Posted by Ron Prinzlau On Mai 12, 20140 Comment
Translated by Bjørn Henschke
Finally the 03.05.2014 arrived and the Rocky-Mountain-Marathon in Riva del Garda was about to begin. After I participated here last year for the first time, I tasted blood. When we arrived a day earlier, it was all raining, but on Saturday the weather became better and better. The ground wasn´t the best and so, beating the time of last year was really hard.
The scenery was awesome. After I start to push my bike really early on the first hill, all right, their was also a traffic jam, but than on top, I soon found my own style of riding.
Until middle of the race( 45km and 1523 m/altitude), the largest amount of m of altitude was being solved, I thought about a time of 2h to reach the first food supply. I arrived their 3min behind my schedule, but I didn´t bother about it, because I already got some fierce struggle with cramps.
After I left the supply station, the next problems I got on the next ascent were some more cramps. I had to push my bike again to get rid of the cramps, somehow it worked and finally I was ready to concentrate on the way down again.
Riding downhill was all worth all the cramps. But you had to be really careful, because most of the trails were muddy, slippery, soft and wet.
The last part of it was over bitumen, I had a speed of 75km/h. Quite fast I thought, still wanted to beat my time from last year. Push it, baby. Again some cramps and I had to slow down a bit.
Than after 3:14h I crossed the finish line and was 6min faster than last year and ended up on the 121th place of 208 in my AG. Last year it was 158/235. After the race, the washing station was full. So, I decided to drive to the next town and to hold at a car washing station. They also got a bike holder there. I spent 1€ on my car and a little bit more for the Cappuccino in the Café, across the road.
After the race, I enjoyed my holidays, with some bike trip of course, before I went home on Wednesday. But I will tell you about the trips we took in another bulletin.
My next goal of the season will be the MTB-Festival at the Tegernsee at the 01.06.2014.
Having said this
Chain mostright…
Your Pirate Picasso
Michael Heins