There are pluses and minuses to being small when it comes to bikes, I can lose out big time on anything gravity assisted but on the other hand its an advantage going up and into the wind. Apparently its the rider rather than the bike that make the biggest impact on aerodynamics, I get that, so being small is like getting free power. So anyhow as soon as I was back settled on the tri-bars I concentrated on being just a part of the bike, my legs the only things moving apart from the occasional flick of the gear changer.

Ahead of me the tarmac stretched away empty except for the tiny specks of my fellow competitors away ahead. I glanced at my comp, whoa, fifty three point four kph up hill! I pushed the gear shifter the last click and engaged the 11 sprocket, well might as well use it.The bumps hadn't seemed much going the other direction but as the road veered to the left it revealed a veritable mountain ahead, a mountain with lots of bikes on it. Keep it smooth girl, use the gears, its advantage Bond right? I did another rough time check, forty five, I'm gaining, well if that's my minute girl I'm gaining, can't read the number yet.

By the top of the climb however I could read the number, ninety six so not my minute man. Well, the race isn't over until I cross the line and that's still over fifteen kilometres away so come on Gab, buckle down. I'd been so engrossed in catching the rider directly in front I was surprised when I crested the climb to find a string of riders ahead, all within potential catching distance, oh yeah!

We've been given an overtaking protocol to follow, the slower rider has to move out of the racing line, so I found myself effectively undertaking ninety six as the road levelled off some, one down, lots to go! I started working back up the gears, my speed was still impressive for uphill but almost twenty K below that first wind assisted surge. Partly because of the weird seeding I quickly overtook another three slower riders as the road dragged upwards again but no sign of ninety seven or von Stuygen for that matter.

That changed on the next 'bump', I could see a couple of riders battling their way uphill pretty much alongside each other although their respective service cum judges bikes blocked my view for quite a while. By the time I got a clear view again the conflict was resolved and the slower rider was coming back towards me quite quickly. It seemed like mere seconds before motorbike horns were sounding and I was pulling past.

“F$#*k!”

Well there's no need for that sort of language! Hang on, that wasn't even German, thats flippin' von Stuygen! I concentrated on sitting still but I couldn't resist giving a little finger wave as I drew ahead.

“Urgh!”

I chuckled to myself, nothing like a bit of psychology to help the efforts of the body. Thing is, I've just caught her for four minutes but what's nearly as important is the effect that might have on her come Sunday. Yeah, as Granny Weatherwax might put it, headology goes a long way.

With three quarters of the distance covered one of my top rivals is out of the picture but there's still no sign of last years winner, my minute girl.

“Come on Gab!”
“Up, up, up!”
“Down ten!”
“Dig in Bond!”
“Go girl!”

It looked like most of Team Apollinaris were stood cheering me on as I crested the penultimate bump. I snicked up a sprocket as I passed them, well you have to don't you? Hmm, down ten, I'm guessing that's on the girl I'm chasing, well time to chuck everything that's left into the pot.

This is where pacing really comes in, go too hard now and you blow before the line, not hard enough and there's gas left. Neither is very good but its not an exact science, there's a lot of gut feeling and experience involved. Ahead the road bucked up a final time, from the top its two K downhill to the line, so for me I need to get as much on that climb as possible.

I dropped a cog to keep the revs up, I don't want to waste energy grinding the big gears uphill. I concentrated on riding round, its easy to find yourself stabbing at the pedals at this point but keeping things round and smooth is more effective. And then I was over the top, the inflatable arch at the finish preceded by another at one to go and several riders on the road ahead too.

Well this is it, one last big effort. Back through the gears, thirteen, twelve and eleven, faster, faster, keep the breathing going. I flew under the one kilo dirigible, the legs spinning like a top, the red fog starting to blur my view, not yet, not yet!

“And our Weltmeisterin crosses the line, its going to be close!”

I threw the bike forward and over the line before ceasing the effort and sitting up, my momentum taking me straight through the brake zone and out of the barriered zone. I spotted a patch of grass and pretty much fell off onto it, my feet still clipped in. my chest was heaving, I felt dizzy, urgh.

“Gab!” Dad yelled
“Ungh”
“You alright kiddo? Lets get you unclipped.”
“Breath,” I gasped as instead of unclipping my shoes Dad just removed them before handing my bike off to someone.
“Bloody good ride girl.”
“Minute,” I managed to get out as I closed my eyes and relaxed a bit more comfortably on my back.
“She alright?” I heard Angela ask.
“Think so, give her a minute.”

