Tag Archives: cycling

1st Place in the Tuggen Challenge

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It’s been a good weekend of racing! My team http://www.stct.ch won the Tuggen Challenge outright, and dominated all races, Time Trial, Road Race and both men’s and women’s categories.

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For me, the competition was not against the other women in the end as the turnout was very poor, so it was against myself, my demons and the men. For that is what Granfondo is all about, everyone together in one big mish-mash of elbowing and fun racing.

Stage 1 – Saturday – 10km Time Trial

I rode my first ever time trial yesterday – 10km at ‘voll gas’ as they say in Switzerland. My goal was to maintain an average of 40 kilometres per hour, and I achieved it! Even better – at 41.15kmph. My finishing time was 14.58 and, because I didn’t have a time trial bike, aero helmet, and wheels – I could take advantage of a 30 second bonus which brought me in at 14.28 and the winner by well over a minute.

The TT on Strava


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TT Results

Stage 2 – Sunday – Road Race

Today then was Stage 2. 4 laps of 14.7 km with a steep, big hill in each one of those rounds. I was nervous coming into the event because it has been raining a lot, the roads are really narrow and it could have been mayhem. Luckily they were dry for us, and the peloton broke up pretty early in the event so I rode in the 2nd group with about 20 riders for most of the way.

My legs were in really great shape and I never really felt uncomfortable, like I sometimes did in Brütten in March. I was one of the first up each of them climbs and far from getting dropped, I actually controlled a lot at the front of the bunch. That however got a bit frustrating towards the end as the bunch slowed down and really lacked some aggressive riders to push the pace on. I’ve seen this happen before and it is frustrating! More reason for me to try to stay in the first group instead of working for the second…
I had great help from teammate Geri Pachinger and my mate Markus Tollert – also from a mysterious rider from Bündnerland in a green jersey – thanks whoever you are!

Finally, the Steiner Team triumphed again, André Seiler took the road race win with Reto Wälchli coming in second and Oleksiy and Bojan working really hard to help make this possible!

The Road Race on Strava

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Final Road Race Results

The event was very well organised! It is clear that christian Heule has a lot of friends in the cycling scene as he pulled together some great support for the whole event, there should be some good photos and video coverage released in the next week and yeah – I would definitely recommend it! But I only wish there were more women stepping up to race. It is a shame and makes me worried about the development of the sport in Switzerland.

CRASH! Shock, Frustration and Some Missing Skin

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The 3rd RMVZOL was on Saturday. Although my legs weren’t fully recovered from Mallorca, I was so excited to race after a really successful training camp and I felt I had a really great chance to get on the podium. Sabrina Baumgartner and Jutta Steinen were the main rivals and I had already beaten Sabrina in the first of the three-race series.

There was a great atmosphere among the team before the race began. Jeannette and Mario Covi were out with cameras and we got some amazing photos.

Warm-Up

The Race

The women started in the same block with a 1.15 minute lead over the Amateurs and Elite men. The first few laps were good. It started off at an ok pace but straight from the beginning I noticed that the juniors were really nervous and giddy. There was a lot of senseless sprinting at the front of the pack and solo break aways. Jutta was in one of these breakaways and I chased her down with the help of Geri Pachinger one of our Vet teammates. Although I tried to ignore the jittery bike handling of the juniors as much as possible it wasn’t always that easy.

After 2.5 laps, our group got caught by the Elites and Amateurs. That meant a bunch of about 60 or more riders swallowed us up. My goal this race was to be better positioned in the peloton and to play a more active role in the women’s race. That meant working harder at the front and being prepared to chase breakaways if they happened. I made sure I was positioned at the edge of the peloton and with Sabrina and Jutta in contact so when that big gang came along I wouldn’t be stuck in the inside of the Peloton where its much harder to get out.

Everything was going great. I felt good and I had strong legs. On the fourth lap Yves rode next to me and gave me some words of encouragement. He said I was going very strong and to keep it up.

Disaster Strikes

Literally, within 5 seconds after Yves had spoken, the rider to my right rode straight into me – at full speed! I have no clue why other than perhaps he was pushed into me by the rider on his right. We were averaging about 40kmph and there was no way I could hold my line. I went down, in the middle of the pack and about 5 riders also came down with me (and on top of me), one of them was fellow team rider Oleksiy Mischchenko, and Markus Tollert a mate of mine. It took me a good few minutes to recover, then check my injuries. I felt really dizzy and I realized that the entire left side of my winter bib tights around my bum had been torn off, skin and all. Left knee, hip, chin, hand, and right little finger are all the worse for wear and I completely broke my 3T carbon handlebars.

