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

MBM 2012 race report

Maratonul MTB a celor de la Marosbike a fost cel mai asteptat concurs de mine, din acest an. Am inceput din iarna pregatirile pentru cele doua competitii Maros - cupa Maros XCO si Marosbike XCM - pentru ca aceste doua concursuri reprezinta pentru mine puncte de reper in evolutia mea de mountainbiker. La proba de maraton particip din 2008 iar la proba olimpica din 2010. Traseul maratonului nu a fost diferit fata de anul trecut, deci puteam sa-mi compar rezultatele, iar ca si concluzie, in acest an am obtinut cel mai bun rezultat dintre toate maratoanele Maros.

Sa luam totul de la inceput. 

Am facut rezervare la Gilau. Toata saptamana inainte de concurs a decurs foarte rapid cu pregatiri, cu antrenamente, cu nerabdare. Eram destul de agitat deoarece imi doream foarte mult un rezultat notabil la acest concurs, si mai mult pentru ca in anii trecuti am avut parte de pene si probleme tehnice sau nu eram pregatit fizic.

Am adunat toata forta pozitiva pentru acest concurs. Am ajuns sambata la ora rezonabila la inregistrare, am facut si o plimbare  pana la "Polus", dupa care repede la cazare, pasta-load si somn. Cum am fost foarte agitat toata saptamana, m-am incurcat cu cateva chesti,si am venit fara banda de pulsometru, si senzorul de cadenta. Asta le-am observat doar in dimineata concursului. Nu mi-am facut griji, ca doar de la antrenamente m-am obisnuit cu pulsul si cadenta.

Am reusit sa-mi aduc hometrainer-ul si am facut incalzirea inaintea startului. Bicicleta mergea si functiona perfect. Cu zece minute inaintea startului m-am aliniat si eu, dar din pacate cum toti suntem nerabdatori si "tarani" s-a decalat totul. De ce? pentru 20 m pe care nu i-am putut face ca sa ne mutam in spatele portii de cronometraj. Dar s-a rezolvat, multumita inventivitatii organizatorilor. S-a dat startul si toate lumea s-a ingramadit ca sa castige 2-3 locuri pana la urcarea dupa asfalt. Noroc cu masina oficiala care a mai tinut putin viteza redusa si i-a fortat pe unii sa stea cuminti. 

Ajunsi la ulita intre case, auzeai pe unii cum incearca sa gaseasca o combinatie comoda de a urca  sau o viteza mai mare de deplasare. Eu am ales sa pedalez cu o cadenta constanta si sa ajung sus la manastire sub o ora. M-am simtit ok, picioarele ma ascultau, cred ca puteam sa fortez si mai mult dar stiam de urcarile care mai urmau asa ca am ramas in limitele mele. Am reusit sa fac cateva depasiri importante, dar din pacate nu stiam pe ce loc ma aflam. Ajuns la manastire, in  49 de minute, simteam o oarecare oboseala dar cred ca din cauza lipsei datelor de puls. Am urcat portiunea scurta dupa manastire dupa care am coborat in zona "Austria" cu mare prudenta ca doar vroiam sa termin cu bine. La ultima portiune am auzit un strigat de "E.T.!!!!", si guess what? KIKS down the rocks, trecea pe langa mine cu 29-erul fullsus ca un glont pe o linie pe care nici in vise n-as fi ales. Ce sa faci? are sange DH pozitiv. Am avut cateva ezitari la stanci dar am coborat teafar si am inceput a doua urcare. Picioarele mele au raspuns la efort, mergeau mai greu asa ca n-am fortat prea mult ... stiam ca urmeaza zona de pushbike. 

Dupa 20 m m-am urcat pe bike si am luat in vizor pe juniorul Sergio de la Marossport. Mergea foarte bine, si depasea tot ce venea in cale. Am ramas pe langa el daca tot era in fata mea. Ne-am ajutat cam pe tot parcursul maratonului si am reusit sa depasim cativa concurenti. Dupa a-2-a urcare am coborat pe pietre/stanci/pamant, si spre norocul nostru n-am avut parte de praf ca si in saptamana anterioara, la recunoastere. 

