310 kilometers, 17 hours
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Steep mountains, narrow valleys: A brevet, a kilometer test for cyclists, runs through the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district. Our author put them down. His opponents are time – and he himself.
My bike rushes down the country road at dawn. There is damp fog on the fields. The cold is creeping into my gloves, my toes are numb. I take a deep breath and concentrate on the step, pushing and pulling, pushing and pulling. Always on.
The Kaiserstuhl unfolds in front of me, a volcanic mountain range lined with vines, Freiburg lies behind me. My stomach: slack. My head: full of doubts. The adventure I embarked on this spring morning seems pretty insane to me. I want to cycle 310 kilometers within 20 hours.
My tour, a so-called brevet, leads back and forth through the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district. Up steep mountains and down narrow valleys. It doesn’t matter to be first. Arriving within the time limit is all that counts. And: I have to do it on my own, I am not allowed to accept help in the event of a breakdown. I’ve never done anything like this before.
310 kilometers and 4500 vertical meters in one day
Well, I’m not a beginner – last year I drove about 4000 kilometers. I love cycling. I stood on Mont Ventoux twice on my racing bike, and rode a heavily packed mountain bike through Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. But today I have to conquer 4500 vertical meters in one day – an ascent like from sea level to the highest peaks in the Alps. Can i keep it up?
The first rays of sun of the day tickle my back. The street is empty. I climb a hill and slowly the feeling in my toes returns. With every step, the fear that I might not be able to do it becomes a little less. On the descent I can still feel the cold of the night, but it will soon be warmer. I drive through Oberbergen, a sleepy village with narrow streets and crooked houses. The snow sparkles on the crests of the Vosges.
The randonneur must have the kilometer test confirmed
The certification is organized by the “daring …
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