Grrr!

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Team Wins

On a much brighter note, Yves Covi triumphed again. After a really unfair 2nd race with some questionable handicapping of riders by the organization, the ST18 boys rode with vengeance to win the overall series. Yves on the podium and Reto Wälchli in 3rd place. Go guys!

Here is a pic of Yves just pipping Jan Keller over the finish line. To see more photos of the team in action check out our Facebook gallery.

582002_509593599086503_1423258125_nOnwards and Upwards

So. Instead of licking my wounds. I’m going to race in the 3rd Frühlungs Cup in Brugg next Saturday with a couple of teammates. Maybe that will help the frustration I feel over Saturday’s race!

A Winter (break) in Mallorca

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I am just back from one of the best holidays I have ever had!

A 9 day break in Mallorca. Lots of sleep, time on the bike great food and lots of laughs. Although my legs are pretty smashed today…I’m sitting here in Zurich with a big smile on my face thinking of the great times we had on that beautiful island.

Although the actual volume of riding in terms of kilometres wasn’t huge, we did a hell of a lot of climbing. We covered about 14,261 height metres over 649.7 kms during 8 days of riding. I never imagined that Mallorca could be so hilly! It seems like every time I left the house it was unavoidable to return without racking up less than 1,000 metres of climbing.

I could write so much about this trip but as usual – I don’t have much time. Back to work tomorrow and I have to build some IKEA furniture, do some food shopping and get my brain into the mindset of a return to reality!

The week went something like this:

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It was the first cycle specific training block I have ever done. I was a little apprehensive going into it regarding how I would cope with ‘just’ cycling, but with Philipp it was so great! We had a lot of laughs and we pushed each other a lot on the climbs and it was so great to have him there. On the last big ride I fell on a slippery tight switchback on Coll de Soller and he scraped me off the ground. Luckily it was my pride that suffered more than my bike and body.

It was also interesting to compare how I climb with the internationals that are present on Strava. I didn’t fare too badly. I picked up a couple of QOMs and on the major climbs I was at least in the top 10. But I didn’t see any big names there in the mix except for Katie Colclough Specialized Lululemon rider.

Happy Holidaymakers

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Route Planning

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Summits (lots of them)

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Beautiful Views

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Coffee Stops

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Valldemossa

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Relaxation

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Next Up – RMVZOL 2. Rennen Brütten

Before I left for Mallorca I competed in my first criterium race in Brütten. I really enjoyed it and it was very exciting. Although I came 5th, I was pretty happy with that as I only rode about 500km in January and March so I had no clue what my form was like, I had a new bike, and the the depth of talent among the women was huge. Emma Pooley came in second place, Swiss international Jutta Steinen in 1st with Jane Nüssli in 3rd. I almost caught the fourth place girl and overtook Sabrina Baumgartner in the sprint to the line. This Sunday I’ll give it another go. Lets see how my legs will have recovered by then!

What to do when you don’t feel ready? Race anyway!

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Tomorrow I will be at the start of the first race of the RMVZOL Spring Cup in Brütten, Zurich. Its only 40km but I know for sure it will be lightning fast! We will be mixed with the guys, including elites, and also the likes of Emma Pooley and Jane Nüssli. Here is the line up.

Maybe Ill look a little like this famous Irishman after the race:

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Feeling Unprepared is also Good Experience

 

Its impossible to plan everything, but I usually manage to control one thing; being physically ready for a race. This time though, I don’t feel too ready! I am lacking miles in my legs (on the bike) and also on my new bike. It has barely been broken in! Since I got it a few weeks ago, it has been snowing in Zurich making it practically impossible to ride in the evenings and on the weekends I was ski touring or in the case of last weekend – at a wedding. Then I felt sick on Monday – chest congestion and headache. I managed to keep it at bay and it hasnt gotten worse but that meant I couldnt train either on Monday or Tuesday! To make matters worse, my bike is currently with my mechanic (http://www.velo-elsener.ch/) to sort out a problem with the bottom bracket!

So – tomorrow will be a good, hard training session. I will do everything I can to get Cait in a good position to the line to have ST18 on the women’s podium. 

Holiday on the Horizon

But, the good news is – I will leave for Mallorca on Sunday. We will spend 9 days there where all I need to take care of is spinning wheels (lots), eating right, and turning the pages of lots of books I intend to finally devour. I will disconnect. No phone or internet. Heaven!

