Le cantal, the Oxygen Challenge and a fine performance

I'm riding through what seem deserted villages as soon as I leave the motorway on my way to Le Lioran, a ski station in the centre of France. On my way in I've already passed le Puy de Dome, a peak of 1800 meters but this was on the motorway and I've stayed overnight in Orleans because of major jams in Antwerp and Paris.

My sentiments and emotions are the same as ever when I'm driving through this country….I don't belong in Holland. It's these vast and varied spaces and emptiness that I need….this is the place I wish to be. Anyway, I was talking about the empty villages. It really felt unreal that there was literally not a soul on the main road, the shops were closed, the traffic lights out of order and the shutters of the houses shut. Where have I landed I wondered? How is this still possible, in this time and age, that I truly am traversing through ghost towns between 12.00 and 14.00? Is this really the area where this major event, the Oxygen Challenge will be held? Arriving at the scene I can hear the speaker from afar and fair enough, there are cars parked….but a sense of being hopelessly out of place creeps up again….have I done the right thing in driving 1000 km for an event without character?

I pick up my number "mon dossard" and am being welcomed in a very nice way. Although there are not that many people around, it looks well organized..but then this is an A. S.O. event. A couple of guys ask me to take their picture and after a short hour, I decide to check-out the campground. Again, an empty street and village, but the campground looks nice and the welcome is warm. During the rest of the day and evening the campsite fills up with mountain bikers and contact is soon established. Even now, I feel at home and at ease, and I haven't even raced…..my race starts at 11.00 tomorrow and my only goal is to stay in one piece and to enjoy myself. This is my first event after surgery and I'm nervous and excited. The weather seems to hold….the sun is shining and it's going to be hot.

Saturday 23 May 2009

I survived and I even did it in a very good way. I was glad I had changed my race from 50 to 35 km….especially after finishing and having heard other stories. This was not your usual 35 or 50 km race…this was the toughest so far in my racing history. But boy did I ride well, all considering. One of the few to remain on the bike during the final brutal climb towards a ski-station, passing technical passages thanks to control and strong legs and helping out others standing aside their bikes with cramped legs. Had I not taken pictures or helped out or even talked to others just for the fun of it, my time would surely have been 20 minutes better, but who cares. The competitor in me stood up for sure, but the tourist as well as the nature lover was stronger.