After our team training camp on the Arlberg, we set off early on Sunday morning in the direction of Hohenems, where the Highlander Cycle Marathon was on the program to conclude the training week. Not only for me this great event is always a dress rehearsal for the Ötztaler in weeks and so I had really planned a lot for today. Everyone was still quite nervous early in the morning, but thanks to the great helpers who handed out the numbers and our team managers Harald and Alex, everything went like clockwork.
We started punctually at 7:00 a.m. – the field was peppered with numerous racers from Team Voralberg and many, many good drivers from the marathon scene. After a few kilometers it was time for the almost 1000 meter long ascent to the Bödele and the pace here was really selective - only about 15 riders were able to keep the leading group up to the top. I was also well served with 350-360 watts and happy when I handed my bottle to the top and was able to throw myself down the descent. The view over the Bregenz Forest lying in the morning sun was wonderful, but with 80 km/h on the speedometer it was unfortunately rather irrelevant.
Already at the Bödele I was able to get a good picture of who had good legs today, but as is almost always the case in the Bregenz Forest, things were parked first, some rolled up again and there was enough time to eat. Before the Hochtannberg I stopped briefly to relieve myself - by the time I got back, one of the Italians had broken away and was braving the damn strong headwind alone. Nobody really reacted and after a short try I also parked - the lead was just too big to get close alone with the wind.
So it went to the Hochtannberg and I saved my grains for the last two climbs, the Faschinajoch and Furkajoch, where experience has shown that the decision about victory would be made. Cheered on by many acquaintances, we reached the Hochtannberg, passed the bumpy construction site in front of Warth and shot towards Lech, where we still had to manage the last few meters to the Flexenpass. The time was stopped at the top and the descent was then mastered neutrally - but first we all stopped at the refreshment station at the Flexen and smiled a little at this relaxed tasting during a "race".
On the descent we were so stuck in traffic that I stopped again to save my brakes and to go to the toilet again. However, the group was a long way off and I had made a lot of speculations at this point. When I started driving, the chain fell off my bike and I had to stop again. What followed was a race to catch up, which was to cost me a lot of grains, because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to catch up with the group at all. It was only in Dalaas that I was able to catch up with the group with the last of my strength, eat and recover, then the ascent to Raggal really started.
But there I had good legs again and I still had a lot of adrenaline from catching up and so I split up the group until only 3 men were stuck to my rear wheel. That was Werner Weiss and Igor Zanetti (who didn't lead thanks to the Italian leader) and Johannes Berndl, who clearly had trouble following my pace. So I drove everything from the front to our aid station at Faschinajoch and on to Furka. Werner Weiss broke off in between, but after I had to slow down quite a bit on the Furka because of stomach problems, he came back – but behind him there was a yawning void and no other drivers in sight.
On the descent I used my knowledge of the route and pulled away with Zanetti, who from then on also helped with the lead. Arrived in Rankweil, we still had to survive 15 kilometers with the strongest headwind and in the convoy behind us, Weiss and Berndl fought their way back - shot past us at the 1000 meter mark and there was a pretty intense sprint to the finish. I had no more strength and rolled to the finish as 5th - but strangely enough, the neutralization turned the classification upside down and I appear as 2nd in the result, since I was a little later about the 2nd time measurement in Klösterle was rolled.
But for me that was secondary - I was much happier that I had won the title of Austrian national champion in the marathon! A little later, Monika Dietl rolled over the line as the women's winner and our team chick, 18-year-old Max Aigner, made it into the top 20 of the overall ranking after a great performance in this top field. At the award ceremony, I was allowed to put on the coveted state champion jersey for the first time, which I can now wear for a year in this discipline.
At the end we visited our hotel in Flirsch again to say thank you for the great training week and to take a picture in front of the Basur. At this point many thanks to boss Ales and the entire team for the great stay! I'm sure we'll see each other again next year, because the final preparation is the combination of the Arlberg Giro, the Arlberg training camp and the Highlander Cycle Marathon, which is just perfect. We look forward to seeing you again.
See you soon, your Stefan