 

 

 

 

 

Season Ends on a High at the Helly Hansen Killarney Adventure Race

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It couldn’t have been better!

Winning the Helly Hansen Killarney Adventure Race 2012 last weekend was the perfect end to a hard, intesnse season – which saw 6 demanding races packed into 4 months.

About the Race

I travelled to Ireland with a group of friends from Zurich who also competed in the 67km event.

The route was quite demanding, not because of the amount of height metres that needed to be climbed so much as the technical nature of the hill runs. The race began with a fast run up and down Strickeen hill in the Gap of Dunloe (7.5km) followed by a bike stage through the Gap of Dunloe into the Black Valley, up to Molls Gap/Ladies View and down to upper Lough Leane (35km). Next, a short kayak followed by a hard 18km run from the lakeshore up to the Devil’s Punchbowl on Mangerton Mountain (839m). Then, a descent of Mangerton back to the bikes at the lakeshore for a short ride of 4.5km to the finish line at Muckross House.

The breakdown and maps can be viewed here

Above, a photo taken by Valerie O’Sullivan on Strickeen, the first run stage, overlooking low-lying clouds over what would be Killarney and the lakes.

Excellent Organization

The race was one of the best organized I have taken part in, from pre-communications, to the check-in and registration at Kate Kearney’s Cottage the night before right through to the finish-line where you received a print-out of your time and position on the spot.

The Result

I finished in 1st place in a time of 4 hours 33mins and in 18th position overall. Although I had been aiming for a time of four and a half hours, I didn’t expect the standard of the men’s field to be so high (I had hoped to be within 30 minutes of the 1st male winner). The men’s winner Tim O’Donoghue was 55 minutes ahead of me!

Full results here

I made the front page of the regional paper – ‘The Kerryman’ (not so sure about my photo to the right of that headline though ; )

Another event review in the Irish Times blog

Tme Out

I am officially in off-season mode! It is hard to wind down from such an intense few months. Although I miss the activity levels, I have felt my body hasn’t been recovering well from hard sessions over the last month since the Inferno triathlon, there are twinges in muscles, signs of wear and tear that needs rest in order to repair properly.

I will take 2 weeks of full rest now, just some light exercise and strength and conditioning sessions. Then, return slowly to training with a focus on conditioning for a month or so to strengthen areas I have neglected while I was in race-mode this year.

2013 Plans 

Without going into too much detail. I plan to not compete in multi-sport events next year and focus exclusively on cycling. This is a big departure for me – but for a while I have seen my strength lies on the bike and I have been curious to see how far I can go if I focus on one thing. I have great support behind me from www.stct.ch the top amateur team in the region.

I am already excited to see what 2013 has in store!

Ein Tag am…Pragel, Ibergeregg and Sattelegg with STCT Cycling Team

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Without going into too much detail we had a great day out on Saturday on a team ride in Central Switzerland. The route profile was like this:

Performance was so-so (not sure about the 95.8kmph – I think that was Garmin interference):

And the views were stunning! Check out the full album on our team page on Facebook:

Zurich Metzgete 2nd Place!

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Let me just start by saying…simply…I am still over the moon with my 2nd place finish in the Züri Metzgete. I never imagined I’d be able to ride a bike that fast – that’s the truth!

Decisions

After the 2nd place finish in the Endadin Radmarathon in early July I knew that I could place well in the Züri Metzgete. However, being just one week before the Inferno Triathlon I had to make a tough choice. Train to do well in the Inferno Triathlon or prioritize the Metzgete and train to do well in that event. I chose the former….for a few reasons – the most obvious being the distinct possibility of a top 3 finish in the cycle race and the unlikelihood of beating the likes of Andrea Huser (& Co.) in the Inferno Triathlon.

The choice was a smart one and resulted in a 2nd place in the Züri Metzgete – one of the biggest road races on the amateur calendar in Switzerland.

Results

Preparation

Although I didn’t stop running and swimming completely I prioritized bike riding in the run up to the Züri Metzgete and put in a lot of time in the saddle. The week before the race I didn’t feel great. But I have always found it hard to judge the difference between legs not ‘feeling’ great and legs actually not ‘being’ great – so I didnt take all that much notice and got on with the program.

