The Zillertal invited...

Right in the middle of the week, a few days before the 2nd Saturday of July, we packed our stuff, our bikes and what else into our van and we travelled from the flat Lower Rhine to the hilly Zillertal, our goal was the 4th Zillertal Bike Challenge. I only knew the Zillertall out of stories from other, about really wild Apres-Ski-Party´s, loud music and fast and hard downhill ski and out fo the wintertime. Now it´s summer and I´m curious about the weekend. Ute already know the valley in Austria. Nw that we´re already become a knight, by participating and finishing the Bike Trans Alp, it was time to become King and Queen of the Alps. It´s not easy to be a King. The way is long, hard, steep and stony. 3days, 200km and more than 10000m of altitude and than I´ll get my crown. Everything was well organized and on especial thing about the short stage race is, that all the Kings and Queen will do the long distance everyday, and the prince and princesses only do the short distance and sometimes even use cars or roller coaster. Sometimes son and mother and daughter will met, but they often split themselves soon again. Another good point of this race, you don´t have to change your hotel every day, you can stay at one place, you don´t have to clean up your room, someone else will do that in Mayrhofen. At the first day we rode with the roller coaster up the start, which was 23km away to Fügen. The wagon in Mayrhofen was full of Dutch people. When the waggon will overtake some bikers, you hear by the Dutch: twee Prins en een Konning. The start was at 9:00o´clock. You have to ride thru the Finsing valles to Hochfügen and further across the Riedberg until the toll gate on the peak. When we rode thru Kaltenbach, it started to rain and at the supply ststion, we received some hot tea. But the rain insistent and keeps on following us, so we weren´t able to write a picture post card with a wonderful scenery of the Kapaus Alb. At the end of the first stage, you´ve toride a 18km long downhill part from Rohrberg to Zell at the Ziller, did it. We needed 312minutes for the 72km. ONly 6 of 11 women get into the finish. Ute is standing on the last place of it. 2nd day: While we´re sitting in the train from Mayrhofen to Zell at the Ziller, you got the chance to talk to the other riders. Only minutes after we entered the wagons, everybody is talking about being a hero and more cock´n bull stories. But you also talk about or exchange informations and talk about bikes and material. One of the themes is, the first 20km of the 74km. A 20km  long ascent up the Übergangsjoch,phew… I´ve never rode with Ute before so much m of altitude. We really got lots of respect and are a little bit nervous. Soon after the start we had our own race. We were 4 when we started. Nothing special, I just was surrounded by 3 women and everybody wanted to better than the other. The two young Danish girls, didn´t like it, while we were faster than them with our pink jerseys. No smile, no talk just loud breathing. Around 11:00o´clock we reached the peak. After a short downhill passage, we haven´t seen the Danish girls anymore, we weren´t that fast downhill, but at the next uphill part, we met them again and passed them aswell. This time we had a large gap on them, so, they passed us, when we ´re almost down at the foot of the mountain. On the last 600m from Gmünd to Gerlostaler, the Danish girls separated and we haven´t saw the stronger one anymore until the finish. Now Ute is on the 5th place of 6 and 16min to the 4th place. When we were at the finish I became best friend with the Alb-couple Marianne and Jacob. Even today we were supplied with this herb lemonade. The 3rd and last stage: When we took a look out of the window that morning, we saw the amazing Zilertal, just before our eyes we had highest mountains, a fantastic view and a bright blue sunny sky. This thought and eyecatcher followed us, the whole day. WHile we´re eating breakfast we´re filling up our storages, today will be really hard. Start, again at 9:00o´clock. After a short trip thru Mayrhofen, all the prince and princesses will enjoy the advantages of the roller coaster and get up the peak with the train. But we, we do it with our own power, strength, we are riding deonhill on our own and again uphill. When we´re up the glacier, we have a wonderful view, all around us, the everlasting ice and above us, the bright blue sky. It´s a fantastic feeling. While we are on the terace of the TuxerFernerhouse in 2660m above sea-level, we just enjoy everything. We did it, we became King and Queen. 3 wonderful day in the Zillertal and after all even the step on the podium. Ute was the 5th of the women ranking. Nils Gieskes

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