Stage7
Last day of riding in Italy! We are so lucky the weather has been there for us.. Sun, sun and more sun...we are in the high 30's which on a down hill is not so bad but climbing a 27km pass is not as fun... Hydrate was the word of the day... Felt great this morning, it is surprising that after 6 days of riding that you actually do seem to ride onto better fitness. So back to the 27km pass... this was the last pass we were going to have to climb to finish our journey through the ALP's to reach Arco in Italy..... They changed the stage from 88 to 98km due to some constuction which gave us a little more of a warm up before the big climb... We decided this being the last day we would all climb at our pace and wait at the top, a good idea... Chris and I at the top hooked up with 5 of the riders that we had not had much of a chance to ride with during the trip, Paul and Graham with Red Truck, Jeremy with Speed Theory and Jo and Karen from England..(these girls could desend!) we ripped down the pass knowing that at the bottom we only had less then 40 km to go.. Going into the very last switch back I miss judge how sharp it was and had to slow down in a hurry to be able to make it around...as I made it around I heard tires skid then a tire blow, I turned around just on time to see a guy hit the ground and slide accoss the corner I had just made it around and slammed into the road side rail.... Gary had caught us by the bottom and had a front row seat as the guy had come around him with to much speed and took a bad line into the corner... What a waste to crash that badly with so little left to the finish.. We saw him later with a full arm cast on and lots of road rash...sad. Paul, Graham, Chris and myself got into a small pack and tempo'd the last 30ish km with a few some climbs that were left... The last 15km were pretty much down hill and quite beautiful as we desended down into Arco, o yah and very warm! We passed two castles which excited me as I up to that point I had not seen one that I knew I was going to be able to visit...... We came into the finishing shute feeling quite satisfied that we were all able to make it to Arco ... And although some of the team had to dig into the (as Chris put it) suit case of courge several times during the seven days we all had a great time.. Proud of the whole group to make it to the finish..
Cheers
Jeremy
Monday, July 5, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Stage 6
Wow...it is hard to believe that we only have one more day to go. After a tough stage 4, I elected to ride at a more moderate pace on stage 5 to give myself a break and actually have some fun. Jeremy attacked most of the climbs at his pace and then would wait for me at the top. We would descend together and then he would fly up the next pass. We finished the day strong and managed to pip a few riders right at the finish line. Stage 5 was a "stress free" day with no expectations for results with the emphasis on fun. The consequence of this approach is that as a team we dropped 39 spots to finish 135th out of 230 Masters teams.
For stage six we decided to go all out and ride as hard as we could individually. Jeremy really hasn't had a stage where he went full out with no one to hold him back so we decided to have at it and see if we could move ourselves back up the ladder.
Today's stage had arguably the toughest starting climb. It was a 11km climb with long stretches of grades in excess of 16%. It was like climbing Spiller Rd back home...but for 11kms. After reaching the top there was about 15kms of short descents and rolling terain that lead to a long, 17km climb called the "Manghen Pass". Both Jeremy and I pushed ourselves hard and had good days. Jeremy's finishing time of around 4:40hrs was about 46th out of 230. I came in at 5:05hrs which was good for 87th spot. The team time is based on when the last rider of the two crosses the line so our time for the day was based on my result. After today's stage we moved up 37 spots to sit 98th out of 230 Masters teams. It was very rewarding for us both to go out and ride hard and push to the end.
I have to give some props to two of our fellow Penticton riders Ian McAndrews and Jim Miller for "digging into the suitcase of courage" the past two days and finishing both stages.This race tests you in every single way and I really admire their determination and fight. I know they both would say that they could not have gotten through those stages without the help and support of their respective teammates Gary Denton and Chris Prowse. Good on ya lads!
With the final stage tomorrow I guess Jeremy and I need to have a beer tonight to decide our strategy...hmmm...maybe if I can get Jeremy to have 3 beer the strategy will naturally unfold!
Ciao for now!
