The First stage is behind me and I am absolutely satisfied! After almost 60 kilometres and 3000 metres in altitude, I was able to stay under the four-hour mark with Torsten. In scorching hot temperatures, that wasn't necessarily my primary goal, at least not for me. My challenge today was simply to get through the first stage without cramps. Because that's always the challenge for me.
2002: With - or thanks to - cramps in the Transalp video
Even back then, when I took part in my first Transalp in 2002The first climb was already going to lead me into the valley of cramps - no! - and cause me to fall off my bike from cramping stiffness. Unbelievable what pain you can endure! From my hands to my legs: a single cramp. I lay on the alpine meadow for what felt like an eternity, in the most beautiful weather and breathtaking alpine scenery, but screaming in pain. How macabre!
Many sips of water and assisted stretching cycles later (by my partner at the time, Holger), I still managed to finish the stage on my gums. At the finish: I stood there encrusted with salt like a piece of cured meat, my curls peeking out of every hole in my helmet. Whether it was pity or pure sensational journalism on the part of the video crew that helped me get "airtime" on the official BIKE Transalp DVD is still unclear.
2022: Start slowly to avoid cramp
With these experiences in mind and the video clip in my mind's eye, I set off on the first long climb right after the start today. And for the first time I was grateful that I had a rear starting position, which allowed me to ride the first 500 metres of ascent with the handbrake on due to the many overtaking manoeuvres. This meant I wasn't able to overdo it and save important energy, which I could put to good use later on.
Celebrity talks
After riding the first climb and subsequent downhill with Torsten yesterday as a warm-up, I knew what was in store for me: the Peter Sagan and Alban Lakata trails are real rollercoaster rides with endless berms, jumps and compressions that quickly made me forget the exertions of the first uphill. With plenty of adrenaline in our blood, a saw blade-like elevation profile followed, where we quickly gained almost 1000 metres in altitude.
The spontaneous chat with Olympic snowboarding champion Benjamin Karl, who was at the start as a guest rider today and was really strong, was also entertaining. It's really cool how fit this guy is! Snowboarding is not exactly an endurance sport. Benni obviously read my astonishment in my face and immediately made it clear that - apart from cross-country skiing in winter - he mainly gets through the summer on his bike.
Cramp or no cramp - that is the question here
But entertaining also meant unrhythmic. Every "little wave" maltreated my leg muscles like pinpricks, and with every pinprick the likelihood of my muscles going on strike and cramping increased. I had learnt to deal with this from previous years and competitions. The solution: salt!
Of course, I had taken precautions and packed my little salt shaker in my jersey pocket. Thanks to the regular salt and fluid supplementation that followed, this time I managed to do what I hadn't managed 20 years ago: finish the first stage without cramps. But I was still cramped again!