L-am lasat pe Sergio sa mearga in fata pentru ca eram cam obosit si nu vroiam sa risc o cazatura sau o pana. Pe asfalt ne-am salutat si am mancat un gel(Carbosnack-NUTREND) fiecare - eu asta am facut :D. Ne-am inteles sa ne oprim la punctul de alimentare si sa luam apa si ceva de mancat. Mi s-a umplut flaconul, am bagat o dextroza, si impreuna cu Sergio am continuat goana dupa rezultatul dorit. Spre Pape este cea mai infernala portiune pentru cei de la traseul scurt, portiuni cu pante de 20%. Am rezistat sa fac totul pe bike cu toate ca anul asta mergeam cu angrenaj pe 2 foi, cea mica de 26. M-am odihnit putin pentru ca m-au lasat puterile, dar am avut un moment in care mergeam asa incet ca aparatul GPS s-a oprit. Am inghitit un energizant,(Carbonex-NUTREND) si dupa ce mi-am revenit am pornit ca sa prind juniorul. Am reusit sa parcurg si coborarea asta fara probleme, si ne-am unit iarasi fortele pe asfalt. Eu alergam dupa timp, neaparat vroiam sa ajung sub 3 ore, asa ca l-am chemat si pe Sergiu sa vina. M-a atentionat ca sa fim prudenti si sa nu ne ratacim pe ultima portiune. Aici am simtit probabil amandoi ca incepe lupta intre noi doi. La general nu aveam ce sa facem ca eram in afara top 10-ului, dar la categorie se mai putea un rezultat bun. Am decis sa fortez putin, si sa scot untul din mine ca stiam de ultima urcare mega abrupta, asta pentru picioare ca pe profil nu-i asa rau....doar inceputul:D, pushbike, normal ... de vreo 20 m. Rapid inapoi pe bike si pedalam cu ce mai aveam in mine. Am reusit sa depasim un concurent care nu era la categoria noastra, eu m-am desprins de junior dar el a ales tactica mai buna. M-a tinut in vizor si inainte de coborare a ales sa mearga in fata. Am reactionat tarziu si eram si cu puterile pe sfarsite. Am si gafat intr-o curba si am intrat intr-un tufis, dar norocul meu ca am fost oprit si puteam continua fara probleme si sa ma apropii de cea ce urma sa fie cel bun rezultat de la Gilau din 2008 incoace.

Dar sa fie totul mai interesant la iesirea din padure trebuia sa sarim peste o piedica de pamant dupa care n-am vazut ce urma. Era sa cad pe fata, dar am reusit sa redresez bike-ul si am continuat. Am intrat in finish, sub trei ore pe locul 8 la categoria mea si 19 la general cu timpul de 2:54:18. Nu este un rezultat fantastic dar pana acum cel mai notabil din seria MBM.

Multumiri Nutrend, Arctica, Freestylesport, si celori care au facut posibil sa ajung la Gilau si anul asta, Mr.H & Mr.A, multumesc si antrenorului meu care m-a ridicat la un alt nivel, iti multumesc Ioana  pentru suportul tau, fara de care n-as da randament:D. Felicitari celor aflati pe podium si celor care au reusit sa bifeze si anul asta Maratonul Marosbike, cel mai Mountainbike Maraton din Romania. Felicit si organizatorii si ne vedem la anul.

Super.

Photo credits: Lungu Dumitru si Ioana S. 

Banat Maraton 2012

Banat...

Dupa multa ezitare m-am decis sa particip si la maratonul de la Garana-Semenic, adica Banat Maraton, unul dintre cele mai longevive concursuri din tara, in cea ce priveste organizarea. Vazand ca exista si traseu scurt, am profitat si m-am inscris la acesta. Impreuna cu gasca oradeana, Sebi, Horatiu si Alin ne-am indreptat sambata catre Resita, am avut cazarea rezervata la Brebu Nou, eram linistit. 

Nu stiam multe despre accest eveniment dar daca intrebam pe cineva, lauda organizarea. Pentru mine e deja un semn bun daca un concurs e facut cu cap si staff-ul e pregatit. Ajuns la fata locului am constatat ca gazda noastra este un neamt care s-a mutat in tara acum 10 ani sau asa ceva. Domnul a incurcat ceva si rezervarea noastra a disparut. Fiind o gazda buna domnul ne-a invitat la el acasa. Am ramas foarte surprins, dar de ce ma mir? Asa sunt nemtii:D

Seara am vizitat si festivalul de folk, am mancat un gulyas si ne-am indreptat catre cazare. Dupa un somn bun, si bine meritat ne-am trezit dimineata, am mancat o portie de paste, am pregatit bike-ul si m-am indreptat catre start. Din Brebu Nou catre Garana am facut incalzirea, restul am facut in zona de start. Am asteptat sa ia startul cei de al traseul lung si traseul mediu dupa care am pornit noi. Pantani a pornit in forta, urmarit de un sibian si Zsolti de la DHS Tibiscus. Eu am rulat impreuna cu Popeye din Tg. Mures. Dupa putin timp a luat-o inainte, si am zis ca raman in ritmul meu. L-am tinut in vizor. La o coborare din pacate l-am pierdut dar nu pentru mult ca la urcari mi-au mers picioarele. La prima urcare mai lunga, putin inainte de Feedzone mi-a iesit roata din spate, habar n-am de ce. Am pus-o inapoi dar am pierdut cateva locuri, pe care tot incercam sa le recastig, din pacate fara rezultat. Am impins, doar 10 metri am facut pushbike dar si asa am ramas in urma. Din pacate urcarile au fost cam scurte ca sa reusesc sa revin, dar macar data viitoare imi verific de 2 ori bike-ul.

