulfilled. No one follows me and I have a few quick seconds ahead. Yet but 90 km to go, a suicide mission to try to cover this alone km. I am also back my 70 km solo ride Trois balloon two years ago by the head, for which I had then paid at the end bitter. This error would happen to me a second time, so I take up my legs and let me catch up again. But the group also is not a real train in it, while of the six drivers involved are essentially two on leadership: a small type that strikes me above all the fact that it all, but really any increase Batt on the big push up and I can own the other only very sporadically look in the guide. In between times we get the distance to the rear by saying four minutes. Although we train is not really in it, seems to threaten the rear of no great danger. So it goes until kilometer 150 more or less uneventful over the hills of the Eifel there. Then again follows a slightly longer rise, and I try a speed tightening, the young by the driver, who all occurs on the large sheet is taken to break up the group because my slow but a few too many people just behind lie on it. In the next exit, the group then splits into two create groups of three, but the rear group is joining forces again to catch up with us. Then follows the longest increase in the round, which has already in the first round of those attacks was that led to the formation of this group. Here I try again with a pace of tightening, the group shrink. Again, I helps those drivers who seem to be missing the front derailleur, in which he continues my attack - and this time we are successful: a driver of Corratec team can break off, and we are only five of them. And in this group of five, it is also in the last loop: the small loop that was to sail at the beginning first and foremost, must still be addressed once again. Meanwhile, it is dry up and so slow even the sun can be a little look. Here is again a longer, though not particularly sharp rise. Now, again run at full throttle and this time I am the one who is struggling to hang on. The guy with the big leaf and one of two drivers who had the back open to us now are the strongest in our group. A Belgian, who had also moved out of the second group fall forward, here on this mountain, the tempo for victims, and to me at that moment the race kilometers benefit of the graduated license races, which have given me a certain race hardness. With my (almost) last I save seeds me over the hill. We have now arrived at kilometer 180 and slowly becomes apparent to me that I had not seen since the training camp in March for more than four hours at a sitting in the saddle - I'm pretty much all. In the mistaken hope that it might go the last twelve kilometers only downhill, we turn back to fourth on the way to a Gerolstein. Now I suffer from two main concerns, firstly, that I still have to tear down somewhere and bring me so the reward of my work would be and, second, that the fourth would be in league intervene but in the goal spurt, although he for 90 miles on it located just behind had. The last hill on the way back to Gerolstein be expected, a torture, but somehow I manage to hang on. On the broad main road Gerolstein is then drawn out properly in the Horn: the driver, who had come from behind us, has yet to actually connect the power on the gently sloping road 50 mph. I think that third place would be the greatest feeling that after I'm gone for about 30 kilometers only alibi like the wind. As Gerolstein is reached, piles up in front of us again on a short cast, before we had yesterday warned that Sebastian. Here attacked those who last the bulk of the leadership had made, and I can get in and after a short time to bring even a small hole between me and the two pursuers, but then I realize quite quickly that in my legs simply nothing in it. Even before the summit I will by the man with the large-sheet of outdated and. In the following I try to hang on exit, and then already reached the goal. With shouts of joy I am taken from Steffi, Jan and Sebastian reception and role as a third. Before me Sebastian Küfner at number one, who from the second group open to us, and Kai-Uwe Gerstenberger, who has probably not his derailleur to 209 kilometers operated once. A fair finish, the balance of power on the last third of the distance accurately reflect. The goal is then first a bit for the cameras, posing, and then comes already rolled Steffi, I have to console first a little, there had struck with her after 20 kilometers already cursed defect witch in the form of a puncture and you complete your race has messed up.
for myself is a dream come true - for 10 years I had dreamed of times at a ceremony on such a damned pedestal stand, and today I had finally made it. Overall
was an extremely successful weekend for the whole team: Jan overall place went 2 and No. 1 in his age group on the 117-km distance, Sebastian jumped out a sixth place overall and a third age class rank, and Steffi was able to tire failure, nearly 100 km solo ride and a wrong route line by the track officials at one of the line segments on the 117 km distance space still 9 show in the women's category. Four starters and three represented at the awards ceremony - even if that is not a great success.
The detailed results are available at http://www.gerolsteiner-radsport-festival.de/ , as a picture gallery, in which all of us represented more than once.
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