Charly Gaul Luxemburg 2013

One week after the "DNS" in Ötztaler, I decided to add a granfondo to my shedule. Not really a climbing experience with his 2200 altitude meters on 160km, but rather fast and a hard race.

Compared with the training shedule for Ötztaler, I was not trained on the shorter climbs, but I like the "explosive" climbs.
Without a real goal, trying to finish as good as it gets...

A big peloton on his way to Vianden, where the race really began! 9 people in front, but I had to let them go and did my work in the chasing group.
After 90km, we cathed the leaders and went on with a group of 30-40 riders. It was a hard race with a lot of attacking on the way.

On the final climb, the decision was a fact and 7 riders were in front. I tried to catch up the leaders, but had to let them go 30 meters before the top. 30 meters became 40...50... The chasing group of 15 was not working together and with 4 riders, we could not close the gap.
In the sprint I had to defeat the compact group, but had to tolerate one rider. A 9th place was the highest possible. I finished 3rd in my age category.
Here you can find the results: http://www.chronorace.be/web2/Classements/Classement.aspx?eventId=243838178295808&mode=large&IdClassement=9698

Ötztaler 2013 washed away

August 25, 5 am ... the end of my 2013 Ötztaler dream. Rain and a mental crash: I didn't sleep 15 minutes that night, due to the weather forecast. Every hour, checking if the rain was already stopped or not. I could not catch sleep, even if it would give the same result if I had slept the hole night and looked at the weather when awakening.

Bad weather experiences in GF Eddy Merckx and Transalp made this "dream" ending in a nightmare and dissapointment: "dream washed away"!
2013 seems to me like a year with "capital" 13...it feels that way, luckily without injuries till now. A couple of weeks till the last granfondo and mentally preparing for 2014.
Looking back at the past years, made me realize that I have to go back to my former preparations 2011-2012 and emphasize toward certain points. Briefly: back to the "Spartan" regime.

2014 starts today and later on with a internship together with Omega-Pharma/Quick Step in Spain. At least one thing I've won this year in an uphill timetrial.

Summer

After my last test, my second best test ever, at Energy Lab (http://energylab.be) on August 8th, the feeling was good. In a climb against the clock, I became second and did win a trip to Spain to go on training camp with Omega Pharma Quick Step coming winter. Nothing to complain about. Last weekend, I also did a training in the Ardennes with some top Belgian granfondo riders and felt good, but not better or best.
This is 2013 for me: it’s not bad, but I’m still waiting and looking for the top feeling. Or is my biggest opponent my mind? Sometimes I really don’t know!! But it seems to me that I’m not the only one: a former school friend Sven Mallezie (http://www.svenmallezie.be/) has a similar season and looks at it this way: “the most beautiful climbs are starting from the deepest valleys”. I could not agree more…

Today I’m in Sölden for Ötztaler Radmarathon, on August 25th . I went for Kühtai climb and wanted to descend a little bit towards Innsbrück, but the weather was not looking that good. So I turned my Wilier back to Oetz and Sölden.

Kühtai today: rather cloudy

Coming days will be fine to ride on the bike. But starting on Friday, weather forecast is not that good…with the lowest temperatures on Sunday, including rain! http://www.wetter.at/wetter/sport-freizeit/ski-wetter/oesterreich/tirol/soelden/prognose/9-tage

We will see if the forecast is changing his mind…!