Summer challenge 2008

Hello,

I’m starting this blog today to document my big summer challenge 2008. Crossing the alps on a bike!!!

http://www.tourtransalp.de/

http://www.tourtransalp.de/englisch/

http://www.tourtransalp.de/deutsch/

Last year, my friend Raik from Leipzig, Germany, came up with the idea to register for this event.

He had joined me twice on a big charity bike ride event here in the U.S. – the MS 150 from Houston to Austin.

http://www.ms150.org/ms150/

The BP MS 150 Bike Tour is a two-day cycling adventure from Houston to Austin that raises funds to help people living with Multiple Sclerosis.

Here is a picture from 2005 with Raik, Andy, me (Steffen) and Dave, riding for the International Xerox Biking Team

Two years later in 2007 we rode the MS 150 together again.

But now we take on a new challenge:

7 days through the Alps from Oberammergau in southern Germany to Bibione in northern Italy.

860 km and 16,800 altitude meters, 16 alp passes.

To be honest – when we registered in November I never thought we will make it onto the list….

We started being on the waiting list # 50 – but on April 7th 2008 we were on!!!!

Rider A: Raik Illian
Rider B: Steffen Rudolph

Team: Bad Boys – we changed it to “Team Speiche” means “Team Spoke” in reference to our sponsor

http://www.diespeiche.de/

I will try to document our challenge as best as possible, depending of Internet capabilities during the stages.

So stay tuned!!!!

6th of July

Stage 1:  Oberammergau – Sölden  140 km 2453 altitude meters

Normal check-in was July 5th.

But Lotti, Ulla and Raik’s daugther had her graduation and Prom that day.

So we took off at 1:30 in the morning of July 6th from Leipzig, driving 500 km towards Munich.

After arriving in Oberammergau at 6 o’clock in the morning we took a short nap.

Registeration at 8 am and the Tour TransAlp 2008 started at 10 am sharp.

Because of limited time and Internet connectivity we will post only a few pictures.

Everything is great!!! Organisation, people – a great event!!!

Steffen

Day 2:  7th of July

Stage 2:  Sölden – Brixen     140,75 km – 2909 altitude meters

Rain, Rain, Rain
Start in Soelden with 8°C, the first pass with 0°C

Downhill with 20 meter visibility –
Arrival in Brixen.

The pope is vacationing in a few weeks here.

Georgeous market place – Pasta party.
New brake pads in Brixen
140 km in 7:52 hours
Camping outside the city

Day 3: 8th of July

Stage 3:  Brixen – St.Vigil    90,55 km – 2128 altitude meters

Start in Brixen – 3 hours uphill in sunny weather
Furkel pass at the end – Killer serpentines

Arrival in St. Vigil – only 90 km, but 6:42 hours

Day 4: 9th of July

Stage 4: St.Vigil – Sexten 101,80 km – 3146 altitude meters

CHECK FOR MORE PICTURES DOWN -Internet connection is not so great

Sunny Start in St.Vigil – the Panoramo stage

We are getting faster every day

It took us 5:25 hours with 2 short brakes

The Texas Longhorns were greeted by 2 Italian Longhorns in Sexten.

Tonight we stay in a luxurious Camping place.
http://www.patzenfeld.com

So far all body elements are functioning very well.

Tomorrow will be a killer stage!!!

Day 5: 10th of July

Stage 5:  Sexten – Falcade   130,41 km – 3139 altitude meters

They called it the “Koenigsetappe” – Kings stage

But it WAS the killer stage!!! Nichts fuer Eibemmen und grosse Gaenge!!!

4 Alp passes, 130 km and !!!3139 altitude meters!!!

Now I officially have to say: My butt hurts.

But – beautiful scenery, lakes, mountains and Italian traffic

When you cross the finish line, all the pain is gone.

Don’t drink San Pellegrino water in the next few months 🙂

And 2 Grappas at the Italian bar put you in heaven.

Day 6: 11th of July

Stage 6:  Falcade – Feltre   116,74 km – 2603 altitude meters

We are coming to the end – we just left the beautiful Dolomites!

The start went immediately uphill, no warm-up just “Kleine Gaenge”

It took us 6:27 hours to the finish line.
Passing beautiful scenery again. Mountains, lakes, dark tunnels without any light.

You have only eyes for the landscape when going downhill.

My downhill skills are improving, thanks to my teacher Raik.

He is yelling instructions from behind, how to cut corners, weight on your out curve leg,
when exactly let the brakes go.

Some serpentines are so narrow that only one car can go. That’s when the big truck is coming.

You see – we have fun all the way to the Adria.

Tommorrow is our final stage with 153 km flying downhills and a jump into the sea at the end.

Day 7: 12th of July  —  FINALE

Stage 7:  Feltre – Bibione   154,73 km – 482 altitude meters

I thought the last stage is a “Kaffeefahrt”

But I was wrong!!! The tempo from the very first minute was high.

After averaging 30 km/h we passed the finish lie in Bibione around 2:10 pm.
Raik pulled all the power out of me on the last few kilometers.

859 km and 16.849 altitude meters with 16 passes were behind us.

After waiting for Ulla, who were stucked in Italian traffic, we jumped into the Adria.

Our tour camper was parked directly on the beach behind 100.000 beach umbrellas.

Big beach party and two happy bikers.

Greetings from Raik, Steffen and Ulla

After 7 stages, 857 km, 16 Alp passes and 16.849 Altitude meters on the road bike we went back to Germany in the Camper bus.

http://www.tourtransalp.de/

The link below has a lot of pictures and impression of this great event:

http://picasaweb.google.de/TOUR.transalp

From the 100.000 beach umbrellas in Bibione we drove to Verona, where the story of Romeo and Julia was set.

We saw the famous Roman amphitheatre and had nice Gelati on the market place.

From there we drove to the Lago de Gardo and camped on the west side

The next morning we took another bike ride up to Lago de Tenno, a beautiful lake on top of Lago de Gardo

And then we really had to cross the Alps back into Germany.

Beautiful 1 1/2 weeks full of activities and expierences.

Maybe there is a TransAlp Tour 2009 🙂