Coach Carl Carrier - Training Diary - 20 July 2012

L-R Marcel, Mat, Kev, Carl & Grant with Reit Im Winkl in the background

Today we started the 2nd training camp of the Summer with a nice mountain bike ride, I had planned it to last around 4 hrs (last year it took us 3.50). Le Tour De France is on a lot at the moment and I think Grant has been watching it a lot as right from the start he was up at the front and on every climb he was pushing the pace a bit. When we got to the first Mountain he shot off up the hill with the rest of us looking around laughing at each other and Marcel (Marcel Laponder & Kevin Kane from the GBR cycled with us today) said to me "has he been up this Mountain before?". Even though I had briefed them that the first section is very steep and gets easier it did not deter him and off he shot. To his credit he lasted longer than I thought but eventually the length of the climb got to him, but good effort! The main climb today took us upto the Hindenburghutte at 1206m (Ruhpolding is at 375m). We then dropped quickly down to Reit Im Winkl and via a couple of passes worked our way back to Ruhpolding in 3.20, 30 mins faster than last year!!