Mecklenberg Rundfahrt Day 3

Saturday's race was grade-A euro mudsling'n of a race. The parcours, 123,3km which looked like a cardiograph on paper. Unfortunately, cardiographs can't display the hellish winds chimed throughout the day. After losing Markus Jahn to a crash on Friday, all remaining resources were to make sure Marcus Kühn can retain the sprinter's jersey. Several riders were very close so it was going to be difficult. We had to drive 30+km to the start upon arriving, the rain came. Not much of a problem until you see the cobblestones and you think, Scheiße! Fortunately the rain let up but it was quite cool, only around 20C. The race started out under neutral, and don't be foolish to think that the neutral isn't a race. If you aren't going full gas, then you might get dropped even before the flag falls. The wind was in full force and the attacks started immediately. I was doing well covering the first few moves then set tempo on one of the climbs as a non-threatening rider went up the road. After doing my time, I drifted back to recover then we started rolling down a long stretch of road that was quite picturesque with the trees lining the road and the farm vistas surrounding. Then the ultimate scheiße moment...a puncture. Front tire nearly rolled off as we went into a turn. I feel back to get a new wheel from team support. Heinz came by first but signaled me to wait for the van which unfortunately for me was in the very back. So I got the wheel changed and a nice push from die Latz and I was off. Ohh yeah, the wind is über scheiße now as it is blowing in the face or on the nose. No bueno when you are alone and the field is jettesoning away from you. Latz made it back up to me and provided a nice draft behind the van. The last 6-7kms then it was trying to make my way back into the field as the commissar was close and wasn't going to allow any tomfoolery from me. Normally all autos are encouraged to keep a small gap between the car in front when riders are coming up b/c we are allowed to use them as a draft and rest 20s behind the cars. Well these gaps weren't the 5meter ones, more like 20-30m. And that is a big no bueno when you are redlined already. Finally after leapfrogging fwd and bkw for 20km I finally caught back on. Heinz and Markus weren't quite proud and it helped to have their encouragement on my journey up. Let's just say that I pretty much burned the book on that one. The rest of the race was absolutely brutal. Rain, wind, up/down, down/up...it had it all. You want to now what is different about racing here than in the US? It's stage 4, GC is pretty much set 30% of the starters in the race are out, and you are riding single file at the +55km/h only to be seated in 78th position. What the hell is wrong with this? 78th position is no in-the-money position but if you don't hold it, either A) you go to 79th or worse B) you fall off the back and don't make time cut. When I was alone I was doing everything I could to not think B. I joked with everyone that I probably lost 5 years of my life with the effort. Fortunately it paid off b/c the 10 or so others that I had came up on while I was chasing never made the jump across to the field and their race ended that day as they missed time cut.

Later on I was nourishing myself and getting the fluids in b/c I still had 80km of racing when I got back in. And it was going to be hellish. At one point the field split as one race vehicle went straight and the other went left. Total catastrophe as nobody new what was going on. Finally they neutralized it and we came back together and had a nice little 4min picnic while the commissar pulled his hair out. Unfortunately that means your legs get cold and the human cyborgs at the front are going to make them cry like a baby without its pacifer.

When we made it into the finish town, I fell back and did what I could to conserve. And I was pretty much cooked, not a shade of pink you could say, only 1min50 down on the stage.

Unfortunately, die Kühn lost the jersey on a tie for points.

I did enjoy some Eis that night which was a nice recovery =)
chow,
Matthew