NEW DOMAIN, NEW POSTINGS, NEW LOCATION

Hi to all of you, i have bought a domain, and i'm pretty much posting everything under that adress so if you want to check out whats happening with my check etele.ro.
Thanks 
See you there!

Buda Maraton 2013

For this year i have a good feeling. Good things do really happen. After i got my racing bike, i also got an invitation to race in Hungary. The hungarian KROSS representative invited me to the season opening race, the Buda Maraton. As i didn't have much information about it and haven't raced outside of the country, was a bit anxious to know whats the deal with it. Called some rider friends, asked a few question and they put me in picture. Not a long race, not that technical, but joyful one. Enough for me. Some friends went also to race just in the morning before the race so, i wasn't leaving the day before as i planned.

Arrived with 2 hours before the start, got myself a special bib-number, and right after that i met with the KROSS representative Ferenc and Norbert. They introduced to the KROSS Factory Racing Team, and their own sponsored team, the Bringabanda S.C., who nicely offered me to help with the hydration. It looks like i wasn't prepared enough, a only one bottle with isotonic and 2 carbo-gels. I underestimated the track and the heat. Hopefully won't happen again. After talking to the guys went on to warm up a bit, i was surprised about the mass who arrived for the race. I didn't get any track profile from the organizers and didn't managed to do the track before the race, so couldn't choose any perfect tactic for the race. So i  went in 110% mode. After the mass line-start, which i liked the most, everybody went on full-gas, had no problem to stay the front group. I was wondering why they are keeping a slow pace, but arriving at the first climb it was clear, here it's gonna happen. Didn't knew how long it will be, and what gear i should use so i chose power pedaling. Had to change some easy gears at the top of the climb, and there it happened, the chain fell of. A few riders passed me, including the KROSS-girl. It wasn't the way i planned, she was right behind of me. Had to get off the bike and put the chain back manually. Lost about 10-15 seconds with that. Luckily it was on climb-section, otherwise i would lost more positions. After that i was back on the bike pedaling hard, going on 110%, didn't care much. I was on foreign turf so had to pedal as hard as i could, before every climb i picked a rider to go with and than to pass him on the descent. Most of the time it seemed to be a good tactic. I had many Bringabanda riders around me, so i thought i will go with them, specially with one rider who had a camelbak, bit strange in a 40km race, but the boy seemed to be a good pick. The first lap had many ups and downs, did not know were to brake, to many bushes disturbed the sight along the track. Had no chance again, only to push hard on the climbs, that were truly short and powerful climbs, oh man i liked those. Thanks again for the organizers. The first lap I've done in this kind of manner, cat and mouse run. After entering the second lap, it was one of the key point of the race, the Bringabanda staff gave me the bottle of water that i needed so much. Thank you again guys.
So i was entering the second lap with a bottle of fresh water, man that was good in the heat of the sun.
As far as a knew, this lap was the flatter one, so i tried to push harder, and managed to win some positions, but those power climbs took all of my momentum every time. Well, this is it if you do not know the track. It was a bit choking in the last
kilometers. I had a back pain too, and then the last climb came. Couldn't catch anyone, i pushed and pulled as hard as i could but my reserve was gone. Struggling on the climb to catch up some riders, someone told me that we have 50 more meters to climb, man! what a relief. 3 more pedal strokes and it was on, the last descent and sprinting till the finish. Some one caught up with me and passed me, but i felt strong and managed to pass him just before the finish. I looked down on my watch, 1:54, damn what the hell, 37kms and almost 2 hours? Soon i found out that i came 14th in my category and 38th in general out of 185 riders. Well, i came at least on the first result-page, that's good enough for the first race in Hungary.
All together it was a good race, after two resting days. Good organization, good track marking, nice people, probably i will return next year now that i know the track profile.
Many thanks to KROSS Hungary for the invitation, thanks Bringabanda SC for the technical support, thanks Csaba and Ramona for the logistics, and my all time partners and sponsors: X-factor.ro, Createch.ro, NUTREND, and KROSS.

