When putting together my calendar for the summer I wanted to add some grueling marathon rides in the Alps and the Salzkammergut Trophy  in Austria caught my attention because of its scale and popularity. 2007 was the tenth year of the event and looked like something someone not use to alpine climbs would find a tough nut to crack. 

The Salzkammergut Trophy is hyped as the most gruelling one-day mountain bike event in Europe. It attracted three thousands cyclists this year, an extra 800 participants over 2006. Salzkammergut is vertically gifted region typified by pristine lakes, crystal clear gushing streams, electric green meadows and 2,000-metre peaks. The host town of Bad Gosiern comes to life for the weekend where partcipants and wellwishers nearly equal the number of inhabitants.

From Bad Gosiern there is only one way to go and that is up, steeply up. And once you’ve reached the top, the only way down is via jagged vertical drops, precarious logging trails covered in loose gravel and the occasional paved road. The route has few plateaus and no rolling valley bases to ease the pain. It’s all out hard riding from the start to finish, or retirement if the climbs become too much.  There are four distances that riders can choose, from the martyrdom 200km with 7000m of climbing to the 109km, 50km and 30km with equally large dollops of climbing. The smaller distances should not be seen as easy given they share some of the long, hard climbs with the bigger distances. The first hour is all about climbing (and a bit of nausea for the untrained riders), but the views at the top of the big climbs are breathtaking.  

My training buildup for this was mostly based in Guernsey with a combination of hill riding (think Lere, Fermain, etc) and local TT’s as part of my high intensity training. You cannot train for mountains on mole hills and that truth stuck with me as I  spun up the second 1,000 metre ascent of the day. Lots of bikes rolled back down the trail obviously beaten by the relentless climb up ahead. Grit and determination keep you marching towards the heaven. Such climbs are something you cannot prepare for unless you are a mountain goat or live next to the alps, somethng most brits do not. 

Cycling is a popular sport on the continent and ebullient crowds applauded riders all over the course even at the highest point of the 109km route that is in the middle of the Austrian outback. Swiss cowbells are popular amongst the crowds and have a mesmoramic effect on riders chanting them to ride on. The crowds were certainly appreciated in the hot sunshine.   After tackling the final big ascents and knowing the final 25km took me home it was all about digging deep and riding on. In the home kms a rider caught me I had worked hard to keep at bay. Dropping behind his wheel I slipstreamed the final few hundred meters before breaking for a sprint finish one position higher, albeit I was 4hrs behind the winning rider. I was worn and torn but had completed the 109km course and 3500m of ascent in 9hrs 41 mins. This was the toughest ride I have ever ridden by a mile! 

The adventure though is not finished, with another outing to complete my summer tour. The sister challenge comes next month in the form of the Grand Raid Cristalp, a 121km (4500m) ride across six valleys in the Alps.

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