On an Easter egg hunt at the Bad Sackingen Bundesliga

When I was little, every Easter the Easter Bunny, a.k.a. my  grandma and grandpa, would hide plastic Easter eggs around their house for my brother and I to hunt for.  They were filled with various types of candy and $2 bills (yes, unfortunately I am old enough to remeber $2 bills) that would fill our Easter baskets to the brim.  Naturally, my brother and I would turn this into a race to see who could find all of their eggs first.  I always won, although that depends upon who you ask- me or my brother.  Roughly 15 years later I am sitting in a team car going over the Brennero Pass in Austria with my FOCUS XC ITALY TEAM headed to another type of race, the Bundesliga mountain bike in Bad Sackingen, Germany on the hunt for results rather than little plastic eggs.

 The last stop in Italy at the Brennero Pass

The Bundesliga, like the soccer league, is a series of top level German national mountain bike races.  This weekend there are riders from 16 nations racing from as far away as Isreal (who happens to be the Israeli National champion racing for our German sister team, the FOCUS XC TEAM).  There is even another American in the race, which has been a rare occurance for me in the years since moving to Italy.  I have grown accustomed to eing the first American finisher by default… I’ll have to step up my game to keep my undefeated record intact!!!

Snow at our hotel in the southern part of the Black Forest

I am not the only one who will need to abstain from German pretzels and beer in order to show up in Bad Sackingen in top form, however.  For all of  us on the FOCUS XC ITALY TEAM, this is the first real test against some of the best mountain bikers in world.  Beltain Schmid and Andrea Righettini, who have both raced against the world’s best while wearing the maglia azzura  of the Italian national team, will look to use their experience to come up with good performances in the U23 race on Easter Sunday.  Fabian Rabensteiner, fresh off of 3rd place finish last week at the GF Tre Valli in Tregnago ,will have the opportunity to show his form again this week against a world-class field in Monday’s Elite race.  This race most certainly marks the end of the “pre-season” and the begining of our regular season journey across Europe to take on the best racers in the world.  Hopefully we’ll be able to go back to Italy having found a few “Easter eggs” of our own after our first International race as a team.

Milano - San Remo 2.0

For those of you who did not see the spectacle of the 2013 Milano - San Remo, the 300km classic that starts in Milan and finishes in the Ligurian cosatal town of San Remo, the race was held under conditions so terrible that the race organizers were forced to cut parts of the race.  In the GF Tre Valli, the conditions for the Focus XC Italy Team were eerily similar, except this time we weren’t watching the race from the comfort of the couch, we were competing.  Ok, so it wasn’t snowing and our race was only 42km long, but the organizers were still forced to shorten the race to 34km due to heavy rain and winds and temperatures around 5 degrees (40 F).

A racer battles extreme conditions at Milano - San Remo

In temperatures like this, the startline stinks of warming embrocation, which is basically an oil or cream that is rubbed into the legs that give a warming sensation.  Think vicks vaporub combined with really hot chilli powder and you get the idea of both the aroma and the effect.  On the startline, racers quiz each other about how much clothing they are going to wear for the race.  Most conversations go something like “wind vest or not?”  “You taking your leg warmers off before the start?”  I was fortunate to be starting next to eventual winner Michele Casagrande, who, when I asked him if he was keeping his legwarmers on, told me I should be admitted to the looney bin just for thinking about going without them.  About 2 seconds later, I looked to my left and saw my teammate Fabian Rabensteiner taking his leg-warmers off seemingly unaware that not only was it pouring rain, but we could see our breath with every exhale.  When you’re on form (or if you, like Fabian, grew up skiing in the Dolomites), things like the weather don’t really bother you. 

There's nothing like a cold bath when the temperature is near freezing

Soon after the start, on the first asphalt climb, my legs weren’t only burning from the embrocation, but from the ferocious pace being set by the front of the race.  I was a bit peeved about it until I saw that it was Fabian who was making us all suffer.  After the race split up, we all settled into a more sustainable pace, trying not to crash on the slick mud, rocks and roots.  Believe me, this feat of balance and bike control is decidely easier to do when you’re not shivering uncontrollably.  Mud found its way into every part of my bike, kit and eyes making the suffering even less bearable.  Other racers’ faces were so covered in mud that they were unrecognizable.  At one point I looked at my teammate Andrea Righettini and didn’t know who he was until he scoffed what I am pretty sure were a few English explatives letting me know he was as unconfortable in these conditions as I was.

