RE: Transalps Stage 2

Great update Wilfrid!!

Ah I can visualize the amazing vistas and gorgeous mountain tops!

The descents sound scary too!!!

I hope Haas feels better asap. A lung infection doesn’t sound good.

Keep it up boys!

All good back home, Riley did the sulky walk again today and then again when I had to put her in the car….I guess she didn’t like that.

Jamie

 

Method Personal Training

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From: wilf leblanc [mailto:wilfrid@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 10:44 AM
To: wilfrid3.leblog@blogger.com; Jamie Armstrong; Thomas Haas
Subject: Transalps Stage 2

 

Stage 2 is in the books.

 

Two big climbs today, the Arlberg which is about 500 meters (although you ascend about 500 meters before hitting the climb proper) and the Bielerhohe an absolutely gorgeous climb that ends in two lakes in the alpine.  The Bielerhohe is a 900 meter climb with about a million switchbacks (a good thing, it gives you a bit of a rest).

 

The Arlberg went well, although the pace was a bit high and we got blown off the lead group.  The descent off the Arlberg was fast (87 km/hr) and fun and felt very safe.  We were following some good riders which always makes for a better descent.  For the next 30 km or so we had a pack of 8-10 people and we were working together to try to catch the main pack, which eventually we did.  Through Braz Thomas' friends had BIG BIG signs with our names on them and they were cheering wildly.  We got a real lift from that and dropped everyone which really doesn't get you anywhere.  So we sat up for our group and when they caught us one asked "can we ride now".  By the time we caught the big pack we were both pretty tired, and the typical "surging" pack was starting to get annoying.  Sprint/slow, sprint/slow in energy sapping fashion.  And 35 degrees temps didn't help matters.

 

Anyway, after the 30 km ride to Braz from the top of the Arlberg and the 30 km ride to the bottom of the Bielerhohe our legs were pretty much done.  Thomas wasn't feeling great and told me to leave.  I tried being a good partner and hang with him, but in the end I rode off.  Once on the Bielerhohe (which is steep) I notice my shifter was acting up.  I putzed around with it and noticed I could shift down but not up.  In this process I ended up in a 34/23 gearing which is really not good for a steep climb, but the options were limited (harder gears or nothing).  So in the end I tried to just go faster which really wasn't happening anyway.  I managed to pass a lot of people which looked a lot worse than I felt, and it is such a beautiful climb.

 

After that it was a quit descent to the finish and a trip to the mechanics tent for new shifters.  Thomas arrived a short while later and went to the medical tent.  He has a wee bit of a lung infection and got antibiotics (which he actually needs to take !).

 

Plan for tomorrow is to hold down Thomas and force feed him antibiotics.