Die 2009 Grosse Bayern Rundfahrt: 847.5 km Yet To Go!

by E.W. (Wim) Kok.

Introduction Shortly after PBP 2007, Audax UK began advertising LEL 2009. Since I had very good memories of LEL 2005, it was high on my list of rides to do (again). 1 To register two years ahead however seemed rather premature. By the time I wanted to put my name on the list, it was closed. Then I came across Die Grosse Bayern Rundfahrt, the first ever 1200 km brevet in Germany. The website had tantalizing pictures of the scenery along the route. In addition, back in the 1970's I spent four months in the Black Forest as an exchange student which left great memories. Reason enough to return. Since there was a limit of 100 riders, I contacted Karl and Heidi Weimann the brevet organizers in Osterdorf and pre-registered. I remembered Karl from that fabulous brunch at the Best Western in the Rogers Pass during the 2002 RM 1200. Meanwhile Karl kept uploading the website with information, slowly increasing our appetite for the event. The precise route details were released at the riders' meeting the night before the start. Here is my account of the German adventure, which incidentally did not end the way I wanted it. Background

During the winter months I maintained my fitness routine: speed skating - short and long track- and riding rollers in the basement. By the time the roads were ready to ride, the weather wasn't cooperative. Winter lingered as usual, as did the snow.2 I rode the qualifying series: Peace 200, Edmonton 200, Peace 300, Ottawa 400, Peace 600 and another Peace 200. By the time I rolled to the start in Osterdorf, I had over 4,000 km road- and more than 800 roller kilometers in my legs. In my humble experience more than sufficient for a successful finish of a 1,200 km brevet. After arriving in Europe I visited family and also I met up with Michael Koth and Monica, his fiancé. Michael is one of Germany's brevet organizers. Together we rode the 2002 RM 1200 and the 2006 VanIsle 1200. We kept in touch since that time. Michael and Monica also gave me a good luck card. I traveled to Osterdorf by ICE train going in excess of 300 kph. By the way booking with the Deutsche Bundes Bahn was cheaper than using the Dutch system. Guess, I went Dutch by using the German system. I got off the train in Treuchtlingen, a mere 5 km from

1 http://www.randonneurs.bc.ca/newsletter/submissions_2005/051_lel-2005_wim-kok.html 2 http://www.randonneurs.bc.ca/newsletter/submissions_2009/018_peace-pop-photos_wim-kok.html

the start. Osterdorf is a tiny Bavarian village with 280 people, so small that it has no street names; instead there are only house numbers to indicate where people live. There are no businesses left in the community, no payphones and the village inn closed some time ago.

The settlement is referred to as an 'Angerdorf' The village has its origin in the 13th century, when it was part of medieval and feudal society. The farmsteads are grouped around a small commons, which includes a grassy area, fruit trees and others, and a communal well - now cemented in. At the east end of the commons a picturesque church with a distinct steeple, a walled cemetery and the 'alte Schule', an abandoned school. It has been converted to a community center and serves as the gathering point for the brevets. The main room is decorated with memorabalia from PBP and other RM events. The church bell sounds every 15 minutes, with a regularity reminding us of the rhythms of daily life, both secularly and spiritually. Historically the commons served as a safe place for travelers. The same area is now a safe haven for randonneurs, parking their cars and pitching their tents. History repeats itself. Upon arrival in Osterdorf I settled in my accommodation, courtesy of Karl and the Hüttingen family. After assembling the bicycle I returned to Treuchtlingen for supper; later that night I dropped in at the Weimann's, who so graciously extended their hospitality. If Osterdorf is Nord-Bayern's cradle of randonneuring, then Karl and Heidi are the parents of this beautiful sport. In fact they have made brevet organizing their hobby - passion is the better term. They draw on their children, friends and neighbours in the very supportive community. The next day I cycled the picturesque Altmühl valley, riding the bicycle paths that link the villages and slice through farmers' fields. The Altmühl is Germany's largest national park. It was truly joyful and I savoured every minute and mile of it, soaking up and reading the landscape, revealing many a fascinating picture of the past and present. Canoes floated down the Altmühl. I sat down for lunch at Gasthaus zum Müllerwirt enjoying a great German salad, soup and a beer.

The Eve of the Rundfahrt In the morning I did an easy ride in the area surrounding Osterdorf cycling on tertiary roads to appreciate the intimacy of field and forest. Cycled to Pappenheim, a beautiful town in the Altmühl valley. The community by the way is named after Graf zu Pappenheim. Considering the medieval times, it was not all that unusual, except that his name is now a colloquialism in the Czech, Dutch, Flemish, German and Scandinavian languages. When someone uses the expression "Ich kenne meinen Pappenheimers" - (I know my Pappenheimers), one essentially suggests to know people so well, that one can predict their behaviour without asking. In my younger days I often heard the use of this expression.

Most riders arrived the afternoon and evening before the ride. The mandatory bicycle check focused specifically on lights, brakes and spare brake pads. The local 'Blaaskapelle' played several tunes. The Bürgermeister from Pappenheim spoke to the gathering crowd, welcomed us

and wished us well in our quest. This was followed by a pasta dinner and route explanation by Karl and Heidi. Starting in Osterdorf we'd follow the Bavarian border through an incredibly rich and varied landscape. The route would cover 1,267.5 km for which ACP had allocated a time of 95:05 hours. The total elevation gain would be close to 46,000 feet, well in excess of Paris-Brest-Paris. The event would be challenge when compared with other 1200 km brevets. There were 12 stages, six of which in excess of 100 km.

