DE
ENA start
that went off script.
We planned to start as a big group. What followed was a day of withdrawals, nerves, technical mysteries – and a reminder that riding together does not mean always riding side by side.
Jannik, Stefan, Carlo, Timo, Malte, Erik with his wife Mareike and Tobi: many names, many stories and one shared goal.
A few weeks before the race, Tobi had an accident. He had been in great shape and ready to start. His absence hurt, though relief that it had not ended worse mattered far more.
On arrival day it became clear that Jannik was ill as well. He collected his race pack, joined dinner and then made the right call: he would not ride. Two riders fewer – yet both remained part of the weekend.
Malte, Carlo, Stefan and Timo shared the Steinacher Lieblingsplatz, Carlo’s family apartment. Four men in a small place, bikes and kit everywhere – rather like a school trip. Except this time the alarm went off at 4:30 a.m.
Nerves were high. It was Malte’s first race and Timo’s second. Apart from Carlo, none of them had ridden a cycling marathon. They reached Tannheim at 5:28 a.m. There should just have been enough time. Then Carlo’s electronic shifting stopped working.
Every battery had been replaced during a service the week before – including the power meter. At the start, several components still reported critical batteries.
The power meter sent no data and the shifting worked only intermittently. No solution appeared in the car park, so everyone started together. A few kilometres later Stefan followed his racing instinct and went ahead, while Carlo, Malte and Timo stayed together.
After the first feed station they stopped again. Technical support replaced the batteries in Carlo’s shifters. Around twenty minutes passed and the broom wagon was getting close.
“I’m endlessly grateful that Malte and Timo waited. On my own, I would have lost my mind.”
A few corners later everything suddenly worked again – both shifters and even the untouched power meter. Perhaps a reset. A definite explanation remains elusive.
Stefan was already far ahead and on his way to a wild time. Carlo, Malte and Timo kept working together. At the third feed station they met Erik and Mareike, and the three became five.
Everyone rode their own rhythm on the climb. Community does not have to mean riding in lockstep. At the top they waited, talked and regrouped before heading towards the finish together.
The group became separated once more, but reunited for the final kilometres: five riders, five different sets of legs, one shared finish.
We finished as we had started: not all at the same pace, but as a team. Everyone rides their own rhythm. No one is left alone.Back to experiences