Thursday, June 5, 2008

u really think frankfurt sucks?






Finding myself spending more and more time in our frankfurt office - i often get the response "poor you" "isnt that the most boring town in europe". Maybe they are referring to the club scene - which i cant comment on - maybe they are referring to the bar scene - which i cant comment on. But what i can say - is if you are a rider - the kind of rider which gets a bit jumpy if his legs are idle for more than a couple days - then frankfurt is your place. I can take a subway from the middle of frankfurt a mere 100m from our offices - and be dumped 25 minutes later at the foot of a 45 minute climb in the middle of the forest. On that exposure you get very little traffic - a ton of mountain bike guys zipping up groomed single track - and perfect blacktop for the roadie. The climb tops out on the summitt of the felberg - which is the highest point in the taunus. Thus the riderpitts knocks off 2 climbs and is home in bed by ten - you tell me - who is playing for second place.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Three weeks to Nauders ....

.. only three weeks to go to Nauders.... morale is low and fitness level is low... horrible back pain but all in all spirit is high ... no riding this w/e for me as I will be away but I will be riding in the Peak Districts next w/e .. I am really looking forward to climb the Stelvio .. not sure why.. it will be tough... very tough .... http://www.wired.cz/cyklo/images/Swiss/Stelvio.jpg
I kind of like this blog stuff...

Monday, June 2, 2008

Chiltern 100 ... a ranch rider was there... (click on the title...)

The start wasn't great with rain pouring down... We started at 08:30 and for the first half hour the rain didn't stop... then it finally stopped and it didn't rain till the end... This course is challenging and I know the Chilterns are not the Alps but the number of hills that you need to climb really kill you... I didn't count them but i guess you are talking of at least 15/20... most of them similar to "la subida de la muerte...." I missed the first food station (it sems like everyone else did as well) and we all arrived at the second (and final station) starving and w/o water... Stopped for five/ten minutes to get some food on and drink some water and move on.... then the disaster happens... near Turville in a tiny little country road I had two cars in front of me and another care coming on the opposite direction... The two idiots decided to stop and I was flying down ... tried to stop but the gravel didn't help and I crashed.... It took a bit to recover then got myself together again and rode till the end... It has never happen to me before ... it was painful and I still had 30 miles to go ... so I joined another peleton and I even managed to chip in a sprint in the final 3miles of the course and pulled the peleton to the end... All in all a good course but I think more challenging than the Prosecco race.. I think the ranch should be there next year in full... See you in Nauders...........