Rabensteiner celebrates a hard earned podium place 

We all suffered on through the mud, rain, wind and cold until the race mercifully ended.  At the finish we didn’t even slow down; we rode our bikes directly to the showers happy just to have finished the ordeal.  A warm shower brought relief, but it wasn’t until I heard what my crazy teammate Fabian had done (without leg warmers mind you)- he’d gone and finished 3rd against a top-class field, while our young phenom Kevin Filipozzi won the junior race.  Even finishing a race like yesterday’s requires a phenomenal degree of determination,  competing for the win shows  another lever of will power.

Where does all that cool stuff come from???

I admit it, we bike racers can be a bit spoiled. Ok, very spoiled.  We’ve got training bikes, race bikes, the most technically advanced kit, shoes, you name it, we’ve got it.   It all comes from the service course, the central warehouse that keeps all of our equipment in order.  From team cars to spare tires, the service course has everything a team needs to keep it racing throughout the year.  Step inside the  service course to see the equipment and organization that keeps the Focus XC Italy Team going throughout the season.

 The vehicles: Some are to be ridden, some are do be driven.  When it's time to ship out to a race, the big rig takes us, and all of our stuff to where we need to be.

Freder, the team's mechanic, has one rule for the team cars: A place for everything and everything in its place.

Trainers lined up awaiting the next warm-up session.

When you're our on the road and something breaks, it has to be able to be fixed.  The team car carries spare parts for everything from chainrings to saddles to every race.

I don't think I am alone when I say that from a racer's point of view, this could very well be the most important piece of equipment loaded up. Especially when we're outside of Italy and a good coffee bar is far from a given.

As the season progresses, some racers change their positions to adapt to greater or lesser flexibility or advice from physiologists.  Some, on the other hand, are just plain obsessive compulsive.  If a position change is necessary, we have various stem length options from FSA, whatever our motivation may be.

One of the team's two wheel/tire sponsors is Tufo, which provides Carbon and Aluminum tubular wheels as well as tubular ties.

Just like chains and tires, clothing sometimes needs to be replaced be it from the inevitable crashes or the dreaded "back window" that forms when the spandex gets a bit too stretched out after heavy use.

We all spend a lot of time seated on saddles from Fi'zi:k. This particular saddle bears the rainbow stripes of world team relay champion Beltain Schmid.

Schmid might be one of the younger members of the Focus XC Italy Team, but his cockpit has a decidedly old school flavor to it with his FSA handlebar capped off with bar ends.

Andrea Righettini had chosen the super grippy Mountain King from Continental mounted on a Crank Brothers 26" wheel for the muddy course conditions at his last race.

While Righettini, Schmid and myself ride the Focus Raven 26", Fabian Rabensteiner prefers the Raven 29er.  This very negative drop stem gives his bike a more reactive feel and allows him to achieve his ideal position.

I, like my other teammates riding 26" bikes, use a 39-27 crankset for the short, steep and technical climbs that are so common on the European cross country race circuit.

An Off Week? Anything but...

I often hear about racers getting a “well deserved break from racing” from the press and media.  Though it is true that in an off week racers get a rare break from the physical and psycholocical stresses of racing, this time is more often than not anything but a time of rest and recovery.  This past week, we at the FOCUS XC ITALY TEAM had no races scheduled which meant it was time to get in as much preparation as possible in anticipation of a very heavy block of racing in the spring months. 

FOCUS XC ITALY TEAM in preparations for the coming races

While racing, the training focus is largely based around recovering from race to race.  There is not much time to build fitness when one must race once or twice a week in very pysically demanding off-road races.  As soon as one race finishes, a racer’s focus shifts to recovering for the next.  With a rare one week break, my teammates and I took the opportunity to ramp up the intensity and volume of our training plans so as too squeeze out those last few drops of fitness ahead of the most important part of our season.

There are many kilometers (and a few coffee stops) on the road to the World Cup.

Unlike in road racing, in mountain bike racing, it is imperative to know the race course by heart- one must know the best line to take and what gear to use at every point of the race. As such, this past weekend, the FOCUS XC ITALY TEAM packed up and headed out to try the GF Tre Valli to take place on March 24.  Apart from the being an extremely useful reconossiance and good training ride, it was good to be out in the hills in the provice of Verona having a blast with my teammates, at times having to ride over sections of the course that were mysteriously still covered by snow.