The Ride: "Und jetzt geht's los."

Following an early breakfast at the 'alte Schule,' we readied ourselves, checked a few more things and then assembled for the start. Ina Stengel played the saxophone: Happy Birthday for Peter Holtzenbein (AB Randonneurs), and then the national anthems for each of participating countries. Nice touch and touching. It certainly celebrated the international nature of the brevet. Then the stepladder was brought out. Karl ascended the ladder to assume - for those who have started in Osterdorf before - his classic position: astride atop the ladder, addressing the crowd of volunteers, onlookers and riders, drawing frequent laughter for his quips.3 His underlying message was clear: enjoy the ride and above all have fun. We applauded. A very brief countdown: "und jetzt geht's loss" Mere seconds after the clock struck 10 we were off, leaving Osterdorf behind us. Down the hill we went, a couple of turns and before we knew it we were in Treuchtlingen, crossed the Altmühl River. Barely eight km into the ride, the easy part was over. The first climb, nothing major, but I am sure that it was not what most of us had in mind so soon into the ride. Whatever pack there was, it quickly stretched out in to small groups of grunting riders. The usual brevet thing.

After we reached the plateau, we undulated with a landscape of forests and pastures, interspersed with stubble fields covered in liquid manure. I suspect that most of us would have gladly done without the pungent smell. Then again, as some would say if you want to eat your Wienerschnitzel, the smell is part of the price you pay. A delayed seasoning one might add. Notwithstanding that fly in the ointment, we passed through one tiny rural settlement after another. Agriculture rules!! It underscored the economic importance of that sector.4 I remember the heavy discussions about the new European agricultural policy in the 1960's when listening to radio news and commentaries on the formation of the EU. The German farmers, especially those in Bavaria, appeared to carry significant political clout in shaping the future.

While these memories crossed my mind, something else crossed our path: dark clouds. Precipitation seemed both distinct, but distant. No-one expected anything soon. How wrong we were. A few warning drops and the skies suddenly opened. It happened so quickly, that we had to hurry to get into our rain gear. We continued and descended into the Wörnitz River valley,

then cycled across a medieval stone bridge into Harburg. We entered and exited, almost simultaneously a tiny market square and faced a steep and narrow ascent with some 10-12% sections. This was the second challenge of the day, but we were still fresh and certainly up to it, albeit somewhat slow. Rolled onward through Mauren and shortly thereafter Erlingshofen, where we crossed the Danube River. I had been looking forward to it, conjuring up those Straussian images of "die schöne Blaue Donau." Well, how different the reality. Not only was the river not 'schön', it wasn't 'blau' either. It looked like a canal. So much for waltzing along and across the river. Johann, what were you thinking? Ah well. The ride progressed uneventfully until Wertingen, where we worked our way through a labyrinth of construction equipment, broken pavement and gravel sections to make it to Control # 1: Wertingen (Km 83.2 @ 1:00 pm). We had been only three hours on the road at an average speed of 27.7 kph. Quite fast for the opener.

At the control we collected the necessary stamps and signatures, relieved and stuffed ourselves, refilled water bottles and camelbacks, and were on our way again. After a bit of a zig-zag we were on Strasse #2027 into the rolling countryside. The rain had stopped, yet the sky was loaded and kept threatening, alternating between sunny patches and drawing shower curtains around us. While navigating the course, we noted that road signs only showed the next settlement. Bigger towns further down the road were not mentioned. For rural people who are intimately familiar with their surroundings and who have developed that sense of place, it is of course not an issue. For us to stay the course we had to keep a very close eye on both route sheet and road signs. Fortunately most roads in Bavaria were well marked with letters/numbers such as St 2027; A6; Gz 1 and Nu 7, which by the way nicely matched the detailed route sheets Karl had prepared for us.

While tackling a small hill on my way to Burtenbach, two randonneurs passed (me) at considerable speed. No attempt to latch on. Soon after Peter Hoeltzenbein caught up and we rode to Burtenbach where we came upon a bridge re-construction project. Cars had to turn around, but cyclists could use the narrow footbridge - lucky for us there was one to somewhere!! That experience basically confirmed the pattern that began in Wertingen. We now assumed that "whenever there's a construction zone, road closures apply to everyone else except pedestrians and cyclists." That assumption however would cause a problem later on, but little did we know. "Blessed are the innocent randonneurs for they shall enjoy the ride as it comes!" Sounds like a randonneur's beatitude. After Kemnitz the terrain became hilly with a few short, steep climbs

Climbing went well. I enjoyed these ascents as a mental and physical experience. Some 15 km before the second control, the sky threatened again. We hoped to outpace the building storm and to reach the control before the cloudburst. We got close, but that was about it. Five more minutes were all we needed; the cloud however could no longer hold its heavenly bladder. Like the morning downpour, this one too, started with a few drops and then the floodgates opened. We got hosed before we arrived at Control # 2: Illertal Ost (Km 169.8 km @ 4:40 pm).

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