#michalowice

[lilaniebo]

By gridart

[adrianblachut]

Kalina  🐾 Find me on: ► INSTAGRAM, ► FACEBOOK

[kitajgorod]

[voonicycle]

Weekend on the Road

It was long time for me without racing, but now I'm back on the road in between other tasks. Last weekend I participated in Tour de Pologne amatour stage on Friday and took part in MTB marathon close to Krakow on Sunday, so that was a hot weekend, especially with temperatures around 35C (95F). Tour de Pologne is our national bike race being part of Pro Tour calendar, which for some years opens one stage for amatours, where we do one mountain loop of what is done four times by pros. I did it two years ago and I attempted once again this year.

 I came early to Bukowina, so I was early in the sectors to start early and avoid missing the sharp start like it was three years ago. The distance between official start and sharp one is 8km basically all downhill, so it takes very short even for non-racing bikers, but takes considerable time for an unicyclists. This year I knew I'm early enough, so I took the road down more relaxed. I started the real racing in one of the middle groups out of 1800 participants, so I was all the time between bikers. 

The route starts directly with big climb, which is good for me as only the good bikers were overtaking me, while I was able to overtake the weaker ones. This climb suits me well and I felt quite comfortable on it. And on the top I got the bottle of cold water from some spectator which was really refreshing, but also it got me riding in high gear down with a bottle of water in one hand, which resulted in an UPD (Unplanned Dismount) when I tried to switch gear down on some small uphill. This part down was harder for me as everybody was passing by and I was going slow compared to them. The good thing for me was that I easily avoided tight turn at the end of the descend, which sent some bikers off the road into the fields.

 The end of descend meant one thing. I need to cross the village and the toughest climb through Gliczarow will start with famous Bukowina wall where the steepness comes up to 22% for some meters. It was going well, but just before the wall you go out from between the trees onto the sun, so the heat made it really devastating on the hardest part. Once again I was back in the group, with weaker riders around me, most of them walking really, so it was even more motivating to show that you can do it on an uni. I got so much support from the spectators and I even got my almost private spectator running behind me with a cowbell, which was finally bit disturbing, but I survived both the cowbell and the climb. In two hardest parts I got some cramps starting in my calves, but luckily I got up without cramps. Up on the top I got some water to refresh and I continued. On the descent I met some people who already finished, but I had last one climb still in front of me. The descent went quite smooth and the climb started. The last one is officially the easiest, but at the same time you suffer much as you have two previous ones in the legs. I decided to take it easily and climbed successfully to the finish. 

Once again I did it, surviving climbs and the heat and having so much support on the way. It is definitely worth doing that. And I managed to ride it all with two dismounts on descend or flat, so I consider it a success, even though I did it 3 minuts slower than 2 years ago. But 3 minutes is not that much at 2 hours 8 minutes total. At the finish it turned out that medals given to all finishers are long gone, so I got without one, but my friends had better treat for the finish - a cold beer.

On Saturday I had a rest day, even if it was hard to rest in this heat and on Sunday I decided to take part in MTB marathon in Michalowice, which is just 15km from my home. I decided to ride the shortest distance with the temperatures and still sore legs after Friday and it turned out this was a good decision.

photo by OTR

I heard that the route has quite many paved parts, but I didn’t expect that much roads really. The first time we got offroad was at 6th km after some ups and downs on the roads. And after a short pass of small forest, where I realized that my sport glasses are not working well in such light-spotted environment. And I didn’t take the other ones from the car. Luckily this part was very short and I got quickly out to the grass road, which is the kind of terrain I hate the most and that made me walk up until I got to the road again.

 Next three kilometers were on the road again, when finally we got into forest for some offroad riding. My glasses still were doing tricks, so I was seeing sun/shade spots clearly, but I was not able to see all tiny bumps and roots which are the most important ones when you unicycle, so I had some UPDs, but nothing serious really. But it was frustrating sometimes to know that I could ride faster and maybe even in high gear if I could see more details. After the forest we were back out on paved farm roads, and at some hill around 1h and 11km of riding I thought I will quit as it was too hot and my legs were to weared to push and the terrain was not interesting enough to make me motivated. But I was somewhere in the fields, so it was not the best place to quit. By the time I got to some recognizable place where I could find the shortcut back to the finish, I got into the riding rythm and decided to stay on the road. This way I passed 15km to finish mark and I knew I have less to go than I did already. Somewhere about 10km-to-go was a feeding station, which I didn’t expect and ate my stuff just a moment ago, so I haven’t stopped to eat, but I grabbed some cold water and got a solid splash from the children at the station. This way I entered the second forest part, which was cool. First it was cool for temperature - being wet in the shade was quite chilly compared to the heat in the sun, and second it was a cool path to ride. I was so happy that I haven’t realized how quickly following kilometers passed and I suddenly got onto 5km-to-go mark. There, on a small climb, I wanted to talk to some people stopped on the side, and I got onto the ground quite suddenly. It was something between a fall and UPD as I landed on my hand and knee. I was happy to have my knee pads seeing small stones sticking out of G-form foam. I left the guys (one of them was out of competition and the other was suffering cramps) and I continued. Then at some downhill I got passed by first two people who were on their second loop. Unfortunately just a moment after we got into the grassy road cut out in small valley. It was grassy and bumpy and I even tried riding but it made me UPD a couple of times, so I ended up walking till something more concrete. When I got there I happily jumped on my uni and it turned out the route turns left onto the steep, grassy climb. That was too much and I took it very slowly walking. Some more people from longer distance passed me, but I knew I was very close to the finish. Finally I got out back on the road, which I took by car going to the start, so it was just last few turns and I was there. Tired and happy to finish with a bunch of more or less known people around to chat and take the rest in the shadow.

photo by OTR

MTB Michalowice is a nice event, quite big for such an unknown race, but still with nice familiar atmosphere. Just a pity it has not so much MTB in the MTB race.