Chris H.
For stage six we decided to go all out and ride as hard as we could individually. Jeremy really hasn't had a stage where he went full out with no one to hold him back so we decided to have at it and see if we could move ourselves back up the ladder.
Today's stage had arguably the toughest starting climb. It was a 11km climb with long stretches of grades in excess of 16%. It was like climbing Spiller Rd back home...but for 11kms. After reaching the top there was about 15kms of short descents and rolling terain that lead to a long, 17km climb called the "Manghen Pass". Both Jeremy and I pushed ourselves hard and had good days. Jeremy's finishing time of around 4:40hrs was about 46th out of 230. I came in at 5:05hrs which was good for 87th spot. The team time is based on when the last rider of the two crosses the line so our time for the day was based on my result. After today's stage we moved up 37 spots to sit 98th out of 230 Masters teams. It was very rewarding for us both to go out and ride hard and push to the end.
I have to give some props to two of our fellow Penticton riders Ian McAndrews and Jim Miller for "digging into the suitcase of courage" the past two days and finishing both stages.This race tests you in every single way and I really admire their determination and fight. I know they both would say that they could not have gotten through those stages without the help and support of their respective teammates Gary Denton and Chris Prowse. Good on ya lads!
With the final stage tomorrow I guess Jeremy and I need to have a beer tonight to decide our strategy...hmmm...maybe if I can get Jeremy to have 3 beer the strategy will naturally unfold!
Ciao for now!
Chris H.
Stage 5
So the Internet is kind of spotty over here so that's the reason for missing some days... Stage 5 summary was pain and some more pain.. Kidding, having said that we climbed 2656 meters! Nothing compared to the day befores 3449 meters and 130 km in length... Some guy had told Chris the day before that if we thought that was hard wait for stage 5.. We thought he had to be wrong and for the most part he was although the first climb was a bitch.. O ya I said it...very, very steep.. It was a good thing I wore my climbing legs that morning.. Chis took it easy for the first part of the day and finished strong all in all a pleasant day.. The hotel was amazing nice people and very nice rooms..when we got there showered, got a coffee and a sandwich and all was right with the world.. Only comlaint was they couldn't come up with any tomatoes to put on our sandwiches..Chris looks at me and says "are we in Italy"? Good stuff....
Stage 6.... Very,very hot.. I will defer to Chris's post.. Need to go find some food! Can not believe how much food we are putting down our throats.. It's all good now we are in Italy.. Not sure how any one survived on Germany and Austria.. they drown everything in rich, rich sauces...
Stage 6.... Very,very hot.. I will defer to Chris's post.. Need to go find some food! Can not believe how much food we are putting down our throats.. It's all good now we are in Italy.. Not sure how any one survived on Germany and Austria.. they drown everything in rich, rich sauces...
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Stage 4 San Vigilio to Alleghe
Lets start with this...the Transalp race is by far the hardest sporting endeavour I have attempted. Ironman is a very difficult day and the suffering can be significant. With that said, Ironman ends the same day you start. This Transalp race punishes you for seven straight days. It is unrelenting, it never eases off. Each day offers a whole new level of suffering. Today was the fourth day and the most difficult. Today's route started in San Vigilio, Italy and took us over 5 passes, 11,000 feet and 130kms. The irony is that we are riding in some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable. The Dolimites are incredible mountains and the vistas from high up above are fantastic. Yet, the beauty can get lost in the suffering. One of the things Jeremy and I have done each and every day is take time to marvel at the scenery and chat with the other riders. We have had fun and met some really great people.
Today's stage started with groups of 300 riders being sent off on a 25km downhill start. These downhill starts can be very dangerous as the speed combined with the size of the groups leads to problems. One of the other riders in our group from Vancouver got taken out shortly after the start and suffered a serious concusion. He is OK but is being held over night in hospital. We had two other riders go down today and we had two go down yesterday. All are OK but have the road rash and bruises that come with hitting the pavement. Jim Miller spent 1.5 hours today tending to a rider who got clipped by a passing motorcycle. They had to helicopter the guy off the mountain. Point being that it is not only a extreme test but there are very real dangers each and every day.
