Rund um Köln 2008 - Snow at Easter

Wow, it was a real experience - all in all worth the trip but still a new one. The whole gang jumped into the car on Sunday afternoon after looking for eggs and a few presents at home in the morning. It had sleeted and snowed most of the night here at home but it was dryer during the day. We got to Cologne about 90 minutes later and the weather was really cold but absolutely wonderful. We headed out from the Holiday Inn we were staying at into the park next to the hotel for an hours walk thought the forest. I was feeling really excited about the race the next day. We ate in the hotel for dinner and the kids watched a movie in the room as Chris and I got away to the hotel lobby to hang out for an hour before going to bed.7am Monday, 24 MarchOpened the curtains and we saw what we learned later had only began an hour earlier - snow. big huge flakes we falling and they were not melting at all. Just to clarify where we were, this is not on top of a mountain somewhere but in the city center of Cologne. Usually really worm there too. It almost NEVER snows in the city of Cologne. After breakfast we were getting ready to load the car and head to the start. I had packed the bike into the car overnight and when I went to put it on the roof rack I had to fist clear 5cm (2″) of fresh snow from the rack! We didn’t know what to expect across the river at the start but I was trying to be optimistic. After all the effort of getting to the start I really did not want to let the fan club down.9.50amWe had parked at the Fairgrounds in Cologne where the races all finish but the start is in Leverkusen about 15K away. There was a solid covering of snow on the roads near the fairgrounds. There was still no announcement of cancellation so I unloaded the bike, got all the clothing ready (it was about 1°C and snowing) and headed off to Leverkusen. The fan club headed to the hall of the grounds where it was warm and dry to wait for the race to get close to Cologne.10.10amHalf of my cassette is frozen. I am riding a 12-27 rear cassette for this race as there are a number of really short, steep climbs (>12%) and the lower half of the cassette is full of ice.I have to shift to my 53×21 for the rest of the ride to the start. I see many others stopping with screwdrivers clearing their gears to ride on. The ride to the start is to be the warmup for the race. I am already feeling the cold. I have got all the winter gear on; long winter tights with wind guard, neoprene show covers, 2 undershirts, jersey and rain jacket, winter gloves, buff around the neck, fleece beanie and helmet. The icy water running up from the rear wheel is slowly seeping into my tights. I really wish I had my nerdy fenders right now.10.30amI arrive at the starting area. Sure there is still plenty of snow falling but I have not fallen once! That must be worth something. There is a weird silence around the starting area. There are over 3000 people registered for this race today. I see about 200. Just as I stop near the starting line my cell rings; it is Chris. She tells me that they are announcing the cancellation of the races today. A few minutes later the race officials at the start announce that there is over 10cm of snow on the climbs and a number of vehicle accidents have occurred along the course too. That was it. Race is not going to happen. What I had been working for for over 3 months but had known for the last 3 hours was canceled.11.20amBack at the fairgrounds in Cologne. I had grouped up with about 10 others headed back to the finish and we just enjoyed a group ride. The weather in the river valley was improving; no more snow fall and less snow/ice on the roads. So we sped along at 33-36kmh back to the “finish” to at least felt we had done something today. None of us actually said anything for the 25 minute ride, only a few comments of the junk we were swallowing coming off the roads but this was a weird satisfaction that we were actually getting some value out of really junking our bikes for “nothing” - cool.2.00pmHome in Wiesbaden. Spent over an hour taking down the bike to get all the grit out. Clothes went straight into the laundry too. I had recorded the TV coverage of the race day and began watching it. It was like watching a movie when you already know the ending - no that interesting. But they did show some of the conditions out on the course and I was really happy that it did not go forward. It would never had been much of a race anyway.Bike is clean and the training plan is being rebuilt to reflect the missing race. Next take is on the 1st of May in Frankfurt. It is the next Pro Tour ride here with an amateur ride also. Cologne was to be a “B” race where Frankfurt is my first “A” race so there is much to still accomplish. It will be much harder than Cologne was to be with over 100K and many more hills to climb.Tuesday, 25 MarchIt is still snowing here. Not too much but still falling. We went out sledding this morning on the local hill. Loads of people there and great snow for snowball fights. And those fights lasted over an hour too. Wonderful!

One Response to “Snow at Easter”

1. Matt Says:April 15th, 2008 at 04:26 editYou are so dang hard-core for just getting out there thinking you were going to start. Amazing!