„schee wars!“ (for you northern guys of Germany: it was nice
) that it is was I can report fron the Arber-Marathon in Regensburg
at the 26th of july! Altogether there were about 7500 cycling
maniacs for this years public fun race! A record of participants!!!
At the Arber-Marathon there is no time-check or you can make
a classment, everyone can ride there,no matter if you´re yound
or old, pro or amateur!
They offered you 4 road bike and 2 MTB courses! From easy
to tough! Normally I wanted to ride the 115km/2200m altitude
MTB-course and to kick the others PIRATEmassy in their butt.
But cuz of heavy rains the days before the courses was in
a really bad condition, I decided me shortly to join my teammate
Renate Heil and another friend of mine on the 125km road bike
course.
After a cup of coffee in the morning, we placed us really
cocky in the first row of the 2000 starters on this course!
Just after the starting signal ,my friend and myself made
up the pace and speeded thru the streets of Regensburg, when
I crossed a cobbled street, sudenly I felt dable at the back
of my bike, I looked back and before I was able to do anything,
my Carbon saddle loosened and flew away. Blimey…how can that
happened!?!?! Somehow the screws loosened thru the cobbled
stones and the noble saddle got lost! I was infuriating, because
we helt the speed real up, that we got lost of the peleton
after a few km`s.
Luckily my friend brought his tools,otherwise it would be
very bitter for myself. Well, after 5 minutes I was back on
my bike again, and we were able to ride on again to start
a catch up with the peleton! It didn´t lawst very long until
we were back again. Sadly, Martin weren´t able to hold the
my speed uphill, so shortly I discharged from him and moved
furter forward. But the small group in lead (about 6 people)
were changing lead in the fact of drafting, so it was anable
for me catch with them. So, I stepped a little break on the
break and waited for the next group behind, luckily in this
group was my friend. At the second food station, we drank
a big`n cool shandy together and rode together to the finish
and like they told us, not that far behind the leading group.
Even my team-partner Renate Heil reached the finsih with a
good time, for her first road bike race, not bad at all. I
was really proud of her !!!
PIRATE goes forward!
Afterwards we allowed us two other shandy´s and of course
noodles, with the sun on our faces we enjoyed the other thousend
riders coming in. Closing up: apart of my saddle loss, I felt
really good after all. My mountain speed was good, best result(surely
under the first 15) and an awesome bike day…
Pirate Jörg Raithmeier