Engleberg Racer Bikes Cup

Engleberg is a sweet place, I could definitely live in that place. It a little town nestled at the base of the Alps. The stream that ran by the course was crystal clear.

It was a very fun course, maybe one of my favorites. Only about 3km. The climb was maybe 10 minutes up paved road that turned into gravel. Then came the downhill, lots of fun, wet rooty twisty awesomeness! You started by going down basically log steps that went into two steep switch backs. Then there was a fast rocky straight that led into another switch back, followed by another rocky straight. Then into the tight turney section, then up a short quick climb before going down some rocky rooty stuff. then there was a short hike-a-bike, it was just a short steep uphill that was too slick and muddy to ride. After that came, in my opinion the hardest part of the course, Chloe said if you got on your bike before you crested the hill you could time it right and make it, but I was never able to do that. You came to the top of the hill and it flattened out for a bit, before a slight downhill, then a wooden bridge shot up at about a 45 degree angle table topped and went back down the other side. The problem was getting enough speed to make it over, because it was super muddy and slick. I never made it over, and by the last few laps I was just running from the top of the hill and over, that wasn't so easy either however, thankfully there were these small wooden strips across the bridge that you could use to walk up, but it was still very slick. After the bridge there was this super fun part down basically down a grassy hill, but it was super muddy, and there wasn't really a line, you just kinda went. You went down and there was a off camber right hand turn then you went over a knoll and down this steep rutted straight, with a tight right handed turn right at the bottom, I was watching the boys race and there were lots of crashes there, but it dried up a bit for our race, making it a bit easier. After that, you dumped out into a field and it was a flat stretch through the field to the finish.

The Junior women did 7 laps, I got lapped near the end of the race so I only did 6 laps. my start was good, and I was getting a gap on some of the girls up the climb. But on the descent some of the girls were catching me. That's how most of the race went, I would catch then on the climbs then they would get a gap on the descents, I probably lost a bunch of time getting over that bridge. It an awesome race, the course was sweet and I had a good race, I was feeling good, its still crazy to me how fast the girls are over here, its a good experience, and it makes me want to get faster. Some of the boys are ready to go back and race American races, but I like the racing over here, lost of short laps, wet muddy rooty stuff. Its a fun change.

Monday: Restday, so Lydia Chloe Jimmy and I took the train down to Freiburg. It is a super awesome city. lots of bikes and people just walking around. There are lots of pedestrian mall type things which are pretty cool. The coblestone is also really cool, there are lots of pretty designs

We went to the big church in the town that is super old. Its being reconsturcted, but we were still able to go in and look around. Pretty amazing architecture and art, and lots of beautiful stainglass

We also walked around the college in Freiburg which was pretty sweet. Its such an interesting city I am going to have to go back there a explore around some more

Tuesday: Went on a super sick ride. It was the whole group, Jimmy, Joey, Chloe, Lydia, Bryce, Davis, Will, Kevin and for some of the time Sundia. We rode up to a town on pavement, then hit some dirt double track, that quickly turned into awesome treversing singletrack. We went all the way to these sweet wind turbines. then there was this sick descent that spat us out right into Freiburg. SWEET TRAIL!!!! It was really cool, the forest was super duper thick, and you were right in the middle of it just winding on through. It was good to get on some trails, its super fun riding around here.

Wednesday: I went for a ride on my own, didnt have much of a plan of where I was going. I ended up just riding some roads up into the hills. I eventually found a road that Chloe and Lydia had ridden earlier and I went to check that out. It was a nice climb that went up into the forest I followed that for a while. There are all these random dirt roads that go off that would be fun to explore. I went up one for a little bit it was pretty sweet.

Last night we met up with the Rothaus German national team and did a killer core work out. We all gathered on the filed at the german olimpic traning center, and did a 45 minute abs session. Im a bit sore today. I think Im going out for a ride soon, and we are debating taking a trip into France.