It was nearly an hour and a half later, after giving samples and watching Anja collect her bronze medal that it was time for the under eighteen prize presentation. I stood behind the stage with the other medallists as the MC droned on and on about sponsors and this and that. I sipped at my can of lemonade, get on with it man.

“In third place, last years winner, with a time of fifty six fifty nine, riding for Hertha Berlin, Paula Breitscheide!"

The tall, stringy girl to my right headed out to the stage, we could hear the cheering and applause as she took her place on the podium.

“Our silver medallist, in fifty six fifty seven, riding for SSC Regensburg, Jo-Anne Ostermann!”

Okay, so that's spoilt the suspense yes I've won.

“And our 2006 under eighteen champion, the current Weltmeisterin, with a time of fifty six twenty three, riding for Team Apollinaris Ahrweiler, Gaby Bond!”

I put down my tinny, straightened my fresh Apollinaris jersey, plastered a smile on my face and joined the others on the stage.

“So which one do you wear?” Tal enquired as I joined the others at the dinner table.

After all the usual stuff, interviews, photo's blah de blah, we eventually set off back to Hohenpeißenberg about seven, George beaming like a Loon, only Ron having a long face having missed a gong by about the same amount that I won by.

“Eh?”
“You can't wear both Gab,” Gret pointed out.
My brain engaged about then, “er I dunno, probably the rainbow?”
“Maybe they'll make you a special one with both,” Tina suggested.
“You gonna do the double on Sunday?” Anita asked along the table.
“Can't see that happening,” I shrugged.
“i don't know,” Maria started, “you could time trial away from them.”
“They're gonna let me do that,” I retorted.
“Well I won't,” Gret put in with a grin.
“Cheers friend,” I told her with a poke in the arm.

“You alright kiddo?” Dad asked finding me sat outside a bit later on.
“Yeah I guess.”
“That was a really mature ride out there today.”
I shrugged, “it was a bit close.”
“The Tour (de France) has been won by less after three weeks, you had forty kilometres and some stiff opposition.”
“I s'pose.”
“So what did Max have to say?”
“How'd you...”
“Phone in your hand and wistful look on your face.”
“Oh.”
“So?”
“You know, congrats and all that.”
“But not the leaping about joy you were expecting?”
“No,” I agreed.
“Its difficult for him and your other friends Gab, if you aren't intimately involved with the training, the preparation and aren't even there, well you can make the noises but it can come across as a bit off hand.”
“I guess.”
“I'm sure he's excited for you.”
“Didn't sound it.”
“Come on, I know just the remedy.”
“You do?”
“I'm told they do an excellent hot chocolate with cream, marsh mallows, the works.”
“Now that I could be interested in,” I allowed with a grin.

“You awake?”
“Hmm?”
“You ever had a boyfriend Ron?” I asked across the dark space of our room.
“Not really,” she mumbled.
“Never?”
“Well there was Joachim in kindergarten, he used to hold my hand.”
“Seriously Ron,” I inrejected.
“Like you and Max? Nope, 's'never happened, why?”
I shrugged, “just wondered, he seemed a bit cool earlier when I rang.”
“You probably disturbed him watching the football.”
“He's not a really a fan, Dad says its because he's not closely involved.”
There was a pause before she spoke again, “i can see that, dad can be a bit like that sometimes.”
“He can?”
“Yeah, he doesn't really get me racing, thinks I should be at university.”
“You could do both,” I suggested.
“Nah, I was never very academic unlike someone I could mention.”
“Just got a good memory for the exams.”
“She says.”
“You never wanted a boyfriend?” I ploughed in and returning to the original subject.
“Not really,” she replied matter of factly, “too much of a distraction.”
“I guess.”
“Well look at you now, you won a national title today and all your bothered about is what Max thinks, you should be enjoying the sensation of being champion, I know I would be.”
“You're probably right.”
“I know I am, can we sleep now?”
“Er yeah, soz.”
“Nite champ.”
“Nite Ron.”

I heard my room mate make herself comfortable and in a few minutes she was gently sawing away. But sleep wasn't coming to me, I lay staring at the grey expanse of the ceiling, my mind still pre occupied with Maximilian von flippin' Strechau. 'well done babe', babe, I'll give him babe!

Somewhere along the line I must have fallen asleep because I was awoken by the toilet light going on.
“'Time is it?”
“Two thirty,” Ron suggested.
“Urgh!”
“You seen outside?”
Why the heck would I? “no.”
“Best take a look, its what woke me.”
 

Maddy Bell © 17.08.2017