Pana la urma am ajuns pe locul 6, la 4 minute de Pantani si 1 minut de cei urmariti. A fost un rezultat modest dar sper sa-mi revin pana la Geiger unde o sa fie multa lume la traseul de 50km. 

Despre organizare, pot sa zic ca a fost chiar de nota 10, traseul putea sa fie putin mai tehnic sau profilul un pic altfel. In rest zona a fost foarte aglomerata din cauza Folk-festului si lacului care era plin cu "grataristi".

Revin la anul, sper ca la traseul mediu. 

DHS CORVIN MTB 2012

Iata-ma si la a II-a editie a concursului DHS Corvin MTB Maraton din Hunedoara. Dupa editia 2011, cam esuata, m-am hotarat sa particip anul asta la traseul scurt. In luarea deciziei a avut un cuvant de spus si boala mea care a durat aproape 2 saptamani, dupa concursul de la Zalau. Din fericire mi-am revenit aproape total - inca nu prea merg antrenamentele mai lungi de 2 ore in timpul saptamanii - si sa nu uitam de caldurile care sunt momentan in tara. Ajuns la Hunedoara cu o zi inainte, am reusit sa ne cazam la o pensiune care era destul de aproape de zona de start. Dimineata ne-am trezit devreme si am luat micul dejun la castel. Pe la ora 9:15 m-am aliniat la start (vroiam sa prind un loc bun la start) impreuna cu cei din categoria Hobby. Daca nu pornesti cu cei de la elite, adica cei de la 90 de km atunci trebuie sa astepti, 15 respectiv 30 minute ca sa pornesti. Eu participand la traseul scurt am asteptat 30 de minute. Dupa start am pornit destul de tare, chiar am reusit sa ma mentin in primii zece, inceputul a fost destul de prafos si alunecos, incercam sa mentin o anumita distanta dar totusi sa raman in raza de atac. Deja se simtea caldura care urma sa ne arda toata ziua. Dupa cativa kilometri am observat ca itinerarul meu nu coincide cu traseul, deci organizatorii au pus un traseu gresit facut. Dupa asta am decis sa nu mai respect sfatul antrenorului si sa merg cu 100% energie. Ajuns la primul punct de alimentare ma simteam bine si n-am mai oprit, dar dupa 200 metri mi-am pierdut flaconul. Stiam ca sunt situat bine si am riscat sa continui. Traseul devenea foarte interesant si rapid. Se putea rula cu viteza mare. Ajuns la primul sat am trecut si de un rau, dupa care a venit cea mai abrubta urcare, pe placul meu. Am reusit sa-o fac pe bicicleta, aici am simtit ca mai am putere in picioarele mele. Asa am rezistat fara apa pana la punctul 2 de alimentare aici am baut isotonice si am continuat.  Dupa 500 de metrii am dat de o curba care m-a incurcat putin, poate si din cauza ca franele mele erau deja prea incalzite si nu mai aveau efect. Am cazut dar una doua m-am pus pe bike si am continuat in graba. Am pierdut un loc sau doua, dar continuam fara probleme. Si eu si bike-ul am scapat cu bine. In continuare am rulat ok cu o cadenta rezonabila pana la tunel acolo unde am reusit sa depasesc cativa concurenti care nu aveau faruri, inca odata norocul a fost de partea mea. Drumul care venea dupa tunel cred ca este cosmarul oricarui concurent, te scutura de nu mai puteai. Ajuns pe asfalt, am pedalat cat de tare am putut deoarece eram foarte aproape de finish si eram multi impreuna. Aici am constatat ca am iesit pe locul 2 in categoria mea. Per total au fost 2 puncte nefavorabile pe traseul scurt, nemarcat corespunzator, primul din cauza caruia au fost concurenti care m-au depasit dupa ce ii depasisem cu 2 minute inainte, si al-doilea din cauza caruia unii au pierdut cateva locuri.  Din fericire m-am oprit de fiecare data cand n-am vazut marcaje si m-am redirectionat repede. Traseul a fost interesant si mai piperat pentru un traseu de hobby, chiar mi-a placut foarte mult. Urcari abrubte, coborari lungite si pietroase, alunecoase. Cred ca a fost o buna idee sa particip pe traseul scurt. La final am ajuns cu un grup la un sprint si asa am ajuns pe locul 2 la categoria mea si 11 la general. Acesta a fost primul meu podium pentru care chiar trebuia sa lupt pana la capat. Multe multumiri dl H. si dl A. fara ajutorul lor n-as fi ajuns la acest nivel si la acest concurs, lui Ioana pentru ajutorul moral, Freestyle, X-factor, Nutrend, Createch, Dotface pentru produse si servicii. P.S.: Multumiri riderului de la Dirtbike care era in fata mea si a observat marcajul la o bifurcatie, fara el cred ca m-as fi dus in directia gresita :D

Alien vs E.T.

