Since my last blog summer really has come to Germany...I did the swift transition from thermal knicks and jacket on the bike to just knicks and a jersey. Last week I was doing the happy dance when it got to 15 degrees and this week the happy dance has become frenetic as the mercury hit 28 degrees. We have had 3 days of 'not a cloud in the sky' weather, great for riding and bbq's.
Apart from the weather there has been nothing too exciting for me to report...I have had a lovely week at 'home'. There is not many weekends with no racing in the season but I opted not to tackle the cobbles of North Holland and instead stayed in Thuringen and trained. On Friday we headed for the Inselsberg, the highest point in Thuringen. The way to the top is a very narrow, very steep path that people were having trouble walking up but Gunnar had assured me that a few years ago they had run a Thuringen-Rundfahrt (bike race) time trial stage that finished on the top, although 3 people had to walk. I was skeptical, due to to steepness (25%) and the terrible condition of the road...we tried and failed....we both came to a dead stop when it got to the steepest section. We then descended a little bit, jumped back on the road and 300m further around the side of the 'mountain' came across the cobbled road to the top...it was only 10% to get up (and yes, Gunnar realised that this was the one the race came up) and a bit of a grovel later we were rewarded with a lovely view.
Yesterday I watched Gunnar race a criterium very close to home. I went out with Gunnar and his dad in the morning for a training ride, Gunnar turned early and so I went with Papa Kabisch and a bunch we came across for awhile. On the way home, I'm not quite sure how but Papa and I started swapping-off and before I knew it we were scooting along at 40kph....gees he's strong, and is the absolute master of the poker face! After the criterium we came home, collapsed on the coach to watch Paris-Roubaix...such a great race to watch and amazing to see an Aussie win a race like Roubaix.
I am here for the week, before a national series German race on the weekend and the Belgie classic Fleche Wallone next Wednesday....it's a little bit more my kind of racing than those cobble stones.
A big congratulations goes out to Lisa for running her first marathon...big achievement :)
Apart from the weather there has been nothing too exciting for me to report...I have had a lovely week at 'home'. There is not many weekends with no racing in the season but I opted not to tackle the cobbles of North Holland and instead stayed in Thuringen and trained. On Friday we headed for the Inselsberg, the highest point in Thuringen. The way to the top is a very narrow, very steep path that people were having trouble walking up but Gunnar had assured me that a few years ago they had run a Thuringen-Rundfahrt (bike race) time trial stage that finished on the top, although 3 people had to walk. I was skeptical, due to to steepness (25%) and the terrible condition of the road...we tried and failed....we both came to a dead stop when it got to the steepest section. We then descended a little bit, jumped back on the road and 300m further around the side of the 'mountain' came across the cobbled road to the top...it was only 10% to get up (and yes, Gunnar realised that this was the one the race came up) and a bit of a grovel later we were rewarded with a lovely view.
Yesterday I watched Gunnar race a criterium very close to home. I went out with Gunnar and his dad in the morning for a training ride, Gunnar turned early and so I went with Papa Kabisch and a bunch we came across for awhile. On the way home, I'm not quite sure how but Papa and I started swapping-off and before I knew it we were scooting along at 40kph....gees he's strong, and is the absolute master of the poker face! After the criterium we came home, collapsed on the coach to watch Paris-Roubaix...such a great race to watch and amazing to see an Aussie win a race like Roubaix.
I am here for the week, before a national series German race on the weekend and the Belgie classic Fleche Wallone next Wednesday....it's a little bit more my kind of racing than those cobble stones.
A big congratulations goes out to Lisa for running her first marathon...big achievement :)
2 comments:
Nat do you want me send over a triple crank set for your next training ride?
Love your blog - keep it coming. Always interesting stories and great photos. Thanks, Nat.
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