Up until today Jeremy and I have been moving up the ranks each day. After the third stage we moved up to 77th place out of 230 Masters teams. We were in 90th after stage one. Unfortunately, today I cracked big time! After three hard days of racing and a hard fast start to today's stage I bonked 3.5 hours into the day. Jeremy being the consumate teammate waited for me after a huge descent to see if I was alive or not. Realizing that I was @#%# we agreed that it best for Jeremy to keep going so that I could try and get myself back out of the abyss of bonkdom! I still had two passes and 3 hours of hard riding to go. Long story short, Jeremy ripped it up and finished strong (despite a little crash going down the fourth pass) and I came in about 35 mins later. After today we now stand 96th in our age group. Hopefully, the pizza and full order of spagetti will put me in good stead tomorrow.
Tomorrow's plan is to let Jeremy attack on his own and go as hard as he can with the hope that I can bounce back and also have a good day. We'll keep ya posted!
Chris H
Today's stage started with groups of 300 riders being sent off on a 25km downhill start. These downhill starts can be very dangerous as the speed combined with the size of the groups leads to problems. One of the other riders in our group from Vancouver got taken out shortly after the start and suffered a serious concusion. He is OK but is being held over night in hospital. We had two other riders go down today and we had two go down yesterday. All are OK but have the road rash and bruises that come with hitting the pavement. Jim Miller spent 1.5 hours today tending to a rider who got clipped by a passing motorcycle. They had to helicopter the guy off the mountain. Point being that it is not only a extreme test but there are very real dangers each and every day.
Up until today Jeremy and I have been moving up the ranks each day. After the third stage we moved up to 77th place out of 230 Masters teams. We were in 90th after stage one. Unfortunately, today I cracked big time! After three hard days of racing and a hard fast start to today's stage I bonked 3.5 hours into the day. Jeremy being the consumate teammate waited for me after a huge descent to see if I was alive or not. Realizing that I was @#%# we agreed that it best for Jeremy to keep going so that I could try and get myself back out of the abyss of bonkdom! I still had two passes and 3 hours of hard riding to go. Long story short, Jeremy ripped it up and finished strong (despite a little crash going down the fourth pass) and I came in about 35 mins later. After today we now stand 96th in our age group. Hopefully, the pizza and full order of spagetti will put me in good stead tomorrow.
Tomorrow's plan is to let Jeremy attack on his own and go as hard as he can with the hope that I can bounce back and also have a good day. We'll keep ya posted!
Chris H
Stage 2 Solden to Brixen
Wow another amazing day! Beautiful morning start, sun was out and the forcast for Brixen ( in Itay ) was sun and 27degrees... Chris and I had moved up from group C to group B on yesterdays ride so we are moving in the right direction... Every day your combined time decides what group you start in.. So today started with a 1300 meter climb ride right out of town ...what a great warm up to the day ( kidding ) don't try this a home, we are professionals..... to peeked out at 2509.... We climbed for 25km, near the top we rode in between ice walls that were on either sides of the road, pretty cool... No pun intended! So with a climb like that one deserves a payoff, How about a 27km down hill with switch back after switch back that never seem to end...... Crazy! Unfortunately in the Alps what goes down has to come back up again... Another 22km climb.... Nice! We kept in under control again and enjoyed the day smiling and joking all the way... Brixen is another beautiful town ... There seems to be a theme going on here, maybe that's why the Alps are so popular! We are staying at a hostel tonight, pretty nice, although no air conditioning which would have bin useful on such a hot night! It is had to pathom a harder climbing day then the two passes we went over today but apparently tomorrow is harder...