Au trecut aproape 2 saptamani de ultimul concurs la care am fost, si despre care vreau sa va relatez. Am fost la Zalau, la maratonul celor de Alien Cycling. Toata saptamana a fost cam noros si ploios deci, mi-a fost frica de ce avea sa lase in urma ploaia. Traseul parea a fi foarte dificil in conditii umede. Chiar cu o zi inainte a plouat, si asa am pornit cu oarecare frica, vazand ca organizatorii au schimbat traseul la ora 3:30 dimineata. Horatiu si Alin m-au ajutat din nou cu drumul, asa ca multumiri inca odata. Ajuns la fata locului, am luat repede numerele. M-a plouat putin pana cand am reusit sa le iau. Incalzirea am lasat-o pe parcursul concursului, vazand profilul am avut o portiune de asflat la inceput unde puteam sa urc temperatura motorului. Am putut sa-mi montez si o anvelopa de noroi in fata ca altfel ratam startul. A fost cu noroc, ca roata din fata nu mi s-a blocat deloc. Dupa sectiunea de asfalt a inceput "kilareala", balti, noroi, namol, argila, tot ce nu vrei la un concurs. Am reusit sa ma ratacesc de 3 ori, ca ba ma luam dupa cel din fata mea, ba mergeam eu in fata si n-am vazut marcajele. Marcajele au fost ok, doar ca n-au fost amplasate unde trebuie, asta fiind un mare dezavantaj pentru mine. Organizatorii trebuiau sa se gandeasca ca in conditiile astea nu prea poti sa te uiti si in sus si in jos, mai ales la coborari. Dupa ce m-am ratacit si a treia oara, am luat totul ca si un antrenament, am vrut doar sa termin, ca suplimente n-am mai avut, mi s-a terminat chiar si apa din cauza efortului. Cu noroc am reusit sa termin in 4 ore si 30 de minute cu 50 de minute dupa primul ajuns, pe locul 5 la categoria mea si la 11 in general. A fost un concurs, dur si solicitant din cauza noroiului. Am fost stors la finish, n-am avut chef de nimic, dar totusi organizatorii s-au gandit la unele chestii importante dupa concurs, cum ar fi spalarea bicicletelor, supa calda in restaurant (imi cer scuze de la Time Out ca am intrat neschimbat:D). Pe scurt: organizatori harnici, concurs de pus in calendar doar in cazul vremii favorabile, marcajul lasa de dorit, suma de inscriere justificata, multe schimbatoare rupte, placute de frana uzate si noroi in cele mai nebanuite locuri.

Bravo celor care au terminat, si multumesc celor care m-au ajutat sa concurez si o sa ma ajuta in continuare: FreestylesportOradea, X-factor, Triathlon-Energy-Shop, Createch, Dotface si nu in ultimul rand Ioana, Horatiu si Alin.

  

It's been almost two weeks since the last race. I went to Zalau-marathon by AlienCycling. It was a bit cloudy and rainy the whole week,  so I was a bit afraid. The track seemed to be very difficult in wet conditions. Even the day before the race it rained, so we started with some fear, seeing that the organizers changed the route at 3:30 am. Horatiu and Alin helped with the journey again, so thanks again. Once arrived in Zalau, quickly got the numbers. I got wet a bit until I managed to take them. I left my warm-up during the race, knowing the the track had a piece of tarmac after the start in a climb to heat up the engine temperature. I was able to mount only one a mud-tire otherwise i could miss the start. It was a lucky choice to mount it on the front wheel it didn't stuck at all. After tarmac section the massacre began, mud, mud, clay, everything else you don't want in a race. I managed to get lost 3 times, following others and sometimes all by myself. The markings were ok, just not right placed, this was a big disadvantage for me. Organizers had to think that in these conditions you can't hardly look up and down, especially in the descents. After I got lost a third time, I took everything as a workout, I just wanted to finish, as my supplements had  finished, i was out of water because of the effort. With some luck I managed to finish in 4 hours and 30 minutes, 50 minutes after the first rider, in the 5th place in my category and 11 in general. It was a tough and demanding race because of mud. I was K.O. at the finish, though the organizers have thought of some important stuff after the race, such as washing bikes, hot soup at a restaurant (I apologize to Time Out, I went in unchanged : D). In short: hardworking organizers, a race to schedule only if  good weather, disappointing marking, the registration money amount justified, many broken derailleurs, worn out brake pads and mud in most unexpected places.
Grats to those who have finished, and thank those who helped me to compete and continue to help me: FreestylesportOradea, X-factor Triathlon-Energy-Shop, Createch, Dotface and last but not least John, Horatiu and Alin.

