BIKE Mission 3000: Albert's second chance in the battle with 3000 metres of altitude

Angry? No, Albert didn't feel any anger when heavy storms forced him to cancel the grand finale of his BIKE Mission 3000. "I could be annoyed every day that the train isn't running and I'd be nervously dead within a year." The 39-year-old learnt how to deal with risk in the volunteer fire brigade: "It doesn't matter how much you want to do something. Your own safety comes before everything else." Disappointment? Yes, because the victory over 3000 metres in altitude seemed to have vanished into thin air for the mountain bike returnee after three months of training. At this point, it was still completely open to Albert whether he would ever be able to complete this challenge. To make matters worse, a specialist found the carbon frame of his bike to be unrideable after he was hit by a stone thrown up during the thunderstorm tour. A full job and an even fuller family calendar brought Albert back to everyday reality with a vengeance after the setback. The BIKE Mission 3000 dream seemed to be over.

But then: an open time slot! Directly after the long-planned road bike tour with my mates and just a few days before the family holiday, but with the best weather forecast. The unfinished challenge was immediately back on his mind. Albert packed his bike rucksack immediately after returning from 450 kilometres and 4000 metres of altitude on the road. The men's group had taken three days to complete the challenge. "I was training well, but had zero time for recovery." There were only just under 16 hours of daylight left for the mountain bike tour with 3000 metres of altitude. Friends and colleagues could only shake their heads at his plans.

Our reports on the big BIKE Mission 3000 are already online:

>> Albert's personal bike fitting with the Ergon bike fitter, Dr Kim Tofaute <<

>> Albert gets fit for 3000 metres of altitude with these tips <<

>> The detailed insight into Albert's training for the BIKE Mission 3000 <<

>> The grand finale of Mission 3000 ends in a thunderstorm disaster <<

All articles about the Alberts Mission can be found here: BIKE Mission 3000

BIKE Mission 3000: Albert wants to know now

So now it's Plan C. When Albert rolls out of the garage early in the morning on a hire bike without any regeneration, he feels anything but well prepared and certainly not fresh. "I was very worried about whether it would go well." It's not just the time pressure that worries him. The pedal plates on the racer were probably a millimetre out of the ideal position. Now his left knee pinches with every pedal stroke. Another cancellation seems possible at any time. On the other hand, the almost 90-kilometre tour from Freilassing to Übersee is already planned and the train ticket has been bought. So it's better to look forward to a deserted mountain backdrop on Monday morning. "I hadn't made an exit plan, but wanted to go through the whole thing with positive thoughts - even if every bone in my body says: it's over now!"

Easier said than done. The second climb already demands a lot of energy from Albert. When the ramp becomes too much for the optimist, he gets out of the saddle. Normally he enjoys challenges like this, but his thoughts wander to his wife and children: "It's better to ride defensively this close to the holiday and push sometimes. I don't want to break my back." At the summit, the view and the warm rays of sunshine help Albert to put his concerns to one side. Inspired, the BIKE reader rolls into the descent and even when a mountain runner overtakes him on the subsequent ascent to the Stoißer Alm, his morale remains high.

3000 metres of altitude force the body to its limits

Then there it is: the big drop. His strength and stamina no longer seem to be up to the steep section at kilometre 50. Albert's mental strength begins to crumble: "Somehow I feel like shit. I have to sit down." Was the physical strain too much after all? Had the "mere mortals who cycle to the bakery" and had accused him of having a "full blast" been right after all? Full of doubt, Albert sinks onto a bench at the edge of the forest and shoves a handful of jelly babies into his mouth. "In hindsight, that was my salvation. But I didn't realise at the time that I had driven myself into a deficit."

His spirits slowly return and after 15 minutes Albert gets back on his bike. "I can do it!" This thought is back in Albert's head. In the past, the IT specialist has usually been able to trust his self-assessment and the fact that BIKE training expert David Voll believed he could successfully complete the BIKE Mission 3000 is also a good feeling. Thoughts finally turn into knowledge when Albert reaches the last mountain. The bike computer has cracked the magical 3000 metre mark, but there's not much further to go on this day - no chance. "Just don't rush it now. The finish is only after the finish line".

All alone, physically battered, with an unfamiliar bike and a tight schedule, Albert managed to complete the challenge at the second attempt. From zero to 3000 in three months - not everyone can do that, the BIKE reader is sure of it. But Albert did it. For him, the many minor and major setbacks on his mission were tangible tests of willpower. In the end, they make the feeling of success on the first 3000 metre altitude tour of his life that much sweeter.

BIKE Mission 3000: Albert's conclusion

The feeling of cycling 3000 metres of altitude in one day overrides any exhaustion. If you set yourself a goal and follow a plan, you can achieve a lot - even as a beginner. In the end, preparation time and willpower count. My participation in the BIKE Mission 3000 was a unique, extreme sporting experience. I would do it again at any time. - Albert Miethaner

What the BIKE training expert says

That was a very strong performance from Albert! He really proved his worth: The head is stronger than the rest underneath. Because after such a previous strain, knee problems and unfamiliar equipment, mental strength is the deciding factor between success and failure. There was no question in my mind that he was in the right frame of mind to tackle the BIKE Mission 3000 - despite the cancellation of his first attempt. So success is largely a matter of the mind! I think that archery also made a significant contribution to this, because concentration is a decisive performance feature here. As Albert is an optimist by nature, he was obviously able to quickly block out his self-doubt and concentrate on the essentials. Strong guy! - David Voll, BIKE training expert