Racing for Steiner Cycle Team (STCT)

Come race morning everything was in place. I drove to the start and got suited up. I picked up the race number and just before I was about to set out on my warm up I received a phone call Yves Covi asking me if I would like to race in their team colours! This was great news! I had been in touch with Yves since we met at the Engadin Radmarathon about the possibility of riding for his team Steiner Cycling Team (STCT) next season. This was the confirmation and the Metzgete would be my first race for them – already in 2012! As soon as I put on the STCT uniform quite a few heads began to turn – I guess those colors command respect among local riders as they have dominated the scene completely this year.

Disaster Strikes

A quick change of uniform and on with the program. Then disaster struck – I noticed my rear tyre had lost a lot of pressure. On a closer check I discovered a puncture. Tubular tyres. Not good. 35 minutes before the start. Pit Stop in hand. Race back to the race centre to find someone to help or had more experience with tubular punctures. Located my friend Peter. Pit Stop injected. Pit Stop not enough. Still punctured. Shit.

I saw one of the guys on my new team who I hadn’t even formally met before, and asked him if he had a spare tubular tyre (tall request) he said no but brought me back to the team car. Within 15 minutes the tyre had been replaced and I was good to go. Forever in debt and still a little embarassed to have met my new teammates in such a situation – the way they stepped in immediately to help me get to the start just confirmed the positive image I have of this super team!

The Race

I was starting in the B Group (there are wave starts with about 1 minute in between each group). I looked around to see the other women and familiarize myself with their colours. Because I was late in due to the puncture fisaco I wasn’t at the front of the group but I was pretty sure I had seen all the women at the start. After the gun went I picked out another STCT guy and spent the first 20km more or less in the lead group with him. I knew that I was probably working too hard but there wasn’t another option as the average speed wasn’t as fast as I would have liked and every time we dropped back into the pack the speed would decrease. Not good. When we got to the first hill I stood up most of the way to keep with the first group and descend with them. I noticed there was also another girl hanging around and I didn’t want that! The remainder of the first lap was pretty uneventful until I realised at the end of it that the same girl was still really close to me! I couldn’t believe it! I had been working hard and she was still there. A feeling of despair crept in and I began to ask myself “could I do it?” I couldn’t go much faster. But I decided to bide my time, take it down a notch, hide a little in the pack and attack on the hills – for they are my strength.

Tactics Work

Sure enough, my plan worked. On the second ascent of Sigrisdorf I opened up a lead, got in with a good group of guys and we kept pushing all the way to the last ascent of Regensberg. I looked back a few times in between and I didn’t see my rival so I knew I could be home-free, I just needed to get over Regensberg, empty the tank on that, then empty it more and I’d be on the home stretch! Sure enough, that worked! When I approached the last stretch to the finish line I couldnt believe it. There I was…possibly winning the Züri Metzgete 2012! How cool!

Not First – But Second

I didn’t realise until a while after the race that I had been beaten by Tatjana Ruf! I didn’t see her at the start line at all! I can only imagine that she was right at the front of the line and sprinted with a break away group as soon as the gun went. Thus escaping from under my nose right from the beginning.

However, I wasn’t in the least disappointed. I was thrilled with my performance. I couldn’t have gone faster. The STCT team overall performed extremely well. 1st and joint 3rd place in the 160km and 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in the 106km! They are unbelieveable. Just shows what good teamwork and preparation can do.

Some photos

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STCT Metzgete Newsletter (DE)

Top top it all off the race sponsors took out full page ads in 20 Minutes, the Tages Anzeiger and some other regional publications.

Züri Metzgete Female Winners in Tages Anzeiger

How to Make Sensible Decisions and Influence Your Performance

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Don’t ask me! I still haven’t learned one of the most valuable traits a good athlete can have – to rest!

In a conversation recently with Tony O’Connor (defending world record holder in the men’s Lwt 2-, Olympian and World Champion) on the topic of performance, he said ”Sure Fiola, you had a habit of turning up to important races completely over-trained and white as a ghost”.

I find it hard to rest! But here are my thoughts on structuring training in the lead up to the two big events I will compete in over the next month-and-a-half.

The Engadin Radmarathon and the Alpinathlon

This weekend I’ll be in one of my favourite places in the world – Engadine my favourite Canton of Switzerland to take part in the Engadin Radmarathon!

The race has two lengths, 97km (positive elevation 1,325 mtrs) or 211km (positive elevation 3,827). I have decided to ‘only’ do the 97km for a few sensible reasons outlined below.

Why only 97km?

After suffering from a cold this month I feel like I couldn’t train as consistently as I would have liked, and the mileage I had hoped to achieve, didn’t really happen (I would have liked to have been up at about 800km but I only hit around 600km for the entire month).

