Highway to hell

We are sleeping once more in the tent, but Kroki, sorry, no more room in the tent and no money for a hotel room. After a nightly Rohloff-hub repair on the bike of our Belgian colleague Jan, he lies himself under the Creta sky.

For a change we start at 6h45 AM, to avoid the heat as much as possible, but also to be able to go through a gorge before the tourists arrive. We do not even have 5 km on the tacho, and with a group of 4 we forget to take the left turn. An extra 250 verical meters and 4 kilomters with a beautiful view, I’m not complaining, not yet !! Finally after a couple of phone calls and looking around we get back on the right trail, into the gorge. According to the organizer completely rideable, but I want to see that. With full protection, a 20 kg fully with accordingly suspension travel perhaps. Short summary: much walking and twisting your ankles. And off course not to forget the rest: a great imitation of the rideable Riva trail, but with a magnificent feeling of riding in a gorge, a real highlight.

More beautiful is waiting, the rest of the stage goes along the coast, but the coastline is far from flat. It seems an endless sequence of steep climbs, great views and finding the right way. Pepe has apparently a good built-in GPS, mine is still somewhere in the tent I guess. I succeed to take the wrong way another 3 times, with the additional extra meters of climbing.

At km 80, on my tacho is already 100 km, comes the last killer of the day. On paper easy, but with only 3 drops of water in my bottle and temperatures of 42 degrees on our exhausted body the 800 vertical meters and up to 25% steep climb seems like the highway to hell. I rode almost the complete day together with Gunther, an Austrian guy, and saved myself a bit, but halfway the climb his light goes completely out. I stop with him under a tree with a little bit of shade, and try to talk courage into him. I continue as I can’t wait for the reward of the day: a fun downhill towards the harbor of Agia Galini. After little more then 8 hours I cross the finish-line. The imagainary finish-line, but the time is noted.

An tomorrow, hopefully it goes like today, but I am riding with the brakes on, otherwise I will not be able to finish this race. It is really an extremely though race, well, that is if you can call this a race.

Domie.

Stage Info – What the organizer says

Distance: 106 km
Ascent: 2900 hm

Results

Stage result

	Heren
1	Rodozlav Siebl	06:22:15
2	Paelinck Peter	06:50:05
4	Sacre Dominiek	08:17:23

General classification

	Heren
1	Rodozlav Siebl	14:13:00
2	Paelinck Peter	16:17:18
4	Sacre Dominiek	18:32:42

complete results

Foto album

Transcreta Race 2006

Transcreta Race 2006

Vechten om de bike in de fietstas te krijgen
Fighting to get the bike in the bag
Transcreta Race 2006

Afscheid nemen van de supporters thuis
Saying goodbye to the supporters at home
Transcreta Race 2006

Reevax gepakt en gezakt in de luchthaven van Luik
Reevax ready to go at the airport of Luik
Transcreta Race 2006

Wachten op het transport naar Kissamos
Waiting for the transport to Kissamos
Transcreta Race 2006

Ontbijt met Thomas, een van de helpers tijdends de race. Na de foto gezien te hebben, is hij prompt naar de kapper gegaan.
Breakfast with Thomas, one fo the helpers during the race. After seeing this photo, he promptly left for getting a haircut
Transcreta Race 2006

Aan Domie's BMX is niet veel werk om te monteren
Domie's BMX does not need a lot of work to assemble
Transcreta Race 2006

Culinaire specialiteiten uitproberen (eigenlijk gewoon the vreetzak uithangen)
Trying culinary specialties
Transcreta Race 2006

Ook het hotelzwembad werd getest en goed bevonden
Also the hotel pool was tested and found to be ok
Transcreta Race 2006

Kissamos heeft het meeste klare zeewater van heel Kreta
Kissamos has the most clear seawater from Crete
Transcreta Race 2006

Eerste kennismaking met Kretenzische offroad wegen, heel veel mogelijkheden voor lekke banden !
First test on Cretan gravel roads, many opportunities for flats !
Transcreta Race 2006

Reevax klaar voor de start in Kissamos
Reevax ready for the start in Kissamos
Transcreta Race 2006

