Short, but intense !

It was already announced for a couple of days, but yesterday evening it started: with a sound and light spectacle a heat-storm announced itself. Kroki , like a licensed surgical docter, is trying to reanimate the Rock Shox SID from our neighbour Dirk in the dark. His fork had yesterday literally blew out its last breath and collapsed like a pudding. The sick patient is healed just before the storm breaks loose and Daan and Kroki have to save our furniture.

This morning clear skies again, but the temperatures have dropped to more normal values. With only 2 km neutralisation and a child-distance’ of only 65 km and 1400 vertical meters, it promises to be an ultra-fast race today. We immediately start with a climb, where the pace goes up drastically. Several teams stay together, like expected, and the group often rides on 1 line.

Daan’s pasta from yesterday, with a big spoon of sambal sauce and extra kappers, did its job and today I can do some more work. Domie has a more difficult day, but gives everything to hang on. After a little group rode away from us, we can catch them again a bit later after a fast, aggressive chase. This was even for Kroki a surprise and the first drinking bottle supply fails. We don’t take any risks in the downhills with blind turns covered with loose gravel. Others can barely avoid crashing into the scenery.

The last part of the race we are in a group with the 2 mixed teams from the top of the classification. As the first team rides defensive, and the other cannot go any faster, the pace drops significantly. We decide to hit the gas ourselves and take the lead of the group. When we are less then 10 km from the finish starting the last climb, we have to let both teams go and we shift back to our own pace. We are caught by the guys from the soq team, with whom we go towards the finish. In an exciting final climb and under encouragement of Daan, Kroki , mom and dad, Domie and I use our last bits if energy to beat our German colleagues.

We finish 14th again, and can possibly move up one place in the general classification. With 1 stage to go, this Trans Schwarzwald goes slowly towards its end, but we will first have to sweat another day. We go for it.

Some loose items:

The Forza-men team finished on a third place in the masters category yesterday. But the ceremony was moved 1 hour earlier without announcement, they were too late and have to ask around for their prize.

Team Wheels & More / RG Paderborn with former Transalp-participant Mario and his teammate Alex ccrashed yesterday and lost almost an hour.

Since a couple of days Kirsten and Jan Rösel make use of Kroki’s drinking bottle supply service. Whether this has something to do with it, we don’t know, but they are leading the mixed category.

According to our Forza-ladies, Ingrid & Tanja, it was a typical Belgian stage today and they enjoyed the stage.

In the only technical downhill today, one of the Danish guys crashed on the slaippery rocks. Luckily without much harm.

Daan has to make an emergency stop during the transfer from Engen to Grafenhausen, when a lady brakes hard right in front of him. Our sleeping hut is luckily still in one piece.

Pepe