Winterthur Racer Bikes Cup

Oh boy, the euros are fast! Just got back form the Racer Bike Cup in Winterthur Switzerland, Fun stuff, but super hard. It was a 4.2k course that started out with a short flat section of pavement then shot us up this super steep road climb, it wasnt long, but it wasnt short either. At the top of the climb you turn on to some gravle for a short flat section, before again turning onto a paved climb. The pavement soon turns into dirt double track that is fairly steep. You then go into some muddy twisty single track for a short time. You switch between single track and dirt road descending for a while before going into some pretty sketchey, super muddy, and slick single track, (funest part of the course!). The single track pops out onto a dirt road that is flat and fast. Then back into another section of fun, wet single track, a bit of a dirt road climb, before the super fast,super awesome grassy down hill with a sweet 3 or 4 foot wood drop. Then it was a road sprint to the finish.

I did four laps in 1:33 about 15 minutes down, placing 14th, like I said, these girls are fast. Didnt have a great start and was last right off the bat. On the first climb I was able to catch the group of girls in front of me. I hung with them most of the lap, gaining an edge on the climbs but loosing it in the flats. The second lap the Elit women started catching us, most blew right by, but one of them I was able to hang with on one of the flat sections for a little bit which was cool. By that time the girls I was with had gaped me a little, I had a stupid fall in the single track and lost some time. I could still see them, but I counldnt seem to quite catch them. My third lap was my best. I was climbing well and felling good, got into a rythem and it was awesome. But the girls ahead of me were still just out of my reach. By the forth lap my legs were screaming at me and I was just slowing down, so the girls got a bit of a gap on me and I couldnt see them anymore. Finished up nicely, soring down the last downhill.

It was a good race, lots of FUN! so different for back in Colorado, but still awesome. One really cool thing was that our number plates had our names on them, so all the random spectators would be cheering your name. The spectators were pretty cool. Some of them would be going up up (thats not how its spelled I dont think, but thats what it sounds like) and then when they realized that you were american and spoke english, so they would start saying go go go. It was funny. I am probably forgetting lots of things and this is a bit of a ramble.

City Sprints

Last night Kirchzarten held some city sprints in the pedestrian mall. There were 3 heats of 6 riders and the top 4 advanced into the next round. Jimmy, Joey and Davis raced, Joey even made it to the second round. It was quite an event, they even had a band, and there were probably more spectators there then at any mountain bike race back in the states.

Went for a nice pre-race day ride up some small twisty road, found a cool water fall

Guten Tag

Arrived in Germany yesterday. Happily no flight problems!


Jimmy Deaton, the man in charge, picked us up at the airport in a Rothaus bus, the thing is huge, that was graciously loaned to us by the german national team.



We then drove for about 3 hours to the beautiful villege of Kirchzarten. We are staying in this cool little hostle with a bike shop and a cafe on the same property. The hostle is right next to the train, so we see it go by all the time, its really quiet though, so you can totally sleep through the night and it dosent wake you up.

After building bikes and eating lunch Joey and Jimmy gave us a tour of the area via the multitude of bike paths. We got a glimps of the city of Freiburg, which seem like a sweet city, I'll have to go exploring down there one day.

Went out to dinner at this nice little resturant in town. I got to try some spetliza (I dont know if thats how you spell it) which is a pasta type thing that they make here, and its pretty good.




After dinner the girls and I went out to check out Kirchzarten. Sundia, Joeys girlfriend, led us up to this awesome playground, it even has a zip line! that was a lot of fun playing on that.



This morning Chloe, Lydia and I went out for a ride. We went to the next village up and found some nice dirt roads that just went up and up into the wood. You could probably ride on them for miles and miles. It was super cool, like riding into the clouds. The whole forest was full of myst, it felt magical. I like weather like that, mysty, but warm enough you can just be wearing a short sleve jersey. On the way down it started raining on us, and it got a little chilly.

Tonight in about 40 minutes there is going to be a sprint race as a spetical for the upcomming marathon that is going to be held here sunday, jimmy joey and davis are racing! should be fun! I'll post pics from it later.