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Fischteichhoelle 2015

Author:

g force

Category:

MTB Marathon

Location:

Peine near Hannover/Germany

Evaluation

The race as a whole:

starstarstarstar

The catering:

starstarstar

The fitness level:

starstar

The technical level:

starstarstar

Report

Being the last in a series of races that I'd been doing throughout the year I wasn't sure whether to enter this event as I'd already secured my second position in the series. On top of that I'd had 15 days of racing throughout the season and thought it time for a rest. However, because the series award presentations were after the race I thought well if I'm going up there I might as well race. This meant an 0500 alarm call to drive the hour and a half and be on time for the on the day registration time period. There were three distances to choose from; an 80km, 50km and 20km route all with 10km laps. The 80 and 50km routes started together and the 10km began when they had finished. I had to do the 50km for it to count towards the series points and I was interested to see how I'd fair against my age group rivals on a course which I thought was more suited to my riding style; no big climbs and lots of fast flat single track.

Due to a little confusion at the registration desk I didn't have time to have a look at any of the course or a chance to do a warm up. I ended up near the front which was good because it was a very narrow starting grid and it quickly went into a tight left turn. It did open up quickly with lots of opportunity to move up through the field if you so desired and were capable.

With such a fast start section I regretted not having a chance to warm up and after missing the first technical option down to the sand quarry I also regretted not having a chance to recce the route as I lost time at the busier, easier route. The course was for the most part single trail through the trees around the lake, with a few descents and short sharp climbs down to and up from the shoreline. In between the wooded single trail there were plenty of opportunities to overtake. The other technical aspect of the route was the ride through the quarry which was loose sand. I managed to ride all of the course, except at one point where there was a fallen tree. This had to be jumped over cyclo-cross style if you wanted to maintain your speed. The faster riders did eventually lap the slower participants on the last lap, but because they were spread out it wasn't an issue.

The course was very fast because of the dry conditions and a warm October day. It would be a more technical and difficult event in the wet with many of the twists and turns of the single track being much greasier, there would also be much more getting off and walking on the steeper sections both up and down.

I felt really good throughout, loving the single trails through the trees and was very pleased to end the season on a high with my first 1st place in my age group and a 7th overall against some much younger racers.

A big part of the German MTB racing scene is the coffee and cake stands and this was exceptional, as well as this there were many prizes to be won in the tombola.

If I was to change one thing about the race it would be a widening of the start by moving it around the first left turn, but I think everybody coped well with it as it was, this might be a different matter with an increase in participants, although I suppose they could split the 80km and 50km starts.

If you'd like to see some footage of the race from my GoPro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4HVdE1O5QM and from the race organisers website http://www.fischteichhoelle.de/



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