Reinhold trautner of the roadrunners forchheim put his bowling and running shoes away for the last few months: instead, he slipped into the saddle for a rough adventure, the "three-country giro, into cycling shoes and swung themselves onto a racing bike.
This one-day race started in nauders on the reschenpass (austria), then went to italy, over alpine passes into switzerland and back to the starting point. At the end there were 170 kilometers and 3300 meters of altitude on the speedometer. For trautner, the adventure came to an end after 7:26 hours. "Impressive, this day through the high mountains", he describes. The approximately 1000. His place among the 3000 or so starters was only incidental.
Decision made in winter
Already in winter the decision was made "to do something new and challenging". The casual cyclist became a cyclist. By day X, he had put around 4500 kilometers of cycling into his legs.
This was the basis for surviving the ride through the mountains. Long tours of up to 150 kilometers through french-speaking switzerland and specific mountain training were part of the preparation for the race. But uncertainty remains as to whether it will be enough for the three-state giro.
The race started for about 3000 cyclists in nauders (tyrol). He got goose bumps when the crowd started to move, reports trautner. Passing the reschensee lake, the route went to italy and to the fub of the stilfser joch (kilometer 36).
Now came the ascent to the high mountains: 1900 meters of altitude on the stuck lay before all the participants, 27 kilometers from summer to winter: that was the ascent to the stilfser joch. An infinite number of sweeps brought the athletes to the top. After about two hours, trautner was on the roof of the "giro" on 2800 meters. "A snowball fight would not have been a problem", he looks back.
From winter back to summer
On the top of the pass the starters took their gear and food and dressed warmly. Now the 1500-meter descent into switzerland followed from winter back to summer. The almost 20-kilometer-long descent, partly on natural roads and with a number of curves, demanded a great deal from the steering. Many were standing with a flat on the edge of the road. The kauernhofner was spared and got through without a mishap.
After the rapid descent, the next pass was immediately approached: the oven pass was now in the way and was to be crossed. 14 kilometers of uphill slog were now on the agenda. "As a reward you stood on 2150 meters on the pass of the furnace and most of the high meters were made", says the man from upper franconia, who usually goes bowling for SKC eggolsheim, on the hunt for wood.
For the cyclists it went now through the lower gadin downhill with some climbs. "This is where the real tempo was set", trautner tells. Slipstreaming was the order of the day. At kilometer 160 he crossed the border back into austria.
But now the last cliff was waiting: the 400 meters or so up to norbertshohe. The fatigue after about seven hours in the saddle was already spurring trautner enormously. Having reached the top and looking down on nauders, he is filled with happiness, as he reports: "the last kilometer downhill to the finish line was pure joy." After just under seven and a half hours, the challenge of the three-lander giro was mastered. Reinhold trautner was very satisfied with that. "Such a finisher beer,", he has learned "tastes twice as good."