10 van de 12 deelnemers klaar voor de start
10 of 12 participants ready for the start
Transcreta Race 2006

Domie over de Kretenzische gravelwegen
Domie over the Cretan gravel roads
Transcreta Race 2006

Nog snel een schietgebedje voor de laatste klim
A quick prayer for the last climb
Transcreta Race 2006

En die mag er wezen, 4,5 km over grove gravel en stenen
And that's a tough one, 4,5km over rought gravel and rocks
Transcreta Race 2006

Domie ziet af vandaag
Domie is suffering today
Transcreta Race 2006

Start 2de etappe: direct bergaf
STart 2nd stage: immediately downhill
Transcreta Race 2006

Domie is goed bezig
Domie is doing well
Transcreta Race 2006

Machtige killem onder een brandende zon
Mighty climbs under a burning sun
Transcreta Race 2006

Eindeloze slotklim naar Askifou
Endless climb to Askifou
Transcreta Race 2006

Zonsopgang in Askifou
Sunrise in Askifou
Transcreta Race 2006

Gunther en Domie
Gunther and Domie
Transcreta Race 2006

Highway to hell
Highway to hell
Transcreta Race 2006

Beloning voor een dag afzien
Reward for a day of suffering
Transcreta Race 2006

Kroki onderwe op het parkoers
Kroki on todays stage
Transcreta Race 2006

Pepe in de afdaling
Pepe in the descent
Transcreta Race 2006

Als toetje een supersteile klim
A supersteep climb as dessert
Transcreta Race 2006

De camping in Axos
Camping in Axos
Transcreta Race 2006

Kroki's auto na 4 dagen: een klein beetje stof
Kroki's car after 4 days: a little bit of dust
Transcreta Race 2006

Tre3intje
Uphill train
Transcreta Race 2006

Domie is gecrasht
Domie has crashed
Transcreta Race 2006

Kroki zorgt voor een extra bevoorrading
Kroki makes for an additional water station
Transcreta Race 2006

Nog enkele deelnemers van vorig jaar...
A few participants from last year ...
Transcreta Race 2006

Groooooote ijscreem als beloning
Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig icecream as a reward
Transcreta Race 2006

Moeilijke klim langs de kust
Difficult climb along the coast
Transcreta Race 2006

Droge en stoffige landschappen
Dry and dusty landscapes
Transcreta Race 2006

Domie's cassette is gebroken
Domie's cassette broke
Transcreta Race 2006

Stikkapot een beetje schaduw zoeken
Looking for a bit of shade
Transcreta Race 2006

Veel supporters onderweg
Many supporters on the way
Transcreta Race 2006

Slecht nieuws: de wedstrijd wordt gestopt
Bad news: the race is stopped
Transcreta Race 2006

Over de weg naar Agios Nicalaos
Over the road back to Agios Nicolaos
Transcreta Race 2006

Het Kreta- WC-moment, eindeloos wachten op de plons !
The Kreta toilet-moment: endless waiting for the plunge !
Transcreta Race 2006

De pijlen waren soms makkelijk te vinden ...
The signs were sometimes easy to find ...
Transcreta Race 2006

maar mobiele pijlen maakten het dikwijls extra lastig om de juiste weg te vinden!
but mobile signs made it often hard to find the right direction !
Transcreta Race 2006

Any closer and I'll have you for lunch !
Any closer and I'll have you for lunch !
Transcreta Race 2006

De residentie van de familie Geit
The residence of the Goat family
Transcreta Race 2006

De officiele finish-bevoorrading van de organisatie
The officiel finish-catering station of the organisation
Transcreta Race 2006

De finish-bevoorrading georganiseerd door Sybille en Angelique. Bedankt dames!
The finish-catering organised by Sybille and Angelique. Thanks ladies!
Transcreta Race 2006

Radek Sibl wordt toch nog tot officieuse winnaar gekroond
Radek Sibl is crowned unofficial winner
Transcreta Race 2006

De pijnlijke afloop wordt volgens dokter Jan het best verteerd met ...Appeltaart !
The painful end is, according to doctor Jan, best digested with... Apple pie !