More Adventures racing in Europe

Convenience and adventure in the RV on the Furka Pass, Switzerland

  

The past two months brought a deep stretch of RV travel and racing with our time spent driving and competing pretty much nonstop throughout central Europe.   It started with our traditional overnight flight to Munich and shuffle into our race support vehicle that was set up to handle our particular bike heavy needs on our trip.  Despite Mary's broken ankle, we were optimistic of a quick recovery and decided to carry on with our ambitious schedule and make the most of a potentially great trip: Eurobike in Germany, World Championships in Norway, back down to southern Switzerland for the Swiss Epic stage race, the European Enduro Finals in Germany and keeping it pinned right into the middle of October with a trip south to the Mediterranean to race the Roc d Azur marathon.  

Mary and I saw a lot throughout this travel experience including a great swath of central Europe as well as a wide variety of off road racing, including Cross Country, Stage Race, Enduro and Marathon events.  Having great weather surely made all the difference in making this RV race trip a positive experience. The seasonal beauty and quietude of the camping world re-confirmed our notion that the ideal time to travel in Europe is in the Fall, after summer break is over. 

with the warmer days we could still dry laundry outside...

And appreciate the quiet avenues...

The August rains in Europe made for a lush September.   Out for a long one near Schladming, Austria.  

Mary and I got in a groove based around the competitions and bike show/festivals, also taking the time time to visit some of our friends and long standing partners as we could along the way.   We were really glad to once again showcase our team and represent our fantastic sponsors as the "traveling Americans in Europe" and were once again stoked to see the continued growth and awareness of all our sponsors' brands across this huge and diverse European marketplace!!  

The use of Kenda Tires is spreading across Europe!  Mike demonstrating a nose wheelie at Eurobike.

Mary and Cindy Koziatek (Co-owner of Stan's NoTubes) stand in front of the amazing line up of SNTs wheels!

Yes!!!  Clif Bar is now available in Europe!!!  Delicious, nutritious bars, drinks and gels for sustained energy!

We stand behind World Bicycle Relief and the "Buffalo Bike"!! This nonprofit organization is dedicated to transforming individuals and communities through the power of bicycles.  Simple, sustainable bicycle transportation multiplies an individuals efficiency.  Compared to walking, bicycles improve access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity by increasing carrying capacity and accessible travel distance while decreasing the time if takes to commute to and from schools, clinics and markets.  Dedicated to solving complex challenges in Africa, WBR has trained more than 900 field mechanics and provided more than 190,000 specially designed, locally assembled bicycles to disaster survivors, healthcare workers, students and entrepreneurs.

On to the next event:  A classic scene - Mike race tuning the bikes in the campground

We are especially happy that Mary's healing process has been going pretty smooth even with all the heavy challenges she has put her body to with the rigorous racing.  She is still a bit stiff in the ankle but in general is "all good on the bike" and clearly stoked to be able to progress forward in her training and reconditioning of her ankle.   I felt Mary's disappointment in missing out on some racing this summer so it was sweet to really be able to compete at some big events with passion and ultimately success!  It was great to be able to ride alongside Mary for the entirety of the Swiss Epic when we were clearly pushing the envelope on her healing process, which was an awesome display of her mental fortitude as she showed her desire to follow through no matter how hard things got...

Mary racing the Swiss Epic and Smiling to get the line! (see previous blog post for details)

More recently it was fantastic to see her return to strong form with a near win at the Roc d Azur marathon a few weeks ago in France! Incredible that it came down to a sprint finish after the 83 kms - it was great to see her on the podium (2nd) and representing with a smile at this massive festival! 

Thank you to all our team partners for standing behind us!!!

Turns out much of our Europe trip was changed in some way by Mary's injury.  It seemed that we felt the gravity of the situation in all that we did and much of what we were doing seemed that little bit harder, at the same time it was clear that we were all the more grateful just to be able to be doing what we were doing, the best we could and making sure to appreciate it along the way.  The Swiss Epic was especially heavy to get into with Mary not yet able to make her way up steep hills very well on foot (meaning I did a lot of pushing while she balanced and pushed hard in the saddle more than she should have). This was pretty much symbolic of the whole trip in that we were faced with big unfamiliar challenges and had to find alternative ways to get things done.  

Mary getting ready to race - enjoying the good energy of a Guayaki Yerba Mate Energy Shot in the start boxes.

Mary racing World XC Championships 2014, Hafjell, Norway

Mary gave it a hell of a go throughout the entire healing process and in looking back we are just really happy that it seems that things can heal up even when you are pushing your limits.  

I also had the chance to expand my horizons with an introduction to professional Enduro racing and am happy that this also went really well.  I ended up in the top 20 in the European Enduro finals in Treuchtlingen, Germany while doing my best to learn about how to do things better just from this first official run.   I managed pretty well with my adapted XC bike, Intense Cycles  "Spider Comp", but felt  a bit out gunned when it got rough, and it surely did, even on the smaller hills that we competed on in Germany.   No doubt having a proper Enduro bike with all the trimmings is completely key to success.  VERY much stoked to be getting things in order to have what we need to be competitive in the future for all our racing styles and most especially with regards to Enduro.  

Stoked for a solid run - 9th in the prologue and 18th overall!

It was awesome to see where the level of riding is at for the Enduro Competitions and to know a little more about what we have to do, and what to outfit ourselves with to be competitive.  Mary didn't compete at this round but is also quite excited by the format and the opportunity to get on some bigger bikes.   We also made a pass through the SRAM headquarters in Schweinfurt, Germany where we learned a ton about tuning  our rear suspension (which is really important when getting the last bits of speed/performance out of the bikes). We are excited to build our program towards getting us both fully equipped and involved.   

Fine tuning the "Monarch" rear suspension with one of Rockshox's guru technicians

Great to enjoy the trails of Schweinfurt with local SRAM rippers!

Enjoying checking out the Bonanza Bike collection...

Bread run!

We are so grateful for the amazing opportunities that have presented themselves and the fantastic people we have been lucky to meet…all through the bike! 

Team KENDA Tires at Roc d Azur  2014 - The friends we've met along the journey are a part of what make this path so special!  

Mary and I are finally over the jet lag and very happy to be back home in the throws of a colorful New England Fall.  We are taking some time now to recover, regroup, and continue to plan for the future.   There is so much good stuff going on in the off road racing world and we are excited to be involved in a wide variety of MTB disciplines for 2015-16.  As we move forward with team preparations we are already looking forward to some really exciting events on the horizon… and definitely open to new opportunities that may come our way… 

Even though the days are getting shorter and colder here in MA we both look forward to getting outside and charging each day…  and after, are happy to come inside a real house, with heat and running water, where there is space to stretch, cook nutritious foods, do laundry and get a perfect wifi signal!  Not to mention the JOY of working in my own bike shop…

here is our front porch from the RV... yes, glad to be home! 

Wishing you safe rides, fun adventures and good balance!

Mike and Mary

Team Kenda - Stan's NoTubes

Life is too short to not seek out your passion and GO for it!

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