The GF Tre Valli racecourse blocked by snow at the top of the first climb

The “off” week activities do not stop at race preparations however.  Life on the road to the World Cup often involves other obligations, such as the photo shoot we had on Saturday on the race course of the GF Citta’ di Garda.  Though it doubled as course reconnossance, the main purpose of this outing was to take photos.  Though we all make better racers than models, I don’t think we did a horrible job even though our focus quickly shifted to see who could get the best photo by doing the coolest trick jumping their bike over an obstacle or pulling the longest wheelie.

With these guys on my team it is highly unlikely I'll ever win a tricks competition

We will now look to put the finishing touches on our form as we head into the most important part of the season.  Starting next Sunday, we’ll all find out how our preparations have paid off.

Rampiprima 2013- After the Dust has settled (or the mud has dried)

Conditions at the 2013 Rampiprima – Citta’ di Rovereto were a bit damp and soggy, making everyone - from the Freder, the team’s fun loving beer drinking mechanic, to each of the six FOCUS XC ITALY TEAM riders who started the race – work overtime due to sloppy course conditions.  After a week of rain in the whole of Northern Italy, the course overlooking Rovereto in the Adige River valley held up surprisingly well… but also had some surprises in store for everyone who started the race.

After a week of recovery from Gran Prix d’Inverno,  the riders of FOCUS XC ITALY TEAM lined up again this week hoping to have put the bad luck of a week ago behind them.  Unfortunately, the thick mud over large sections of the course had other ideas.  Fabian Rabensteiner showed great form (I hate to say I called it, but please see the previous post), surging into a commanding lead in the second of the five curcuits before the mud claimed one of its many victims breaking his chain and forcing him to abandon the race.  Rabensteiner, though understandably frustrated by his misfortune, was happy with his form, especially considering that he has recently recovered from the flu.

Rabensteiner launching what could very well have been the winning move

Meanwhile, Andrea Righettini, racing in front of a hometown crowd, had a rare off day in his season debut but still finished 7th in the U23 Race.  After a rocky start  (as those of us road racers turned mountain bikers are inclined to have), I was able to recover well enough to finish 7th in the Elite Race.  After a good showing a week ago at the hotly contested GP d’Inverno, Beltain Schmid was unfortunately forced to retire from the race with stomach problems.

Also in good form today was Kevin Filipozzi but he, like Rabensteiner was forced out of the race, in this case due to a crash induced mechanical.  Jenny Fontana, who was confined to watching TV (presumably) on the couch all week long due to influenza, showed tenacity in finishing 6th.

Fontana grits her teeth

Next on the docket for the FOCUS XC ITALY TEAM is a good solid block of trainig before a return trip to Tregnago for the GF Tre Valli in two weeks.  

Season debut 2.0 – Rampiprima – Citta’ di Rovereto

After a false start for about half the team last week at the Grand Prix d’Inverno in Tregnago (Verona), the FOCUS XC ITALY TEAM will continue (or restart) on the road to the 2013 World Cup at the Rampiprima – Citta’ di Roveto in the Trentino province of Italy. 

Beltain Schmid maistro of any descent

Beltian Schmid who, after the “shock” of his first race at the longer U23/Elite distance, will look to build on the experience gained in his first “Marathon.” Jenny Fontana and Kevin Filipozzi will also start their second race of the season after strong showings from each rider a week ago.  Fabian Rabensteiner will start his season after a bout with the flu last week.  After having previewed the course, I can attest that a powerful rider like Fabian could certainly go very well here.  Personally, I will restart my season after a serious last minute mechanical left me with a teammate’s bike and a front wheel in continuous braking action.

This bike will be used by its owner, not by yours truly tomorrow!

Andrea Righettini, who lives less than 10 km from the race course is certainly excited about his season debut at home.  Though he was certainly knocked down by a flu virus one week ago, I can say that he knows the course like the back of his hand.  In fact, the last time that the Italian National Championships were hosted here, Righettini broght home the Maglia Tricolore as national champion.

There surely couldn’t be many better places to start out the 2013 season.

The road to the world cup starts here for the FOCUS XC ITALYTEAM!