CJP - FAGET MARATHON 2012

M-am gandit ca o sa fie un alt maraton, doar ca mai lung de data asta. Este a doua incercare a mea de a termina un maraton lung. Ce-i drept am reusit de data asta.

La inceput e de mentinut ca aproape toata saptamana o infectie mi-a afectat antrenamentele, defapt mi-a anulat 2 din ele. Pana sambata nici n-am reusit sa pedalez.  Duminica dimineata pe la 7:30 impreuna cu Horatiu si Alin, amandoi iubitori de senzatii tari, si cu prietena mea ne-am dus spre Cluj. Drumul a trecut repede, am ajuns cu bine, am dat o fuga pana la inscriere, ne-am ridicat pachetul de start, repede o fuga pana in mall, dupa care m-am schimbat in costum de concurs. Eli de la Marossport m-a ajutat cu ceva geluri energizante, pe care nu le gasesti asa de usor oriunde, si mi-a dat un GPS-device prin care ma urmareau in timpul concursului. Repede am facut cateva miscari de incalzire si m-am aliniat la start pentru a porni cat mai din fata. Punctual, s-a dat si startul si lumea a pornit in forta, noroc cu masina politiei care mergea in fata, de data asta cu viteza decenta. Au oprit masini pe unde apareau, pe drumul principal, pe drumuri laterale, THANKS POLICE!! Dupa vre-un kilometru de asfalt s-a urcat brusc in padure, aici am avut ceva probleme cu cei din fata, ca era inghesuiala si trebuia sa cobor de pe bike. Dupa ce am urcat s-a dezlantuit iadul. A venit o urcare mai mult fals-plata, si fiecare rula in viteza. N-am avut ce face, n-am vrut sa raman in urma, am incercat sa-mi gasesc ritmul cu care puteam sa tin pasul. Spre norocul meu m-am adaptat repede si am inceput chiar sa depasesc oameni, fara ca sa depun un efort prea mare. Am mai fost si eu depasit, dar eu aveam cativa concurenti in tinta si pe ei vroiam sa-i las in urma sau macar sa-i ajung din urma. Urcarea asta mi-a placut cel mai mult, pentru incalzire a fost suficient. Spre norocul meu la coborari mai ajung din urma pe cativa concurenti iar la urcari am incercat sa ma tin cat mai aproape de ei. Undeva la kilometrul 20-25 l-am ajuns pe un concurent de la Tibiscus, prima data credeam ca e Pantani. A avut ceva probleme tehnice cred, si dupa ce a urcat pe bike a pornit sa recupereze locul pierdut.  M-am tinut dupa el ca doar nu o sa las o sansa ca asta sa treaca pe langa mine, si imi simteam si picioarele capabile sa tine ritmul. Ma bucura si faptul ca nu eram in aceiasi categorie deci o sa ne ajutam, facand schimbul la trena. Dupa vreo 2 kilometrii am ajuns intr-un sat, pe numele Comsesti, mergeam cu viteza destul de mare,   si dintr-o data o explozie ciudata. Nu-mi venea sa cred, anvelopa din spate s-a spart in lateral. Era un cauciuc nou, dar model vechi. Din pacate am optat pentru varianta asta din doua motive, model nou e scump, si ce aveam in dotare era prea folosit deja pentru terenul maratonului. A mai aparut inca o problema, mi-am lasat pompa in masina, da Murphy atotputernicule, trebuie tot timpul sa te arati, chiar si cand n-am pompa. Satenii au fost foarte ajutatori au sarit una doua, sa ma ajute, mi-au adus pompa dar din pacate cu valva de masina :(. Dar cum treceau concurentii, un prieten de a lui Radu Vadan mi-a aruncat pompa lui, deci am fost salvat. Repede am cerut un cutit, mi-am taiat  camara veche, am scos valva si am lasat ce a ramas in anvelopa sa pot sa pun alta camera. Am uflat roata si am vazut ca iese putin camera pe gaura dar o sa ma tina pana la punctul de alimentare. Am pornit si lent, lent am ajuns la PA 2, vroiam sa abandonez ca doar am pierdut locuri bune. Cei de la PA mi-au zis ca ori ma intorc ori continui drumul ca doar sunt la cel mai indepartat punct al concursului. Sah, Mat! Am vrut sa abandonez, vroiam sa-mi las bicicleta, pur si simplu am pierdut prea mult. M-am hotarat, ma duc la urmatorul PA si o sa vad de acolo ce fac. Am mers incet dupa care am vazut ca roata nu se dezumfla si chiar se tine bine. Am ridicat ritmul, si am inceput sa revin in cursa, am depasit cativa concurenti, am inceput sa sper ca daca nu o sa fiu in top 10 macar sa termin in top 15.  Ajuns la urmatorul PA, am alimentat cu apa si am continuat. Well dupa o ora de pedalat s-a rupt filmul si au inceput sa ma doare mainile de la arsuri m-am simtit putin ametit, dar am continuat. Cu gelurile eram foarte atent ca terminam apa foarte repede, si nu puteam sa inghit oricand un gel. La fiecare 50 de minute cate unul, am ajuns sa terminat 3 pliculete, ca restul nu-mi venea sa inghit. Am continuat traseul n-am mai vrut sa abandonez, vroiam doar sa termin. Soarel m-a stors de-a totului. Am oprit la umbra unui tufis si am stat intins un pic. Mi-am revenit, am continuat. Am mai avut urcarea infernala a traseuilui, incredibil de abrubt, WOW. Oare a fost cineva care a pedalat pe partea asta? Probabil. Trebuia sa ma opresc la o umbra, tot veneau oamenii si ma intrebau daca ma simt bine si sa cheme ajutor, am zis, vreau doar sa termin. Interesant a fost ca tot mai multi oameni ma recunosc, si ma-u strigat pe nume. Dupa 10 minute de odihna, am continuat si am inceput ultima coborare a traseului, frumos cum a descris si LEVI. Si asa am terminat in 5:32 un traseu de 72 de km si 2300 m diferenta de nivel, pe locul 21 la categoria mea si 53 overall. Nu sunt mandru de mine si de rezultat dar am invatat 2 chestii importante, sa iau mereu  cu mine pompa, si urcarea pe bike Cyclocross style ca doar erau portiuni de push-bike.

