Result: 6th place in M50
Race stats
Type: UCI Mountain bike race
Length: 4 stages / days, last stage is a shorter hill climb time trial
Location: Schladming, Austria
Bike and setup: Lapierre XRM (120mm/120mm suspension) with Maxxis Aspen 2.2" tires (1.5 bar)
Gearing: 32T up front, 10-52T in the back
Intro
I participated in this race for the first time last year, in 2023. When I took part then I was in a bit of a lull motivation-wise and had had a terrible Beskidy Trophy just a few weeks prior. I did very well in Alpentour and finished in 5th place (Alpentour Trophy 2023) I really enjoyed it and wanted to come back for more. Last year I did it at the end of my European trip, this time at the start. The stages this year are very similar, only the track for stage 1 and stage 3 have been swapped around.
Stage 1
Last year on this stage (which was stage 3 in 2023) I had the strategy to go out hard to get on some good wheels for the first 20 kilometers, before the big climb, and then to do the climb at my own pace. I made the same plan for this year and it felt like a good way to go.
From the start of the stage I was feeling slightly nauseous. I don't know if it's the altitude (Schladming is att 800 meter above sea level), the heat (it was hot), or my energy drink powder. I threw away the rest of the stuff after the stage and went shopping for new. This feeling persisted throughout the stage making me drink very little. At the end of the stage I had barely finished the entire 900ml bottle.
Things still started off well. Up until the start of the climb I had a good group who were pulling me along. There were three M50 riders around me. I later figured out that the fastest of these guys finished in third place. So I was actually in third place there for a while.
Going up the hill I let everyone go and just kept my own pace. The three M50 guys did leave me behind but I kept pace with some other guys. Among them a young elite Danish guy from Odense cycling club. I did get passed by a few guys coming from behind but the situation seemed under control and I was pushing good watts (about 280W up the long climb). Going over the summit, where it's the steepest just before the top, I was about 2.5 hours into the race and really hot. There's a feed station at the top (at the 40 kilometer mark) and I took a minute just to pour water over my overheating head and body.
The downhill after the long climb is purely on serpentine gravel roads. My legs were really tired at this point and in a few turns where I tried to put the inside leg out in case the bike drifted I noticed that that leg started cramping up immediately. I had to be very careful but managed to keep rolling down the hill without having to stop to let the cramps pass.
The last climb, at the 50 kilometer mark, went really slowly. I noticed later on Strava that it had taken 2 minuter longer than last year (17m compared to 15m). I was very cooked at this point.Three M50 riders passed me here. However I was not as cooked as the previously mentioned Danish rider however: I caught up with him while he was lying across the path. He had heat exhaustion and/or cramps in the legs. But just as I overtook him he got back on his bike, overtook me back, sprinted ahead... And just another few hundred meters further on he had to sit down on the trail again. He actually caught up with me again on the last bikepark downhill.
All the stages end with a run through one of the bikepark downhills that end in central Schladming. I don't feel very quick there but actually caught one of the M50 riders who had previously passed me. He said: "You're quicker than me here, just go ahead and pass". That's never happened to me on a technical downhill before. Made me feel good.
I finished the stage in ninth place in M50. However just a minute or so down on seventh. So not too bad for a poor day. I was actually 4 minutes quicker than last year on the same stage.
Stage 2
I had changed my sports drink mix and had no problems with nausea today. Good!
The first part of the stage I spent a lot of time overtaking but getting into the steeper part at around 5k there were still riders packed across the road so went a bit slower that normal.
Right after that steep part followed a short descent on loose gravel roads where I was passing cyclists on the outside of turns. This felt quite daring but perfectly in control. Good feeling that.
The first climb, up until 22k, went well. Watts looked good. Still passing riders going up here. At the top of this climb there's an alpine station, a big house with a restaurant and plenty of tourists. You have to run up some stairs and then ride (if you dare) down stairs on the other side. Then it's downhill across a bunch of cow pastures (be careful not to ride through cow poo) and down gravel roads. The technical descent went well and I was still passing people here.
Second climb still felt good and I was fresher than yesterday. However on an flat asphalt road, right around 45k into the race, where we had just gone downhill for a long time, I was in a nice group of four riders... and then all of a sudden a strong cramp in my right back thigh muscle. I hoped it would go away but I had to stop and wait for it to pass. Just a few seconds though. But I lost the group. Just a few hundred meters further ahead there was a replenishment station and I stopped and filled up on drinks and took some snacks. Then the cramp had passed and I could go on, however a little slower than before to be on the safe side.
