Trans Germany Mtb race

So I'll be telling you about the race from a supporters perspective I guess. How dull. Day 1 started in Garmisch (southern Germany on Austrian border) which is also where we'd stayed for a couple of nights leading up to the race. It was raining AND SNOWING dammit. Not fun when you're camping. Nor when you are wardrobe challenged due to massive bump stuck on you. Garmisch is a ski resort in winter and it is a BEAUTIFUL town. Such a cool shopping area in the centre with outdoor cafes and cobbled streets and great little shops. I went on long walks in the mountains while Benedikt went on a couple of training rides. We'd met up with our Belgian buddy, Dieter, there too and he bought along another crazy beer drinking Belgian, Tom.
So the race started in the rain and the temperatures dropped to the minuses up in the mountains where the route took the riders. Boy was I glad not be cycling!
Benedikt's Dad and I saw them off and then returned to the camp site where we assumed our driving positions: Heinz in the campervan, Irene in the stationwagon and myself in Dieter and Tom's mini van. I was very happy to be driving in Germany, in a civilised country and on good roads and in a cool black gangsta van. And I didnt even drive on the wrong side of the road once!
We made our way to Lermoos which is in Austria, but still in the alps, set up camp and then went to the finish to watch the mud covered shivering bikers come in. It was exciting to see Christoph Sauser and Alban Lakata dueling it out at the front.


After a team effort to clean up Benedikt and his bike and all his kit, and a warm meal cooked by Irene, he and I went off to the pasta party and prize giving. It was done very well and it was cool to see the winners of the day.... WOW the girls were strong. They finished just 20mins behind the leading men. I would have come like 100th!
Day 2 dawned with the same shite weather. I felt sorry for the cyclists, we watched them go by from our campsite all wrapped up like it was the middle of winter. Irene and I then drove in convoy to Pfronten, another pretty town on the German side this time, the views and the scenery of the Bavarian alps as we drove there was spectacular. Germany really is a beautiful country. We set up camp again (well, Heinz and Irene did... I was the lazy fat woman the whole holiday) and made our way to the finish. Benedikt had a much better day on the bike and moved up quite a few notches. They had had quite a bad start on day 1 and lost loads of time, so it was good that the rest of the race was seeded.


That night at the pasta party in Pfronten we caught up with Luli, my Brazilian friend who I got to know at the 2 epics I did. Her trademark is PINK. She wears a pink helmet, pink glasses, pink kit, has pink cables, pink grips and pink gloves. She has even been sponsored a pink bike now (a Rocky Mountain) which is super cool for her!

Day 3 dawned and YAY YAY YIPPEE YAY - no rain! And it was WARM. Amazing. In fact, by the end of the day it was sweltering. Crazy kraut weather I tell you. The heat meant that the four of us didnt have to squish into the campervan all the time... its pretty tight in there I must say. We all felt it! It was quite a test of my relationship with the in laws: 4 days in a campervan together. But we all survived! Really well in fact. It was fun. But I must say Irene and Heinz did EVERYTHING. We were spoilt!
So day 3 was from Pfronten to Sonthofen which is the most southerly town of Germany. We left Pfronten before the riders started which was good german planning because the Sonthofen camping platz was also chock a block. We got some shopping done before making our way casually to the finish. The novelty of seeing the winners come in was wearing off by day 3. And besides my feet couldnt take ALL that waiting around :-)
But on the topic of grocery shopping in Germany... WOW. Its all SO organised. And FAST. The process at the teller is just SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO supa dupa speedy you need 2 of you to keep up with them as they swipe your stuff. You have to pack it yourself obviously... but I prefer that. And you have to pack REALLY quickly so that god forbid you dont hold the next person up. It made me laugh alot at how HECTIC the system us. Africa is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooo unbelievably slow. It drives us mad!!
Benedikt had a really good day on the bike, even though there were many many many many climbs, some 25% gradient! He finished a mere 6 mins behind Dieter. Which was the real race. Forget Sauser and Lakata.


Day 4, the final stage, was another beautiful sunny day. The 3 of us drove in convoy again from Sonthofen to Bregenz (Austria) which is at the Bodensee (Lake Constance). I thoroughly enjoyed driving the gangsta van around.... it was a pleasure Dieter and Tom - thanks for my cool Trans Germany shirt!
Bregenz is a big town full of touri. But it is very pretty. The Lake is massive, like a mini sea. We watched the leaders ride past our camp site before the (long) wait for Benedikt ;-)
Benedikt came in a mere 1 min behind Dieter. So watch out Dieter, next year he will beat you. With our kid on the back.
After a relaxing afternoon at the sea side and saying goodbye and a BIG THANK YOU to Benedikt's parents, we made our way to the finishers party. It was quite a festive affair with every rider being called on stage to receive their finishers medal. Afterwards we spent a couple of hours at a cool bar drinking champagne and celebrating the race. It was a fun four days for everyone I think. Benedikt finished 200 and something out of 1200 riders so did really well. Especially considering the top 100 or so were pros. Dieter beat him though dammit!