Faget Maraton 2013

In every season comes a race before you can't sleep. For me its one of the first races in the seasons or the nationals. The nationals are a bit away, but the Faget Marathon was held last weekend so i had some sleeping problems. Well couldn't do much about it, i was nervous, what can i say. New year, new team, new bike, new goals and lets say it, better results expected. I only saw the design of the new kit, didn't had the chance to try it on. But arriving in Cluj on day before the race, managed to take my registration pack, and later the evening my racing kit. What can i say? Gorgeous. I like the material, like how it feels, seems a bit small to me but i like it aerodynamic :D 

In the morning before the race i made my rituals, and went on sight. Was pretty hot outside, didn't do much warm up, just waited for the start, to much time without racing. At first i thought the short trackers will start separate but at the and the pulled all of us together. This part i didn't like that much. Right after the start the police car got held up, and everyone spread in hundreds of directions. What can i say, got a bit messy but in a few seconds everything got back normal, and we had a huge sprint on the tarmac towards the forest. Separate starting helps a lot to avoid start crashes. Many rookies mixed up with some assholes how just don't know how to ride in peloton, cause unpleasant events. Luckily got away with no scratches. 

Did not know in which place i'm rolling, so took the 110% tactic, as the race started with 15 km , 7 degree average climb. Was a bit uncomfortable to roll in 110% mode, but i felt ok, had some problems with some youngsters who are becoming pretty fast, but i'm not that old also, so was nice to battle. After the race we had almost only descents, here i started to have some tiny problems with my brakes. I did not manage to brake correctly before the corners and went through a few times. Soon i will upgrade them. I lost a few seconds with this problem, but as i got back on track pulled hard on the pedals and kept on going. Was a bit frustrating to lose the hard earned positions. Before the last climb my tube and pump fell of my bike and had to stop to get them. A rider passed me, as i found out later in the finish he was the winner of my category. I almost had it....damn. So back in saddle, fight goes on. The last climb is coming, but shoot!! i didn't rest a bit for it. I started on bike but could not make it on it so pushed till the end, 3 riders passed me luckily only one of them was in my category. Tried to catch him but the climb took my last reserve of energy. On the downhill i enjoyed the advantages of the 29er wheels and finished the race in 1:39, 3rd in my category and 13th overall. Almost achieved my goals, but being so close, makes me optimistic in the future.

Nice race, nice track, nice organization nice ride. 

Many thanks to my family for support, thanks Ioana for being number one fan of mine, thanks INTERTEAM for the logistics and administration, thanks NUTREND for nutritional supplements and many thanks KROSS for my awesome ride. 

See you at the 11th Buda Marathon in Budapest.

Cheers.

Nephew

Probikers Maraton 2013

Finally back in business. First mtb marathon of the year. I was lucky to have it in my city, so i knew the track pretty good. I also helped the organizers ti draw the course so i had a bit of an advantage before the others but on short track it's not that much, because everyone is running on 100%. On week before the race i got my new 2013 race-bike. Didn't had much time to accommodate with it but i managed to do some adjustment for my personal preference. For the day of the race a pretty numbered crowd got together to race on the 1 lap or 2 lap course, the

short track was 36km the Marathon was the twice of this. 

Started the race after a half an hour of the long track starters, went off pretty fast, the "safety car"  (police) went too fast, and some of the rookies took up a pretty fast speed. Which was not safe on tarmac, if you do not know how to pedal in a peloton. Luckily no one got hurt, and after the tarmac section it followed with a climb and a power horses went in the front, lucky me i could follow them so i got a bit of a gap between me and my followers. From that time i got into pursuit mode, and tried to pass whoever i could. It was a pretty fast race, i couldn't do no tactics, full gas all the time, almost all the time on the big chain-wheel. I really wanted to get on the podium as last year. I was really motivated. Didn't felt that i changed bikes since last year, it was that natural to stay on a 29er, by the way. After 20 km a realized that i'm gonna race with Oli from the Bikenet team from Cluj. I knew he's a powermachine, and if i'm not pushing it hard on the climbs he will beat my ass...oh sorry for that. At one of the last climbs he managed to pull of and got a pretty nice gap, but i had him in sight, thanks for the red outfit he had. In the last 10k's i pulled out all of my cards and got hard on the pedal, taking the risk of a puncture to get Oli. The rocky flats really shake me off, but thanks to the carbon frame it was a bit comfier than last year, not to mention the big wheels. This way i managed to get  Oli with 1k before the finish, passed him and pulled out a strong sprint, but on a tricky descent my chain got of and i lost my position. At that point i didn't knew what position i was, but at the end i came in 4th in category and 5th in general. Sometimes such things happen, i was lucky to pull off a good race with my new bike, so im not that disappointed. Next year i will do better and there are more races to come.

Congrats to Oli for the good fight. 

Many thanks for the timing-guys, organizers and congrats to all the participants who came and made this event a special event.

My special thanks to my partners and sponsors who help me race and keep my motivation alive: Createch, X-factor.ro, Nutrend and KROSS.

cheers!
Photo credits: Bihoreanul.com, Freestylesport.ro