Orbit360
#rideFARpeloton
“Did you check if there is snow at the top?” … I grin internally, knowing that if she asks that at 06:35, only half an hour into our tour, most likely and based in our statistcs, … we will be walking on snow within a couple hours. I concentrate in riding easy, keeping my heart rate low. Preparing for the long day. It is early and the sun started to rise. The goal, like in most of our rides, to hit the finish line with a smile in our faces, but to ride 360Km in one go is no easy task. Head down, round strokes, aero position.
“Simone are you in Lac Noir team or in Lac Blanc team?” I ask in clown modus while we approach the top of our biggest climb.
Giving me a cold side look she answers: “Definitely Lac Noir.”
“I am 100% Lack Blanc Team” I tease her.
“Could we not agree and both be in Lac Vert?” I add.
“Ok, but only if is like very dark Lac Green” she says.
Soon after, you find us pushing our bikes over soft snow patches that cover the road in every corner, overtaking surprised hikers in full winter gear. We even had to help, unsuccessfully, a couple to get their car out of a snow bank.
Small mountain town supermarket. Neither one of us loving the vibe here. Way too much packing material. Greasy food and warm colas.
Like always, laughs at the parking lot lunch. We have been riding for 6 hours. Dopamine and endorphins flowing.
The Mille Étanges. Not our first visit. Beautiful area. Short photo stop. Always a highlight.
The sun sets slowly. One last photo. It is getting dark. Another less than ideal food stop. All clothes on and we pedal into the night for the last stretch.
We plotted the route with 100 flat Km at the end. It should do for a “peachy” home-run. Easy to beat last years time with such a course, for sure. Yes!, this time around we have more vertical gain but those last 4 hours will be a game changer.
Nope. The strong head wind was not planned. It hurts when you have been cycling for 15 hours. And it does not help that we both are a bit too proud (and may be a bit stupid) ultra-cyclists, so instead of wheel sucking, we ride in parallel for hours, no drafting, no cheating here, into the wind, both working extra instead of collaborating to save energy. No pain no gain, bro!
The lights of Basel, our home town, glow behind the trees. The finish line approaches. The forest is dark, very dark. The eyes focused on the side of the small trail, trying to spot any animal that may want to cross our path. Simone rises the pace. She rides very dynamically for the last 20Km. Pushing hard. We reach the starting point well after midnight.
“Wow, you were riding hard that last hour!”. I exclaim.
“Did I kick your ass?.” She answers with an evil smile.
“Nope”, I say, with an even bigger smile. “Not this time.”
Orbit closed. Goal achieved.
