Pia Sundstedt

I was sleeping tight, dreaming something, when the alarm went off. Already 6.30 am? Got up, made me a cup of coffe and porridge. 7.15 I sat on my bike and rode to Olympiastuetzpunkt Freiburg. This is a place where German national team athletes can do their training, weightlifting etc. It took me about 10 minutes to ride the few kilometers to our meeting point. I met 3 girls from Rothaus Vita Classica team. They were so nice, giving me a lift with their team vehicle to Volvo Preis in Villingen Schwenningen.

We arrived to the start of the race. Some categories where already fighting for the victory. I fetched my race number, got my bike ready and we all went to check out the course. A lap of about 6,5km to do seven times. It was pretty flat. Good to practice some speed.

The race went of. Everyone was riding smooth. The first two laps were more or less just watching. I forced the tempo a bit in the one and only climb on the third lap. On the top of the climb 6 of us were away.  This breakaway lasted until the end. Every lap one rider got dropped on the climb as I rode it up hard. In the last lap there were four of us who wanted to win. I knew my chance could be to surprise everyone the last kilometer. I tried, but did not get rid of everyone. I lost the race with about half a bike.

It was fine, I was happyt about my performance. The strenght is on a good level now.

After the prizegiving ceremony I rode back to Schwarzwald. It was about 80km on really nice roads in Black forest. I was tired as I came home, but after a home made dinner and some rest by watching the final stage of Giro d’Italia I hope I will be ready for tomorrow’s race in Merdingen. A race with a lot of tradition, as it was organized for the first time in 1960! Will be fun to ride a race on my “home roads”.