So, the best way to prepare for my target race, the Alpinathlon, would be to train through next week and weekend, then reduce the mileage in the week leading into the event.

IF I chose to do the 211km course of the Engadin RM I’m pretty sure it would be Wednesday or Thursday next week before I’m actually fully recovered (and who knows, maybe even longer since I am just over the sniffles).

Hence my sensible decision to do the shorter route. Still feel like a wuss though!

Preparation for the Inferno Triathlon

For the Inferno Triathlon it will be a different story as I would like to peak for that – so Ill probably be more structured with my training. I will use the Zurich Metzgete as the last hard session before the Inferno – similar to what I am doing with the Engadin Radmarathon before the Alpinathlon except with a week of total rest between the events.

Improvements

Despite it all, I feel strong on the bike, I’ve seen some improvements in my strength. I’ve always thought I am a better in the hills but this year Ive seen a marked improvement in my ability to maintain an average speed and wattage on the flat too.

My max wattage (according to the probably highly inaccurate records from my Garmin on Strava) for a 5 minute ‘test’ (which I didn’t really even test) was 392 Watts. Now, divided by my bodyweight (60kg) I get a score of 6.5. According to this chart – that isn’t too bad! I must be doing something really wrong.

Im pretty sure that my calculations are way out and without a power meter on the bike the wattage on my rides as calculated by my Garmin – is just an estimate. But what I am looking for is some reassurance that I’m doing something right in my training…at least then all I have to deal with is my head in order to pull a good performance out of the bag!

Comments? Suggestions? Mathematicians?

A Summer Cold and Sneaking Behind Strava’s Back

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Hard Training Sessions and the `Cold from Hell`

Its been an interesting week to say the least. Last Sunday I did the Saentis Classic. My first official Cycle Sportivo (think they are called ‘Sportives’ in English).

I signed up to ride in the fastest group, the Speed group. But when I woke up on Sunday morning the first thing I thought was “Oh dear, this is going to be a very hard day indeed”. What were sniffles the day before, had manifested into a full blown cold consisting of a blocked nose, chest congestion and a dry throat bordering on laryngitis. Yucky. Anyway, I had committed to do the event with two other friends. So that was that. Off I went.

In the end I fared well and stuck with the group with relatively no problem for the 130km and 1,800mtrs of elevation gain. Our average speed was 31.4. However, I decided that Sportives are not for me. I missed the race feeling and having something to push for at the end. Most people who know me, know thats just my nature.

The rest of the week until Wednesday was quite miserable. I got through lots of boxes of tissues and worked from home so as not to infect the rest of my colleagues.

However, feeling much better already yesterday I rode my mountain bike last night with some girlfriends and decided to ride with other friends tonight to celebrate Mathilde’s (my Trophee du Muveran teammate and friend) birthday. However, what could have been a social, easy ride turned into something quite challenging yet lots of fun! My legs are still buzzing.

However, pushing on tonights climbs has put a spanner in the works for my plan to ride Sattelegg and Pragel Passes tomorrow! Anyway, there is a voice telling me that the smart thing to do, seeing as how I am just getting over a stinky cold, would be to take it easy and do some base-level, controlled training tomorrow and on Sunday. Regain strength – not lose it.

Here is a re-cap of this evenings ride out from Strava:

So. What is it with Strava?

Its like an addiction. You get to a hill and you think “gotta beat my PR” or “gotta go faster than so-and-so”. Therefore, every climb turns into a battle against you and the data.

Not good when you just want to spin the legs. God forbid even have an ‘easy, enjoyable ride out’ Before long I’ll be hiding from Strava. Doing sneaky training behind Strava’s back so he doesn’t find out.

 I wonder if I’ll survive – I probably be suicidal in winter with the dramatic dip in volume and no nicely presented visual data or Queen of the Mountain titles to chase for. Oh dear.

Alpen Brevet 9th Place!

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Without going into a lot of detail (as I don`t really have the time to write a full blog post)

I went to Meiringen initially to support my boyfriend Andreas in his quest to complete the Platinum route of the Alpen Brevet but the racing bug got the better of me and I registered for the gold route. 170km and >5,000 mtrs of altitude gain. 

Unfortunately Andreas had a really bad day in the saddle and due to spending too much time in the first refreshment station he missed the cut of for the platinum route by only 3 minutes.

 I raced, I was surprised with my fitness and I had a good result! Here are some pics.