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Stage 1
Well we are on the road! What a great day! The day started with a great Germany breakfast and a few encouraging words from Joerg our leader! We free wheeled down to the start as our hotel was up in the Wittenwald hills with a amazing view of the valley, so no warm up for us... A few of our group with possiblities for contesting the race did climb back up the hill to warm up a bit.. Pretty amazing to have 1200 riders line up for a start to a race... The race start with Queens "Flat Bottom Girls" always a favourite for cyclists.. After a few km we climbed out of Mittenwald and by the time we finished it we where in Austria.. Chris and I stuck to out plan of taking it easy today and for the most part did a pretty good job of it.. It is hard to let other riders pass you when you are feeling good ... There were some big climbs today... We climbed just over 2600 meters... Most of it on a 22km pass with pitches of 18% for several km's....do you know how to say suffer! well because we are taking it some what easy it wasn't to bad, having said that it is hard not to a little on a hill like that... one near casualty today was Ian when he over cooked a hair pin on the descent and went off the road .... He brushed himself off and continued to the finish ranting about watts or something! The views in Austia are some amazing that it was hard not to stop
and take move of it in...All in all a great day as everyone finished in good spirits and are ready to go again tomorrow!
We need to start saying caio as we ride into Itay tomorrow!
So Caio!
Jeremy
and take move of it in...All in all a great day as everyone finished in good spirits and are ready to go again tomorrow!
We need to start saying caio as we ride into Itay tomorrow!
So Caio!
Jeremy
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Greetings von Deutchland!
It is Friday here in Mittenwald...two days before the start of the big race. All of our group are now here. In addition to the 6 Pentictonites, there are 18 other riders in our group. They are all extremely lean, strong and fast looking...apparently they won't be stopping along the way to take pictures and look at old castles! It is a good group and should make for a fun trip.
This morning we cut Jeremy's cast off. I brought along my "leatherman" multi tool and used the little saw blade to cut off the cast. Jeremy applied some duct tape to keep his thumb in place and off we went for the morning ride. For those that don't know my riding partner Jeremy crashed 4 weeks ago and torn his right thumb ligament off and had to have it surgically repaired. The surgeon told him he should cancel the trip...he obviously didn't know Jeremy very well!
The town of Mittenwald is absolutley beautiful. Our Hotel is situated high above the town nestled between towering Mt peaks. The weather has turned fantastic and looks promising for the seven days of riding. This would be a welcomed bonus to not have to face rain and snow in the passes...we'll keep our fingers crossed.
Being in Germany has been great and the people have been so friendly and helpful...the food however is another thing. It is difficult to find any meal that isn't covered in a rich, heavy sauce or butter or creme or gravy. We have to eat out all the time so it is starting to wear thin on everyone. It would be nice to find just a sandwich....
The jet lag is pretty much gone now...it seems to take me about 3-4 days to get back to "normal"...good decision to come 6 days early.
This morning we cut Jeremy's cast off. I brought along my "leatherman" multi tool and used the little saw blade to cut off the cast. Jeremy applied some duct tape to keep his thumb in place and off we went for the morning ride. For those that don't know my riding partner Jeremy crashed 4 weeks ago and torn his right thumb ligament off and had to have it surgically repaired. The surgeon told him he should cancel the trip...he obviously didn't know Jeremy very well!
The town of Mittenwald is absolutley beautiful. Our Hotel is situated high above the town nestled between towering Mt peaks. The weather has turned fantastic and looks promising for the seven days of riding. This would be a welcomed bonus to not have to face rain and snow in the passes...we'll keep our fingers crossed.
Being in Germany has been great and the people have been so friendly and helpful...the food however is another thing. It is difficult to find any meal that isn't covered in a rich, heavy sauce or butter or creme or gravy. We have to eat out all the time so it is starting to wear thin on everyone. It would be nice to find just a sandwich....
The jet lag is pretty much gone now...it seems to take me about 3-4 days to get back to "normal"...good decision to come 6 days early.
That is all for now.
Chris
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