After this followed the third and quite long climb at 50k. This climb became extremely steep at the top. Here I felt I was going really slow at around 200W, but still passing some riders. I noticed that I had another M50 rider on my wheel and this worried me. I really wanted to cross the finish line ahead of him. Towards the middle of the climb my watts dropped to below 200, all this while my heart rate was still around 160bpm. The M50 dude went ahead and I thought I would never see him again. However, just then we got to a super-steep part of the climb and he had to get off his bike and walk it. I managed to get up it (thank you 32T front chainring!) and I put some distance on him.
Next downhill went well and now I had no one around me. I could see no one ahead and the other guys that had been in my group had fallen behind. I could not see the M50 rider either. I was feeling quite tired at this point but pushed hard anyway up the last climb... And then it happened again! Cramp in my back right thigh muscle. I got off the bike, waiting for it to pass, but realized that I was losing time so I started walking while I was waiting for my leg to stop cramping. This just took a few seconds and I was on my bike again.
We finished with the bikepark downhill again and I managed to post my quickest time ever there. This is really hard when you have 4.5 hours of riding in your body and your brain feels like melted cheese.
Finished in sixth place on the stage and this means I move up to seventh place overall. And the M50 dude that was behind me finished one minute after me.
One thing I'd like to mention is how well my Shimano brakes have been working. If you've read this blog before you know that I've had problems with overheating brakes. I've had SRAM brakes on my bikes for the past 10 years. This time Shimano XT with biiiig cooling fins. No problems with overheating whatsoever during this race.
Stage 3
Here's an update a couple of hours before the stage start. It's been raining and storming all night. I've decided to change tires to wider and knobblier ones. 2.35" Maxxis Rekkon instead of 2.2" Maxxis Aspen.
The weather forecast had predicted rain and cold weather for stage 3 but this never materialized. In fact in the start box it was warmer than the previous days. There was a german gentleman next to me Ralf Kropp, with the number 601 (so M60), whom I had a very interesting discussion with. He had ridden Cape Epic this year and finished 2nd. We talked a lot about mountain biking. Very friendly fellow with lots of experience.
Up the first climb Ralf was first ahead of me, then I caught him, he caught back up, and we traded places up that climb a few times. At the top I we had some 6-7 cyclists just ahead of us and I decided I did not want them ahead of me blocking in the next descent. So I sprinted over the summit and threw myself down the next downhill. This turned out to be an excellent move as it was very tricky with grass and wet roots. Overtook a few cyclists going down and didn't see Ralf for the next three hours.
Up the next climb I was feeling less perky and approaching the summit I noticed that the same M50 guy, 505 Wolfgang Steinbach, that I had battled yesterday was catching me. I increased my speed and as it got really steep towards the top I managed to put some distance to him. Next downhill was a built downhill track with berms and I knew I would have an advantage here so went as quickly as I could. I felt inspired noticing that I was quicker than my competitors going downhill. At the bottom it went steeply uphill again towards the middle point of the stage. I looked down after a while and saw that Wolfgang was just starting the climb so I had put some good distance on him
At the top of the third climb, as we approached the halfway mark, another M50 guy, 554, caught me and overtook. I was surprised as this was the first time in the race, all three stages, that I had even seen this guy. I talked to him and turned out he was Christian Siebert, who had been far ahead of me in the first two stages. This led me to the conclusion that I was doing well in this stage.
Next followed a long but boring downhill on gravel roads. I caught up with Christian on the next asphalt part but as soon as the second to last climb started he was off again. He looks about 1.50m tall and like he weighs about 50 kilos.
Fun thing then happened just as we went down the second to last descent, with about 10k to go: Ralf (M60) caught me and he seemed to be very fresh and had excellent legs. I got on his wheel and we kept company for the last 10k. He really helped me along there and raised my motivation. Thanks Ralf!
I finished the stage in sixth place and now managed to pass Wolfgang Steinbach and took over sixth place in the totals too.
Stage 4
Stage 4, which is a pure hill climb time trial starts in one hour. I have a 1 minute 20 second gap on Wolfgang who will be chasing me. Wish me luck!
Fifth place on the stage. Sixth in general classification.
Wolfgang turned on a road bike with gravel tires, no suspension, and looking very light.
Everyone started in 30 second interval with the quickest in GC last. That means that Wolfgang started 30 seconds ahead of me.
I caught Wolfgang already after 6 minutes and then just held him behind me for the rest of the stage.
I finished the hill climb 4 minutes quicker than last year.