Organizare buna, semne-marcaje din belsug, puncturi de alimentare bine aprovizionate, vreme buna o duminica reusita.

Multumesc Horatiu si Alin pentru logistica, mersi Ioana pentru sustinere morala, mersi Eli pentru geluri, Gabor pentru filmari. A fost un concurs GREU.

I thought it would be another marathon, only the longer one this time. It is my second attempt to finish a long-distance marathon. Well, I did it at last.
First  to mention, that almost all week an infection affected my training, I actually canceled 2 of them. Till Saturday I did not managed to pedal. Sunday morning at 7:30 with Horatiu and Alin, both sensation-hunters, and my girlfriend  went to Cluj. The journey to Cluj passed quickly, we arrived safely and I ran to the registration tent, got a peek in to the mall, then I changed into race-costume. Eli from Marossport helped me with some energy gels, it's really hard to find some in this area, thenafter he gave me a GPS device, i was followed during the race. I did some warm-up exercises, after it I lined up to start. At eleven o'clock sharp, we had the start and the competitors started in force, luckyily that the police car went before, this time with decent speed. They stopped every car that appeared on the main road or side road, POLICE, THANKS! After one kilometer of asphalt the frontgroup has skyrocketed in the woods, where we had some problems with some guys in the front, it was crowded and had to get off the bike. After we got there the hell unleashed, and everybody ran at a high pace. I had to do the same, I wanted to stay behind them, I tried to find my rhythm and pace so I could keep up. Luckily, I quickly adapted and began to pass some riders without much effort. The climbing that came I liked most, it was enough for my warm up. Luckily on the descents i cought up on some competitors and then on climbings I tried to keep as close as possible to them. Somewhere at  20-25km I got behind a rider from Tibiscus, Pantani!! was my first thought, but it was one of his teammates. He had some technical problems I think, and after he got on the bike, we started to recover the positions he lost. I kept it after him, i had a good opportunity, and my legs felt able to keep the pace. The rider wasn't in my category, so we could help each other, sharing the trail. After about two km we reached a village, Comsesti, at very high speed, and suddenly a strange explosion. I couldn't believe it, my rear tire burst on the side. It was a new tire, but an old model. Unfortunately i opted for this for two reasons, the new model is expensive, and the one i had already was too used  for this marathon. Then a small problem appeared, I left the pump in the car, so "Murphy Almighty", do you have to show yourself at any possible occasion, even when I forget my pump? The villagers were very helpful, and jumped in a second to help me, gave me a pump but unfortunately the valve did not match. But as riders went by, a friend of Radu Vadan threw me his pump, so I've been saved. Quickly I asked for a knife, I cut the old tube, I pulled the valve and put the new one inside right next to the old one, so it won't explode again. I inflated the wheel and saw that the rubber has a little cut on the sidewall, but the tube isn't gettin out so I continued till the closest feed point. I arrived slowly to CP 2, I just wanted to abandon. Most of the guys from CP2 told me that i could go back or continue the track because i was at the farest point of the race. Checkmate! I decided to go to the next CP and from there i'll see what im gonna do. I went slowly, but then I saw that the wheel does not deflate. I lifted the pace, and started back in the race, I passed some riders, I hoped that i will  be in top 15 at the end of the race. Arrived at the next CP, I supplied myself with water and continued. Well after an hour of riding, the film broke and my hands started to burn and to hurt, I felt a little dizzy, but I continued. Till then, I took the gels  very carefuly, but finished my water very quickly, and I could not swallow any gel after that hour. I went on, thenafter I've never wanted to abandon , I just wanted to finish. The sun squeezed everything out of me. I stopped in the shade of a bush and stretched a bit. I stood up, then I continued. I had a hellish last steep climb, WOW. Did someone,  ride on this climb on the bike? probably! I had to stop in the shadow, many riders came and asked me if I felt good and should they call for help. I just wanted to finish.It was a bit akward that more and more people recognize me, and I call me by name. After 10 minutes of resting, I continued and started the final descent, beautiful as described and by LEVI. And so I finished in 5:32 a route of 72 km and 2300 m height difference, 21st in my category and 53 Overall. I'm not proud of myself and the result, but I learned two important things, next I'll take the pump with me, and managed to hop on the bike cyclocross style.
Good organization, plenty of signs and markings, well supplied feed zones, good weather and a successful Sunday.
Thanks Horatiu and Alin for the logistics , thanks Ioana for supporting me moraly, thanks Eli for the carbo-gels, Gabor for filming. It was a tough race.

