TransAlps 2015: Day 3 Davos to Livigno

Day 3. Davos, Switzerland to Livigno, Italy

133km. 3200m of climbing.

4hr55min. 9th in Masters on the day. 16th in Masters GC.

Excellent day. Rode back into this thing. Didn’t start that way.

Image of food I carried on course today. Banana, fig bar, two waffles, two Rice Krispie squares, one Snickers and one Shot Block. A lot of food to get down while riding hard.

Pink socks had not been working for me so I recommended the switch to green. Wilbur obliged.

 

Team Canada day. Award for fastest Canadian team. There are two other Canadian teams who are strong. Both beat us yesterday. We were motivated today.

Rolled out of Davos at the back of the A-group (first 85 teams) pack. More safe than fighting for the front with the aggressive Euros and relatively easy to make up position as soon as the road turns uphill.

Unfortunately day got off to a challenging start. Another flat 5km into the stage. Watched every participant pass us while we fixed the wheel. Looked at Wilbur and realized we were both very close to declaring the day done and switching gears to an easy ride. We didn’t.

Hammer down for an hour to ride through most of the field and get back up to the other two strong Canadian teams. Rolled with them until 30km to go. At the start of the last big climb of the day (like a Seymour) we hit it and gapped the group we were riding with. Rode solo for most of the balance of the ride. 

Descended and had 7km flat terrain to the finish. Were with the leading mixed team at this point and they asked for help pulling them to the finish. We worked for them and they showed appreciation at the finish. Coincidentally, this is the same team we met in 2012 and nicknamed “nice bikes” due to their - nice bikes. They didn’t have much time for our Canadian humour in 2012. More time for us today.

 

Finally got my legs under me. Nice to not be holding Wilbur up. We had a blast out there. Finished the day with customary “wheel” and beer. In a beautiful Italian ski town tonight. Village elevation is same as the Whistler Roundhouse. Typically poor weather here due to the mountainous conditions. Not today.

Attended the day’s award ceremony and received our Nations Champion jersey. We will wear them tomorrow and be called up to the front start line for the Day 4 stage.

Biggest day of the event tomorrow. Hoping we don’t pay too much for today’s effort.

TransAlps 2015: Day 2 Imst to Davos

Day 2. Imst, Austria to Davos, Switzerland.

136km. 3200m of climbing.

5:08. 22nd place in Masters.

Though we went backwards in the placing, moved forward with the quality of riding. Bad luck on the road, but spirits high.

Big decisions take place during the morning of these events. What color socks today, Wilbur?

Race start staging area was surround by big mountains. Hard to see in photos but makes me want to come back and ski in Austria.

Day started with 4km downhill neutral through the town of Imst. 700 school children lined the cobbled village streets waving flags. Very cool. Would have taken a photo but tight streets, big pack and downhill riding meant two hands on the wheel.

Following Wilbur's lead yesterday, did my part to keep up Euro-Canadian relations. Was bumped hard in the pack during the neutral and almost went down. Though a field of approximately 1000, tend to see the same riders on the road day-day. By the end of 7-days, hard to remember who've you've made friends with and who've you told to f-off.

We rode first 16km, 850km climb very well. Crested with a strong and fast group. Next up was fast downhill - high 80s km/hr. Unfortunately I flatted on the downhill. Getting a flat at high speeds can be dangerous. Fortunately flat was my rear wheel and on a straightaway. Had to futz with wheel/tire/tube and cost us 10min. Very untimely as the bottom of the descent was followed by 60kms of rolling terrain - why we wanted to be hitched to a fast pack. Instead we were stuck dragging slower riders for around 2hrs.

Hit the big climb to finish the day 13km, 1000m. Fleulapass is one of the most scenic of the event. Started strong but power slipped as climb went on. Wilbur stronger again today. The tell - he had time to shoot video and take selfies. 

Was feeling it towards the end of the final climb.

Tomorrow we leave Switzerland an are in Italy for days 4 through 7. Already thinking ahead to Day 4, Queens Stage (hardest of event).                                                                                                                                             

TransAlps 2015: Day 1 Sonthofen to Imst

Day 1. Sonthofen to Imst

121km. 2400m of climbing.

3:55:37. 17th place in Masters.

Hard start. More on that later. Joerg and Matt briefing Magic Places Team Canada.

Spun for 20min and then rolled to start for photo op. 

Photo from 2012. Wilbur and his badass necklace care of his wife, and world famous designer, Shereen de Rousseau. Generous lady gave me my own this year if I promised to bring Wilbur home safely.

