… are in progress for tomorrow’s tour. This week was only light training. packing bike and things, go through and optimize all lists for the 10th time. I still feel like I’m carrying too much stuff around with me. But since it is the first time that I want to cover such a long distance on my own, I rather play it safe.
The mood is good, despite the weather forecast that suggests a good rain jacket. But the wind direction is right! The nervousness is correspondingly high, but is known to subside after the first 1000m. I also received a call yesterday from the Sächsische Zeitung, which will print an article about the fundraiser this week.
As always, I plan to go to bed early in the days before such a trip. And as always, it doesn’t work. Again and again I think of things that have to be done directly (also because I usually forget it again). But I hope to be able to sleep really early today, because it starts at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow with walking the dog, breakfast and then off to Vaals to the starting point.
The bike is as heavy as a tank with luggage, lights and batteries. I will eat part of the weight during the 770km. About 2kg of food (without drinking bottles) have already been made.
The plan is still the same as it was months ago:
The actual start is at 9:00 a.m. in Aachen on the market square in front of the town hall. Some friends and acquaintances want to say goodbye there. Up to Bonn, I will be accompanied by friends (up to 35 km) and my son for the first 95km. Then it continues solo through the low mountain landscapes. Saturday morning Christoph will organize a breakfast with coffee near Radebeul. After that he will accompany me for a while. From PSV Radsport Görlitz I meet a few riders over the last few kilometers.
The question always remains when will I arrive in Görlitz? At an average speed of 25km/h that would be 3:50 p.m. (without breaks!). A difference of 1 km/h up or down means that I will arrive in Görlitz about 70 minutes earlier or later. All theory, because you never know how wind, weather, legs, and especially your head are. I will keep the breaks as short as possible. There will be two longer breaks in which I will also put on or take off additional clothing for the night (Bad Hersfeld and if everything works out at Christoph’s food post in front of Radebeul). I hope to arrive in Görlitz by late afternoon.
Last but not least:
In a comment, the recipe for the granola bars was requested:
100 g prune, finely chopped
100 g cashew nuts, finely chopped
100 g dried apricots, chopped into small pieces
200 g fig (s), dried, finely chopped
4 small apples
200 g raisins or cranberries
100 g sunflower seeds (instead I like to use flakes of coconut or whatever has to go). Nuts go too.
300 g spelled flour
300 g oatmeal, pithy
500 ml water
9 tbsp oil (sunflower oil)
1 tsp salt
5 tbsp honey
4 tsp cinnamon
Mix everything and then in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 40 minutes.
Wish me luck!