PBMO 2012

Inca un weekend cu concurs de MTB, de data asta la noi in Oradea. Concursul a fost organizat pentru prima oara de Probikers Bihor, si a fost intitulat Probikers Marathon Oradea. Concursul continea 2 trasee, unul de 35 si unul de 80 de km cu 400 respectiv 900 de metrii diferenta de nivel. Vremea a fost cam mofturoasa toata saptamana, ba ploua ba iesea soarele, nu stiam cum o sa fie pana la data concursului. Initial am vrut sa particip la un alt concurs, dar fiind anulat am optat pentru asta ca nu trebuia sa platesc pentru deplasare si era si la indemana. Cu antrenorul meu am decis sa ma inscriu pe traseul de 35km ca sa fac o incalzire pentru concursul urmator unde voi participa la traseul lung. In dimineata concursului a plouat putin dar nu a afectat prea mult starea traseului. Cand am ajuns la start am fost uimit cati au venit sa pedaleze, un fapt bucurator. Inseamna ca multi s-au apucat de pedalat in ultima vreme si la tot mai multi le place idea de a pedala pe un traseu special ales si "semnalat" de dragul concursului. M-am intalnit cu foarte multi clienti de la Freestyle, cu foarte multi care concureaza alaturi de mine la alte evenimente si nu in ultimul rand 'local boys', care se dau de o vreme buna.

Concursul fiind la prima editie, a strans foarte multi concurenti, nume des intalnite la concursuri din Ardeal,  cativa rideri mai puternici din Ungaria si niciun licentiat. Traseul scurt era usor daca te descurcai cu orientarea si ai gasit marcajele neinspirate, traseul lung era doar lung, tot cu marcajele amintite mai inainte. Foarte multi s-au ratacit (cei care rulau cu viteza de plimbare probabil s-au descurcat mai bine), numarul exact nu stiu dar dupa feedback-ul primit sunt destui. Fara a face reclama proasta pentru eveniment, as vrea sa zic ca era un concurs la prima organizare. Echipa organizatoare nu era la primul eveniment sportiv, fapt ce ma mira cum s-au produs gafele aparute. Totusi s-a vazut un efort de a face tot posibilul ca sa iasa totul "brici". Restul feedback-urilor aici.

Startul a fost amanat cu 30 de minute, datorita numarului mare de participanti care au luat cu "asalt" staff-ul organizator. Dupa ce au pornit cei de la traseul lung, (noi) cei de la traseul scurt au mai asteptat 10 minute (WTF?). Dupa start am pornit tare ca stiam ca aradeanul, Zsolti si ungurul din Nyiregyhaza o sa traga, Zsolti fiind specialist de trasee scurte iar ungurul destul de antrenat si el.