Ran into Uwa, Joerg’s German photographer friend who follows the tour and takes photos. Have to say my German is coming along quite nicely - jah?

Start announcements in three languages, German, Italian and English.

Day started as planned. Crested the first climb with lead group in sight. Caught them on the flats. Rolled for 70km with a couple 10min to 15min climbs interspersed. Felt weak on the 2nd climb. Kept rolling. Hit bottom of Hahntennjoch, the day’s big and final climb with moderate energy but blew to pieces about 10min into the ascent. Hard to know why. 

Probably gave up 12minutes on the 16km, 1000M climb. Felt like I was going backwards at the top. Still happy to be riding my bike in Europe. Could be worse. Was the usual smattering of crashes and mechanicals out on course. Good to be into the finish safe on what's typically the event's most frenetic day.

Notice difference in meal choices between Partner and I. Maybe that’s the secret.

Bigger day tomorrow. Today's effort plus another Cypress added on. Expecting a better day.

TransAlps 2015: Day -1

Day before event starts.

Slept well last night. Sleeping arrangements not quite to North American standards. "Coffins". No choice but to sleep close. Strict no touching rule, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Rode the first 20km of tomorrow's route. Includes the Oberjoch, a 20min hill at 8km that will serve to break up the field. Sure to be a gangbuster climb. Weather was suspect so it was dark kit day. Managed to stay dry. 

Unfortunately there was some excitement today. I flatted my front tire on the descent back down the Oberjoch and then my rear wheel some time later. Both flats had no obvious source. Despite new tubes and tires, will be on the mind tomorrow.

Traditional post ride kaffe and kuchen.

Then wurst and sauerkraut for lunch. When in Rome.

Found Jamie's cousin again. First photo from 2012. Second photo taken today.

Should be good weather tomorrow morning. Heads up. Rubber down.

TransAlps 2015: Day -2

Travel day. Vancouver to Munich. 

Typically like to get some activity in before long distance travel. Rode early in Vancouver with Coach Al. Big Al rides are some of my favourites. Usual program is crack of dawn for something short and hard. Alpaca typically gets more out of me during these workouts than I get out of myself. All puns intended. :  )_

Last year I took heat from the clowns for riding front bus (on points) while they rode cattle car class. Back of the bus this year.

Magic Places Joerg met us in Munich and we immediately transferred 2.5hrs to Sonthofen, Day 1 start town.

Always a little unsettling to take apart a perfectly functioning bike, pack it up and hand it over to the airlines for TransAtlantic flight. Never know exactly what's going to arrive on the other end. 

Job number one upon arriving in Sonthofen is build bikes. Appears all good thus far. Major bike drama last year at Haute Route. Hoping to avoid the same this summer.

I have a keen interest in interior design. Always interesting to see the latest fashion showing up in Europe first.

Tomorrow easy ride followed by race registration and final preparations.

TransAlps 2015: Day -6/-5/-4

Here we go again. Departure week. Starting with a serious quote. If documenting our latest adventure on bikes in Europe approaches anything near this serious, please stop reading. Wilbur and I are a couple of clowns who ride our bikes too much. We wear bad glasses (future post material), baby wipe our bikes, coordinate our socks and generate nicknames for the fellow riders we think are bigger clowns than us. 

These trips are about having fun. Will do my best to share it with you as we go. Have a couple additions to this year's edition. Enjoy our ride. 

Prep for these trips generates good anticipation. Changing up the food program this year. Wilbur has convinced me that dirtbags (us) should consume calories at the lowest cost. Instead of sports nutrition bars, it's Rice Krispie squares and Snickers. A week's worth of race food. Sure I'll toss 1/2 of it as I'll be sick of what I brought by day 4 and on to a strict diet of white bread and Nutella. 

My partner Wilf/Wilbur/Wilfred - the original dirtbag. The only dirtbag who lives in Shaughnessy and drives a Porsche (two!).

I completed TransAlps in 2010/11/12. Year off 2013 and finished Haute Route last year. Most of it chronicled on this blog (Wilf's also done all 4 and TransAlps 2009). Back for TransAlps again. A similar course to the 2011 version. 

It's all about the bike. She let me down at last year's Haute Route. Electronic shifting packed it in 1hr into Day 2. White Lightning v2.0 debuted a month ago. 

So far so good, but always nerve-racking taking apart a perfectly functioning bike and packing it into a case in pieces. Never know what's going to come out on the other end.

Met Wilbur on Tuesday night for a serious spin, very serious.

Fly Vancouver - Munich tomorrow night. Easy spin tomorrow early morning to keep the legs active. As they say, the cake is baked.