Dupa 500 m Zsolti m-a depasit si n-a durat mult pana m-a depasit si ungurul. Nu am sarit sa ma tin cu el ca asteptam  prima urcare lunga. Intr-un viraj de 90 de grade, din pacate Zsolti a luat-o gresit inainte si n-a mai auzit strigatele noastre. Vecinul de peste granita a continuat la fel ca si mine, pe traseul corect. A avut un avantaj minim dar am revenit repede pe asfalt si m-am stabilit dupa el. Din pacate n-am cunoscut traseul, chiar daca era la mine acasa, si din cauza asta la o urcare brusca dupa asfalt, ungurul m-a surprins, a fortat si a reusit sa se rupa de mine. Eram increzator si m-am gandit ca sa-l prind pe ultima urcare mai lunga din traseu. Tactica nu mi-a iesit, am deviat de 3 ori de pe traseu, dar spre norocul meu am avut un codas care mai striga dupa mine si ma indrepta in directia corecta. Grazie Titi!!!

Asa am terminat cu aproape 4 minute dupa ungur pe locul doi, singur pe podium (din greseala organizatorilor). Pentru antrenament a fost numai bun acest eveniment si sper ca la anul se va ridica bara.

Oradea merita! Biciclistii merita, la fel si sportivii amatori.

Multumesc FreestyleSport pentru sprijin, Ioana pentru suportul maxim, Marci pentru sfaturi, si Mama Natura ca a tinut cu noi.

Un reportaj realizat de televiziunea locala: http://tvs.ro/sport/10192-maraton-de-ciclism.html

Another weekend of MTB-competition, this time in our beloved city, Oradea. The race was organized for the first time by Probikers Bihor, under the name Probikers Marathon Oradea. The competition contained two tracks, one 35 and a another one, 80 km with 400 meters and 900 meter of elevation. The weather was  a bit picky along the week, rainy and sunny too. I did not know how to prepare myself for the race. Initially I wanted to participate in another competition, but it was canceled, so I chose to compete home. With my coach I decided to register on the 35km route to make a warm up for the next race in Cluj where i'll do the long route. In the morning it rained a little bitbut did not affect too much the track. When I arrived at the register point, I was amazed how many people came to pedal, a fact that makes me happy. Means that many have recently started riding and more and more like the idea of ​​a special route chosen to ride on and "signed" for the sake of competition. I met with many customers from Freestyle, with many who are competing in other events along with me and last but not least 'local boys'.

It was the first edition of this race, it has raised many competitors, some common name in  Transylvanian race scene and a few stronger riders from Hungary. The short route was pretty easy if could you deal with the orinteering and you could find those clumsy markings. The long route was just long, all the markings were like mentioned before. Many were lost (those who ran at low speed  probably fared better), I do not know their exact number but after the feedbacks, they were a lot. Don't wan't to do bad advertising for the event,  I would rather say, it was a race at the first edition. For the organizing team wasn't the first sporting event, which surprised me as there were many blunders, although we could see some effort from the staff, to do everything possible to make the event nice and enjoyable. The rest  of the feedbacks u can find it here.

The start was delayed by 30 minutes, the large number of participants "assaulted" the staff and surprised them. After the start for the long-track, (we) from the short track have waited for 10 minutes (WTF?). After the start, i went off strong because I knew that Zsolti from Arad, and the Hungarian guy from Nyiregyhaza would attack asap. Zsolt is a short track specialist, and Hungarian guy was strong enough too. After 500 m Zsolt passed me and it took not long until the Hungarian guy did too.  In a 90 degree turn, Zsolt unfortunately took it wrong ahead and didn't heard our calls. The hungarian neighbour and me took the correct route. He had a minimal advantage but I recovered it quickly on the asphalt section and I settled after him. Unfortunately I didn't knew the track, even if it was near Oradea, and because of that, at a sudden climb after the asphalt section, the Hungarian surprised me, forced and managed to break away from me. I was confident and I thought to catch him at the last longer climb of the track . Tactics went wrong, I deviated from the track about three times, but luckily for me I had a "slacker" who shouted at me and turned me in the right direction. Titi, Grazie!

So I finished nearly four minutes after the Hungarian guy.(second, alone on the podium, another mistake by the organizers). The race in itself was a good training and I hope next year they will raise the bar.

Oradea it's worth! Cyclists deserve it, as well as the amateur athletes.

Thanks FreestyleSport  for the support, Ioana for maximum support, Marci for the good advices, and Mother Nature that she had kept with us.

A report conducted by local TV: http://tvs.ro/sport/10192-maraton-de-ciclism.html